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RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF CALIFORNIA STAGE 4: CAVENDISH SPRINTS TO VICTORY
Road Bike Action & AFP
February 18, 2009
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Mark Cavendish celebrates his stage 4 victory
(Photo: Ken Conley)
Mark Cavendish edged Tom Boonen to win the fourth stage of the Tour of California on Wednesday as two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer retained the overall lead. The 186.3km stage took the race from Merced through the Sierra Mountains, with the early going marked by a series of attempted breaks. A three-man group finally escaped on a break that held up until the gap was erased in the closing kilometers and the sprinters surged to the fore.
Cavendish was able to secure the stage victory that had eluded him a day before as he beat Boonen by centimeters. Juan Jose Haedo was third. Astana's Leipheimer finished safely in the pack to maintain his overall lead, 24sec in front of Australian Michael Rogers.
Leipheimer's Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner who launched a comeback this year after an absence of more than three years, also finished in the main group to remain fourth overall, 30 seconds back. "It was a hard race," Armstrong said. "It was aggressive in the beginning, guys wanted to get away and get a break going, then they just made our lives tough on those first couple of climbs. "Not an easy day," he added. "It was fast coming home, but all in all pretty tough."
The Tour of California is Armstrong's second race of 2009, after the Tour Down Under in Australia last month. "It's a harder race than the first race," Armstrong said of the California event, which has been dogged by cold, wet weather. "I feel good." Cavendish had been expected to challenge in Tuesday's stage three but ended up a disappointing fifth after he was separated from lead-out man Mark Renshaw. "Bad stuff happens, you've got to make amends and that's what we did today," he said.
"Today wasn't really a stage I was targeting, I thought it would be about survival," Cavendish said. "But it played into our hands." He credited his Columbia teammates with keeping him going through the mountains. "The team did so, so well together," he said. "They stayed with me on every climb." And as the stage wound down to its flat, quick finish, Cavendish was perfectly poised to make the most of his sprinting abilities. "They put me in a perfect position," he said. "When they dropped me off with 200m to go, there was only really going to be one outcome."
It wasn't all good news for Columbia, however, as Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen broke his right collarbone and scapula in a crash that also saw Spain's Oscar Freire of Rabobank crack two ribs. "It was a freak accident," Cavendish said of Kirchen's crash, which apparently started when a jacket he was trying to shed got caught in a wheel. "He got a cape in his front wheel and down he came," Cavendish said. "He has broken his collarbone." American Floyd Landis, who was also caught up in the incident, was able to rejoin the peloton.
How Cavendish Won
The sun finally came out for the fourth stage of the Tour of California starting in Merced, California. The riders, who had suffered in the cold and rain for the first two stages of the race, welcomed the sunny skies and warmer weather. The peloton rolled out town with attacks starting immediately. A group containing Mathias Frank (BMC Racing Team), Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank), Davide Frattini (Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light) and Matthew Crane (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) were finally able to break free and built a gap of 20-seconds.
As the break increased their gap, David Kemp of the V-Austriala abandoned, still suffering from fatigue and illness after his stage one exploits. Despite their efforts the break was never allowed to gain more than 25-seconds and was pulled back just 20 miles into the stage.
On the first climb of the day, a break containing Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank), George Hincapie (Team Columbia - Highroad), Christian Vande Velde (Garmin - Slipstream), Rory Sutherland (OUCH p/b Maxxis) and Christopher Jones (Team Type 1) launched off the front of the peloton. Seeing the danger of such a group the peloton chased hard and closed the gap. The rapid speed of the peloton so early in the stage caused several riders to abandon, including; Victor Hugo Pena (Rock Racing), Phil Southerland (Team Type 1), Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) Brad Huff (Jelly Belly Cycling Team), John Murphy (OUCH p/b Maxxis) and Jonathan Garcia (BMC Racing Team).
With five kilometers to the first KOM a break containing Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank), Serge Pauwels (Cervélo TestTeam), Tyler Hamilton and Francisco Mancebo (Rock Racing) rode clear of the peloton. Over the top it was Mancebo edging McCartney and Pauwels for the KOM points.
The brief descent following the climb allowed the break’s gap to quickly grow to 1.15. In the town of Mariposa, Mancebo took the sprint bonus ahead of Hamilton and McCartney and increasing his lead over Thor Hushovd in the competition.
With everyone in the break working together the gap continued to increase, reaching 2.00 as they topped the second climb. At the second KOM, it was again Mancebo taking the points ahead of Hamilton and Pauwels. After taking the KOM points, Mancebo sat up in the hopes that his absences from the break would give teammate Hamilton a better chance of winning the stage.
Over the third KOM it was McCartney taking the points ahead of Hamilton and Pauwels. Back in the peloton there was large crash that caused Kim Kirchen (Team Columbia - Highroad) and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) to abandon. Floyd Landis was also involved but was uninjured. The crash slowed the peloton and allowed the break’s gap to increase to 5.00.
The fourth and final KOM saw the Hamilton cross the line ahead of McCartney and Pauwels. With 45 miles still to go after the final climb, it became drag race to the finish with the three leaders trying desperately to hold off the Quick Step and Columbia lead peloton.
At 30 miles to go the gap had dropped the 3.30 and with 20 miles remaining it was down to 2.20. With ten miles left the peloton had closed to within a minute with Columbia still leading the chase. The gap continued to drop and in the last three miles the gap was down to 10-seconds with Hamilton still driving the break. Coming into the town of Clovis, the Cervélo team hit the front looking for a repeat of yesterday’s stage. With Cervélo driving at the front the escape was finally reeled in.
As the peloton entered the final straight Rabobank rider Pedro Horrillo made a solo move in a final bid for victory. However, it was not to be as the sprinters began their charge for the line. In the rush for the line Mark Cavendish powered past Tom Boonen and JJ Haedo, thumping his chest in victory as he crossed the line.
Tour of California, February 14-22, 2009
Wednesday, February 18
Stage 3: Merced-Clovis, California
1. Mark Cavendish (BRT) Team Columbia - Highroad
2. Tom Boonen (BEL) Quick Step
3. JJ Haedo (ARG) Saxo Bank
4. Thor Hushovd (NOR), Cervelo Test Team
5. Tyler Farrar (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
General Classification After Stage 4
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA/Astana)
2. Michael Rogers (AUS) at 24sec
3. David Zabriskie (USA) at 28sec
4. Lance Armstrong (USA) at 30sec
5. Christopher Horner (USA) at 34sec
6. Janez Brajkovic (SLO) at 38sec
7. Thomas Lovkvist (SWE) at 38sec
8. José Luis Rubiera (ESP) at 38sec
9. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA) at 38sec
10. Robert Gesink (PBS) at 39sec
Noted:
13. Ivan Basso (ITA) at 42sec
16. Francisco Mancebo (ESP) at 56sec
25. George Hincapie (USA) at 05:59
29. Floyd Landis (USA) at 6:04
39. Hubert Dupont (FRA) at 6:28
108. Carlos Sastre (ESP) at 32:00
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