|
|
RACE REPORTS: TOUR OF CALIFORNIA STAGE 5: CAVENDISH TAKES NUMBER TWO
Road Bike Action
February 19, 2009
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Cavendish sprints to his second stage win in the Tour of California
(Photo: Ken Conley)
Mark Cavendish of the Columbia team sprinted to victory in the Tour of California on Thursday, his second straight stage win in the race still led by American Levi Leipheimer. For the second day in a row, Cavendish edged Belgian Quick Step rider Tom Boonen. But after edging the Belgian by just centimeters in stage four on Wednesday, Cavendish won by a bike length in stage five as he raced himself across the line.
During the sprint, Cavendish said, "I could see a shadow to my right. "I thought it was Tom Boonen coming round. But when I took a look at the video, I saw I was sprinting into my shadow." Spain's Pedro Horillo (Rabobank) was third in the longest stage of the nine day race, which brought the field 134 miles from Visalia. Sprint phenomenon Cavendish, winner of four stages of the Tour de France last year, said he pencilled in stage five as a target before the race began.
"This is the day I was planning on coming and winning this year," he said, but added the stage was more difficult than he expected. "It was a hard day actually, harder than we anticipated," he said, adding that the distance, the pace, and the work required to reel in a long six-man breakaway, was reminiscent of the Tour de France.
Cavendish credited his team, and lead-out man Mark Renshaw, with again putting him in perfect position to display his sprint skill at the end. "The last kilometer we had a slight downhill, the last 500m. Mark Renshaw went again just before 500 and dropped me off at 200 ... it was just a battle of teams, really. Fortunately we came out top."
America's two-time defending champion Leipheimer finished in the pack and retained the overall leader's yellow jersey. His Astana teammate Lance Armstrong remained fourth overall, 30 seconds off the lead Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion, launched a comeback this year after a three-year hiatus. The Tour of California is his second race of 2009, after the Tour Down Under in Australia last month, and his campaign is slated to include the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France.
Friday's sixth stage is a 24 km individual time trial that could prove decisive in determining the final outcome of the race, which concludes on Sunday.
The Race
For the second day in a row, sunny skies and warm weather greeted the riders in the 2009 Tour of California. Stage 5 was run from Visalia to Paso Robles, California. The mainly flat course was the longest stage of the race at 134 miles. The flat route lead many to believe that the stage would come down to a field sprint. Despite the expected outcome riders where still willing to take their chances off the front.
Only 7 miles into the race, a break containing Pieter Weening (Rabobank), Jeff Louder (BMC Racing Team), Cameron Evans (OUCH p/b Maxxis), Matthew Crane (Jelly Belly Cycling Team), Robert Gunn (Fly V Australia) and Glen Chadwick (Rock Racing) broke free from the peloton. At the 20 mile mark the break’s lead had rocketed to 5.45 with Peter Weening starting only 6.13 down on Leipheimer at the being of the day.
As the gap approached the 6-minute mark, Astana went to the front and held the gap between 4 and 6 six minutes for a large part of the day. It wasn’t until Astana backed off that the gap increased to its maximum of 7.25. With the Astana team pulling off the front, the teams of Saxo Bank, Cervélo, Columbia-Highroad and Quick Step took up the chase.
With 34 miles remaining the break’s gap had dropped to 3.45 with the peloton strung out into a long single file line. Up front the break went through the first sprint bonus of the day with Weening take the points ahead of Evans and Gunn.
At the second sprint of the day the Evans took the points ahead of Weening and Louder. With 16 miles to go Weening surged hard on a small rise on the run into Paso Robles and dropped Louder and Gunn. The four remaining riders Weening, Crane, Chadwick and Evans continued to work together as the peloton closed in.
With six miles left the break held a slim 1 minute lead on the peloton. Crane was the first member of the break to attack, but was quickly reeled in by Weening. Crane attacked for a second time, this time taking Evans with him. At first it looked as if Crane and Evans would ride clear, but Weening and Chadwick clawed their way.
As they entered the town of Paso Robles the charging peloton finally caught the break. Just before the 3-kilometer banner Tim Johnson (OUCH p/b Maxxis), and Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) attacked hard off the front of the peloton. They quickly gained 5 seconds but were unable to hold off the sprinters, and as the line approached it was Mark Cavendish taking the win for the second day in a row ahead of Boonen and Pedro Horrillo (Rabobank).
Tour of California, February 14-22 2009
Thursday, February 19
Stage 4: Visalia-Paso Robles, California
1. Mark Cavendish (BRT) Team Columbia - Highroad
2. Tom Boonen (BEL) Quick Step
3. Pedro Horrillo (ESP) Rabobank
4. Francesco Chicchi (ITA) s.t..
5. Thor Hushovd (NOR) s.t., 6. Lucas Haedo (ARG) s.t..
7. Freddy Rodriguez (USA) s.t.
8. Martin Elmiger (SUI) s.t.,
9. Bernard Sulzberger (AUS) s.t.
10. Karl Menzies (AUS) s.t.
Noted:
15. Levi Leipheimer (USA) s.t.
19. Lance Armstrong (USA) s.t.
General Classification After Stage 5
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA/Astana) 13hr 51min 14sec
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|