Thousand Oaks, CA - As the dust settled at the end of this year’s punishing eight stage Amgen Tour of California, Fly V australia’s Phil Zajicek was able to reflect on a successful week of racing which confirmed his place among the world’s best riders. Phil was one only two non-Pro Tour riders to finish in the top 10 in the overall classification.

The final stage of this year’s race was run over a brutal, world championship style course featuring four laps of a 35km circuit with over 500 meters of climbing per lap. Right from the gun, it was obvious that the final stage would be a knock ‘em down, go for broke showdown, as this year’s leading contenders looked to confirm their positions at the head of the race.

The race quickly whittled down to a lead group of 35 riders by the end of the second lap, as the top teams drove a relentless pace, with the race’s top guns looking for any sign of chinks in their respective competitors’ armor. Over the final two laps, Phil was involved in a number of moves as he looked to gain any advantage and move up in the overall standings.

On the final lap and up the 6km climb to the top of the Mulholland Highway, the leading contenders, including Zajicek, launched attack after attack in a breathtaking finale to the race. Fly V australia’s presence at the front at the business end of the stage was bolstered by the presence of Charles Dionne who acted as the perfect foil for Zajicek’s efforts. The Fly V Australia pair worked well in tandem, with Dionne crossing the line narrowly behind race revelation Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) in 11th place for the stage. Zajicek rolled across the line in the same group; his efforts moving him up one place overall to 10th place in the general classification.

Commenting on the team’s performance at the end of the week’s racing, Fly V Australia team owner Chris White said, “We have had a successful week, and all of our riders should be proud of their accomplishments at this week’s race. Coming in, we had two objectives – top 10 overall and a stage win. In what has been one of the toughest races in the world this year, we achieved one of these objectives, and narrowly missing the other with Ben Day going desperately close to taking the stage into Bakersfield after animating the race”.

White went on to say, “We have stepped up from where we were last year, and feel that our journey to Pro Tour status is on track. We are encouraged by where we are at, but highly motivated to keep raising the bar and pushing the envelope and moving forward”.

Team SpiderTech nets four top 10s, Euser marks return by finishing 18th GC

Thousand Oaks, CA - The future looks bright for Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy, which completed its inaugural trek around the Golden State yesterday at the Amgen Tour of California, the most prestigious bicycle race in the United States. The team’s top General Classification rider was Napa, California native Lucas Euser, who placed eighteenth overall in the race won by Australian Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia). Three other riders – David Boily, Bruno Langois and Andrew Randell – from Canada’s only UCI Continental team finished the eight-day, 1280-kilometer race that began in Nevada City on May 16th and ended in Thousand Oaks. En route, Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy placed riders in the top 10 in the first four stages of the California race.

“We came to race and we did from the start,” said team director Steve Bauer. “We put riders in the breaks and really raced. We didn’t just go along for the ride. Sure, we hit the wall in Stage 6; the brutal Queen’s stage saw nearly forty riders drop out or miss the time cut, including Team SpiderTech’s Eric Boily, Guillaume Boivin, Martin Gilbert and Francois Parisien, but part of that was because we raced aggressively from the start. We held nothing back and proved that we belonged in this race.

“I think we also got a glimpse of the future this week and we’re very pleased. Guillaume scored two top 10 finishes and he will turn twenty-one on Tuesday, May 25th. David is another young rider to watch. He turned twenty last month. Give him another couple of years to develop and gain experience, and he’ll be right up there. It’s great to see Lucas back after all that he’s been through. He’s worked really hard and we haven’t seen the best of him yet as he’s only at around ninety-percent of his ability. This is an exciting young team that is only going to get stronger, especially after racing with the world’s best in events like the Tour of California.”

Euser started the race almost one year to the day that his career, and perhaps even his life, nearly ended after colliding with a car while training in Gerona, Spain. Euser shattered his knee and endured a nearly year-long rehabilitative process before returning to competition. Several months before he was contacted about joining the team, he experienced great results while using SpiderTech’s revolutionary pre-cut kinesiology taping applications during his recovery.

Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy is a gifted squad of Canadian Olympians and national champions that are all capable of winning races. Thus far this season, eight different riders have netted the team’s twelve UCI wins. The team’s next major goals come in June at the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship (June 6) and on Canadian turf at the UCI Individual Time Trial in Gatineau, Quebec (June 12) where Parisien and Ryan Roth will represent the team, and at the Tour de Beauce (June 15-20).

Thousand Oaks, California — As the curtain closed on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, Team Type 1 achieved what it had been hoping to since it opened up the eight-day stage race one Sunday ago. When Team Type 1’s Thomas Rabou crossed the line safely inside stage eight’s time cut, he confirmed his hold on the California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains jersey, arguably the biggest accomplishment in Team Type 1’s history. To further Team Type 1’s achievements, Valeriy Kobzarenko and Chris Jones improved on their positions in the overall classification standings with strong rides on what was an extremely challenging day.

When Team Type 1 rolled out of Thousand Oaks, California, they were facing 83 miles of hilly terrain that would test the reserves of an already tired peloton. It was a day that breakaway artists were excited about, as the profile lent itself perfectly to those who wanted to thwart the general classification contenders. One man who had shown a penchant for the attack many times this week was Team Type 1’s Dutch climbing sensation, Thomas Rabou. As he had already done twice, earlier in the week, Rabou found himself in the day’s main breakaway. As with his breakaway in stage 6’s queen stage that climbed to Big Bear Lake, Rabou was among elite company, joining many Pro-Tour level riders as they made their bid for freedom.

Rabou had promised to show himself a worthy wearer of the King of the Mountain jersey wearer, and once the break was established, Rabou helped drive the pace and took the day’s second and third King of the Mountain sprints. The two victories were Rabou’s eleventh and twelfth of the week, giving him a total of 77 points overall. Rabou’s work bumped his winning margin out to 50 points over American Road Race Champion George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), who finished second in the King of the Mountains competition.

When the attacks out of the leading group began in earnest, Rabou was able to ride the rest of the stage safe in the knowledge that he would finish as the King of the Mountain winner. With that classification assured, Team Type 1’s focus could turn to its two general classification threats, Valeriy Kobzarenko and Chris Jones, who entered the day in sixteenth and seventeenth overall, respectively.

Just behind the main general classification contenders was an elite chase group that emerged in the carnage which erupted on the final of four climbs up Mullholland Highway. In that group were Kobzarenko and Jones, who rarely left each other side when the going got tough. When the dust settled, Kobzarenko had taken fourteenth on the stage while Jones’ work was good for eighteenth for the day, placing two Team Type 1 riders in the top twenty in two of the most challenging days in the history of the Amgen Tour of California.

Kobzarenko and Jones’ performances came with an added bonus, as each was able to work their way up the general classification. Thanks to his fourteenth place, Kobzarenko was able to move his way up to the same ranking on the general classification, with Jones only two spots behind, in sixteenth overall. Spent from his earlier effort, Rabou rolled across the line almost six minutes behind the day’s winner, but still managed to move up to twenty-sixth overall. Of the sixty-three riders that finished this year’s Tour of California, five were on on Team Type 1, a set of results that earned the team fifth on the overall team classification, besting a majority of Pro-Tour and Professional Continental teams in the process.

The biggest story of the week, however, was the dominant fashion in which Rabou won the King of the Mountains competition. Rabou was the class of the climbers over much of the Tour of California’s uphill sectors, and was truly the classification’s worthy victor. Rabou even went a step further, honoring the jersey in the race’s final stage, when he could have just as easily sat back and soft-pedaled his way to the win.

Stage eight brought an history week for Team Type 1 to a close. Over the course of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, Team Type 1 brought home a classification jersey, had a top ten finish and a number of top twenty results. In the mountains, Team Type 1 was first across fifteen King of the Mountain points and had one rider named the day’s Most Courageous Rider. Few could have expected the success that Team Type 1 enjoyed over the previous week, but the team overwhelmingly proved why they were invited to the Tour of California and why they are considered one of the best teams in America.

Photo: © Leonard Basobas

In an eight-day battle against the best field ever assembled to compete in the United States, which included Tour de France winners, Olympic medalists and World Champions, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Transitions) claimed the Stage 8 win.

“Once I made it up to the remainder of the break, I knew I had a shot to win, so I focused and the team was awesome,” said Hesjedal. “To win on the last day against a field like this is a big highlight for me.”

The final stage of the 2010 edition of America’s largest cycling race consisted of four 21-mile circuits that took the riders through the communities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills, and included one challenging King of the Mountains (KOM) climb at about six miles in – Mulholland Hwy, or better known by local cyclists as the “Rock Store Climb” (Cat. 3/4 - 1,824 ft.).

Long regarded as one of the most scenic climbs in southern California, Mulholland Highway featured steep climbs and numerous switchbacks, which made it the perfect place for spectators, and they turned out in droves. A challenging finish to a difficult race, Stage 8 tested the cyclists until the final stretch to the finish line.

Beginning with a neutral start and a break that was soon caught, the peloton approached the first pass at the climb, which was swept by the Garmin-Transitions team with Hesjedal first, Tom Danielson second and Zabriskie third. As a new Los Angeles resident, Zabriskie utilizes the Rock Store climb as part of his standard training rides. Lined with fans, some of which had camped out to secure their spot to watch the cyclists compete in the final day of the race, “Rock Store” made the final stage of the race an extremely challenging course. As the riders passed the Malibu Family Winery, they began a twisting and technical descent on Westlake Blvd. headed back into Thousand Oaks.

Split at the end of the first lap, there were 28 riders in the front with 15 chasing behind, but as they neared the second pass at “Rock Store” the group joined together to form a pack about 45 riders strong. The next big break occurred on the climb and included Rabou, who took the KOM, Carlos Barredo (QuickStep), Yaroslav Popovych (Team RadioShack), Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank), George Hincapie (BMC Racing Team), Oscar Pujol (Cervélo TestTeam), Jeremy Vennell (BISSELL) and Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare presented by Maxxis). With each circuit taking approximately 40 minutes, the break held for the next lap, and Rabou once again took the KOM heading into the final circuit of the race.

After some unsuccessful attempts to pull away from the lead group, Hincapie, Barredo and Pujol were able to get off the front and create a gap of about a minute. At the same time, pulling away from the chase group were Leipheimer, Rogers, Horner and Zabriskie, who were soon joined by Hesjedal. The remaining riders from the original break began to fall back to the main group, while Horner and Hesjedal went forward to join the break. Langeveld, the Rabobank rider who was in the original break, fell back to give race leader Rogers a bit of shelter as the attacks came and went. In an all out sprint to the finish, Hesjedal took the win to the cheers of enthusiastic fans lining the streets of Thousand Oaks.

Results - Stage 8
1. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
2. George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
3. Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step

After eight challenging and epic days of cycling that covered more than 800 miles of scenic California roads, and a thrilling fight to the finish at the conclusion of today’s final stage, Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) was crowned champion of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. With a week-long total time of 33 hours, 8 minutes and 30 seconds, Rogers took the highly coveted title of race champion in front of enormous cheering crowds in Thousand Oaks, home to title sponsor Amgen, besting his third place finish in the 2009 race.

“For our team the only race that’s more important than the Amgen Tour of California is the Tour de France,” said Rogers. “This is a huge result for us. We can really walk away from the Amgen Tour of California with smiles on our faces.”

David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions_ finished in second place overall for the second consecutive year at 9 seconds behind Rogers, and three-time champion Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack) finished third at 25 seconds behind.

“The Amgen Tour of California finished on a spectacular high today,” said Leipheimer. “The stage was phenomenal, the crowds were Tour de France-esque and you could really feel the excitement. I don’t think we could ask for anything more for the last day of the Amgen Tour of California. In my opinion the Amgen Tour of California has grown exponentially quicker and bigger than any race in the history of cycling.”

Final General Classification
1. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
4. Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
5. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
6. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
7. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
8. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
9. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
10. Phil Zajicek (USA) Fly V Australia

Jersey Winners
Amgen Race Leader Jersey - Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
Herbalife Sprint Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
California Travel and Tourism Commission King of the Mountains Jersey - Thomas Rabou (NED) Team Type 1
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - Yaroslav Popovych (Team Radioshack)

Photo: Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

It has been said that Californians love their cars, and perhaps none more so than the residents of Los Angeles County, where traffic is as regular an occurrence as the sun rising and setting. But on Saturday, traffic was virtually non-existent in downtown Los Angeles as the Amgen Tour of California hit the streets.

Enthusiastic fans lined up along the streets of downtown Los Angeles to welcome world-class cyclists from 16 professional teams for Stage 7, an Individual Time Trial consisting of two laps around a 10.5-mile course that streamed by several of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, the University of Southern California, the LA Coliseum and STAPLES Center.

In the race against the clock, the boys from San Luis Obispo, SLO, ruled the day as Team HTC-Columbia teammates Tony Martin and Michael Rogers, a three-time individual time trial world champion and current holder of the golden Amgen Leader Jersey, finished one-two, respectively.

“I’d never been to Los Angeles before, so to race here in such a big city was really spectacular,” said Martin. “It was very good to race here and the road was perfect.”

One of the early starters, Martin, a revelation in the General Classification of last year's Tour de France, set the early mark of 41 minutes and 41 seconds. But with the top riders on the GC, including Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare presented by Maxxis), Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack), Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo), David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) and Rogers, yet to come no one anticipated Martin to remain in the hot-seat for long.

Ultimately, no one would come over the top of Martin’s time.

Perhaps the most anticipated but most disappointing ride of the day was that of three-time defending champion, Leipheimer, who would slot into fourth place with a time of 42 minutes and 14 seconds.

Results - Stage 7
1. Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions

Rogers retained the overall lead in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, holding a slim 9 second lead over second placed, Zabriskie, and 25 seconds on Leipheimer.

“I think taking the Amgen Leader Jersey tomorrow would be the biggest win of my career, in terms of a stage race,” said Rogers. “This would be a highlight for me. There’s a huge emphasis on this race and I think it would be a dream come true, not only for me, but for the whole team in general.”

General Classification - After Stage 7
1. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
4. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
5. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
6. Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
7. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
8. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
9. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Transitions

Jersey Leaders - After Stage 7
Amgen Race Leader Jersey - Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
Herbalife Sprint Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
California Travel and Tourism Commission King of the Mountains Jersey - Thomas Rabou (NED) Team Type 1
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia

Next: Stage 8 - Thousand Oaks/Westlake/Agoura Hills - (134.3km)

Photo: Getty Images

Without a doubt, Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) has been the revelation of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California.

The 20-year old Slovakian, who has virtually wrapped up the Best Young Rider Classification, already had a victory and a second place finish under his belt heading into the daunting Stage 6. But on the Queen stage of this year's event, one which featured two intermediate sprints and seven King of the Mountains, Sagan confirmed his place among the elite of the professional peloton.

“I wanted to win a stage and now I’ve won two. So I’m very happy,” said Sagan.

Palmdale City Hall served as the backdrop for Stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California, the most difficult stage in the five-year history of the race, a mountainous 135.3-mile leg from Palmdale to Big Bear Lake with more than 12,000 ft. of climbing. After a five-mile neutral section heading south on Sierra Rd., the route made a left turn onto Angeles Forest Highway. Facing the riders next was the imposing San Gabriel mountain range, and within a few miles, the first of seven King of the Mountains (KOM) competitions. The first real break of the day occurred on the lead into the first KOM at Mill Creek Summit (Cat. 4 – 4,906 ft.), and included Jason McCartney (Team RadioShack), Carlos Barredo (ESP) of QuickStep, Matthew Wilson (USA) of Garmin-Transitions, George Hincapie (USA) of BMC Racing Team, Stef Clement (NED) of Rabobank, Jakob Fuglsang (DEN) of Team Saxo Bank, Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) and Thomas Rabou (NED) of Team Type 1. Taking the KOM was Wilson, followed by Rabou and Schleck.

Behind the breakaway, Darren Lill (RSA) and Ben Day (AUS) both of Fly V Australia, along with Ryan Anderson (CAN) of Kelly Benefit Systems began to form a chase group, but were quickly pulled back in by the peloton, which was being led by HTC-Columbia. The second of seven KOMs, at Hwy. 2 (Cat. 3 – 5,046 ft.) was taken by Rabou, followed by McCartney and Clement. This KOM was the kick-off to a series of four almost back-to-back climbs that would truly challenge the cyclists. As the break approached Coldburst Summit (Cat. 2 – 6,924 ft.), the KOM was taken by Rabou, followed by Clement and Hincapie, while Barredo fell off the back and rejoined the peloton.

After passing through the feed zone, next up was the Dawson Saddle KOM (Cat. 3 – 7,900 ft.), followed almost immediately by the Blue Ridge Summit KOM (Cat. 3 – 7,302 ft.). The Dawson Saddle climb, which is the highest point the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will reach, was taken by Rabou, with McCartney and Clement following behind. With the peloton now split into two chase groups, the break crested Blue Ridge Summit with Rabou in first, Clement in second and Wilson in third. This series of climbs was followed by the first sprint competition of the day, which was taken by Schleck, in Wrightwood where the streets were lined with cheering fans.

At the lowest elevation in the mountain portion of today’s stage the leaders held a gap of 6:10 on the peloton, and nearly nine minutes on the gruppetto. On the way to the next climb, Clement lost contact with the break and fell back, eventually rejoining the peloton. Shortly after, as the cyclists made their way through the second feed zone, the first crash of the day occurred, but everyone was able to recover.

The sixth climb of the day came next at Hwy. 138 (Cat. 3 – 4,649 ft.) and was taken, once again, by Rabou. With no time to rest, the cyclists were then faced with the second and final sprint of the day at Crestline, which was taken by Schleck. Then, the cyclists faced the final challenging climb of the day at Hwy. 18 (Cat. 3 – 5,628 ft.), the “Rim of the World” Highway, which was won by Rabou, followed by Wilson and Schleck.

Following the climb, the break was taken down to just five riders – Hincapie, Fuglsang, Rabou, Wilson and McCartney – with a gap of only 2:40, but within only a few minutes and an attack, it was taken down to only three – McCartney, Wilson and Hincapie. Entering the Big Bear area, the riders took the northern route around Big Bear Lake to reach the finish line at the Snow Summit ski area for the Amgen Tour of California’s first-ever alpine finish. With only about 15 miles of racing to go, the break was caught as they traveled along the final stretch into Big Bear Lake. At this point, Marc De Maar (NED) of UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis took the opportunity to make a break for it and was eventually caught by Matt Wilson (USA) of Garmin-Transitions. Keeping the break for most of the final stretch into town, they were caught with just about half a mile to go, giving Sagan the opportunity to take the win – his second consecutive stage win in the 2010 Amgen Tour of California.

Results - Stage 6
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
2. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
3. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia

Michael Rogers (AUS) of HTC-Columbia came in third place in the stage, securing the Amgen Leader Jersey heading into day seven and the individual time trial at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, which will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“When we’re riding, I hear the crowds calling out ‘Mick Rogers’ or ‘HTC-Columbia’ and it is encouraging. We came here to race,” said Rogers.

David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions), the current U.S. National Time Trial Champion, maintained second place in the overall, while Sagan moved into third.

General Classification - After Stage 6
1. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions
3. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
5. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
6. Marc De Maar (Ned) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
8. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
9. Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Transitions

Jersey Leaders - After Stage 6
Amgen Race Leader Jersey - Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
Herbalife Sprint Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
California Travel and Tourism Commission King of the Mountains Jersey - Thomas Rabou (NED) Team Type 1
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing

Next: Stage 7 - Los Angeles, Individual Time Trial - (33.6km)

Photo: © Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

Bakersfield, CA – Ben Day’s day long breakaway on Stage 5 of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California earned him Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey, and almost netted him the stage win.

For the Fly V australia team, Stage 5 was all about planning and executing. Covering 195 kilometers over a sinuous route from Visalia to Bakersfield, which included two categorized climbs and two laps of a punishing finishing circuit that featured a tough 1.5 kilometer climb to the line, the team had to be prepared and attentive.

Fly V australia’s plan centered on getting Jay Thomson into an early break to help set the stage for Fly V australia’s fast men with good climbing legs. However, just 5 kilometers into the stage in a fast tailwind section, a touch of wheels led to a massive crash that would have a big bearing on the race, the stage and the day’s plans. With the crash taking out Jay Thomson and a group of high profile riders, such as Lance Armstrong, Stuart O’Grady and Heinrich Haussler, Fly V had to enact plan B.

Plan B came to fruition at the 30 kilometer mark when Ben Day got into the day’s break of 6 riders. The break quickly established a good rhythm to move out to a 5 minute advantage. At the top of the first KOM climb, the lead group had established a solid 4 minute and 30 second lead, while back in the bunch, the leading contenders for the overall title pushed the pace to split the peloton.

Behind Day, all Fly V australia’s remaining riders made the yellow jersey group while most of the race’s top sprinters were left behind in the autobus. With numbers up front, Fly V australia was solidly placed to animate the day’s racing.

With 40 kilometers remaining, Day launched an aggressive attack that only fellow Aussie Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia) was able to follow. Although the initial attack was eventually nullified 10 kilometers later, it was simply an entrée to a flurry of subsequent attacks from Day and Renshaw, who traded blows all the way to the 7 kilometer finishing circuit.

Day launched one final withering attack with 7 kilometers to go. For the next 5 kilometers it looked like Day would take top honors, but the closing speed of the yellow jersey group saw Day caught and overtaken at the Flamme Rouge.

In the end, the punishing nature of the finishing circuit and the final climb meant that it was a GC riders’ stage, with Phil Zajicek finishing just outside the top 10. However for his efforts, Ben Day was awarded with Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey, fitting recognition for his tremendous ride.

Photo: Michael Crook

The Italian squad, Liquigas-Doimo, continued its winning ways on Thursday as Peter Sagan captured the 195.5 km Stage 5 from Visalia to Bakersfield in front of Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) and David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions).

“It was a pretty tough day today with the hard climb, the strong wind and the breakaway that got away. With two laps to go, it was Liquigas-Doimo and Garmin-Transitions who did the work to bring it back,” said Sagan. “Dave Zabriskie took off early in the sprint and with a couple meters to go. It was the right moment and I found a gap.”

Stage 5 took the riders through the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley and into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After the neutral start in Visalia, the cyclists headed due south through Exeter and Lindsey and up the narrow and twisty Old Stage Road; the day’s first of two KOMs. The race got to a rough start, with a big crash less than thirty minutes after the start in Visalia as the road narrowed heading out of town, that included Team RadioShack teammates Levi Leipheimer, Chechu Rubiera and Lance Armstrong, along with several other riders. Proving to be a devastating crash to the group, Stuart O’Grady (Team Saxo Bank) and and bloody Armstrong abandoned the race to secure medical attention. Heinrich Haussler (Cervélo TestTeam) abandoned the race shortly after as well, but had not been involved in the crash.

With incredible crowds lining the street, the first sprint of the day took place in Lindsay and was taken by Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Transitions), followed by Rogers and HTC-Columbia teammate, Mark Cavendish. About 20 miles into the stage, Thomas Leezer (Rabobank) and Davide Cimolai (Liquigas-Doimo) broke away from the pack, creating a small gap, but were quickly swallowed back up. Shortly after, another breakaway formed that included Marcus Berghardt (BMC Racing Team), Tony Martin (HTC-Columbia) and Jeremy Hunt (Cervélo TestTeam) and as the group neared the second sprint of the day additional riders joined to form a break of 15.

The second and final sprint of the day in Porterville was nabbed by Karl Menzies (AUS) of UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis, followed by Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda) and Martin. In a chase led by HTC-Columbia, the break of 15 was brought back in, which was promptly followed by several counter attacks until one finally took, which included Paul Mach (BISSELL), Ben Day (Fly V Australia), Grischa Nierman (Rabobank), Mark Renshaw (HTC-Columbia), Kurt Hovelynch (QuickStep) and Will Dicksen (Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda).

Continuing on to Bakersfield, the route headed into the Kern River oil field, the fifth largest in the United States, where the riders encountered several short, steep climbs. The route then took the riders further inland to tackle the narrow and twisty Old Stage Rd. climb (Cat. 3 – 3,345 ft.), which was taken by Mach, followed by Nierman and Hovelynch. The breakaway powered on, but an elite chase group led by Team RadioShack was following at about four minutes behind. As the riders continued on the way to the final climb of the day, Round Mountain Rd. (Cat. 4 – 1,421 ft.), which was just 21 miles from the finish line in Bakersfield, different teams took turns leading the chase group. From the apex of the final climb, the cyclists will be able to look down onto the finish at Bakersfield College. On the ascent, Day took the opportunity to launch an attack and pulled out ahead of the breakaway, followed closely by Renshaw, but they were caught by the remainder of the breakaway on the descent.

The final obstacle of the day was a 10 percent climb up China Grade, which was part of two finishing circuits in Bakersfield. With one lap to go Day pulled away from the group and the rest were caught by the chase, but at the base of the grade on the final circuit, he too was absorbed by the group. In an all out sprint to the finish, Liquigas-Doimo pushed Sagan to the front for the win, followed by Rogers in second and Zabriskie, who started the day as the race’s overall leader, in third.

Results - Stage 5
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions

By contesting the first intermediate sprint of the day, Rogers moved into a virtual tie with David Zabriskie for the lead in the General Classification. Rogers; however, would find himself in the leader's jersey by virtue of a count-back tie breaker. “Once again, my team delivered for me pretty well. I’m very happy to put on the Amgen Leader Jersey…and every second counts,” said Rogers.

General Classification - After Stage 5
1. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions
3. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
5. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
6. Marc De Maar (Ned) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
8. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
9. Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Transitions

Jersey Leaders - After Stage 5
Amgen Race Leader Jersey - Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
Herbalife Sprint Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
California Travel and Tourism Commission KoM Jersey - Ryan Anderson (CAN) Kelly Benefit Strategies
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - Ben Day (AUS) of Fly V Australia

Next: Stage 6 - Pasadena to Big Bear Lake - (213.7km)

Photo: © Leonard Basobas/LB Photos

Modesto, CA - Stage 4 from San Jose to Modesto looked like another golden opportunity for Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) to capture his second stage of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California. But the town of Modesto has quickly become kryptonite to the superman from the Isle of Man as he fell short once again in the finishing circuits. Cavendish would actually have the opportunity to contest this year's finish, getting lost in the shuffle around the final bend in last year's race, but he was simply unable to come around Juan Jose Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) and Francesco Chicci (Liquigas-Doimo), who took the narrow victory.

“I’m dedicating this win to my teammates who worked incredibly well for me today and this season,” said Chicchi. “I’m really proud to win again in the U.S. This is a great race – I love to race hard and win in America. To me, today felt just like the Tour de France.”

Fans of the Amgen Tour of California may have recognized part of Stage 4 from the 2009 race when the cyclists traveled from San Jose to Modesto; however, in 2010, the racers encountered a longer and more challenging route. Stage 4 ran 121.5 miles/195.5 km and included two King of the Mountains (KOM) competitions and two sprints. After a two-lap neutral start in San Jose the cyclists were faced with a climb that is synonymous with cycling and the Amgen Tour of California, Sierra Rd. (Cat.1 – 1,930 ft.), only 8.1 miles into the stage. Prior to the climb, just after the neutral start, Rabobank didn’t waste any time and launched an immediate attack. With Lars Boom (Rabobank) leading the charge, there was soon a strong breakaway heading into the first KOM of the day. As the breakaway of Boom, Jurgen Van de Walle (QuickStep), Robert Britton (BISSELL), Ryan Anderson (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly Presented by Kenda) crested the summit of Sierra Rd., Anderson took the KOM, followed by Britton and Boom. Not far behind, a chase group of three formed that included Davide Frattini (Team Type 1), Max Jenkens (UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis) and Scott Stewart (Team Type 1).

After completing the Sierra Rd. climb, the riders faced fast and flat roads full of twists and turns (Calaveras Rd. alone has more than 40 switchbacks) before visiting downtown Livermore for the first time. Heading into Livermore for the first sprint of Stage 4 with an amazing showing of fans along the route and a beautiful sunny day in the background, Boom took the sprint, followed by Powers and Anderson. After passing through the feed zone, the cyclists were faced with their second and final climb of the day, Mines Rd. (Cat. 4 – 1,512), where the riders faced nearly 30 miles of a narrow, twisting road, climbing most of the way before a long descent into Patterson. Anderson took the KOM, putting him in the lead in the KOM competition and securing the jersey, followed by Van de Walle, Britton and Boom, as the three chasers were swallowed up by the peloton, which had Team RadioShack and Garmin-Transitions riding tempo for most of the day, about five minutes behind.

About half way into the stage, Anderson fell off the back of the break and waited for the field to catch up. With only about 25 miles to go, the riders headed towards the second sprint of the day in Patterson, which was won by Boom, followed by Van de Walle and Britton. Reaching speeds of 55 mph during the stage, the sprint was followed by a decent sized crash, but all the riders recovered and continued on to the finish in Modesto.

Heading into the final stretch of the race Boom launched an attack, but was caught by Van de Walle and Britton, and soon after the entire breakaway was absorbed by the pack. Cavendish looked to be setup perfectly for the win as his HTC-Columbia delivered him onto the finishing straight, but he was unable to hold his speed until the line. Haedo was able to overtake Cavendish, but in what was a photo-finish Chicchi would come around to take the win.

Results - Stage 4
1. Francesco Chicci (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo
2. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
3. Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Columbia

American David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) was able to retain the overall lead and will wear the Amgen Leader Jersey for the second consecutive day heading into Stage 5 of the race.

“This was a great day. There were big crowds in Modesto and it was a nice course to be in this jersey,” said Zabriskie. “I’m an excited individual to be in the Amgen Leader Jersey in the Amgen Tour of California. I’ve never done it before and I’m very happy. I’m really enjoying it.”

General Classification - After Stage 4
1. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
2. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Transitions
3. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack
4. Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
5. Marc De Maar (Ned) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
6. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Transitions
7. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
8. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Unitedhealthcare Presented by Maxxis
9. Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
10. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Transitions

Jersey Leaders - After Stage 4
Amgen Race Leader Jersey - David Zabriskie (USA) of Garmin-Transitions
Herbalife Sprint Jersey - Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Columbia
California Travel and Tourism Commission KoM Jersey - Ryan Anderson (CAN) Kelly Benefit Strategies
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey - Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Jersey - Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank

Next: Stage 5 - Visalia to Bakersfield - (195.5km)

Photo: Getty Images

Santa Cruz, CA — For the second straight day, Team Type 1 was the king of the mountains of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, picking up the maximum number of points at all but one of stage three’s King of the Mountain sites. Like Thomas Rabou one day prior, Team Type 1 climber Davide Frattini was a dominant force when the road went upwards, and personally ran the team’s win streak at King of the Mountain points to seven in a row. When Frattini’s day was finished, Chris Jones and Valeriy Kobzarenko took their turn to show that Team Type 1 can truly compete with the titans of the sport.

The wait may have been longer than usual for the decisive breakaway to form on stage three, a 113-mile route that departed from San Francisco and ended four and a half hours later in Santa Cruz, but after thirty miles of intense racing, a five-man breakaway formed on the slopes of the day’s first rated climb, the category two climb up Tunitas Creek Road. Contained in this breakaway was Team Type 1’s Italian climbing ace, Davide Frattini, who had previously won the King of the Mountains jersey at the 2010 Redlands Bicycle Classic. Once at the front, Frattini’s mission was to ensure the safety of Thomas Rabou’s King of the Mountains jersey, which he had earned on stage two, by taking as many King of the Mountains points as possible.

Frattini quickly showed that he was up to his assigned task, as he scored the top placing at the peak of Tunitas Creek Road. The break quickly descended the far side of the climb, navigating narrow, technical roads before beginning the category three climb up California Route 84. Frattini dictated the pace up the climb, and before long, the break was contesting the day’s second King of the Mountain sprint. Again it was Frattini who was first over the summit, taking another win for the Team Type 1 squad.

One more climb stood on the breakaway’s immediate horizon, the category four ascent of Pescadero Road. Frattini successfully descended off of California Route 84, and set to cresting the day’s third climb in the lead. Frattini did just that, edging his way over the top in first, the seventh time Team Type 1 held that distinction in their last seven tries. Once over Pescadero Road, Frattini’s time in the lead began to get more tenuous, as the pace in the chasing peloton lifted significantly. The main general classification contenders were beginning to come to the fore, in anticipation of the category two Bonny Doon climb.

Team Type 1 was not to be left in the peloton’s wake, and despite the chasing pack having caught Frattini and his breakaway companions, Team Type 1 was safely tucked away as the field hit the bottom of Bonny Doon. The pace at the front was hot, and it did not take long for the peloton to splinter as small groups were spread out across the climb. A major chase group came together only seconds behind a leading group of three which included such cycling superstars as Lance Armstrong (Radio Shack) and Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank). Clawing their way back up into this group were Team Type 1’s Chris Jones and Valeriy Kobzarenko who found themselves ahead of such riders as the champion of Luxembourg, Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank).

Nothing could deter Jones and Kobzarenko, and as their group began to bring back the elite leading trio, Jones and Kobzarenko were never far from the front. As the two Team Type 1 leaders approached the finish line in Santa Cruz, they schemed to deliver Kobzarenko to a top five finish. Their plans were derailed, however, when Kobzarenko suffered a flat tire inside the final 500 meters. Despite the setback, Jones was able to notch an excellent 15th place finish, while Kobzarenko rode his flat tire home to 27th place.

After a hard day in the saddle on stage two, King of the Mountain leader Thomas Rabou finished up his day having saved his legs for battle on stage four. Thanks to selfless teamwork by Davide Frattini, Rabou’s lead in the classification was never in jeopardy, and he will enjoy another day at the top of the standings. Frattini’s work moved him into third place in the King of the Mountains compeition, eight points adrift of his teammate.

Not long after the start of the fourth stage of the Amgen Tour of California in San Jose, Team Type 1 will face the only first category ascent in the entire race, the feared Sierra Grade climb. Team Type 1 will look to secure Rabou’s King of the Mountains lead with their eighth climbing win in the race’s first four days. One more rated climb, the category four climb up Mines Road, will give way to a mostly downhill run-in to the finish in Modesto, where Team Type 1 sprinters Ken Hanson and Aldo Ino Ilesic will look to rule the day after 121.5 miles in the saddle.

Photo: © Leonard Basobas/LB Photos