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

Molenberg Proves Crucial For Both Men and Women

It should come as no surprise that a man nicknamed Spartacus is quickly becoming a folk hero whose legend seems to grow with each victory. Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank) proved to be the strongest of an exceptional field, and cruised to his first Ronde van Vlaanderen victory ahead of Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto). Cancellara would be the first Swiss rider to win the Ronde since Heinrich 'Heiri' Suter pulled off the feat in 1923.

"I suppose it was a perfect race," Cancellara would tell Cyclingnews immediately after the race. "Even my attacks were perfectly timed. Going on the Molenberg was the right moment and then I had to try on the Muur because that's where the legend and history of this race are made. When I realized I'd dropped Boonen it was like having wings on my feet and kept going all the way to the finish."

In winning his third monument [Paris-Roubaix (2006), Milano-San Remo (2008), and Ronde van Vlaanderen (2010)] Cancellara joins an elite group of cyclists, and is only two [Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia] from joining the Belgian trio of Eddy Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, and Rik Van Looy to have won all five monuments of cycling.

Results - Men
1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto

Slipping Away?

Ever since George Hincapie (BMC Racing) arrived on the cycling scene, he has single-handedly carried, whether fairly or unfairly, American hopes in the Classics. He has triumphed in Gent-Wevelgem (2001) and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (2002) and come agonizingly close to victory in the monuments, Ronde van Vlaanderen (third) and Paris-Roubaix (second). And whether in victory or defeat, Hincapie has shown the class that has endeared him to fans and competitors, alike.

But even at age 36, it seems that Hincapie is still waiting for something.

Hincapie would tell Velonews after Sunday's Flanders, “I’m disappointed. I had good legs on the Molenberg and I hesitated when Fabian and Tom went. That was a big mistake, and from then on everyone in the chase was watching each other. I got a little caught behind the breakaway guys we were catching on Molenberg, and that was a big mistake. I really think I could have gone there, but it’s Flanders, and you have to be 100 percent focused at all times. It’s really unfortunate, I think I could have gone with them. I had really good legs today.”

Yes, Hincapie finished in a more than respectable 6th placed this past Sunday, but ever since the 2001 "Hell of the North," a race in which Hincapie took the initiative but lost, he has seemed gun shy; waiting for the race to evolve rather than being an instigator of the outcome.

On a similar day in 2005, a day in which he clearly had the legs to claim the Ronde, Hincapie had to settle for third and once again face the glare of the post-race spotlights to answer the question of why his then Discovery Channel teammate, Leif Hoste, took the initiative to make the race rather than him. With another Queen of the Classics set to run this Sunday, and quite possibly one of the final time he faces the cobbles of Roubaix, let us hope that Big George can channel a little bit of his former boss, Lance Armstrong, and finally "stand up and slam his fist on the table."

Other Notables - Men
5. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions
6. George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
7. Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervelo Test Team
20. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
24. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
25. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
27. Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack
29. Leif Hoste (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
34. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team
35. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
42. Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervelo Test Team
48. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
53. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team
57. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
DNF - Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank
DNF - Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia
DNF - Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
DNF - Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram
DNF - Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF - Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF - Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team

Vrouwen to Verbeke

Twenty-five year old, Grace Verbeke (Lotto Ladies Team), would take the biggest victory of her young career in front of a hometown Belgian crowd ahead of Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit) and Kirsten Wild (Cervelo TestTeam), who finished in second and third, respectively. Surprisingly, Verbeke would become the first Belgian ever to win the Tour of Flanders.

She would tell Cyclingnews, “On the Molenberg [the fourth climb, after 74km] I forced it, and went hard. "It was not the plan - I wanted to go on the Muur [-Kapelmuur, the eighth and penultimate climb, 16km from the finish] but it was very muddy and very tricky, so I just wanted to be first up. I forced it and when I looked back I had a nice gap, which was a surprise."

Results - Women
1. Grace Verbeke (Bel) Lotto Ladies Team
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Nederland Bloeit
3. Kirsten Wild (Ned) Cervelo TestTeam

Defending Ronde champion, Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Team HTC-Columbia) finished in 21st, while Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO) would be the highest placed American in 13th place.

Other Notables - Women
4. Emma Johansson (Swe) Redsun Cycling Team
7. Noemi Cantele (Ita) HTC Columbia Women
8. Judith Arndt (Ger) HTC Columbia Women
13. Brooke Miller (USA) TIBCO
21. Ina Teutenberg (Ger) HTC Columbia Women
22. Rasa Leleivyte (Ltu) Safi - Pasta Zara
23. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Gauss RDZ Ormu
28. Nicole Cooke (GBr) Great Britain
32. Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Australia
34. Sarah Düster (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam
38. Trixi Worrack (Ger) Noris Cycling
41. Ruth Corset (Aus) TIBCO
44. Andrea Dvorak (USA) United States Of America
46. Amber Neben (USA) United States Of America
51. Joanne Kiesanowski (NZl) TIBCO
56. Alexis Rhodes (Aus) Australia
76. Rochelle Gilmore (Aus) Lotto Ladies Team
84. Janel Holcomb (USA) United States of America
94. Sinead Miller (USA) United States of America
107. Daniela Pintarelli (Aut) Kuota Speed Kueens

Photo: Reuters

The Amgen Tour of California returns next year in May, rather than in its traditional February calendar spot with an eight-day stage race that will take participants from Nevada City to the Thousand Oaks area, home base of Amgen.  Many of the top American riders, including defending champion, Levi Leipheimer, have already announced their intentions to race in California meaning the Giro d'Italia will be missing some talent in 2010.

The 2010 route pulls  some new host cities into the fold, while leaving out some traditional locales.  Most notably missing from the list of host cities is Solvang, which has hosted the decisive Individual Time Trial in recent years.

More announcements, including route details, participating riders and teams, and news of the women's agenda should be forthcoming.

For more information on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, visit  www.amgentourofcalifornia.com, or follow them on Twitter, @AmgenTourofCali.

2010 Amgen Tour of California Host Cities and Top Competitors Announced via Twitter

May Timing Allows Route Changes and New Host Cities for Eight-Day Stage Race

LOS ANGELES (October 22, 2009) – The host cities for the record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning via a Twitter exchange that took place shortly before 9 a.m. PT between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some of America's most accomplished cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Zabriskie and George Hincapie. This marked the first time an event of this stature has ever been announced via Twitter.

Along with the overall announcement of the race, the four cyclists also revealed their intentions to participate in the fifth-annual event, considered to be America's most important and prestigious cycling race.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's announcement of his intent to compete in the fifth-annual race was met with enthusiasm from race organizers and fans. After mounting an incredible comeback to professional cycling in 2009, competing in the Amgen Tour of California and other top races around the world, including finishing third in the 2009 Tour de France, Armstrong will start the 2010 season on his newly formed Team RadioShack. Returning to the Amgen Tour of California for the second consecutive year, Armstrong is expected to be a top competitor in the race.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will travel to 16 host cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 16-23. After four years of being positioned in February, the date change will allow the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that wouldn't have been possible in February, including the very first mountain-top finish in race history.

The Amgen Tour of California will cover more than 750 miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first ever visit to Nevada City, Calif., which will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nevada City Classic, in which many notable riders got their start. The eight-day race will travel through some of the state's most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen's hometown community of Thousand Oaks.

The 16 official stage start and finish locations that have been selected for the 2010 race include: Nevada City (new city for 2010), Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield (new city for 2010), Pasadena, Big Bear Lake (new city for 2010), Los Angeles (new city for 2009) and Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village (new city for 2010)/Agoura Hills (new city for 2010).

"For the 2010 Amgen Tour of California we had the unique opportunity to move our race to a part of the year when we are almost guaranteed great weather in California," said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. "This timing will help us to better showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while allowing us to travel to parts of the state that just weren't feasible in previous years."

Highlights of the route brought on by the date change and new host cities include the race's first venture into the Sierras and the Sequoia National Forest, creating a new backdrop for America's largest cycling event. Another exciting addition to the 2010 race, the first-ever mountaintop finish in Big Bear Lake, will give fans the opportunity to see each and every cyclist in a grueling battle to the Stage 6 finish line.

For the first time in the race's storied five-year history the route will travel through the city of Los Angeles. Stage 7, the individual time trial, a significant stage in the race, will take place in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The stage will both begin and end at L.A. LIVE, the new sports and entertainment district that is home to Staples Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE and much more.

Beginning with the inaugural year in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California quickly became the most successful race in the United States with regards to economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the level of competition. The race also continues to set records in attendance for a single sporting event in the state of California, as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil, with an estimated 2 million spectators in 2009.

"Choosing the host cities for the Amgen Tour of California gets more and more difficult every year, as interest in the race continues to grow throughout the state," continued Messick. "We are fortunate to have visited some of the best cities in the state during the last four years and the list keeps growing with the addition of four brand new cities in 2010."

With the timing of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California moved to later in the year, giving the cyclists even more time to train, the competition will be even tougher. In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world's most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.

After the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, three-time defending champion and Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer went on to compete in the Tour de France, but unfortunately suffered a crash during Stage 12 that took him out of the race. After a few weeks of recovery time, Leipheimer, who recently announced that he will race during the 2010 season for Lance Armstrong's newly formed Team RadioShack, returned to take sixth place in the Tour of Missouri.

"To win the Amgen Tour of California once, that was huge. To win it twice, that was almost a little bit of a surprise and almost felt like luck. But now, to have won the Amgen Tour of California three times, it's the sweetest victory of all. It's hard to describe," said Levi Leipheimer after winning the 2009 race.

Returning as the title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through the Breakaway from Cancer® initiative. A leading global biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks, Calif., one of the 2010 race host cities, Amgen's invaluable support has helped to ensure the continued success of the race and impact beyond the sporting arena.

"Sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California has given Amgen the opportunity to educate people about the great advances in medicine made possible through biotechnology, and to strengthen our relationships with local communities, cancer support organizations and cancer survivors through our Breakaway from Cancer initiative," said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president, Amgen Oncology. "We look forward to collaborating with this year's host cities to promote the Breakaway from Cancer initiative in their communities."

One of the only American races listed on the international professional cycling calendar (2. HC ranking), the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, solidifying its position as one of the most anticipated cycling events of the year.

Beginning with a road stage, a first for the race, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will visit 16 host cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional cycling. Stages for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California include:

Stage 1: Sunday, May 16 – Nevada City to Sacramento
Stage 2: Monday, May 17 – Davis to Santa Rosa
Stage 3: Tuesday, May 18 – San Francisco to Santa Cruz
Stage 4: Wednesday, May 19 – San Jose to Modesto
Stage 5: Thursday, May 20 – Visalia to Bakersfield
Stage 6: Friday, May 21 – Pasadena to Big Bear Lake
Stage 7: Saturday, May 22 – Los Angeles (individual time trial)
Stage 8: Sunday, May 23 – Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills

For further information on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

As widely expected, George Hincapie has signed a two-year contract with T-Mobile.

Hincapie helped Our Boy Lance win all of his record seven Tour de France races between 1999 and 2005. The 34-year-old American formerly rode for the disbanding Discovery Channel and U.S. Postal teams and recently won the Tour of Missouri. Hincapie will ride in the men's road race at the world championships in Stuttgart on Sunday.

It happened again. First at the 2007 Tour of Georgia and then at the Inaugural Tour of Ireland, a break succeeded in not only winning a stage, but possibly the entire stage race.

The fortunate recepient of the lack of an organized chase was Discovery Channel's George Hincapie, who won the 202km Stage 2 from Clinton to Springfield. The break that at one point had a 17 minute advantage ended up putting a 14 minute gap on the main field. With tomorrow's 29km ITT in Branson, Hincapie [the best time trialist in the top 10] should capture this inaugural race's title [barring near catastrophic events].

(Photo: John Pierce/Photosport International)

Overall After Stage 2
1 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Professional Cycling
2 Dominique Rollin (Can) KodakGallery/Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
3 Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
4 Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
5 Stefan Parinussa (Ger) Team Sparkasse
6 Andrew Guptill (USA) Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
7 Michael Friedman (USA) Team Slipstream Powered By Chipotle
8 David Canada (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval
9 Andrew Randell (Can) Symmetrics Cycling Team
10 Matthew Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team

Although highly speculated, but not formally confirmed or announced, George Hincapie will not go down in the books as the first Discovery Channel rider to find a new employer [T-Mobile]. That distinction belongs to Antonio Cruz, who inked a new contract with American Continental Professional team BMC. Right on the heels of his signing was that of the precocious talent, Slovenian Jani Brajkovic who will ride with T-Mobile next year.

The movement of riders from the soon to be defunct Discovery Channel Professional Cycling team isn't quite on par or as dramatic as the fire sale that engulfed the Florida Marlins after their 1997 World Series victory [afterall, its not like the team won and then disappeared the next year], but for fans of American cycling its close.

The nationalistic pride that once accompanied following an American team in the European peloton is quickly being reduced to keeping tabs on individuals. Twenty years later American cycling is back to where it began.

The Discovery Channel's sometimes forgotten George Hincapie will, once again, pursue the Spring Classics in 2007, according to CyclingNews.
"With Hincapie, we have a deal that he will going after the Classics again this year," said directeur sportif Dirk Demol. "In 2006, Hincapie focused on the Tour, which didn't work out. He was disillusioned with his performance and put aside his Tour plans again."
With the departure of Leif Hoste, Roger Hammond, Max van Heeswijk and Vjatcheslav Ekimov, Discovery has lost some of its panache for a successful pre-Tour de France Classics season.
"We are weakened for the Classics," Demol admits.
But Discovery still has Vladimir Gusev and Stijn Devolder in addition to Hincapie for the spring in Belgium and Northern France.

Yup. British import procycling magazine calls it "A Season of Discovery":
"George Hincapie and his Discovery Channel team-mates soon discovered this year that life without Lance Armstrong was much tougher than expected. We spoke to Hincapie in his South Carolina home ... and looked back over a season that delivered more frustration than success, and found out what he thinks are his strengths having seen both the Classics and the Tour pass him by this year."
Stale, stale, stale.
Isn't there anybody new on the cycling scene to splash across the cover?
Who would YOU like to see on the cover(s) of upcoming cycling magazines?
(YOU are out there, aren't you?)
How about second-year Discovery Channel pro Janez Brajkovic?
Or doesn't he sell magazines (yet)?

Could it be? It is! That's Our Boy Lance with George Hincapie Wednesday. I didn't know George was in Hollywood with Lance! (Photo by Friedemann Vogel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

So, what did Our Boy Lance have to say to the media Tuesday at the Tour?
Cycling needs the support of its fans following the doping scandal that prevented this year's favourites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso from competing.

"Quite honestly, I wasn't coming to the Tour de France. The only reason I came is because of what happened.

"I think that now is the time that fans of cycling have to stand up and say, 'I'm a fan'. I want to come and I want to be supportive, not just of the team, not just of the race, but of the sport of cycling, which to me is still the most beautiful sport there is."

How about that, Tooth?

There's a couple interesting stories about OBL on VeloNews:
First, a short interview with actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who rode up the Alpe d'Huez with OBL on Monday (excuse me very much, but wasn't that Sheryl Crow's gig last year?).

Second, OBL's interview with the media.
A highlight:
OBL: I am happy to be here. I love France. It's funny because I get asked all the time: ‘What do you think about France and the French people.' And I say: ‘I love the country and the people' but of course they never report that.
Q: Would you say it in French?
OBL: I have lost my French.