pro cycling

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won the uphill finish in Assisi on stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia – Bartosz Huzarski (NetApp) and Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) took 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Guillaume Bonnafond (AG2R), Miguel Mínguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Francesco Failli (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Matthias Brandle (NetApp), and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil-DCM) formed a break 10km into the race, quickly building up a 2 minute lead over the peloton.  50km into the race, their gap was at 4:50 – their gap was reduced to 2 minutes in the last third of the race.  30km left from the finish, Keizer and Brandle were dropped from the break.  Stef Clement (Rabobank) attacked from the peloton to bridge with the duo, and pressed on with them to try and catch Bonnafond, Minguez and Failli up ahead.  5km from the line, all the riders off the front were caught.  Tom Slagter (Rabobank) placed a solo acceleration, but was reeled back in.  Rigobert Uran (Sky) and John Gadret (AG2R-La Mondiale) attacked around a turn, but were countered by Daniel Moreno (Katusha) with Rodriguez close behind him.

Rodriguez moves into the pink jersey, 1st place in the GC, 17 seconds clear of Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin – Barracuda), and 32 seconds clear of Paolo Tiralongo (Astana).

Photos from SteepHill.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) celebrated his third consecutive sprint victory on stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California, winning ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Barracuda) and Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) – Haussler celebrated his third consecutive 2nd place sprint positioning.

Jeremy Vennell (Bissell) was the first rider to launch an attack off the front of the peloton – he was joined by Mike Friedman (Optum Pro Cycling) and his teammate, Sebastian Salas, Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Colombia-Coldeportes) and Pat McCarty (Spidertech).  Friedman was dropped from the breakaway, and the 4 riders opening up an 8 minute lead atop Mt. Diablo, 98km from the finish line.  The peloton sat 6 minutes behind the leaders, with Liquigas-Cannondale leading the peloton towards Livermore.  Vennell and Marentes Torres dropped the other two riders, pressing towards the line alone.  25km from the line, they were caught, just before the Patterson Pass climb.  Michael Rodriguez (Colombia-Coldeportes) placed an attack but was reeled back in – Fabio Duarte (Colombia-Coldeportes) and Nicolas Roche (AG2R-La Mondiale) were the next riders off the front of the peloton.  The duo crested the climb with 25 seconds in hand, but were caught on the run in towards the finish line.  Sagan continues to lead in the GC, 12 seconds ahead of Haussler, and 24 seconds ahead of Jeff Louder (UnitedhHealthcare).

Photos from SteepHill.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) took his second consecutive sprint victory on stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California, winning ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Barracuda) and Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEdge).  Sagan was marked with a crash and mechanicals in the closing kilometers, but rode back towards the front, positioning himself perfectly for the sprint to the line.

Alexandre Geniez (Argos-Shimano) and Tom Zirbel (Optum Pro Cycling-Kelly Benefit Strategies) were the first riders off the front of the peloton, but sat up as the peloton made its way down Highway 101.  Geniez, Brad White (UnitedHealthcare), Jeremy Vennell (Bissell Pro Cycling), Mike Creed (Optum Pro Cycling-Kelly Benefit Strategies), Lloyd Mondory (AG2R) and Juan Pablo Suarez (Columbia Coldeportes) formed the day’s break while climbing Bonny Doon.  The riders opened a 9 minute gap over the peloton, but broke apart on the climb.  Geniez, White and Vennell set off ahead of the other riders – shortly thereafter, Geniez broke free from the trio, setting off alone.  Garmin-Barracuda put work at the front of the field, and caught Geniez.  Matthew Busche (RadioShack-Nissan) crashed out along with several BMC riders in the closing kilometers.  Sagan continues to lead in the GC, 8 seconds ahead of Haussler, and 13 ahead of Howard.

Photos from SteepHill.

Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) took the sprint victory in Frosinone, steering clear from a crash in the final turn to take the win ahead of Fabio Felline (Androni Giocattoli) and Giacomo Nizzolo (RadioShack-Nissan).  Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini – Selle Italia) took out Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEdge), as well as Mark Cavendish (Sky) and Mark Renshaw (Rabobank).

Pierre Cazaux (Euskaltel), Brian Bulgac (Lotto-Belisol) and Martijn Keizer (Vacansoleil) established a 4 minute break early in the stage.  Keizer was the last rider to succumb to the chasing peloton in the final 20km.  Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) launched a solo attack in the final 7km.  He was initially joined by 3 other riders, but dropped them with another attack.  Liquigas-Cannondale and Garmin-Barracuda chased Rodriguez down – once he was caught, Pozzato lauched an attack, but was brought back in.  Adam Hansen (Lotto Belisol) was next to try his luck, but he too was unsuccessful.  The GC remains unchanged, with Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin – Barracuda) leading 9 seconds ahead of Rodriguez, and 15 seconds ahead of Paolo Tiralongo (Astana).

Photos from SteepHill.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) won the opening stage of the Amgen Tour of California, sprinting ahead of Heinrich Haussler (Garmin – Barracuda) and Fred Rodriguez (Team Exergy).

Maxime Boulet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Jeff Louder (UnitedHealthcare), David Boily (Spidertech-C10), Andrew Dahlheim (Bissell), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), Sebastian Salas (Optum pro Cycling-Kelly Benefit Strategies), Josh Atkins (Bontrager-Livestrong) and Sam Johnson (Team Exergy) formed the break of the day – the break quickly gained 5 minutes over the peloton, and capped their lead at 11 minutes.  RadioShack-Nissan chased back in the peloton, bringing the gap down to 5:20 by the time the break hit the bottom of Coleman Valley.  Boulet, Louder and Jacques-Maynes accelerated ahead away from the other riders in the break.  Rabobank reeled back the break, and 20km left from the finish line, a select lead group of 70 riders rode towards the finish in Santa Rosa.  A crash in the final 3km took out Michael Matthews (Rabobank) and 4 Bissell riders.  Sagan flatted in the last 8km but was able to recover, and avoid the crash to take the win.

Photos from SteepHill.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Colnago-CSF Inox) took the solo win atop the Lago Laceno, attacking 7km from the finish.  Pozzavivo finished 23 seconds ahead of Benat Intxausti (Movistar) and 27 seconds ahead of Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

Andrey Amador (Movistar), Julien Bérard (AG2R-La Mondiale), Tomasz Marczynski (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Miguel Mínguez (Euskaltel-Euskadi)formed the break of the day 29km into the race – they opened up an 11 minute lead.  After 160km raced, Marczynski accelerated, dropping Bérard and Mínguez.  With Katusha putting work back in the peloton, the gap fell rapidly in the final 35km.  Amador and Marczynski were caught with 17km remaining.  Astana led the peloton through the Colle Molella, and Liquigas-Cannondale took over shortly thereafter.  Pozzovivo placed his attack, holding his lead until the very end.  Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin – Barracuda) remains in the GC lead, with Rodriguez 9 seconds down, and Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) 15 seconds down.

Photos from SteepHill.

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) took the steep, uphill win at the Rocca di Cambio on stage 7 of the Giro.  Tiralongo finished ahead of Michele Scarponi (Lampre – ISD), 3 seconds ahead of Frank Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), and Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin – Barracuda).

Matteo Rabottini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia), Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil-DCM), Fumiyuki Beppu (Orica-GreenEdge) and Reto Hollenstein (Team NetApp) were the first riders off the front of the peloton – Beppu crossed the top of the Colle Galluccio first, with the peloton crossing 7:49 later.  With 64km remaining, the break had 6:40 – 40km later, at the intermediate sprint of the day, their gap was at 2:50.  Rabottini placed a solo attack on the approached to the final climb of the day, the category 2 Rocca di Cambio.  Stef Clement (Rabobank) placed an attack, but was reeled back in - Stefano Pirazzi (Colnago-CSF Inox) was the next rider to try his luck, and was able to bridge up to Beppu, Hollenstein and Selvaggi with 16km left to race.  Pirazzi passed the trio, continuing to climb by himself.  Overnight leader, Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD), began slipping back on the climb.  3km later, Pirazzi caught Rabottini – back in the peloton, Jose Herrada (Movistar) accelerated to catch the 2 riders up front with 12km remaining.  Pirazzi and Herrada dropped Rabottini, with the peloton 22 seconds down.  Pirazzi nearly took a wrong turn in the closing kilometers, while Herrada attacked.  Both were caught in the final kilometer, which cued Tiralongo and Scarponi to accelerate.

Hesjedal moves into 1st in the GC, 15 seconds ahead of Tiralongo, and 17 seconds ahead of Rodriguez.

Photos from SteepHill.