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2009 AToC stage 4, Live Coverage archive
- 10:32 AM: Good day and welcome
to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the fourth stage of the Amgen Tour of California.
We're about 30 minutes away from the start of today's 116-mile stage from Merced to Clovis.
The weather Gods appear to have smiled on the Tour today and the weather has improved considerably.
AToC Stage 4: Cav’ clips Boonen, Leipheimer keeps lead
Even Mark Cavendish didn’t expect to win stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California on Wednesday. “It wasn’t a stage I’d targeted,” he admitted after bringing home a furious field sprint in Clovis, just holding off Tom Boonen of Quick Step, with Saxo Bank’s J.J. Haedo in third. The field sprint meant that there were no changes in the GC, with Levi Leipheimer of Astana keeping the yellow jersey by a 24-second margin over Columbia’s Michael Rogers.
Too hot to handle? Armstrong’s TT bike reportedly recovered
Sacramento police reported recovering Lance Armstrong’s stolen time trial bike on Wednesday. The custom Trek 1274/27.5 TTX vanished from a Team Astana truck parked outside a hotel after the Amgen Tour of California prologue, along with three road bikes belonging to Janez Brajkovic, Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych. Brajkovic's bike was found Tuesday at the hotel from which the other bikes had been stolen. Hotel employees told police that the bike had been in storage and there had been "a miscommunication between the rider and the hotel."
Davide Rebellin wins stage 3 of the Vuelta a Andalucia
This might be Davide Rebellin’s last season, but don’t tell him that he’s done just yet. The veteran Italian pulled off a thrilling victory in Wednesday’s third stage, a hilly course from Marbella to Benahavis through the hills along Spain’s Costa del Sol, out-kicking a stellar field to win for the first time this season. Rebellin took down Filippo Pozzato (Katusha) and relegated Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) to third in a victory that reveals the classics specialist might have one more trick up his sleeve this April before riding off into the sunset.
Cervelo’s Heinrich Haussler takes stage 1 in Portugal while Garmin’s Will Frischkorn grabs the mountain jersey.
Racing is clicking into gear all over Europe and several big names are revving up their 2009 racing legs at this week’s Volta ao Algarve over the green hills draped along Portugal’s southern Atlantic Coast. The five-day race marks the season debut for triple-crown winner Alberto Contador (Astana), who admitted he’s here only to stretch his legs.
Cane Creek 110 Headset
Price: $150 Colors: Black, silver, blue, red, and purple Weight: 77 grams Web site: www.canecreek.com The Cane Creek 110 headset, which was released last year, is now available in most of the common platforms on the market, including the tradition 1-1/8-inch, 1.5-inch, integrated, and now the Zero Stack, which is common on Giant, Scott, BMC, and Fisher frames.
The Explainer – Of rules, jerseys and blood
Is it a fix?
Dear Explainer,First, let me say that I have huge respect for Levi Leipheimer, as a hard-working sportsman and as a classy human being. He is most certainly the strongest guy at this year’s Amgen Tour of California. However, I know I didn’t dream that first stage. I know that the radios crapped the bed and the dream team let two minutes get away from them. It happened. Mancebo, who nobody likes any more, and this kid Nibali, that nobody in California knows about yet earned themselves a real shot at the GC. It happened.
Tech editor Zack Vestal takes a look at Mark Cavendish’s Scott Addict SL
Tuesday's stage marked the first bunch sprint of the Tour of California, with Thor Hushovd taking the win and Mark Cavendish in fifth. Cav’s leadout seemed to leave him without a good wheel to follow, but his 2009 Scott Addict SL was well prepared for the expected bunch gallop. Prior to the stage, we had a few minutes to catch up with Columbia-High Road team mechanic Nick Vandecauter, who gave us a quick tour of the Cavendish machine.
From rain to snow?
Today’s stage of the Amgen Tour of California may be free of rain, but snow in the high country may force a re-routing of the course, VeloNews managing editor Neal Rogers reports from the start in Merced.
Northwave to supply Team BMC with shoes
Northwave, the Italian based cycling company, is proud to announce its partnership with BMC Professional Cycling Team for the 2009 season. This is a product-based sponsorship combined with a retail-based partnership.
AToC Stage 4: Into the Sierras (sort of)
With sunshine at the start Wednesday morning, and no rain in the forecast for stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California, the 117 riders who have survived the storms are ready to discard their wet-weather gear and make the racing even more animated than it has been. “It’s been brutal, it’s been true NorCal weather for the last three or four days, and everybody’s hurting,” race leader Levi Leipheimer said Tuesday night. “The forecast’s better so we’re really looking forward to that.”
2009 AToC stage 3, Live Coverage archive
- 12:00 PM: Good day and welcome
to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the third stage of the Amgen Tour of California, a race scheduled to cover 104.2 miles from San Jose to Modesto.
Spanish court seeks to block CONI case
A court in Spain moved Wednesday to block an investigation by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) into doping allegations against Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde, judicial sources said. Valverde has been summoned to appear before the committee, CONI, at Rome's Olympic Stadium on Thursday to face charges related to the Operación Puerto doping scandal which erupted in Spain in 2006. The summons is the result of a blood and urine sample given by the Caisse d'Epargne rider last year during an Italian stage stop in the Tour de France.
The ride to Modesto
Gustav Larsson completed stage 3 of the Tour of California under control and with no major mishaps or issues. He was in charge of protecting his Team Saxo Bank sprinter Juan Jose “JJ” Haedo.
Coors boss: California is a great evolution
The conversation about the magnitude and importance of the Amgen Tour of California and the Coors Classic has been improperly phrased, says the former director of the latter. It’s not a matter of one being better than the other, but instead a linear and encouraging progression of American bike racing. Standing at the finish line, Aisner was chatting away with old friends and new ones. With an ear-to-ear smile, he was clearly delighted to witness the biggest names in the sport roar across the line.
The Biggest Loser – Week 6
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