February Slickrock
February Slickrock
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Gesink and Leipheimer descend Felter Rd. Stage 3 AToC
Gesink and Leipheimer descend Felter Rd. Stage 3 AToC
Leipheimer in yellow, again, at the Tour of California.
Leipheimer in yellow, again, at the Tour of California.
Gesink celebrates his win of the 2008 Tour of California stage 3.
Gesink celebrates his win of the 2008 Tour of California stage 3, the second win of his professional career.
Gesink grabs the stage, Levi the jersey
Gesink grabs the stage, Levi the jersey
Leipheimer takes a pull as Gesink urges him on.
Leipheimer takes a pull as Gesink urges him on.
Leipheimer hammering toward the finish of stage 3
Leipheimer hammering toward the finish of stage 3, where he would trade his U.S. champion's jersey for a yellow race leader's.
Astana’s Levi Leipheimer takes the lead after third stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California
Rabobank’s 21-year-old Robert Gesink climbed his way to the biggest win of his young career Wednesday in stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California. Levi Leipheimer, who went clear with Gesink from a select bunch of chasers over Sierra Road, finished second on the day to take the leader’s jersey. Slipstream-Chipotle’s Tyler Farrar started the day in the jersey — but with a stomach bug. He dropped out midway through the stage. However, it was inevitable that the American sprinter would have relinquished the lead on the race's most difficult climbing stage.
Gesink gets the win ahead of Leipheimer
Gesink gets the win ahead of Leipheimer
2008 ATOC Stage 3: Pre race with Slipstream – Chipotle rider David Millar.
2008 ATOC Stage 3: Pre race with Slipstream - Chipotle rider David Millar.
Farrar, shown at the start Wednesday, abandoned mid-race
Farrar abandoned shortly after the stage 3 start
A bandaged George Hincapie on the first of two neutral start laps in Modesto
A bandaged George Hincapie on the first of two neutral start laps in Modesto
The peloton rolls out at the start of stage 3
The peloton rolls out at the start of stage 3
A World Champion filled front row at the start of stage 3 in Modesto
A World Champion filled front row at the start of stage 3 in Modesto
World Champion Fabian Cancellara is called up to the front row at the start of stage 3
World Champion Fabian Cancellara is called up to the front row at the start of stage 3
Cipo on his way to sign in for stage 3
Cipo on his way to sign in for stage 3
Will Danny Pate animate the race today?
Will Danny Pate animate the race today?
Mavic neutral support rolls through the crowds toward the start of stage 3
Mavic neutral support rolls through the crowds toward the start of stage 3
CSC fans at the start of Stage 3
CSC fans at the start of Stage 3
Tyler Farrar’s Felt F1 Team Issue
Tyler Farrar’s Felt F1 Team Issue
Slipstream’s Powertap central.
Slipstream’s Powertap central.
Statue of Chief Estanislao in downtown Modesto which is in Stanislaus County
Statue of Chief Estanislao in downtown Modesto which is in Stanislaus County
Tyler Farrar drops out of Amgen Tour of California with stomach bug.
Tyler Farrar, the young Slipstream-Chipotle rider who took the yellow jersey following Tuesday’s stage, only got to show it off for about 50 miles on Wednesday, as he dropped out with stomach bug that is spreading through the peloton. “I had a bit of a rough night last night,” Farrar said before the start Wednesday. He said then that he thought he was feeling better, but he was dropped by the pack on the first hill. He caught on on the descent, only to be dropped again. He climbed into a team car before the day’s major climbs began.
Tour of California stage 3 photo gallery
VeloNews publisher, Andy Pemberton, was on the scene in Modesto this morning capturing the action at the start of stage 3. After a wet stage 2, the sunshine was a welcome change for racers and spectators alike.
Tour of California Stage 3 Live Updates
- 09:45 AM: Good morning .... . and welcome to stage 3 of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. Today serves up a 102.7-mile leg-breaker from Modesto to San Jose, with five categorized climbs, including the hors categorie grind to the 4360-foot summit of Mt. Hamilton and the 2000-foot Cat. 1 Sierra Road ascent, which has been decisive in previous editions of the tour.
Forster wins Algarve opener
Gerolsteiner sprinter Robert Förster opened his account for the 2008 season with a sprint victory in the first stage of the five-day Tour of Algarve in southern Portugal. Förster out-kicked Tomas Vaitkus (Astana) in a bunch sprint with German veteran Erik Zabel (Milram) coming through third in the 164km stage from Albufeira to Faro. Förster will wear the leader’s jersey going into Thursday’s 189.5km stage from Lagoa to Lagos.
Petacchi wins again, while Lastras retains jersey
Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) made it two in a row at the Vuelta a Andalucía-Ruta del Sol while race leader Pablo Lastras (Caisse d’Epargne) stayed in the driver’s seat with just one stage to go. A five-man breakaway was reeled in just in time for the sprinters to take over, with Petacchi making easy work of Borut Bozihc (Cycle Collstrop) to claim the 173.5km march from La Guardia de Jaén to Ecija.
The loooooong road ahead
Race you to the next corner?
Sudanese bike swap
The author (temporarily) swapped his Fat Chance for a Chinese utility bike.
Riding through the sand in Sudan
Filmmaker Brian Vernor is best known in the bicycle industry for his documentary “Pure Sweet Hell,” which chronicled the cyclocross lifestyle on 8mm black-and-white film. His most recent project is filming and riding the Tour d’Afrique, a four-month bicycle adventure road race across the African continent. This year marks the sixth running of the race, which begins in Cairo, Egypt, and finishes in Cape Town, South Africa. Riders pass through 10 countries at an average distance of 75 miles a day.
The Tour’s true shakedown begins over Mt. Hamilton, Sierra Road
The real race for the overall begins Wednesday at the Amgen Tour of California. After a prologue and two stages for the sprinters, stage 3 takes the riders up and over five categorized climbs, including the race’s only hors categorie mountain. After three categorized climbs, the race peaks with the HC Mt. Hamilton, then bombs down 4000 feet before tackling the 2000-foot Cat. 1 Sierra Road climb, which has proven decisive in past editions of the race.
Sponsors stick with Bruyneel
Any race invitation is good news for Team Astana these days. After weeks of reeling from exclusions from such races as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and some of the major spring classics, the beleaguered team learned Tuesday that organizers of the Circuit de la Sarthe have welcomed the squad to the April race. That news comes as Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel traveled to Kazakhstan this week to huddle with sponsors to gauge support following the devastating news that Tour champ Alberto Contador would not be allowed to defend his title come July.
McQuaid pushes for Astana reversal
UCI president Pat McQuaid promised Friday to put the full weight of the organization behind an effort to ensure that defending Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will take part in this year's edition of the world’s biggest bicycle race. The Tour's organizers, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), announced on February 13 that Contador's Astana team would be barred from competing in this year's race because of doping scandals over the past two years.
Velonews HARD at work at Stage 2 Tour of California
Velonews HARD at work at Stage 2 Tour of California
The Charge Up Sierra Grade
The Charge Up Sierra Grade
A young fan
Mom, can I trade my bike for one of these?
Slipstream chases on the way to Sacramento
Slipstream takes over the chase on the way to Sacramento, and delivered the yellow jersey.
Mossy trees
Mossy trees overhang most of the early climb.
A rainy start in Santa Rosa.
A rainy start in Santa Rosa.