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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.

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.

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

The Charge Up Sierra Grade

Mom, can I trade my bike for one of these?

Slipstream takes over the chase on the way to Sacramento, and delivered the yellow jersey.

Mossy trees overhang most of the early climb.

A rainy start in Santa Rosa.

The peloton passing a vineyard.

The peloton winds along a lake in route.

Scott Nydam starts his long ride through the vineyards.

Miss Rose Petal, here to spread petals for the riders in Santa Rosa. Really.

David Millar checks on his charge, Tyler Ferrar, in the final laps.

Mavic mechanics get ready to spend a long day in the rain.

Levi with happy, wet fans in Santa Rosa.

Ferrar on the podium. Am I dreaming?

Old Disco teammates, Pena and Chechu.

VeloNews editor-in-chief Ben Delaney gets a few words with Steven Cozza.

And Cipo's reward, northern California chic.

Yeah, that's right. Its Levi and Cipo leading on the first climb, near the top no less.

Boonen closing in the finish, with Cipo.

Boonen stretches his legs on a climb.

Angel blows kisses to the peloton on the first circuit. Probably not to the photographer.

The podium: Heinrich Haussler, Boonen and Mario Cipollini.

The stage podium: 1. Tom Boonen, Heinrich Haussler and Mario Cipollini.

Tyler Farrar in the Tour of California yellow jersey.

Tom Boonen winning the field sprint in front of the California Capitol

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger with Tom Boonen on the podium after stage 2.

Tom Boonen won the second stage of the 2008 Tour of California by waiting and timing his sprint perfectly.

Tom Boonen has now won stages of major races on three continents. The big Belgian blew past High Road’s Mark Cavendish to grab the stage 2 win of the Amgen Tour of California in a drizzly downtown Sacramento. Gerolsteiner’s Heinrich Haussler came second with the recently out-of-retirement Mario Cipollini showing he still can turn the pedals with a third-place performance.

The beleaguered Astana team – already excluded from the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France – received more bad news Tuesday after race organizers said the squad would not be invited at upcoming Italian races Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo. That means Andreas Klöden, one of Astana’s top riders, won’t be able to defend his victory from last year at Tirreno-Adriatico. Both High Road and Slipstream-Chipotle earned bids to the important Italian races organized by RCS Sport, which also operates the Giro as well as other Italian events.

Tom Boonen takes the second stage of the Tour of California.

With an available seat, Health Net-Maxxis team director Mike Tamayo offered VeloNews's Neal Rogers a spot in its Tour of California caravan vehicle for Tuesday’s wet stage from Santa Rosa to Sacramento. What follows is his account of a day riding with Tamayo and team mechanic Eva Barabas.

Alessandro Petacchi used all his wile to win a three-up sprint against younger Italian compatriots to win Tuesday’s 174.5km third stage from Otura to Jaén at the Vuelta a Andalucía-Ruta del Sol. The Milram sprinter had just enough in the tank to hold off Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti (Quick Step) and Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval), who came through second and third, respectively.