by ilsogno

I was at the KOM - I call it the “Cima Floyd” - for today’s stage. At 4900′ in altitude it is the highest point of this year’s Tour.

On the way up I snaped a pic of a couple of the soigneurs waiting at the feed zone.

I parked about 500 meters from the KOM and rode my Colnago up the rest of the way. Piece of cake! So long as you don’t have to ride from the bottom of the climb! I stationed myself at about 100 meters from the KOM line.

Here’s a view of the KOM finish line. and no, I don’t know who that person is.

(more…)

ilsogno, of Sherman Oaks, CA is our fourth jersey winner for her report on Stage 6! Here it is straight from Cindy’s keyboard…

I parked at the intersection of Broadway Road and Hwy 23 (Grimes Canyon) near Moorpark, CA. Got my Colnago off the roof rack and rode the climb up to the summit of Grimes Cyn.

This is the climb that comes after Balcom Canyon and it is uncategorized. Uncategorized!?!? My computer read 4%-5% grades for the first mile or so and then 7%-8% for the rest of the climb. Jeez!

Found a spot about 500 meters from the top. Seems the riders were taking their time today and were running at their slowest expected time. The Toyota United fan support car came along and gave out road writing chalk to everybody so I passed the time writing out a gigantic “CIPO” on the road.

Here I am hard at work

Here I am posing with my masterpiece.

Then we see and hear the helicopters overhead. An official ToC pulls up with a loudspeaker going and lets us all in on the race progress. A small breakaway group seven minutes in front of the peloton.

Then we see them approach from off in the distance.

(more…)

Pasadena, Calif. — Michael Creed’s extraordinary ride Sunday capped an impressive performance for Rock Racing at the Amgen Tour of California.

Attacking from the start of the 93-mile (150 km) stage, Creed played an instrumental role in a pair of breakaways that stayed clear of the peloton on a rain-soaked, bone-chilling ride from Santa Clarita to Pasadena. Aggressive to the end, Rock Racing nearly scored its second podium finish of the race when Creed attacked inside the final mile and finished fourth in a five-up sprint in front of the Rose Bowl.

“It was the last day and I didn’t want to end the week without having done anything,” Creed said. “At the very end, it was like throwing a ‘Hail Mary’ to try and pull out the win.”

In all, Rock Racing scored seven top 10 finishes during the race, including Mario Cipollini’s third place finish in Sacramento on Stage 2. Even more impressive was the fortitude of Rock Racing in an event that saw only 77 riders of 132 starters finish the 650-mile race.

Rock Racing was one of only three teams – and the only non-ProTour team to complete the race with its full squad. But unlike the CSC and Rabobank squads, Rock Racing began the race with only five riders (instead of eight) after race organizer AEG declared that three of its riders– American Tyler Hamilton, Colombian Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla – would not be able to start.
(more…)

Rock Racing’s Mario Cipollini tries to avoid the crash by Mark Cavendish (Team High Road).

Santa Clarita, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2008) — A crash in the final miles of Saturday’s Stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California dashed the hopes of Rock Racing’s star sprinters, Mario Cipollini and Fred Rodriguez.

The pair tumbled to the pavement in the final 2.5 miles (4 km) of the 105-mile (169.6 km) race from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita when Mark Cavendish (Team High Road) crashed in front of them. Cipollini and Rodriguez, who were riding directly behind Cavendish, could not avoid the pile-up.

Mario Cipollini attempts to remount after the crash while Rock Racing teammate Fred Rodriguez is still down.

“I had nowhere to go,” Rodriguez said. “I basically T-boned Mario and then went head-first into the pavement.”

While Rodriguez waited for repairs to be made to his bike, Cipollini and Cavendish remounted and chased back, only to be penalized later for drafting. The penalty cost Cavendish the stage win, while Cipollini was relegated to 75th on the stage.
(more…)

Luciano Pagliarini (BRA), First Place, Stage 6
Saunier Duval-Scott
On his win:
“I am very happy for my win, but it is not as good, considering the circumstances. It is good for my overall standings. I am so sorry for (Mark) Cavendish. I know High Road must be very disappointed.”

On today’s race:
“There was a lot of confusion during last kilometer, but during the breakaway, it was easy because I had a teammate in the front. I was ready for the sprint. This win was good for us.”

On representing Brazil:
“I’m so happy for Brazil. We need to show the world that we play more than just soccer; I hope to show them at the Olympics. I carry the Brazilian flag with me because I am proud. Brazil has so many riders and teams, and we are starting to be noticed. This win was very important, not only for me, but my country.”

Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana
On today’s race:
“It’s sweet to be near the prize, but it’s never over until we cross the finish line. I think today’s race went exactly how I imagined it. I was confident that (David) Millar would try to do something in the end. I tried to look for him; I had Chris (Horner) go up to the front to close the gap. It just shows how strong the team really is.”
(more…)

Luciano Pagliarini Claims Victory After Penalty Shakes Up Standings in Stage 6

Photo by Ken Conley

SANTA CLARITA, CALIF., February 23, 2008 – Fans in Santa Clarita lined the streets to witness the finish to Stage 6 of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, which included an exciting bunch sprint to the finish line. After a review by race officials, Luciano Pagliarini (BRA) of Saunier Duval-Scott was determined to be the stage winner, followed closely by Juan Jose “J.J.” Haedo (ARG) of Team CSC and World Champion Paolo Bettini (ITA) of Quick Step. Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana retained the overall lead heading into the final stage of the race, which will take riders from Santa Clarita to Pasadena tomorrow.

Mark Cavendish (GBR) of High Road, who was originally declared the stage winner, recovered from a late crash during the first circuit lap and seemed to deliver a powerful sprint victory for High Road. However, officials would later relegate the sprinter for sheltering behind or falling into the slipstream of a vehicle. This decision gave the win to Pagliarini.

“I am so sorry about Cavendish,” said Pagliarini. “I won a stage. I’m very happy, but it’s not like a win with the hands up. I came in second, but I am the first.”
(more…)

Photos by Stephanie Gutowski

Rock Racing Podium girls

Michael Ball meeting local cycling fans

Super Mario in San Jose

All photos courtesy of VeroImage.com

San Jose, Calif. – Rock Racing’s Victor Hugo Peña sent a clear message Wednesday that he is a threat to contend for a strong overall finish at the Amgen Tour of California.

Peña was one of only five riders in the lead group as the race crossed its highest point, the 4,100-foot summit of Mount Hamilton, midway through Stage 3. The Colombian would go on to finish among a group of 15 riders who were 19 seconds behind stage winner Robert Gesink (Rabobank) and runner-up Levi Leipheimer (Astana).

Peña’s impressive performance in 102.7-mile (165.3 km) race from Modesto to San Jose moved him up 23 places in the overall standings to 10th place, 31 seconds behind Leipheimer, the new overall race leader and defending champion of the Tour of California.

Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball said seeing Peña race wheel-to-wheel with the best at the head of the peloton – on the toughest stage to date – was both satisfying and a disappointment.

“We came here to make the moves and win stages,” Ball said. “Like Mario Cipollini’s podium finish yesterday, Victor’s ride today proved that Rock Racing has top talent,” Ball said. “At the same time, this stage played to the strengths of our three riders who were not allowed to compete in this race: Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero and Oscar Sevilla.”

Peña, whose impressive credentials include wearing the yellow leader’s jersey for three stages of the 2003 Tour de France and winning an individual time trial stage in the Giro d’Italia, agreed with Ball’s assessment of the talented trio who are unable to compete in the most prestigious race in the United States.

“The only thing I can say is that at training camp, they were better than me,” Peña said. “Santiago and Oscar were much better than me. Tyler was always with me. So I think those three guys would have been good contenders for Levi.”

On a stage when only 16 of 120 riders in the race finished within four minutes of the winner, Peña said he felt comfortable on the day’s five categorized climbs. His performance, he said, made him recall the years he spent shepherding Lance Armstrong to several Tour de France victories when both were riding on the U.S. Postal Service team.

“Mt. Hamilton was a steep climb,” he said. “It reminded me of some of the steeper climbs in Colombia. In Colombia, we have long climbs, but not so steep as Hamilton.”

Photo courtesy of VeroImage.com

Tyler Farrar (USA), General Classification Leader
Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
On today’s race:
“Today played out exactly how we hoped it would. We didn’t know what the breakaway situation would be, but we were lucky with the bonuses being late in the stage. The team was amazing today. They delivered me perfectly to every bonus sprint, which made my job really easy.”

On today’s win:
“This win probably tops any win I’ve ever had; it’s a pretty big deal for me. I’m ecstatic to be racing in America, and to be wearing the Amgen Leader Jersey is a big deal for me and for the team; everyone is really happy.”

On tomorrow’s race:
“Tomorrow will be a hard day with the mountain climbs, but we have a few riders who are well positioned. My hope is that I’ll be handing the Amgen Leader Jersey to one of my teammates tomorrow.”

On racing in the rain today:
“I actually don’t mind the rain. I generally excel in these types of conditions. You can’t dwell too much on what can happen; if you do that, you can’t do your job.”

On the level of competition in the race:
“If you look at the field of riders competing in the Amgen Tour of California, it just goes to show that this race is on par with the best races in the world. You can’t get any better than the riders we have here. It’s actually a bit surreal for me to be racing against some of the greatest athletes in cycling. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. To have guys of such high caliber backing me up is a huge encouragement. In particular, getting to race with Mario (Cipollini) is pretty cool. He was my hero when I was a kid, so it’s a little crazy.”

(more…)