2009 ATOC stage 7, Live Coverage archive

Published: Feb. 21, 2009

11:29 AM: Good day and welcome

to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California, a 143km (88.9 mile) ride from Santa Clarita to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Today's stage, scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m., begins with 40km (25 miles) of gradual climbing before the route takes a significant hop up Millcreek Summit in the San Gabriel Mountains, a Category three climb that crests at the 60.7km mark (37.7 miles).

After a long descent, the race heads to the Rose Bowl, the centerpiece of a challenging 4.5-mile circuit that riders will have to cover five times before the finish today.

The weather, so bad in the early days of this Tour, is continuing to be quite nice, with temperatures at the start around the 70-degree (F) mark. That's a nice contrast to the wet conditions that greeted the peloton last year, when the Tour made its first visit to the Rose Bowl.
11:32 AM: Questions? Comments? Complaints?

If you have a comment, a question or complaint, hit the "contact our editors" button below the live update window.

If you need a quick response, go ahead and drop a direct line to the Live Update Guy at Charles@Pelkey.com.

We may have a good chance to read and answer those before the peloton rolls out of Santa Clarita in 28 minutes, so send 'em on in, folks.
11:36 AM: Today's sprint marks

Today's first intermediate sprint is located at the 11-mile mark in the town of Acton.

The second comes up at mile 66.4, the first time the peloton crosses the finish line at the Rose Bowl.
11:36 AM: Today's sprint marks

Today's first intermediate sprint is located at the 11-mile mark in the town of Acton.

The second comes up at mile 66.4, the first time the peloton crosses the finish line at the Rose Bowl.
11:46 AM: Last year's top 10

The Tour of California covered this same route at the end of the '08 Tour of California.

Here are the results of that stage:
1. George Hincapie (USA), Team High Road, 3:50:57
2. Rory Sutherland (Aus), Health Net Maxxis
3. Jason Mccartney (USA), CSC, s.t.
4. Michael Creed (USA), Rock Racing, s.t.
5. Tom Zirbel (USA), Bissell Pro Cycling, s.t.
6. Mark Cavendish* (GB), Team High Road, 0:12
7. Juan Jose Haedo (ARG), CSC
8. Dominique Rollin (CAN), Toyota-United
9. Tom Boonen (B), Quickstep
10. Mario Cipollini (I), Rock Racing, all same time
11:47 AM: Once things get rolling

the peloton will start by coursing its way through a 3.5-mile neutral zone, with the formal start at Santa Clarita's Central Park.
11:54 AM: It's time for the call-ups

Riders are lining up for the start. We should see them heading into the neutral zone in about six minutes.
12:00 PM: And there they go

The peloton is off and rolling through the neutral zone.
12:03 PM: Ever wonder

just how much money the bikes in the peloton represents out there?

It's a safe bet that each bike represents at least six or seven grand at retail and there are still 106 riders in the race.
12:07 PM: An unusual encounter

We had heard about the interaction between Lance Armstrong and the so-called "LiveClean Devil" the other day, but we missed it.

Our friends at DrunkCyclist happen to capture the exchange, though. http://drunkcyclist.com/2009/02/20/caption-this-54/

(Word of warning, although it's changed over the past couple of years, The Drunk Cyclist site still ain't exactly family fare.)
12:08 PM: Flat

Stef Clement has had a flat, but a quick switch and he's back riding again.
12:12 PM: Lookin' antsy

the riders are nearing the start and some in the peloton look like they want to go early when the flag drops.
12:14 PM: And there they go

and a Jelly Belly rider goes right off the bat.
12:15 PM: Bernard Van Ulden

is the Jelly Belly rider. He's got a bit of a gap, but he's getting company.
12:16 PM: Ag2r

Christophe Riblon (FRA) Ag2r La Mondiale has joined Van Ulden... and here come four more.
12:18 PM: The pace is high

and the peloton is not going to let this group go. It may be a bit before the day's break forms up.
12:18 PM: All together

and new counter-attacks come right away.
12:22 PM: Reader question

I heard that Ivan Basso missed his start in yesterday's time trial. Any reason? Doesn't everyone have to ride in the time trial? Is there any

penalty for not doing so?
Basso hit his knee on his handlebar while warming up yesterday and did not ride. Of course, that means that he will not continue in the Tour, since riders have to compete in every stage to go on to the next.

Had it been a simple missed start, he could have come to the start house later on, but his time would be counted when he was scheduled to start. The most famous example of that, of course, is Pedro Delgado's missed start at the prologue of the 1989 Tour de France, a mistake which cost him two minutes.
12:24 PM: We have a break forming up

... but again, the gap isn't significant and ... well, okay, they're caught.

A new counter goes.
12:27 PM: Three riders

including Rock's Chris Baldwin and Svein Tuft are working up the road, but still no gap to speak of.

Riders are at six miles and working up the little climb you can see on the profile. This is where Michael Creed made his move last year.
12:29 PM: The peloton

is strung out in single file. No one is getting much of a gap.

Of the riders up front, Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Valeriy Kobzarenko (Team Type 1) are really pushing the pace, but the peloton is keeping a tight leash on these guys. No gap to speak of.
12:31 PM: All together

and again, we see another attack... and another quick response.

Christian Vande Velde responded to an attack from a Rabo rider.... but they're caught.

And another counter-attack from Gustov Larssen.
12:34 PM: At 9 miles

the peloton is back together. Oscar Sevilla (Rock Racing) is setting temp at front and then launches an attack as the road steepens.
12:35 PM: Sevilla is joined

by none other than Frank Schleck.
12:35 PM: Over the little kicker

the two leaders have a bit of a gap, but the peloton is moving up fast on this little drop.
12:36 PM: 10 riders

coming up fast and the peloton is right behind those.
12:37 PM: All caught

but now Svein Tuft is charging off the front.
12:38 PM: Tuft has company

Tom Zirbel has come up.
12:39 PM: Zirbel and Tuft

are a pair of super-strong time trialists and working together nicely.
12:42 PM: Another two riders

have joined up. In addition to Tuft and Zirbel, we have Dominique Rollin and Valeriy Kozarenko
12:44 PM: Caught

It's another tough day to try and get away.
12:50 PM: Still trying to break things up

The pace is high, but no one is getting much of an advantage. The only gaps are the ones at the back of the field, with weaker riders getting spit off the back.
12:51 PM: We have a new group of four

last year's stage winner George Hincapie has joined three riders ... ahh... forget it. They're caught.
12:52 PM: On the climb

to Millcreek Summit, we still see riders attacking.
12:55 PM: Trent Lowe

is really digging in and trying to separate himself from the group. He is joined by a Rabobank rider.
12:55 PM: Grischa Niermann

is the Rabobank rider. He and Lowe have a small gap.
12:57 PM: At 18 miles

Low and Niermann are joined by two riders, but the peloton is just 50 meters back.
12:58 PM: Niermann

is driving hard at the front of the group of four. He's there with Lowe and Ben Jacques-Maynes and another rider from OUCH.
12:58 PM: Tim Johnson

is the OUCH rider. They have a six-second gap.
01:00 PM: Up to six riders

We have six riders up front.

Lowe, Niermann, Jacques-Maynes, Johnson and Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank) and another rider, whose identity eludes us ... but they all look like they'll be caught.
01:07 PM: Reader Question

Whatever happened with the Rock Racing team mechanical support yesterday when Rodriguez and Hamilton were in trouble? Did they ever explain why their guys had to be bailed out by the Mavic crew?
Dave W
Hello Dave,
Actually it was only Rodriguez who had to be bailed out by the bright yellow Mavic support vehicle. Hamilton did have a support car, so he didn't suffer too long. He got a bike switch.

Part of the problem is that teams have but two support vehicles, so they have to chose which of their riders they will ride in support of and which they will leave to depend on the kindness of strangers. Rodriguez is the one who had to ride for a considerable chunk of time on a flat tire.
01:08 PM: New group

We see a group of eight riders forming up, but again, they have a small, small, advantage.
01:11 PM: Riders are nearing

the day's first intermediate sprint (at 25), which also represents the formal start of the Millcreek Summit climb, although they have been going uphill for most of the past 24 miles.
01:13 PM: OTB

There is a group of 15 or 16 riders already more than 1:20 off the back of the main field. The pace is beginning to take its toll.
01:16 PM: Serge Pauwels

is off the front. He gets caught, but not before he makes it across the sprint.
01:17 PM: I'm not dead yet!

Some good news out of Southern New Mexico: organizers of one of our favorite races, the Tour of the Gila, have decided to continue the race this year, thanks to recent donations.

The event had been on the verge of canceling its 23rd edition because of a budget shortfall, but donations from local and regional business and individual - including at least one Texas bike club - helped them close some of the budget hole.
01:20 PM: Sprint results

1. Serge Pauwels (Cervélo TestTeam)

2. Tyler Farrar (Garmin)

3. Michael Rogers (Columbia)
01:23 PM: We have a group of 11 riders

Who have a gap of only about 8 seconds.
01:24 PM: Columbia and Astana

are chasing.
01:26 PM: Still trying to ID

the men in the break. One thing for sure, though, is that Columbia doesn't have anyone in there, hence their participation in the chase.

Now Columbia has launched Hincapie... and he, along with Oscar Sevilla, and others are trying to bridge.
01:30 PM: It's all back together

and we see new attacks.

Now we have Vande Velde, Hincapie and Frank Schleck and Ag2r's Rinaldo Nocentini off the front.
01:31 PM: The leaders now have

10 seconds.
01:32 PM: Marcus Zberg

is also part of the break.
01:39 PM: In that group up front

We see Frank Schleck (Saxo), Marcus Zberg (BMC), George Hincapie (Columbia), Chris Baldwin (Rock), Martin Elmiger (Ag2r) and a few more riders. They have 15 seconds.

At the back, Tyler Hamilton looks ready to abandon at the feed zone.
01:43 PM: It's a group of 8

at the front. And the gap is now up to 25 seconds.

They are now about 3.5km from the top of the Millcreek Summit.
01:46 PM: Eight riders

We have Schleck, Hincapie, Zberg, Baldwin, Elmiger, Tuft, Hayden Roulston (Cervelo) and one more whose ID we don't have.
01:47 PM: 48 seconds

The lead group has 48 seconds on the field.
01:50 PM: Full IDs

The final shakeout in this group includes 10 riders:
Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)
George Hincapie (Columbia)
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin)
Hayden Roulston (Cervelo)
Peter Weening (Rabobank)
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r)
Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r)
Markus Zberg (BMC)
Addy Engles (Quick Step)
Chris Baldwin (Rock)
01:51 PM: Big Hair

The Big Hair Superfan is running along the break.
01:53 PM: The break

the 10 leaders are over the top, shoving newspapers into their jerseys.

The peloton is coming up at around 1:42.
01:55 PM: Peloton

crests at 1:52. Armstrong leads the Astana crew over the top of the climb.
01:57 PM: Our leaders

are at 40 miles.
01:59 PM: Now that's a screw-up

As it was passing the peloton, the Cervélo car lost a bike off the top of the car.

Looks like we'll have another mechanic's job opening up soon, folks.
02:01 PM: Baldwin was the rider

who crested the summit first, followed by Roulston, Hincapie, Weening and Schleck.

That means that Francisco Mancebo remains the KOM at AToC (with all of these abbreviations I feel like I'm texting, sorry).
02:05 PM: Regrouping up front

Some of the riders - Zberg and Elmiger among them - got gapped at the top, but they've rejoined on the descent. So, again, we have:
Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)
George Hincapie (Columbia)
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin)
Hayden Roulston (Cervelo)
Peter Weening (Rabobank)
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r)
Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r)
Markus Zberg (BMC)
Addy Engles (Quick Step)
Chris Baldwin (Rock)
02:06 PM: Schleck and Hincapie

are the highest GC riders in the break, at 6:22 and 6:35 respectively.

The gap, meanwhile, is up to 2:06.
02:10 PM: With 41 miles remaining

the gap is a healthy 2:55.
02:16 PM: The gap is continuing to grow

The 10 leaders are now 3:15 ahead of the Astana -led main field. It looks like Astana won't drive a real chase, leaving it to the sprinters' teams to put in the big work, but with that many teams represented in the break, we may not see that happen either.

We're still waiting to hear word on Tyler Hamilton. We believe he pulled out in the feedzone.
02:19 PM: Armstrong flats

He's riding to catch back on to the main group. It also means the break gets a break of sorts, since Astana will slow to wait for the team's most famous domestique.
02:24 PM: The Elk Antler dude

is making his appearance again.

Whoopie ...
02:25 PM: The leaders

are 3:40 ahead of the peloton and going over the final little unrated kicker on the way down to Pasadena.
02:27 PM: With 36 miles

to go, the leaders are dropping down the final descent - about 11 miles - before they reach the flats and head into Pasadena.
02:31 PM: Reader Question

Why is the Kelly Benefit Strategies not in this year’s ToC? With Bajadali and Shirley they would be a great choice to participate in this year’s event.
It's always difficult for a promoter to achieve the balance of trying to turn an event into an international-caliber race and still invite a good selection of domestic teams. It even happens in France, when favorite French teams don't make the cut for the Tour. We agree Kelly would have made a good addition, but AToC technical director Kevin Livingston gets the unhappy duty of making that call. We'd venture to say he's in a better position to make that call when we are.
02:32 PM: Mancebo crashes

KOM leader Francisco Mancebo has crashed.

He is not looking good. He's moving, but it doesn't look like he will be getting back up.
02:34 PM: Mancebo is not continuing

he's still on the side of the road. It looks like he hit a rock on the side of the road.

He smacked a rock about the size of a softball and flipped over the top of his bike. He doesn't look critically injured but it sure does look he is hurt enough to keep him from finishing today.
02:35 PM: Mancebo

is still there on the side of the road. He's getting a lot of attention from team and medical staff.

If he is unable to finish, that means Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank) will take over the KOM contest, but no one wants to win it like that.
02:36 PM: The gap

is down to 3:25, with all of the chase duty falling to the Astana team, since there are so many teams represented in the break.
02:38 PM: On the flats

the leaders are heading to the finishing circuits.

Vande Velde is having a mechanical.
02:39 PM: Flat

Vande Velde gets a new wheel and he's on his way. Fast change, but bad, bad, timing.
02:40 PM: Vande Velde

has a hard chase ahead of him. The guys in the break are not going to wait for him, that's for sure. He was one of the most dangerous men in the break.
02:42 PM: VdV

is chasing through the support vehicles and making his way back. He's really busting his ... uh... chops to make that.
02:43 PM: Big crash in the field

there are at least five or six riders hit the deck on the way down the hill.

No one looks seriously injured and they're all getting up.
02:46 PM: VdV is still chasing.

Vande Velde is still chasing hard.

The peloton is at 4:20.
02:47 PM: Through the line

Our leaders have five trips around this 4.5-mile circuit.
02:48 PM: Big crowds

there are a lot of folks lining this circuit.
02:51 PM: Mancebo on his way to the hospital

Francisco Mancebo is on his way to the hospital. We will try to get you an update as to his condition.
02:52 PM: The gap is still

at 4:20 and the peloton is now on the circuit. Astana is doing all of the work.
02:53 PM: We believe

that Vande Velde has not yet reconnected with the lead group.
02:53 PM: Wait,

there he is.

The gap is at 4:05.
02:55 PM: Vande Velde

is in there. That was a hard chase.

Astana is still leading the peloton and it looks like the break is going to survive today.
02:56 PM: The gap

is 4:05 and the guys up front are still cooperating. That means we have 10 guys working up front and only about six or seven Astanas putting in the effort at the front of the peloton.
03:00 PM: The gap is holding

at 4:05.
03:02 PM: The peloton

has come through the finish area at 3:25.

The men up front are:
Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank)
George Hincapie (Columbia)
Christian Vande Velde (Garmin)
Hayden Roulston (Cervelo)
Peter Weening (Rabobank)
Martin Elmiger (Ag2r)
Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r)
Markus Zberg (BMC)
Addy Engles (Quick Step)
Chris Baldwin (Rock)
03:03 PM: With less than four laps

of the circuit to go, the men up front are beginning to attack each other.
03:04 PM: Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r)

Attacks and Hincapie follows. Zberg is trying to follow.
03:04 PM: Hincapie and Nocentini

have a little gap over the others in the break.
03:05 PM: Hincapie

remember he won here last year.

Of course, so do the other men in the break and they are coming up fast. Schleck and Zberg and Roulston have joined up.
03:06 PM: A group of five

The five men up front are Schleck, Hincapie, Nocentini, Zberg and Roulston.
03:07 PM: Our five leaders

are now three laps from the finish. We'll get a time check.
03:08 PM: The chasing five

came through only 10 seconds behind the leaders.
03:09 PM: We need to see

if this fighting for advantage has affected the gap back to the peloton. We'll see when the Astana-led field comes through the line. Unofficially the gap is down to 3:15.
03:12 PM: The peloton

comes through at 3:10.

Can they shut that down with three laps to go? We doubt it. Astana has no reason to chase much harder and no one else is doing anything to help.
03:13 PM: 12 miles to go

the five leaders are joined by the other five and the attacks resume.
03:13 PM: Roulston

accelerates just as the others made the bridge and we get another gap.
03:15 PM: Up front

the ten have regrouped.
03:16 PM: The leaders are

heading to the line again. We'll get a new time check soon.
03:17 PM: Two laps to go

two laps to go for our 10 leaders.
03:18 PM: Schleck

attacks and he gets a gap.

Hincapie waits for Nocentini to follow, but Schleck is on his way on his own.
03:20 PM: Schleck

launched a beautiful attack, from the back of the group at the little hill after the line.

He has nine miles to go. Can he hold it?
03:20 PM: The peloton

comes through at 3:11.
03:21 PM: Schleck

is still on his own and we don't have a gap yet.
03:22 PM: Schleck

is working hard and he looks tired. Looking over his shoulder and he sees Hincapie and Roulston chasing up hard... maybe at ten seconds?
03:24 PM: There are three

chasers. Schleck has seven seconds on a group of three, which includes Hincapie, Roulston and one other rider.

He looks like he's waiting for them.
03:24 PM: The whole group

has joined Schleck. It was a gamble... but worth it.

The counter-attack comes from Nocentini, Hincapie, Weening
03:25 PM: Regrouped

We will see some more attacks ... like that one... regrouped.
03:26 PM: five miles to go

the leaders are heading to the finish, meaning one lap to go.
03:27 PM: Roulston

the pursuit specialist on Cervélo is really trying to get away.

Now Zberg, Elmiger, Vande Velde, Weening have a gap.
03:28 PM: We have four

with a gap:

Vande Velde, Elmiger, Zberg and Weening are now 4 miles to go.
03:29 PM: All together again

the ten men up front are back together again.
03:30 PM: New attack

from Vande Velde and Schleck follows.
03:30 PM: The peloton

comes through at 3:20.
03:31 PM: Weening attacks

Schleck is spent. He's sitting up. Who's going to chase? Nocentini and Roulston join the Rabobank rider.
03:32 PM: Three leaders

Nocentini, Roulston and Weening are at the front.

Weening attacks again.
03:33 PM: The three

are fighting it out over the final miles..... and the other seven are at 15 seconds.
03:34 PM: 3km to go

the three leaders are three km from the finish.
03:34 PM: Of the three

Roulston shows the most snap.
03:35 PM: The chase group

is still at 15 seconds.... now 17.
03:36 PM: Trying to bridge

Hincapie and Vande Velde are chasing.

Weening attacks. Roulston chases and tows Nocentini with him
03:37 PM: Roulston is

at the front... heading to the line.

Sprint... Nocentini gets it!!
03:38 PM: Roulston

tried to take advantage of his pursuit skills and went first. Nocentini - charging on the opposite side of the road - charges up and gets Roulston by about a quarter of a wheel.
03:39 PM: Cervelo

is now leading out for Hushovd, who is still in the hunt for points. He gets the field sprint, at around 2:14.
03:41 PM: Ag2r

gets its first win at AToC and Leipheimer stays in yellow.

Stay tuned for a complete stage report, results and photos.

Thank you for joining us today. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California. See ya tomorrow.

LUG out.

Last 5 DaysMOST VIEWED »

2009 ATOC stage 7, Live Coverage archive

Most Recent Articles

Sections »

Features »

VeloNews Authors »

VeloNews »

Affiliates »

Last 5 DaysMOST VIEWED »

THIS WEEK IN PRO CYCLING »

2009 ATOC stage 7, Live Coverage archive

Most Recent Articles

Sections »

Features »

VeloNews Authors »

VeloNews »

Affiliates »