Amgen Tour of California

Stage 5

• 1. Peter Sagan (SVK), Liquigas-Doimo, at 5:16:03
• 2. Leigh Howard (AUS), HTC-Highroad, at 00
• 3. Ben Swift (GBR), Team Sky, at 00
• 4. Paul Martens (GER), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 00
• 5. Alex Candelario (USA), Kelly Benefit Strategies, at 00

GC

• 1. Christopher Horner (USA), Team RadioShack, at 16:45:35
• 2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team RadioShack, at 01:15
• 3. Tom Danielson (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 01:22
• 4. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 01:29
• 5. Rory Sutherland (AUS), UnitedHealthcare, at 01:30

an email Tyler Hamilton sent to friends and family explaining his "long overdue" confession to doping

Rabobank's Oscar Freire, a sprinter, found himself in a rare solo break in stage five of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California. And he nearly took it all the way to the line.

Retired cyclist Tyler Hamilton has told the CBS program "60 Minutes" that he saw his then-U.S. Postal teammate Lance Armstrong inject EPO and use other doping methods.

PASO ROBLES, California (VN) — World champion Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervelo) and race aggressor Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) were among the riders who left the Amgen Tour of California Thursday.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) won stage five of the Amgen Tour of California on Thursday, extending his lead in the sprint classification in the process.

Stage 4

• 1. Christopher Horner (USA), Team RadioShack, at 3:27:51
• 2. Andy Schleck (LUX), Leopard-Trek, at 01:15
• 3. Rory Sutherland (AUS), UnitedHealthcare, at 01:15
• 4. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team RadioShack, at 01:15
• 5. Tom Danielson (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 01:22

GC

• 1. Christopher Horner (USA), Team RadioShack, at 11:29:32
• 2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Team RadioShack, at 01:15
• 3. Tom Danielson (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 01:22
• 4. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 01:29
• 5. Rory Sutherland (AUS), UnitedHealthcare, at 01:30

SAN JOSE, Calif. (VN) — Although he ended up in seventh place, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal not only earned stage 4’s most aggressive rider award but he also dynamited the race with his preemptive attack coming off the hors-cat Mount Hamilton climb that enabled his Garmin-Cervélo team to pack five riders into the top 12 of this sixth Amgen Tour of California.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

VIDEO: Race highlights from stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California

Taylor Phinney checks in with Brian Holcombe on the literal ups and down of the Amgen Tour of California.

Jesse Anthony’s Orbea Orca Silver

MODESTO, Calif. (VN) — Will Dugan will not start Wednesday's stage 4 in the Amgen Tour of California. Dugan (Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis) suffered a head injury in a crash late in stage 3 and a team spokesperson told VeloNews that he would return home to Vermont to recover.

From stage 3 of the Tour of California, we have analyzed the power data from UnitedHealthcare’s GC leader, Rory Sutherland.

MODESTO, Calif. (VN) — A clear stratification of teams often exists at races the size of the Tour of California. The WorldTour teams more or less run the show, with the smaller teams forced to fight for scraps. With the overall win all but off the table, the little guys go for stages and TV time.

Race highlights from stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California

Winning on American soil is nothing new for Greg Henderson, Team Sky’s Amgen Tour of California stage 2 winner in Modesto.

Is it possible for riders to have top form to race the Tour of California and the Tour de France in the same year? We ask the big names of the sport.

Stage3

• 1. Gregory Henderson, Team Sky , in 05:14:29
• 2. Juan Jose Haedo, SaxoBank-Sungard, at s.t.
• 3. Thor Hushovd, Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t.
• 4. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Doimo, at s.t.
• 5. Leigh Howard, HTC-Highroad, at s.t.

GC

• 1. Gregory Henderson, Team Sky , in 08:01:31
• 2. Ben Swift, Team Sky, at s.t.
• 3. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Doimo, at 00:00:04
• 4. Juan Jose Haedo, SaxoBank-Sungard, at 00:00:04
• 5. Thor Hushovd, Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:00:06

MODESTO, California (VN) - American Will Dugan and Jens Voigt are recovering from a frightening crash late in stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California.

A look at the bike of Ben Swift, the ATOC's first leader.

Thor Hushovd won stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California in Modesto, California. That was in 2009.

Bling's Rabobank Giant TCR Advanced SL

A five-minute video highlight of stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Ben Swift (Sky) took the first stage Monday, but weather remained the big story for at the Amgen Tour of California. Monday’s stage covered just 61 miles from Nevada City to Sacramento after winter weather forced changes to the race for the second consecutive day.

BMC's Mike Sayers talks about his emotions upon returning to his hometown of Sacramento in the Amgen Tour of California.

• 1. SWIFT Ben SKY GBR 2:47:02 00
• 2. *SAGAN Peter LIQ SVK 2:47:06 04
• 3. GOSS Matthew Harley THR AUS 2:47:08 06
• 4. LACOMBE Kevin CSM CAN 2:47:12 10
• 5. HAEDO Juan Jose SBS ARG

Taylor Phinney California diary, stage two

After a commanding last-lap leadout from Team Sky, 23-year-old Ben Swift launched off the wheel of teammate Greg Henderson to take his fifth stage win of the year. After the finish, the young man from Rotherham, England was quick to track down his teammates for bear hugs.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (VN) - On Sunday Jim Ochowicz stood outside the BMC Racing bus in Stateline, Nevada, while a group of team directors and riders negotiated with race organizers over alterations made to the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California. Twenty-four years ago, Ochowicz stood atop the Passo Gavia in northern Italy, waiting to hand eventual race winner Andy Hampsten a new set of clothes as snow piled up during the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia.

Team Sky's Ben Swift won the opening stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Monday, coming off a long leadout train on a shortened stage from Nevada City to Sacramento.

Ten days after riding the May 7 L’Etape du California — the organized, mass-participation ride covering the stage 7 route of this year’s Amgen Tour of California — I’m still trying to wrap my head around the difficulty of the final 5km climb to the Mount Baldy Ski Area, where the stage finishes.

Friday's invitational women's time trial roster set

Got any doubts about whether stage one of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California should have been canceled? Photographer Casey B. Gibson helps clear your thinking.

Just because the race didn't take place doesn't mean that team riders and staff got a big break. It was all systems go until seconds before the start.

Kenda-5 Hour Energy's Phil Gaimon knew he was in for a long day when the rumors began circulating: Portions of stage one would be neutralized, it would be shortened to a prologue, or he'd have to do the full race, and the lead moto would be replaced with a snowplow.

Brian Holcombe talks to bundled-up riders at the Amgen Tour of California about their feelings on riding and racing in foul weather.

If you were planning on riding the trainer while watching Sunday’s opening stage of the Amgen Tour of California, you were disappointed. If you have other trainer sessions planned this year, you may want to check out the CTS DVD “Amgen Tour of California, The Workout,” which will play on your television regardless of the weather.

It's just DZ being ... well, DZ.

Whether the deciding factor was rider sentiment, weather forecasts or logistical concerns, in the end, the decision to cancel the stage was the right one.

Casey B. Gibson was among those denied a front-row seat at the Amgen Tour kickoff, which was canceled by inclement weather. He broke out the camera gear anyway.

BMC's Taylor Phinney is checking in with Brian Holcombe of VeloNews every day from before the start of the Amgen Tour of California. Here is the first video.

The stage one that wasn't: Brad Kaminski was there.

Casey B. Gibson joined the rest of the Amgen Tour of California in prepping for a very chilly stage one.

Stage one of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California looked to be getting off to a snowy start — if it gets off at all.

Tejay Van Garderen has been logging the miles in a pair of custom Pearl Izumi shoes.

Snow cancels the first stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

Nick Legan snaps the pre-race prep' for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

STATELINE, Nevada (VN) - Tejay Van Garderen will be aggressive in chasing bonus seconds if the opportunity arises in the opening stages of the Amgen Tour of California.

HTC-Highroad's Tejay Van Garderen hopes to ride his Specialized Venge to the top step of the podium at the Amgen Tour of California.

Casey B. Gibson was on the road with BMC and RadioShack as the pros acclimated themselves to what could be some very chilly weather indeed for the kickoff to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

While $9,800 is an obscene amount of money to pay for a bicycle frame, the Cervélo R5CA is sublime.

STATELINE, Nevada (VN) - Snow and low temperatures remain in the forecast on the eve of the Amgen Tour of California and race organizers are exploring a number of options for the opening stages.

STATELINE, Nevada (VN) – After a deal allowing the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to conduct in-competition drug testing at the Amgen Tour of California fell apart this week, the UCI resumed control of the in-competition testing for the race.

STATELINE, Nevada (VN) - Andy Schleck said Friday that he is struggling with the death of friend and teammate Wouter Weylandt and that his team would honor the fallen Belgian on Sunday and the rest of the season.

Outspoken RadioShack rider Chris Horner believes he comes to the Amgen Tour of California with some of the best condition of his near 20-year career, and he predicts that either he or his teammate, Levi Leipheimer, will win this year’s race.

After finishing the Amgen Tour of California in the runner-up spot for the past three years, Garmin-Cervélo aims to break that streak by fielding a roster that, on paper, is the deepest in the race.

Amgen Tour of California officials are preparing for the worst as forecasts call for a late spring snowstorm to descend on the start of the eight-day race in South Lake Tahoe, California.

BOULDER, Colo. (VN) — Responding to allegations that the Movistar Continental team declined its invitation to attend the Amgen Tour of California because it did not receive financial assistance to travel to the race — something UCI WorldTour teams receive — AEG Sports president Andrew Messick told VeloNews that the event “fulfilled UCI requirements.”

Team Type 1 is flying high following the dramatic overall victory at the Tour of Turkey in what's the team's first win of the season and the most important success in the squad's history.

Californian Steven Cozza will miss the Amgen Tour of California this year as he recovers from illness that had him racing "on an empty fuel tank."

A top cast will take the road in the Sierras on Sunday for the kickoff to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, headlined by three-time champion Levi Leipheimer and world champion Thor Hushovd.

2011 Amgen Tour of California preliminary startlist