Tour of California 2009 Stage 5: Cavendish Noses Boonen; Leipheimer Still Leads

Stage 5 was another good one, but I wasn't able to catch it all. I did see Cavendish win again, this time just a bit further ahead than the day before, giving him more time to mug for the cams. 

Team Columbia-Highroad again delivered Cavendish to the finish line at the front, where he sprang off the lead-out wheels to win with ease.  And once again it was Quick Step's Tom Boonen (BEL) who finished second in the stage, just ahead of Pedro Horrillo (ESP) of Rabobank.
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/press/2009-stage5-results.html

It turns out the first hour of many bike races has some of the best racing, as cyclists try to go off the front and make it stick. Depending on who is there in the front group, the peloton may be indifferent, or they may all reel them in with one team who cares the most doing the most work. 

Despite the apparent ease of victory for Cavendish, it was a long, hard stage for him and the rest of the field.  A six-man group escaped only seven miles into the 134.3- mile route from Visalia to Paso Robles, with early attacks led by Jelly Belly's Matthew Crane (USA), who was eventually joined by Jeff Louder (USA) of Team BMC, Robert Gunn (AUS) of Fly V Australia Powered by Successful Living, Glen Chadwick (NZL) of Rock Racing and Cameron Evans (CAN) Ouch Presented by Maxxis.
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/press/2009-stage5-results.html

Cam Evans looked good when the others were struggling. But it was not to be...

At 50 miles to go, Quick Step, Team Columbia-Highroad and Saxo Bank began sharing the load at the front, and the time differential decreased rapidly.  The breakaway splintered under the pressure, with Chadwick being the last one reeled in with less than three miles to go, when Team Columbia-Highroad led Cavendish to take over.
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/press/2009-stage5-results.html

Fifty-nine riders tied, and here are the top 20. The GC (overall) remained much the same... 

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