Welcome
![]() | |
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...
1. | 22 | GBR 19850521 | CAVENDISH Mark* | THR | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
2. | 41 | BEL 19801015 | BOONEN Tom | QST | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
3. | 54 | ESP 19740927 | HORRILLO MUNOZ Pedro | RAB | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
4. | 63 | ITA 19801127 | CHICCHI Francesco | LIQ | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
5. | 83 | NOR 19780118 | HUSHOVD Thor | CTT | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
6. | 133 | ARG 19830418 | HAEDO Lucas Sebastian | COL | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
7. | 166 | USA 19730903 | RODRIGUEZ Freddy | RRC | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
8. | 73 | SUI 19780923 | ELMIGER Martin | ALM | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
9. | 152 | AUS 19831205 | SULZBERGER Bernard | VAU | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
10. | 107 | AUS 19770617 | MENZIES Karl | OCM | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
11. | 17 | ARG 19810126 | HAEDO Juan Jos | SAX | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
12. | 56 | GER 19751103 | NIERMANN Grischa | RAB | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
13. | 111 | USA 19780922 | JACQUES-MAYNES Ben | BPC | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
14. | 33 | USA 19780313 | DANIELSON Thomas | GRM | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
15. | 1 | USA 19731024 | LEIPHEIMER Levi | AST | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
16. | 38 | USA 19790112 | ZABRISKIE David | GRM | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
17. | 16 | GER 19710917 | VOIGT Jens | SAX | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
18. | 26 | SWE 19840404 | LVKVIST Thomas | THR | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
19. | 2 | USA 19710918 | ARMSTRONG Lance | AST | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
20. | 4 | USA 19711023 | HORNER Christopher | AST | 05.07'28" | 00.00'00" |
Locations
Visalia, California
United States
36° 19' 48.594" N, 119° 17' 32.5104" W
Paso Robles, California
United States
35° 41' 2.2164" N, 120° 48' 14.2092" W
- roadskater's blog
- Login or register to post comments

