TOC stage 3: San Francisco - Santa Cruz, 182.9 km

[Ferminal]

Rogers seemed to mistime the sprint a little bit, well done DZ Nuts.

Nice little Rabobus coming in a minute or so down!

Maybe tomorrow I'll record the P&P coverage instead of Eurosport, just for a laugh.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

Was it poor tactics for Levi to work at all once he saw who the two who went with him were?

Looking at the group at 27 seconds in the GC... I can't see a name in there that would have been more of a TT threat then the two guys that went with Zabriskie in the break.

If Levi had wheel sucked from the beginning and they had got caught... then likely neither Rogers or Zabriskie would have gotten any bonus seconds. Instead by establishing the break... he gave the two biggest TT threats not on Radioshack 2 and 4 seconds on him.

Was gaining time on Voigt, Sagan and Danielson all that helpful... worth sacrificing time to Zabriskie and Rogers?

no. it was poor tactics of him to be the world's most boring cyclist ever. he never wins anything on the road. pretty sure my grandma could beat him in a sprint from a small group.

just kidding. you're probably right. he should have stayed put and sucked wheels. giving up seconds to two great tt'ers is very bad. i can only think that he thought he could win. i'm not sure why he thought that, since he never wins anything. but at least he tried. i guess.

the overall may just be decided on bonus seconds, making big bear an important stage.

 

[knewcleardaze]

What a sad race.
Did I read the results correctly, 57 riders remain?

 

[usedtobefast]

i live here and i don't care. the Giro is moving well.

 

[woodburn]

no. it was poor tactics of him to be the world's most boring cyclist ever. he never wins anything on the road. pretty sure my grandma could beat him in a sprint from a small group.

just kidding. you're probably right. he should have stayed put and sucked wheels. giving up seconds to two great tt'ers is very bad. i can only think that he thought he could win. i'm not sure why he thought that, since he never wins anything. but at least he tried. i guess.

the overall may just be decided on bonus seconds, making big bear an important stage.

Always an excuse ...

"I screwed up the finish - I knew about [the last] corner but there was a tailwind there. We drag-raced to the last corner and I could close the gap to Mick [Rogers], but the finish was too short to do anything."

 

[Cervelo77]

I didn't see Fabian ride by, my GF was desperately hoping to see him so she could ask him to father her children, lol. Did Fabian drop out??

Saw Fabian in a TV shot in the last 50 kms, so I'm pretty sure he finished the stage. He mocked a hands by the head to go to sleep pose for the camera. Clearly a little bored.

 

[Cervelo77]

Full results are strangely absent from the ToC site, but velonews has the list. Cancellara finished:
# 98. Fabian Cancellara Team Saxo Bank at 0:16:24

Read more: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...lifornia-stage-4-results_117018#ixzz0oLPeSzfX

Note: I have no idea why the link says stage 4, but the results are for stage 3 as they should be.

Two Canadians finishing in the top 10 the past two stages is rare / odd. We'll take it.

 

[liftman]

I bet the trolls have 0 accomplishments in their life compared to Lance Armstrong.

Gandhi has 0 accomplishments in his life compared to LA

 

[Galic Ho]

Thanks Galic Ho!

I didn't see Fabian ride by, my GF was desperately hoping to see him so she could ask him to father her children, lol. Did Fabian drop out??

I know Jens Voigt is still there. He finished with the group Sagan led home. Fuglsang was with him. Andy Schleck was dropped instantly on Bonny Doon by the peloton. Fabian went out the back as well. I honestly thought next to Zabriskie and Rogers he was the only other rider who could beat Levi. Guess I was wrong. He doesn't appear to have finished on the report on this site. Apparently only 57 riders finished (that is all that are listed) but only one dnf. Weird because there were 125 odd riders the day before. I stopped watching roughly 5-10 minutes after the stage ended and they had not finished then. So I'm not sure. The AMGEN website still only has stage 2's overall standings up. So I'm not sure if they finished but I assume they did. It would be silly for Saxo to miss the ITT in Los Angeles. Should be an easy enough win for Cancellara, so he finished, but really far back.

Just found their finishing positions on steephill.tv. Andy Schleck 16'10" back ahead of most of the field (he was 61st) who were 16"24 back, including Cancellara. Guess they were slacking off.

 

[theswordsman]

What a sad race.
Did I read the results correctly, 57 riders remain?

For some reason they only released that unusual number early. There are way more than that remaining.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/05/news/2010-amgen-tour-of-california-stage-4-results_117018

I enjoyed the stage today. There was no telling what would happen with the three guys up front, guys kept trying to slip out of the second group, there was some great scenery, and I had Magnus Backstedt doing play by play.

 

[BikeCentric]

I know Jens Voigt is still there. He finished with the group Sagan led home. Fuglsang was with him. Andy Schleck was dropped instantly on Bonny Doon by the peloton. Fabian went out the back as well. I honestly thought next to Zabriskie and Rogers he was the only other rider who could beat Levi. Guess I was wrong. He doesn't appear to have finished on the report on this site. Apparently only 57 riders finished (that is all that are listed) but only one dnf. Weird because there were 125 odd riders the day before. I stopped watching roughly 5-10 minutes after the stage ended and they had not finished then. So I'm not sure. The AMGEN website still only has stage 2's overall standings up. So I'm not sure if they finished but I assume they did. It would be silly for Saxo to miss the ITT in Los Angeles. Should be an easy enough win for Cancellara, so he finished, but really far back.

Just found their finishing positions on steephill.tv. Andy Schleck 16'10" back ahead of most of the field (he was 61st) who were 16"24 back, including Cancellara. Guess they were slacking off.

Correct you could see on the TOC live web feed that the entire autobus quit racing on the steep grade at the base of Bonny Doon. The pro peloton does not take this race seriously at all.

 

[thehog]

Correct you could see on the TOC live web feed that the entire autobus quit racing on the steep grade at the base of Bonny Doon. The pro peloton does not take this race seriously at all.

I think there is an agreement in place. We'll pay you & your team to traval first class to the US but don't try & race the US teams. There's no way ToC would want a winner from outside a US team. Andy & Fab are fine with this. After a hard classics season they are due a rest.

 

[Galic Ho]

Correct you could see on the TOC live web feed that the entire autobus quit racing on the steep grade at the base of Bonny Doon. The pro peloton does not take this race seriously at all.

Can't say the attitude surprises me. I heard Cancellara was making sleeping gestures early on in the stage when a motorbike cameraman came near him. Charming. Just what the organisers of the second greatest bike race in the world dream of every night as they go to sleep.

 

[BikeCentric]

Can't say the attitude surprises me. I heard Cancellara was making sleeping gestures early on in the stage when a motorbike cameraman came near him. Charming. Just what the organisers of the second greatest bike race in the world dream of every night as they go to sleep.

Yep I saw that as well - happenned on 84 coming down off Haskins hill (which they softpedaled) at approx. 80 KM to go.

 

[BikeCentric]

I think there is an agreement in place. We'll pay you & your team to traval first class to the US but don't try & race the US teams. There's no way ToC would want a winner from outside a US team. Andy & Fab are fine with this. After a hard classics season they are due a rest.

I think that's plausible. When they hit Bonny Doon only about 20 guys started racing. I thought it was a very bad decision to put this race up against the Giro and it looks like it may be the death knell for the TOC.

I live in the Bay Area and train often on the roads where the race went today. I want this race to succeed. I'm worried that it won't.

 

[santacruz]

Maybe Fabian was trying to say that he was tired?? If he had the strength to win a stage he would do it, he knows it would be a good showing for Saxo. I think he tried a couple moves and couldn't really pull it off, lacking the form, or maybe just saving himself to give it 100% for the Los Angeles TT? I really don't think he was saying "this race is boring." He has far too much class. Plus he is from Switzerland, maybe that gesture meant something like "those huge silicone boobed podium girls were giving me nightmares and I couldn't sleep," as Americans we really have no idea what he meant! But from previous interviews with Fabian, he likes Cali a lot and so I don't think he would diss the race like that.

What are you guys talking about, Peter Sagan is Slovakian and he is in 4th place! Is he not trying??
ok lets see, slovakia, nederlands, canada, slovenian, spanish, denmark, italy, germany, and swizterland, those guys are in the top 20 and still have a shot.. so how is this only for americans?? bah!! haters..

 

[BikeCentric]

Maybe Fabian was trying to say that he was tired?? If he had the strength to win a stage he would do it, he knows it would be a good showing for Saxo. I think he tried a couple moves and couldn't really pull it off, lacking the form, or maybe just saving himself to give it 100% for the Los Angeles TT? I really don't think he was saying "this race is boring." He has far too much class. Plus he is from Switzerland, maybe that gesture meant something like "those huge silicone boobed podium girls were giving me nightmares and I couldn't sleep," as Americans we really have no idea what he meant! But from previous interviews with Fabian, he likes Cali a lot and so I don't think he would diss the race like that.

What are you guys talking about, Peter Sagan is Slovakian and he is in 4th place! Is he not trying??
ok lets see, slovakia, nederlands, canada, slovenian, spanish, denmark, italy, germany, and swizterland, those guys are in the top 20 and still have a shot.. so how is this only for americans?? bah!! haters..

No Fabian did not try any moves at all today, he sat in the draft and rested and started soft pedaling at the base of Bonny Doon.

 

[Polish]

"SoftPedaling" is what Lance did on the climb in the Criterium International.

"Struggling" is what Andy did on BonnyDoon today.

But it is only May. Andy tweeted he will be ok by July

BTW, having the Giro and ToC at the same time is very cool.
It is a "Doubleheader" everyday for a week.

 

[Jan the Man]

Saw my first ever stage of Tour of California today.

Anybody suggesting that it is anywhere near the level of the Giro is from another planet.

I came to the conclusion that it is slightly higher level than say the Tour of Britain.

As far as I can see it is a domestic race where international teams with an interest in the market attend with a couple of marquee names who ride at their sponsors bequest, while leaving it to the north american riders to fight it out for the overall/breakaway/to make the race.

This scenario is exactly what happens in the Tour of Britain no matter how much attention the british mass media give it (admittedly not much, but second only to the Tour de France).

 

[Mellow Velo]

Rained out coverage, now Henrich Haussler attacks twice on the climb, while Schleckette gets on the bus.
Big names maybe, but a paper thin GC competition.
Only the 3 USPT teams have any interest.
Yes...........February in California lasts until mid May.

Tone down the Radio Shack's TDF team and it would be a decent race. Not a bad stage, as it was.

Could they save up, so that next year they can afford to put an overhead camera on the finishing line?

 

[auscyclefan94]

was it just me or was Sutherland putting Armstrong into difficulty on the climb?

 

[Anonymous]

Saw my first ever stage of Tour of California today.

Anybody suggesting that it is anywhere near the level of the Giro is from another planet.

I came to the conclusion that it is slightly higher level than say the Tour of Britain. .

Its tricky, based on the first three days racing, excitement etc, Id actually have it behind the ToB but for quality of field, maybe slightly ahead, but then, outside of garmin/shack/columbia/saxo and hincapie the quality is debatable.

Probabably just ahead of ToB, just behind or on a par with the five day version of the tour of ireland... maybe in the tour of poland region, or tour down under. I think we know the 4th grand tour thing is a joke, theres probably 20 stage races in front of it as far as quality and prestige go.

edit: ok maybe 10 as i cant actually think of 20 stage races of the top of my head.. maybe i can.. not sure..

 

[Mellow Velo]

Cervelo and Liquigas seem to be giving it a go, but for stages, definitely not the GC.
Quick Step switched off after Boonan's crash.
Saxo Jens is riding the only way he knows. The rest are continuing their holiday period, between the classics and DL/Switzerland.

Oh and Lance does have a gut. Quite clear to see. He is riding more like his pre 1996 self. Quite explosive, but he had to turn down the gas quite quickly. Testing whats in the tank?
Why did Horner drop back at the same time, though?
He should have stayed up front and got rid of the Zee man.
Maybe Bottle isn't that stong.......

Eurosport's kirby is just as awful as the two Pees.
He doesn't even recognise Pete Sagan.

 

[SpartacusRox]

was it just me or was Sutherland putting Armstrong into difficulty on the climb?

I think it was just you. But more concerning for me was the way that Schlecklet went backwards on that climb. He is supposed to be the second best climber in the world. 6 weeks out from tdf and he has guys who aren't even climbers riding away from him.

Guys on here have been going on about Armstrongs form but he is showing more form than a lot of guys based on todays stage.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think it was just you. But more concerning for me was the way that Schlecklet went backwards on that climb. He is supposed to be the second best climber in the world. 6 weeks out from tdf and he has guys who aren't even climbers riding away from him.

Guys on here have been going on about Armstrongs form but he is showing more form than a lot of guys based on todays stage.

ok, but you would expect that la would put sutherland into difficulty and i was impressed by his ride.