Santa Cruz, CA - February 16, 2009 – It was a historic day in American cycling. The second stage of the Amgen Tour of California from Sausalito to Santa Cruz took the peloton across one of the most iconic structures in the United States, the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the first time a cycling race has ever crossed the 4,200-foot expanse.The culmination of the stage also saw two first, as the city of Santa Cruz was introduced as a host city, and Garmin-Slipstream’s Thomas Peterson garnered his first professional win.
Enthusiastic crowds were on hand in Sausalito to send off the riders on yet another cold and rainy day. With both sides closed to its usual traffic, the bundled up riders sauntered over Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.
But as announcer Dave Towle is apt to say, “it was on like Donkey Kong,” soon after the historic crossing.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the weather conditions, an early breakaway of 10 riders was established less than 10 miles from the start, which included Santa Cruz native Ben Jacques-Maynes of BISSELL Pro Cycling, Jason McCartney (Team Saxo Bank), Steven Cozza, Thomas Peterson (Garmin - Slipstream), Carlos Barredo (Quick Step), Stef Clement, Grischa Niermann (Rabobank), Markus Zberg (BMC Racing Team), Cameron Evans (OUCH presented by Maxxis), and Valeriy Kobzarenko (Team Type 1).
Riding in support of race leader Francisco Mancebo (ESP), who took Stage 1 yesterday after a truly epic and heroic 100-mile breakaway, Rock Racing kept a steady tempo at the front of the peloton; the gap fluctuated but never exceeded five minutes.
The first King of the Mountains (KOM) climb of the day came at 46.7 miles on Tunitas Creek Road, a Category 2 climb of just over six miles that rises 1,562 feet. Carlos Barredo (ESP) of Quick Step set the tempo of the break on this climb, as they rode past the giant Redwood trees lining the street.
At the summit it was Steven Cozza (Garmin - Slipstream) who took the KOM points follwed by Jason Mccartney (Team Saxo Bank), Valeriy Kobzarenko (Team Type 1), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Pro Cycling) and Carlos Barredo (Quick Step).
At about 95 miles into the race Barredo attacked out of the break at the base of the second KOM of the day, Bonny Doon Road (Cat. 3). However, Thomas Peterson and Jason McCartney were quick to respond with a catch and pass of their own.
At the same time, two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana Levi Leipheimer had launched himself out of the peloton; a move that would prove to be decisive on the day.
Picking off the previous members of the earlier break along the way, the Santa Rosa native quickly caught, passed and dropped all but Peterson, keeping the pressure on to gain maximum time before the Santa Cruz finish.
Later Ben Jacques-Maynes would describe being passed by Leipheimer on the slope of Bonny Doon Road as watching a motorcycle speed by, “only smaller.”
At the finish, an already excited crowd reached fever pitch as they heard of Leipheimer’s impending arrival. The finish of Stage 2, likewise, which took cyclists, a new city for the race, finished in front of record crowds. Fellow American Thomas Peterson of Garmin-Slipstream, best young rider overall in the 2006 Amgen Tour of California, sprinted to the finish to take the stage victory. Leipheimer would take second on the stage and a 24-second lead in the General Classification.
“I had it in my head that I was going to try to win today,” said Leipheimer. “I looked around and saw that people were at their limit, but I felt really strong and inspired at that moment, so I went for it.”
Results
1. Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
3. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad
4. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
5. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
6. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
7. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
8. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
9. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
10. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
General Classification
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
4. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
5. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
6. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
7. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad
8. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
10. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
News and Noteworthy
- The rainy weather claimed a few victims of mechanicals and flat tires in the first half of the race, including a flat tire for Leipheimer about 25 miles into the race and a 15-rider crash, which included Lance Armstrong (USA) of Astana and Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) of BISSELL Pro Cycling Team. All of the riders recovered from the crash, with the exception of Jacques-Maynes, who had to drop out of the race to seek medical attention.
- Lance Amstrong's minor crash with a moto-photo on the stage was apparently with his long-time photographer friend, Liz Kreutz.
- Thomas Peterson might give David Zabriskie a run for the Garmin-Slipstream “quote machine” title, if there was such a thing, as Peterson’s honest and laid back answers had the press conference room stitches. For instance, when asked what this win means to him at this stage in his career, Peterson's reply, "...uh, that there will be more."
- Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer™ Most Courageous Rider Jersey was awarded to local resident Ben Jacques-Maynes, to recognize his strong performance in the breakaway.
Next: Stage 3 – San Jose to Modesto (104.2 mi/167.7 km)
"During last year’s Amgen Tour of California, the peloton rode from Modesto to San Jose, but in 2009 they’ll reverse direction and pedal from San Jose to Modesto. That means the riders will be hit hard early when just five miles into Stage 3, they’ll face menacing Sierra Road (1930 feet of elevation), which has been a defining climb in previous years and is certain to inflict damage on the field once again. The racers will then speed through flat sections that twist and turn, including more than 40 switchbacks on Calaveras Road. After tackling the second major climb of the day, Patterson Pass, the stage will conclude with two laps around a downtown circuit in Modesto."
Photos: Leonard Basobas
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