Sacramento, CA - The hype surrounding the 2009 Amgen Tour of California was finally put to rest as the curtains were drawn open and the unprecedented field was able to put angry thought to pedal in the Golden State’s capitol, Sacramento.On a cool, mostly cloudy and blustery day, the riders were anxious to challenge the fast and flat six-corner Prologue course, which passed several of Sacramento’s landmarks, including the State Capitol, the Capitol Mall and the Tower Bridge,
Svein Tuft (Garmin-Slipstream) fired the day’s opening salvo. Tuft covered the 3.9 km course in 4:37. His mark stood up to all-comers until the midway point when Australian, Mark Renshaw (Team Columbia-High Road; below) put in one of the more violent efforts of the day.
But like the threat of rain showers, the peloton’s heavy hitters loomed. And they didn’t disappoint.
As if involved in a high stakes poker game, each of the remaining riders raised the ante in hopes of claiming the first pot of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. To the left of the dealer was Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam), winner of the 2006 Tour de France Prologue. The God of Thunder was decidedly all-in setting a blistering pace of 4:36. Several minutes later, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and George Hincapie (Team Columbia-High Road) would throw their stakes into the center, but neither was able to come over the top of Hushovd’s time.
With only 8 riders left out on the course, Garmin-Slipstream’s David Zabriskie showed the form that garnered him the record for the fastest time trial in Tour de France history when he clocked an amazing 54.676 km/h in 2005. Zabriskie’s stay on the top perch; however, was fleeting.
In a scenario that has become all too familiar, the Swiss freight train known as Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo-Bank) threw down a royal flush. Clad in red and white as the reigning Swiss National Champion, it seemed only apropos for Cancellara to take the race on this Valentine’s Day as he most certainly broke the hearts of all those who came out to see Northern California hero and two-time Amgen Tour of California Champion, Levi Leipheimer, or seven-time Tour de France Champion, Lance Armstrong, take the first leader’s jersey.
“The Amgen Tour of California is the first race of the year and I’m very happy,” said Cancellara. “This is a beautiful race and I like coming every year. This is the second time I’ve won the Prologue, so it makes me happy. There is lots of beautiful scenery and the crowds are great.”
Speaking of Armstrong (Astana), he easily bested Ivan Basso (Liquigas) and Floyd Landis (OUCH presented by Maxxis) in the Captain Comeback category. Armstrong would place in the top ten, Basso 66th and Landis in 90th. For his effort, Armstrong walked away from Sacramento with the newly unveiled, blue, Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer™ Most Courageous Rider Jersey. Landis was evidently still smarting from a crash a few days earlier during training, one which saw him land hard on his surgically replaced hip.
Results
1. Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank)
2. Levi Leipheimer (Astana)
3. David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream)
4. Michael Rogers (Team Columbia-High Road)
5. Thor Hushovd
6. George Hincapie (Team Columbia-High Road)
7. Tom Boonen (Quick Step)
8. Mark Renshaw (Team Columbia-High Road)
9. Svein Tuft (Garmin-Slipstream)
10. Lance Armstrong (Astana)
Next: Stage 1 – Davis to Santa Rosa (173.2 km)
"The first stage will be a new challenging and scenic route that departs Davis, the city Bicycling Magazine named the “Best Cycling Town in the United States.” Fast flat sections separated by three climbs will awaken the riders’ legs. The first climb is the short, steep trek up to Monticello Dam. After passing Lake Berryessa, the course will rise again on Howell Mountain Road before the peloton plummets quickly into Napa Valley. The riders will summit one more climb followed by the precipitous descent of Calistoga Road. The stage culminates with laps of a circuit in downtown Santa Rosa where the crowds have been amongst the largest and most boisterous of the entire tour."
Photos: Leonard Basobas
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