Mother Nature drenches final circuit with rain, but allows stage to happen
Team Sky’s Ben Swift powered to victory in stage two of the Amgen Tour of California, beating Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) after being delivered perfectly by his team. With his win Swift picked up his fifth victory of the season as well as the race lead.
“When we came to the [final finishing] circuits the pace of the peloton really picked up and the team guided me the whole way,” said Swift after the stage. “When the race started it was even better because you have less people challenging you, and then the team for that last lap was there the whole time. The team was absolutely fantastic, everybody did their job down to the letter and I can’t thank them enough.”
Mother Nature continued to have her way with the Amgen Tour of California, with the original start scheduled at Squaw Valley followed up by the ascent of Donner Pass moved to last year’s start town of Nevada City, California. The change meant an abbreviated stage two, one less mountain climb in the race and some 94 kilometers were hacked off the expected 214 kilometer effort.
With anxious legs in the peloton, the break of the day for stage two took the form of a foursome that included James Driscoll (Jamis-Sutter Home pb Colavita), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), Timon Seubert (NetApp) and Lazlo Bodrogi (Team Type 1 – sanofi aventis). They gained a maximum advantage of around 5 minutes on the peloton, but with the finish in the stage capital of Sacramento suited for the the fast men on tap, the sprinter’s teams kept the escapees on a tight leash.
With 50 kilometers remaining the gap was down to 3 minutes and 30 seconds, with another minute being smartly shaved off over the next 15 kilometers with Saxo Bank, Sky, HTC-Highroad, UnitedHealthcare, Rabobank and Liquigas all contributing to the chase for their team’s chance at the stage win. A stiff headwind began to take its toll on the quartet, with the escape losing more than a minute over the next 5 kilometers, with the big effort to forge on beginning to show on the leaders.
At the 14 kilometer mark it was game over for three in the break, although Jacques-Maynes remained stubborn and dangled off the front for another kilometer to greet the crowds that surely included family and friends in the finishing town. Garmin-Cervelo and HTC-Columbia took the reins of the peloton and kept the pace high to discourage attacks as they rode past the finish line for the first time, with Saxo Bank-Sungard en mass near the front looking out for their sprinters JJ Haedo and Baden Cooke.
The skies opened up with rain as the peloton cruised past the line for a second time leaving two laps of the slick city circuit to navigate. SpiderTech was next to take control of the front, ready to take on the familiar criterium-like finish, and hoping to make their presence felt by the ProTeam’s in the field. Saxo Bank-Sungard was next to take control as the bell sounded for the final lap, but Sky was next to bring the hammer down with five riders lining up to tow the peloton around. HTC-Highroad and Liquigas tried to move Goss and Sagan forward in the closing meters, but the British team proved to strong, delivering Swift to the line perfectly for a convincing win.