Tour of California
17-05-2010 09:28:07
SACRAMENTO — The fifth annual Amgen Tour of California began Sunday on a picturesque day in the Gold Country before a muscle-pumping finish by the world's best sprinter and a five-rider pileup in the shadow of the state Capitol encapsulated the drama and terror of road racing.
The spectacle unfolded a half-mile from the end of a 104.2-mile stage from Nevada City to Sacramento, won by England's Mark Cavendish in 4 hours, 4 minutes, 36 seconds.
First, a sudden collision of sleek racing bikes brought down Tom Boonen, George Hincapie, Stuart O'Grady, Andrew Pinfold and Dominique Rollin.
A moment later, Stage 1 favorite Cavendish crossed the line first just ahead of JJ Haedo of Saxo Bank to send a clear message: The HTC-Columbia sprint star is back after a slow start to the season.
"To beat Mark Cavendish is not as easy as it looks on TV," Haedo said through a tour spokesman.
No, it's not.
Cavendish, a 10-time Tour de France stage winner, burst onto the cycling scene in the past few years to emerge as the fastest sprinter. He compiles stage victories by finding another gear meters from the finish in mass sprints. But Cavendish, 24, and his brethren rarely challenge for the overall title of major multiday stage races, because he can't keep up on the climbs or win a time trial.
"The pressure is off now for me," he said.
The tour's serious contenders, such as Levi Leipheimer, have yet to show themselves as the
race goes from Davis to Santa Rosa today in Stage 2, then moves on to Santa Cruz and San Jose on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The five involved in the crash expect to start today after suffering minor bruises, according to a spokesman. Boonen, who had a flat tire during the neutral start, declined to comment through a Quick-Step representative.
"The circuit itself isn't dangerous," Cavendish said of the final four laps around the gleaming white Capitol. "It is the mayhem that is going on that is dangerous."
Cavendish, who grew up on the Isle of Man, stayed out of harm's way with the help of HTC-Columbia teammates who took control of the race during the final circuit.
It was Cavendish's third victory of the season and a good sign after a victory in Stage 2 of the Tour of Romandy last month. That result received more attention for the rider's obscene gesture at the finish than his sprint. His team, based in San Luis Obispo, pulled him from the tour afterward.
Sunday, the sprinter didn't do much more at the finish than a cursory raising of his arms. He didn't have anything special planned.
"I don't think about my celebrations too much," Cavendish said.
Then he deflected much of the credit for the day's victory, explaining how teammates put him in position to succeed.
"They're structured to help Cavendish," said Jonathan Vaughters, manager of Team Garmin-Transitions. "Their guys are built to help on the flat stages."
Added Cavendish: "I trust those guys in front of me. I know if I am delivered to the right place, I will cross the line first."
His sentiment could be a metaphor for the eight-day tour that ends Sunday in Thousand Oaks. The historic mining town of Nevada City delivered big time in its tour debut. On a day in which nearby Grass Valley played host to the state high school mountain bike championships, thousands converged on the pine-covered Sierra to celebrate cycling.
It was just the kind of start tour organizers hoped to get when switching from February to May to take advantage of the state's warm spring weather.
"I've never seen more people on a stage in the United States," said Andrew Messick, president of race owner Anschutz Entertainment Group.
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