Tour of California Stage 2: Lancaster continues a great few days for the Aussies

Brett Lancaster of Cervélo TestTeam yesterday continued what is turning out to be a fantastic few days for Australian cycling by winning Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California in Santa Rosa, crossing the line inches ahead of the hugely talented young rider from Liquigas, Peter Sagan. The win puts the 30-year-old into the race leader’s yellow jersey.

The former Olympic Team Pursuit champion’s victory follows a trio of his compatriots – Cadel Evans, Matthew Lloyd and Matt Goss – winning three of the last four stages in the Giro d’Italia, where Evans and Lloyd hold, respectively, the points and mountains jerseys, while Richie Porte is in white as best young rider.

Similarities with the race currently unfolding in Italy continued with the weather, with heavy rain meaning that organisers abandoned plans to conclude the stage with a circuit in Santa Cruz with surface water making the corners too dangerous, the race finishing as riders crossed the line for the first time.

With the aircraft that relays pictures from the race grounded, TV coverage was only available for the last few hundred metres of what sounds like it was an absorbing day’s racing, however.

The day’s third big climb, the Oakville Grade in Napa Valley, which came 41km before the end of the 176.2km stage which had begun in Davis, recently voted the USA’s best city for cycling, saw the field split apart, leading to the formation of a 27-man front group.

That included not only Lancaster and Sagan, but also a strong Team RadioShack contingent comprising overall favourite and local resident Levi Leipheimer, who has won the last three editions of the race, Lance Armstrong and three other team members.

Also present were other contenders such as Garmin-Transitions' David Zabriskie and Andy Schleck of Team Saxo Bank, but the latter's colleague Fabian Cancellara, viewed as a threat for the overall title despite not being fully fit as he tries to shake off an illness, finished almost eight and a half minutes down.

After the leaders had crossed the line, further groups arrived at periodic intervals until, 17 minutes and 20 seconds back, by which time Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had packed up for the day, the remnants of the main peloton came in, including overnight leader Mark Cavendish.

The forecast for the rest of the week is for brighter weather, and racing resumes later today with a 152.3km stage from San Francisco to Santa Cruz.

2010 Tour of California Stage 2 Results

1  LANCASTER Brett            CTT 04.38'48"
2  SAGAN Peter                LIQ 00.00'00"
3  BOOM Lars                  RAB 00.00'00"
4  SUTHERLAND Rory            UHC 00.00'00"
5  STEENSEN Andre             SAX 00.00'00"
6  PARISIEN Francois          CSM 00.00'00"
7  LEIPHEIMER Levi            RSH 00.00'00"
8  HESJEDAL Ryder             GRM 00.00'00"
9  BAK Lars Ytting            THR 00.00'00"
10 ROGERS Michael             THR 00.00'00"
11 BELLOTTI Francesco         LIQ 00.00'00"
12 MENZIES Karl               UHC 00.00'00"
13 ZWIZANSKI Scott            KBS 00.00'00"
14 VOIGT Jens                 SAX 00.00'00"
15 HORNER Christopher         RSH 00.00'00"
16 MORABITO Steve             BMC 00.00'00"
17 BRAJKOVIC Janez            RSH 00.00'00"
18 ARMSTRONG Lance            RSH 00.00'00"
19 ZAJICEK Phil               VAU 00.00'00"
20 DANIELSON Thomas           GRM 00.00'00"

Overall standings after Stage 2

1  LANCASTER Brett            CTT 08.43'24"
2  SAGAN Peter                LIQ 00.00'04"
3  MENZIES Karl               UHC 00.00'04"
4  BOOM Lars                  RAB 00.00'06"
5  RABOU Thomas               TT1 00.00'06"
6  DE MAAR Marc               UHC 00.00'07"
7  MACH Paul                  BPC 00.00'08"
8  ROGERS Michael             THR 00.00'10"
9  BRAJKOVIC Janez            RSH 00.00'10"
10 HESJEDAL Ryder             GRM 00.00'10"
11 STETINA Peter              GRM 00.00'10"
12 LEIPHEIMER Levi            RSH 00.00'10"
13 DANIELSON Thomas           GRM 00.00'10"
14 ZABRISKIE David            GRM 00.00'10"
15 STEENSEN Andre             SAX 00.00'10"
16 SUTHERLAND Rory            UHC 00.00'10"
17 RUBIERA VIGIL Jose Luis    RSH 00.00'10"
18 ARMSTRONG Lance            RSH 00.00'10"
19 BELLOTTI Francesco         LIQ 00.00'10"
20 SCHLECK Andy               SAX 00.00'10"
21 HORNER Christopher         RSH 00.00'10"
22 BAK Lars Ytting            THR 00.00'10"
23 ZAJICEK Phil               VAU 00.00'10"
24 PARISIEN Francois          CSM 00.00'10"
25 MORABITO Steve             BMC 00.00'10"
26 VOIGT Jens                 SAX 00.00'10"
27 ZWIZANSKI Scott            KBS 00.00'10"

Next riders at 00.01.27"