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Live Coverage of Tour of California - Stage 4

Today's stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California is taking racers over 130.2 miles (209.6km) from Sonora to Clovis.

Live commentary by Sue George

  1. 13:10:23 PDT

    Yannick Eijssen (BMC) was in both the super short-lived first break of three men earlier today and is also in this longer 11-man break. The Belgian, a second-year pro, is racing his second Tour of California. His best result this year so far was being on the winning team time trial squad at the Giro del Trentino (stage 1). He also helped Cadel Evans win the Criterium International last season. Some of you might remember his from his day-long appearance in a breakaway at the Tour of Austria - also last year.

  2. 13:02:25 PDT

    Next up, the racers have three almost back-to-back KOMs.  KOM #3, a Category 4 ascent comes at 55.3 miles (89.0km). KOM #4, also a Category 4 ascent, follows at 61.2 mile (98.4km), and KOM #5, a bit tougher Category 3, comes at 68.7 miles (110.5km).  For all three of these, the course is still following California Highway 49.  By the time they finish KOM #5, they'll still only be a little over halfway done with today's stage.

  3. 12:57:37 PDT

    Two more riders are confirmed as abandoning: Sam Johnson (Team Exergy) and Ken Hanson (Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies).

     

  4. 12:54:11 PDT

    In case you've been wondering about race leader Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), he is back in the peloton after having been dropped slightly on one of the earlier climbs.  Sagan is one of the remarkable young sprinters who also does a good job of making it up and over climbs.

  5. 126.9km remaining from 209.6km

    12:50:24 PDT

    The break riders sweep up the sprint points in Mariposa. Sprint #1 results are as follows: 1) Markel Irizar Aranburu (RadioShack-Nissan); 2) Alex Howes (Garmin-Barracuda); 3) Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team)
     

  6. 12:49:09 PDT

    The race is moving along pretty well today. Organizers provided time splits for 20, 22, 24 and 28 mph paces.  At present, the leaders are two minutes ahead of the 24 mph pace.

  7. 12:47:56 PDT

    The folks in Mariposa are out in full force to cheer on the racers as they pass.

  8. 127.9km remaining from 209.6km

    12:46:51 PDT

    The break enters Mariposa.  The gap has dropped some... it's now 3:40.  The leaders pass the 1km to go until the intermediate sprint marker.

  9. 12:42:39 PDT

    The field makes its way through the feedzone and four more riders abandon.  The heat and the climbing must be taking their toll.

  10. 12:40:58 PDT

    Javier Gonzalez Barrera (Colombia-Coldeportes) withdraws from the race.  He's the first abandon we've heard of today so far.

  11. 134.4km remaining from 209.6km

    12:39:30 PDT

    But first, it's time for some lunch and a beverage.  The leaders are passing through the feed zone.  On a scorching day like today, the fluids are just as important as the food. It's 86 degrees Fahrenheit at the moment - the kind of weather you really feel on a day like this with so much climbing.

  12. 12:37:15 PDT

    The next major milestone in today's stage is the first intermediate sprint of the day in Mariposa.  It comes 51.4 miles (82.7km) into the stage.

  13. 147.2km remaining from 209.6km

    12:35:00 PDT

    Second KOM results are as follows: Darwin 1) Atapuma Hurtado (Colombia-Coldeportes); 2) Alex Howes (Garmin-Barracuda); 3) Benjamin King (RadioShack-Nissan); 4) Carlos Julian Quintero (Colombia-Coldeportes); 5) Mikael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale)

  14. 12:33:20 PDT

    The most recent time gap for our 11-man break is 5:00.

  15. 12:31:34 PDT

    We mentioned earlier today that Sebastian Salas (Optum) was committed to defending his KOM lead.  Previous mountain classification leader David Boily said he wasn't ready to give up and play dead yet either in this recent article: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boily-ready-to-fight-to-regain-kom-lead-at-amgen-tour-of-california. Of course, neither one of them is in the break.

  16. 12:26:57 PDT

    We're still waiting on results for the second KOM.  Communication is pretty tough today with all this up and down terrain.

  17. 12:14:49 PDT

    1km to go until the top of the second KOM.

  18. 151.6km remaining from 209.6km

    12:08:48 PDT

    The 11 men in the break have a gap of 5:25.

  19. 152.2km remaining from 209.6km

    12:07:32 PDT

    5km to go until KOM #2.

  20. 12:01:54 PDT

    It's interesting to see that Tim Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale) is in the break. He was on the front yesterday for the last 50km and told Cyclingnews before the start today, "When you have some like Peter Sagan whom you know that you can deliver, you can go above and beyond what you can normally do. Today is a really hot hard and long day. Since the team won three stages already, we're not going to be doing all the work today. We'll see who else wants to work today and win a stage. We might try to put someone into the breakaway." Looks like he's gone and put himself in the breakaway.

  21. 11:55:12 PDT

    The break's gap is up to four minutes.

  22. 11:53:44 PDT

    The break includes Markel Irizar Aranburu (RadioShack-Nissan), Benjamin King (RadioShack-Nissan), Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Yannick Eijssen (BMC Racing Team), Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team), Alex Howes (Garmin-Barracuda), Timothy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale), Wesley Sulzberger (Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team), Mikael Cherel (AG2R La Mondiale), Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Colombia-Coldeportes) and Carlos Julian Quintero (Colombia-Coldeportes)
     

  23. 11:52:59 PDT

    The break's gap has grown to 2:40.  We'll get you all the names shortly.

  24. 165km remaining from 209.6km

    11:51:57 PDT

    11 riders are in a break with an advantage of 1:20.

  25. 11:49:06 PDT

    The peloton is on California Highway 49 for about half of today's stage.  It was named for the famous 1849 gold rush which changed the history of this area.

  26. 11:43:38 PDT

    Garmin-Barracuda team director Geert Van Bondt talked to Cyclingews at the start today. Here's what he had to say about today's stage. "It's a 200+km race with a hard beginning, but there is plenty of time for it to come back together before the end. I'm giving it a 70-80 percent chance of bunch sprint finish. Our team will save its strength for the last two mountain stages of this race. If Heinrich Haussler wants to win today, he has to survive the climbs. He's been struggling every day, but getting closer. He's also getting closer to Peter Sagan in the sprints each day. He was off by just a couple of inches yesterday. Obviously, if it comes down to a sprint today and he's there, Haussler is our guy."

  27. 11:39:28 PDT

    We found out at the start that it's Morgan Schmitt's mom's birthday today.  Perhaps the Team Exergy racer will try to give his mom a birthday present in the form of a good race today?

  28. 11:36:20 PDT

    What's up next is the second KOM.  This one is a category 2 climb, and it will come at 38.8 miles (62.4 km).  It's kind of up and down between now and then with one big descent and then a substantial climb up to the KOM line.

  29. 176.8km remaining from 209.6km

    11:34:01 PDT

    Sebastian Salas takes the first KOM at mile 20.4 by attacking off the front of the peloton and sweeping up maximum points.  Here are the results: 

    1) Sebastian Salas (Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies)
    2) Bram Tankink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
    3) Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
    4) Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Cycling)
     

  30. 11:31:05 PDT

    The break has been caught.

  31. 11:25:56 PDT

    On this first climb, race leader Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) has been dropped by the peloton.  At last word, he was trailing by about 10 seconds.

  32. 11:24:59 PDT

    We've got our first real break of the day with three racers, who have 15 seconds on the peloton: Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), Yannick Eijssen (BMC Racing Team) and Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team).  The break and the peloton are climbing up to the first KOM of the day.

  33. 11:23:53 PDT

    It's crazy to think of the peloton in the Giro racing 12 days straight in between the first and second rest days this year.  The entire Tour of California is only 8 days long.

  34. 11:20:30 PDT

    Robert Ferrari (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) took the win at the end of today's stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia.  Check out our full Cyclingnews coverage: http://www.cyclingnews.com/giro-ditalia/stage-11/results.

  35. 185.6km remaining from 209.6km

    11:12:42 PDT

    According to race organizers, as of mile 15, the average speed is 23mph (37kph).

  36. 11:06:59 PDT

    As the peloton leaves Sonora behind, it will remain firmly planted in the memory of one of the riders.  Michael Creed (Optum/Kelly Benefits) did his first ever bike race as a junior 21 years ago in Sonora. His 81-year-old Grandmother lives in Sonora and will be out on one of the KOMs cheering him on today. Creed knows this area very well, having spent a lot of time training locally. His Grandmother is probably the only person in Sonora who got a ticket for motor pacing her grandson with her car... about six years ago.

  37. 11:03:38 PDT

    You'll never guess who is leading the sprint classification?  Yes, it's Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale).  He's got 45 points to Heinrich Haussler's 36 and Leigh Howard's 22.  Today, racers have two intermediate sprints, one in Mariposa and one in Oakhurst.  The first one comes at mile 51.4 (82.7km) and the second is at mile 78.3 (126.0km)

  38. 196.8km remaining from 209.6km

    11:01:05 PDT

    Much of the beginning of this stage is downhill, and the peloton is rolling it at 43mph.  There have been attacks, but so far, nothing is sticking.

  39. 10:59:47 PDT

    Here's a run down on the General classification as of the beginning of today's stage:
    1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 14:34:54
    2 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin - Barracuda 0:00:12
    3 Jeffry Louder (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:00:24
    4 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy 0:00:26
    5 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling
    6 Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team 0:00:27
    7 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:29
    8 Josh Atkins (NZl) Bontrager Livestrong Team
    9 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:30
    10 Lawson Craddock (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team

  40. 10:56:56 PDT

    In the main classification, it's pretty much been the Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) show thus far.  The Slovakian rider has won three out of three stages, each one in a sprint.

  41. 10:54:41 PDT

    Sébastian Salas (Optum) leads the mountains classification after he took over yesterday from David Boily (Spidertech). Salas spent plenty of time in the break scooping up points. Before the start today, he said, "I'm expecting a battle today. I'm not surprised Boily said that the war is on for today. The team is behind my mountains jersey fight 100 percent."

  42. 10:44:53 PDT

    The first of KOMs will come today at mile 20.4 (32.8km).  It is a cat. 4 climb on California Route 49.  Something to get the legs going early on.

  43. 10:43:33 PDT

    The peloton just passed an old time railroad steam engine waiting on the tracks outside of Sonora.

  44. 10:42:47 PDT

    Today's stage looks like a tough one on paper.  In addition to being the longest stage of this year's race, it also features six KOMs and two sprints.

  45. 10:39:34 PDT

    Riders have just rolled out for the neutral section.  Looks like cowboy country around here.

  46. 10:36:07 PDT

    There is a short, neutral roll-out section of about 2 miles or 3.2km, and then the stage will be officially underway and open for action.

  47. 10:34:06 PDT

    It's warm and sunny in Sonora and there is a surprisingly large crowd out and about to watch the start, especially for a weekday morning.  The town's marching band has just played some tunes to add to the already festive atmosphere.

  48. 10:25:10 PDT

    Hello and welcome to today's live coverage from the Amgen Tour of California.  We're expecting them to get underway about 10:35 am local time.

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