steephill logo
« steephill.tv home   •   email Email This   •   y! Mail This   •   t Tweet   •      •      •   Bookmark and Share   •   

Tour of California (2011) Photos May 15 - 22

« Tour of California 2011 Live Dashboard


Stage 1:  Lake Tahoe  Full Results and Report

Stage 1 was cancelled due to a snowstorm. Photos from the start

Stage 2:  Nevada City - Sacramento  Full Results and Report


RadioShack Levi Leipheimer's bike pre-race with "WW 108" em blazed on as part of Trek's tribute to Leopard-Trek's Wouter Weylandt who died while competing in the Giro d'Italia last week.

Levi Leipheimer signing-in for the early afternoon start in Nevada City

The World Champ, Thor Hushovd, ready to finally get rolling

The rollout from the last minute stage 2 host, Nevada City. A snowstorm over Lake Tahoe in the Sierra-Nevada cancelled stage 1 and forced the stage 2 start to a lower elevation. Nevada City, ironically, is where the 2010 race started too.

The main break forming on this shortened 61 mile stage

On the finishing circuits in Sacramento with Bissell's Ben Jacques-Mayne about to be gobbled up

Sebastian Haedo (Saxo Bank) and Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) on the circuits

Garmin's Christian Vandevelde, UnitedHealthcares Karl Menzies and RadioShack's Levi Leipheimer

Spidertech's Kevin Lacombe (far left) jumped first in the sprint finish but it was a little too soon.

A wide-angle view of the wet sprint finish in Sacramento. 1st Ben Swift, 2nd Peter Sagan (Liquigas, far right), 3rd Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad, right). Spidertech's Kevin Lacombe (far left) was 4th.

5th win of the year for "Swifty"

“Luckily, we got to start today and it was my opportunity to go for the win,” said the winner Ben Swift. “The shortened circuit we raced today meant fresh riders and a quicker finish. We had a plan to hit the front of the circuit with one lap to go. It was a pretty long circuit and you needed to ride fast. We were able to come over the top and take control on the final lap. You needed to ride together and everyone did the job 100 percent.”

The first jersey leaders L-to-R: Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider Jersey – James Driscoll (USA), Jamis-Sutter Home , Amgen Leader Jersey – Ben Swift (GBR), Sky Procycling; Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey – Peter Sagan (SVK), Liquigas-Cannondale (ITA)

Stage 3:  Auburn → Modesto, 122 mi  Full Results and Report


Leaving the start host, Auburn

Leaving Auburn

HTC's Matt Goss and Bernhard Eisel

Crossing into Folsom

Alex Dowsett pulling for Sky


More inclement weather today. The Tour of California hasn't shown the world the best weather California has to offer these past few years.

George Hincapie

Liquigas

Central California landscape

The break had only 1:35 at this point...

Peloton had them in their sights

The last two of the break, and new most courageous rider (NetApp)

Spidertech was at the front with 5km to go

Aided by a tailwind, "leadout man" Greg Henderson (Sky, far right) went "absolutely lactic with 50m to go" to hold on for the win

1st Greg Henderson (Sky), 2nd JJ Haedo (Saxo-Bank, left), 3rd Thor Hushovd (Garmin, right)

Stage 4:   Livermore → San Jose, 82 mi  Full Results and Report


A moment of silence at the start in Livermore was observed for Leopard-Trek rider Wouter Weylandt who was buried today in Ghent.

Thor Hushovd (Garmin) in a break on the Mines Rd KOM

The rest of the first break

The peloton on Mines Rd. early in the race

Ben King (RadioShack) at the front

Moving ahead to the finish now. Chris Horner rocketed up Sierra Road and was the first man to appear after the steep section with 150m to go

Chris Horner looked like he was pacing Levi Leipheimer but then Levi couldn't keep up

100m to go: Chris Horner riding through the fans up to finish


Chris Horner wins Sierra Rd by a whopping 1:15 over...

2nd Andy Schleck (Leopard-Trek), 3rd Rory Sutherland (Unitedhealthcare) and 4th Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack)

The new KOM leader, Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech finished 15th (+2:33) just behind Brent Bookwalter (BMC)

22nd George Hincapie (BMC) + 3:25

41st Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek + 7:52

65 Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank) + 14:42

The jersey leaders: best young rider, Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervelo) with Chris Horner the new race leader, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervélo) the most aggressive rider and Peter Sagan (Liquigas), the points leader

The KOM leader is Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech

Stage 5:   Seaside → Paso Robles, 135 mi  Full Results and Report


120-DSC_7607.jpg

122-DSC_7657.jpg

124-DSC_7763.jpg

126-DSC_7809.jpg

150-DSC_8004.jpg

160-DSC_8120.jpg

165-RTR2MN4J.jpg

170-DSC_8248.jpg

180-DSC_8322.jpg

200-DSC_8496.jpg

210-DSC_8509.jpg

215--DSC_8566.jpg

220-DSC_8624.jpg

225-DSC_8687.jpg

230-DSC_8751.jpg

235-DSC_8900.jpg

240-DSC_8968.jpg

245-DSC_9117.jpg

300-DSC_9240.jpg

322-DSC_9340.jpg

560-RTR2MN49.jpg

570-_9598.jpg

Stage 6:  Solvang 24 km ITT  Full Results and Report


Kristin Armstrong won the women's TT invitational in a time of 34:23

On the men's side. 21st Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team + 1:37

65th Ben King (USA) Team RadioShack + 3:13

1st David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 24km in 30:36 (new course record)

25th George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team + 1:44 before the bad news broke

38th Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek + 2:15

Levi Leipheimer had the best time at the halfway point by half a second over Zabriskie

6th Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack + 0:51

14th Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale + 1:15

7th Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek + 0:53

2nd Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack + 0:14

Chris Horner again

Zabriskie and Leipheimer on the podium. It's the first time Leipheimer has lost the Solvang TT.

Your stage 6 Solvang ITT podium: 3rd Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad + 0:40, 1st David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 30:36 and 2nd Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack + 0:14

The jersey leaders with Chris Horner in Gold by 38s over Levi Leipheimer

Stage 7:   Claremont → Mt. Baldy, 122 mi  Full Results and Report


The rollout from Claremont

The first break of the day started by Jelly Belly

Ben Day had his time at the front for a while

Cameron Wurf had a good ride in the break

Apparently, BMC has a strong anti-doping policy and they've pulled riders in the past who are under investigation. It will be interesting to see how George Hincapie is treated. CBS News reported that, "Hincapie testified that he and Armstrong supplied each other with the endurance-boosting substance EPO and discussed having used another banned substance, testosterone, to prepare for races."

The break

Southern California prides themselves on their slightly advanced fans

It's odd to see both Rabobank and HTC-Highroad logos on the same jersey. HTC's Tejay Van Gerderen is the Rabobank Young Rider leader.

Spidertech's Pat McCarty collected more KOM points today and should win the competition

Christian Vandevalde (Garmin-Cervelo)

Panoramic shot of Glendora Road on a beautiful day in Southern California

Alexander Efimkin (Team Type 1) was off the front at the base of Mt Baldy

Alexander Efimkin (Team Type 1) about to be caught by the RadioShack train led by Matthew Busche on Mt Baldy

Levi Leipheimer and a chicken

It was just Levi Leiphemer and Chris Horner at the front over the final kms to the top

A perfect finish for RadioShack. Levi Leipheimer takes the win while Chris Horner virtually locks up the overall win

Stage 8:  Santa Clarita → Thousand Oaks, 80 mi  Full Results and Report


RadioShacks's Ben King and Levi Leipheimer enjoying the final stage

Liquigas-Cannondale looking out for their sprinter Peter Sagan

HTC looking to bring back the break

Race leader, Chris Horner

The peloton doing circuits in Thousand Oaks

Mike Friedman leading the break into Thousand Oaks

With half a lap to go...the trio including most aggressive rider from NetApp, Jan Barta

Saxo Bank chasing the break for their sprinter, JJ Haedo

The inevitable sprint finish: 1st Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad), 2nd Peter Sagan (Liquigas) charging up on Goss' left and 3rd Greg Henderson (Sky) obscured by Peter Sagan

Matt Goss has won something like eight races this year

Your stage 8 podium: 1st Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad), 2nd Peter Sagan (Liquigas) and 3rd Greg Henderson (Sky)

Your overall winner, Chris Horner with the "biggest win" of his career

The GC podium: 2nd Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) + 0:38, 1st Chris Horner (RadioShack), 3rd Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervélo) + 2:45

Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer celebrating their domination of this year's Tour of California