BiciRace.com :: 2006 Tour of California

2006 Tour of California, Stage 2

Tour of California, USA

Stage 2, Martinez - San Jose, 152.7K

21 February

Hincapie's Henchmen Deliver Gold

Hincapie Tops Podium, photo: Beth Seliga

George Hincapie used his climbing and sprinting strength to capture the race lead from Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner). The Discovery Channel rider hung tight on the final monstrous climb and then relied on his teammates, Danielson and Barry. Hincapie's henchmen drove hard to ensure he was rejoined with the escape and then they drove him to sprint victory. The Disco dominance gave Hincapie the time bonus needed to move into the leader's golden jersey.

Stage two turned out to be a doozy, up and down all day, but who could complain racing under the warm Cali sunshine? On one of the first climbs Michael Creed (TIAA-CREF) went clear and was quickly marked by Mads Kaggestad (Crédit Agricole) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodakgallery.com-Sierra Nevada).

The trio worked in harmony roller coaster course and built a 6'10" lead by the feed zone. But that was about as far as they got, behind it was LL's Gerolsteiner crew whipping up the pace. The show-down would come on the day's final and toughest climb, Sierra, topping out 30K to go.

Hincapie's Henchmen Deliver Gold, photo: Beth Seliga

The bomb exploded on Sierra, the peloton was left in pieces and the front escape was erased. Near the top LL was trading punches with Floyd Landis (Phonak) and Bernhard Kohl (T-Mobile). Kohl nabbed the KOM points and then they began the descent to San Jose. The trio were chased and joined by a large group of 12 riders on the flat arrival.

LL Looked Strong on Sierra, photo: Beth Seliga

The Bluecoats and Redcoats commenced battle while LL hung on to protect his lead. On the run home Team CSC kept firing off their missiles in the form of Zabriskie, Julich and then Vande Velde. The Disco Bluecoats responded with a driving rhythm lead by Danielson and Berry, who were working to deliver Hincapie to the win. The Disco tactics worked, Hincapie got the win and earned a time bonus that put him in the GC lead.

The overall race is still tight but the weak have been rattled and shaken out of contention. CSC will turn on the TT juice tomorrow while LL will need to rally his water boys for the coming days. Hincapie's Henchmen have come to the fore with a presentation of force... Bravo!

Results: 4:01'26"
1 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel
2 Chris Horner (USA) Davitamon-Lotto
3 Josep Jufré (Spa) Davitamon-Lotto
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
5 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto
7 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak
8 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval
9 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC
10 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Crédit Agricole
11 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team CSC
12 Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel
13 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators 0.01
14 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval 0.03
15 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval 0.04
16 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole
17 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) T-Mobile
18 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Health Net-Maxxis 0.05
19 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel
20 Saul Raisin (USA) Crédit Agricole 0.06
21 Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel 0.09
22 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak 0.14
23 Lucas Euser (USA) TIAA-CREF 3.18
24 Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home 3.19
25 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
26 Koldo Gil (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval
27 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak
28 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC 3.20
29 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
30 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Crédit Agricole
31 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
32 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel
33 Thomas Peterson (USA) TIAA-CREF
34 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators
35 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak 3.21
36 Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota-United Pro
37 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel
38 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro
39 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Navigators
40 Danny Pate (USA) TIAA-CREF
41 Patrick McCarty (USA) Phonak
42 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Phonak
43 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Health Net-Maxxis 3.22
44 Michael Creed (USA) TIAA-CREF
45 Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net-Maxxis 3.23
46 Taylor Tolleson (USA) TIAA-CREF 5.18
47 Craig Lewis (USA) TIAA-CREF
48 André Greipel (Ger) T-Mobile
49 Michael Jones (USA) Health Net-Maxxis 5.19
50 Brian Jensen (USA) Jelly Belly
51 Scott Davis (Aus) T-Mobile
52 Todd Herriot (USA) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home
53 Dominique Perras (Can) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
54 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval
55 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel 5.20
56 Arquimides Lam (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
57 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel
58 Antonio Cruz (USA) Toyota-United Pro
59 Caleb Manion (Aus) Jelly Belly 5.21
60 Bart Dockx (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
61 David O'Loughlin (Irl) Navigators
62 Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak 5.22
63 Kyle Wamsley (USA) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home 9.23
64 Kilian Patour (Fra) Crédit Agricole
65 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 9.24
66 Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home
67 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators
68 Fausto Esparza (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
69 Sébastien Portal (Fra) Crédit Agricole
70 Jesús Zarate (Mex) KB Home Mexican National 9.25
71 Miguel Angel Perdiguero (Spa) Phonak
72 Bas Giling (Ned) T-Mobile
73 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team CSC 9.26
74 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
75 Ben Brooks (Aus) Navigators
76 André Korff (Ger) T-Mobile
77 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
78 René Haselbacher (Aut) Gerolsteiner
79 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly 9.27
80 Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
81 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
82 David Kopp (Ger) Gerolsteiner
83 Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Crédit Agricole 9.28
84 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators
85 Frank Hoj (Den) Gerolsteiner
86 Mike Sayers (USA) Health Net-Maxxis 14.18
87 Michael Friedman (USA) TIAA-CREF
88 Jackson Stewart (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
89 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators
90 Peter Lopinto (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada 14.19
91 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
92 Tim Johnson (USA) Health Net-Maxxis
93 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) T-Mobile
94 Kirk Albers (USA) Jelly Belly
95 Michael Dietrich (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
96 Charles Dionne (Can) Prodir-Saunier Duval 14.20
97 Justin England (USA) Toyota-United Pro
98 Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner
99 Viktor Rapinski (Blr) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home
100 José Alberto Benítez (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval
101 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Davitamon-Lotto 14.21
102 Mariano Friedick (USA) Toyota-United Pro
103 Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly
104 Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
105 Charles Bradley Huff (USA) TIAA-CREF
106 Olaf Pollack (Ger) T-Mobile 14.22
107 Gord Fraser (Can) Health Net-Maxxis
108 Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly
109 Matthew Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly 14.23
110 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Health Net-Maxxis
111 José-Manuel Garcia (Mex) Toyota-United Pro
112 Alex Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly
113 Aaron Olson (USA) Prodir-Saunier Duval
114 Mark McCormack (USA) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home 14.24
115 Zachary Grabowski (USA) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home
116 Martin Gilbert (Can) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada
117 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Toyota-United Pro
118 Lars Bak (Den) Team CSC
119 David Robinson (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada 18.10
120 Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita Olive Oil-Sutter Home 23.14
121 Domingo Gonzalez (Mex) KB Home Mexican National 24.19
HD Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto 30.15
DNF Antonio Aldape (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
DNF Manuel Hernandez (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
DNF Florencio Ramos (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
DNF Miguel Mesa (Mex) KB Home Mexican National
DNF Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota-United Pro

GC:
1 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel 7:20'28"
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner 0.04
3 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 0.09
4 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 0.10
5 David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC 0.13
6 Cadel Evans (Aus) Davitamon-Lotto 0.16
7 Chris Horner (USA) Davitamon-Lotto 0.19
8 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel 0.21
9 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team CSC
10 Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel 0.22
11 Josep Jufré (Spa) Davitamon-Lotto
12 Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel 0.23
13 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval 0.24
14 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators
15 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval
16 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.25
17 Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Crédit Agricole 0.26
18 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Health Net-Maxxis
19 Saul Raisin (USA) Crédit Agricole 0.33
20 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval 0.35
21 Bernhard Kohl (Aut) T-Mobile 0.41
22 Alexandre Moos (Swi) Phonak 0.43
23 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Kodakgallery.Com-Sierra Nevada 3.35
24 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel 3.36
25 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Health Net-Maxxis 3.37
26 Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota-United Pro 3.39
27 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC 3.42
28 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota-United Pro
29 Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Crédit Agricole 3.43
30 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel 3.45
31 Danny Pate (USA) TIAA-CREF 3.47
32 Glen Chadwick (Aus) Navigators 3.50
33 Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
34 Pieter Mertens (Bel) Davitamon-Lotto
35 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators 3.51
36 Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Phonak 3.52
37 Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net-Maxxis 3.54
38 Michael Creed (USA) TIAA-CREF
39 Patrick McCarty (USA) Phonak 3.55
40 Martin Elmiger (Swi) Phonak 3.59
41 Steve Zampieri (Swi) Phonak 4.00
42 Lucas Euser (USA) TIAA-CREF 4.04
43 Koldo Gil (Spa) Prodir-Saunier Duval 4.05
44 Thomas Peterson (USA) TIAA-CREF 4.14
45 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Discovery Channel 5.35
46 Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak 5.40
47 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Discovery Channel 5.47
48 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Prodir-Saunier Duval 5.48
49 Craig Lewis (USA) TIAA-CREF
50 André Greipel (Ger) T-Mobile
...