February 18, 2008 (Palo Alto, CA) – Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) CSC put the hammer down as his team mates Bobby Julich and race leader Fabian Cancellara brought Haedo to the front to score the win today on Stage 1, a relatively flat 156km (97 miles)route from Sausalito to Santa Rosa.

Canada’s Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota-United Pro almost stole JJ’s thunder just missing the podium with a stellar fourth place finish. “I had to slam on my brakes with 150 meters to go on the left side from Bettini – he saw me coming and slowed me down and I got pinched. But I’m happy, sure I could have won, I felt good on the climbs, and knew I as doing well when the big gums were going backwards.”

Today was going to be a day for sprinters as this course has finished the same way all three years at the ToC, with three laps around the center of Santa Rosa, giving the largest fan base in Santa Rosa’s history, a good look at the pro talent.

The day unfolded under blue skies, with the KOM and most aggressive rider, Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC – who also won the most aggressive rider jersey last year in Santa Rosa – open up the field with more than 11-minute gap. But the peloton slowly chipped away at the BMC racing star’s lead, reeling him in not long before entering Santa Rosa. That didn’t last long as Team CSC under Julich and ATOC yellow jersey, Cancellara, manoevred Haedo to front for the last two laps and JJ never looked back and cruisin in for the victory.

Before the race JJ was calm (alarmingly so for an Argentine hero), blending in with the others as I walked over to him, as if winning this same stage before was simply a memory. In fact, Haedo had won four stages at the AToC adding his 5th win today – the most of any cyclist in ATOC history. His après-race comment, “it feels like deja-vu, but different,” was followed by, “It’s always sweet to repeat.”

Canada’s Rollin was on a high and when asked what the strategy today was at his first AToC he smiled: “My team was so good, they gave me the places to hit it on the sprint, like right after the (Santa Rosa) bridge and that worked perfectly for me to take a good line.”

What’s on his plate for tomorrow’s Stage 2, a pure sprinter’s finish? “Depends, might be me or Ivan but it will be a good day, I want to get on the podium soon.”

Other stages Rolling sees as good opportunities? “Saturday and Sunday, I might be able to squeeze in!”.

The other Canadian in the field, Keven Lacombe (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast, was sick all night last night, but suited up this morning bravely just making the time limit to finish last today, 17 minutes 11 seconds behind the leader. Team Director Jonas Carney told us that Lacombe was suffering from food poisoning and couldn’t keep anything in his stomach, barely sleeping last night. We’ll look for Lacombe in the morning and hope he’s doing better.

Results

1. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 4.03.29 (38.37 km/h)
2. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road
3. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4. Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
5. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
6. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
7. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
8. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
9. Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
10. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
11. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis
12. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step
13. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
14. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) High Road
15. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
16. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
17. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
18. Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing Team
19. Kim Kirchen (Lux) High Road
20. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
21. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing
22. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana
23. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team CSC
24. Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Quick Step
25. Benjamin Day (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
26. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
27. David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
28. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
29. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
30. Jason McCartney (USA) Team CSC
31. Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Credit Agricole
32. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
33. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
34. Angel Gomez Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
35. Vincent Jerome (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
36. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
37. Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Rock Racing
38. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole
39. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner
40. Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
41. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step
42. Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
43. David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
44. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
45. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
46. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
47. Julien Belgy (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
48. Thomas Danielson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
49. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
50. Michael Lange (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
51. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank
52. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
53. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
54. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
55. Patrice Halgand (Fra) Credit Agricole
56. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Scott
57. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
58. Jeff Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
59. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott
60. Philip Zajicek (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
61. Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
62. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) High Road
63. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
64. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
65. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
66. Thomas Peterson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
67. Edward King (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
68. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
69. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
70. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Credit Agricole
71. Justin Spinelli (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
72. Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
73. George Hincapie (USA) High Road
74. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step 0.21
75. Jonathan Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 4.14
76. Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road 5.17
77. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
78. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
79. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
80. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
81. Jonathan Sundt (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
82. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
83. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
84. Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval-Scott
85. Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval-Scott
86. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Rock Racing
87. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step
88. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
89. Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
90. Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
91. Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott
92. Nicholas Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
93. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team
94. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
95. Mathias Frank (Swi) Gerolsteiner
96. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
97. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) High Road
98. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
99. Aaron Barry Tuckerman (NZl) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
100. Steven Cozza (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
101. Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team
102. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
103. Julien Simon (Fra) Credit Agricole
104. Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank
105. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner
106. Dan Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
107. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
108. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
109. Richard England (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling
110. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
111. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
112. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole
113. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
114. Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
115. Adam Hansen (Aus) High Road
116. Nicholas Waite (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 8.47
117. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana 9.52
118. Sergey Ivanov (Rus) Astana
119. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Astana
120. Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Astana
121. John Murphy (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
122. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 11.02
123. Hendricus Vogels (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
124. Scott Tietzel (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
125. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole
126. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
127. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Credit Agricole
128. Roman Kilun (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis 12.17
129. Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing
130. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis
131. Matthew Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
132. Keven Lacombe (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 17.11

GC after Stage 1

1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 4.07.20
2. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 0.02
3. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) High Road 0.04
4. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.06
5. David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 0.07
6. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team CSC 0.08
7. David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
8. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 0.09
9. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road
10. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 0.1
11. George Hincapie (USA) High Road
12. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) High Road 0.11
13. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 0.12
14. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
15. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step 0.13
16. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
17. Kim Kirchen (Lux) High Road 0.14
18. Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
19. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
20. Jeff Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
21. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 0.15
22. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Credit Agricole
23. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
24. Benjamin Day (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.16
25. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
26. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
27. Edward King (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
28. Danny Pate (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
29. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Astana 0.17
30. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi) Saunier Duval-Scott
31. Darren Lill (RSA) BMC Racing Team
32. Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Rock Racing 0.18
33. Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
34. David Canada Gracia (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott 0.19
35. Jason Mccartney (USA) Team CSC
36. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis
37. Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Quick Step 0.2
38. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
39. Thomas Danielson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
40. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
41. Thomas Peterson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
42. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0.21
43. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
44. Philip Zajicek (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
45. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
46. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
47. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
48. Dimitri Champion (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
49. Aaron Olson (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 0.22
50. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
51. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 0.23
52. Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott
53. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott
54. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
55. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank 0.24
56. Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
57. Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank 0.25
58. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
59. Justin Spinelli (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 0.26
60. Vincent Jerome (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 0.27
61. Julien Belgy (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
62. Doug Ollerenshaw (USA) Rock Racing 0.29
63. Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
64. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.3
65. Michael Lange (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
66. Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Credit Agricole
67. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
68. Patrice Halgand (Fra) Credit Agricole
69. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.32
70. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Credit Agricole 0.33
71. Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
72. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.34
73. Angel Gomez Gomez (Spa) Saunier Duval-Scott 0.37
74. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step 0.43
75. Jonathan Mumford (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 4.3
76. Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road 5.21
77. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) High Road 5.24
78. Steven Cozza (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 5.26
79. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 5.29
80. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC 5.3
81. Adam Hansen (Aus) High Road 5.31
82. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
83. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 5.32
84. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Rock Racing 5.33
85. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
86. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Credit Agricole 5.35
87. Raivis Belohvosciks (Lat) Saunier Duval-Scott
88. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
89. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 5.37
90. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
91. Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank
92. Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step 5.38
93. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
94. Antonio Cruz (USA) BMC Racing Team
95. Nicholas Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
96. Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
97. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis 5.39
98. Aaron Barry Tuckerman (NZl) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 5.4
99. Nicholas Sanderson (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
100. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 5.41
101. Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team
102. Richard England (Aus) Bissell Pro Cycling
103. Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott 5.42
104. Dan Bowman (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast
105. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team
106. Julien Simon (Fra) Credit Agricole 5.43
107. Jonathan Sundt (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 5.44
108. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
109. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 5.45
110. Frank Pipp (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis 5.46
111. Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 5.48
112. Luciano André Pagliarini Mendonca (Bra) Saunier Duval-Scott
113. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 5.5
114. Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 5.52
115. Mathias Frank (Swi) Gerolsteiner 6.01
116. Nicholas Waite (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 9.22
117. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Astana 10.05
118. John Murphy (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
119. Andrey Mizurov (Kaz) Astana 10.08
120. Sergey Ivanov (Rus) Astana 10.1
121. José Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Astana 10.15
122. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Credit Agricole 11.26
123. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole 11.27
124. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 11.28
125. Hendricus Vogels (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 11.3
126. Scott Tietzel (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 11.32
127. Caleb Manion (Aus) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 11.35
128. Roman Kilun (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis 12.34
129. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net presented by Maxxis 12.48
130. Michael Creed (USA) Rock Racing 13.09
131. Matthew Rice (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 13.1
132. Keven Lacombe (Can) Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 17.36

Points Classification

1. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 15 pts
2. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 15
3. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road 12
4. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 10
5. Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 9
6. Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 7
7. Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road 6
8. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 6
9. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner 4
10. Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 3
11. Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 2
12. David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30 1
13. Mario Cipollini (Ita) Rock Racing 1
14. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank 1

Mountains Classification

1. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC Racing Team 6 pts
2. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step 5
3. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 4
4. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 3
5. Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Quick Step 1
Best Young Rider Classification
1. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road 4.03.29
2. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
3. Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner
4. Dmytro Grabovskyy (Ukr) Quick Step
5. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
6. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
7. Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road 5.17
8. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott
9. Matthew Crane (USA) Health Net presented by Maxxis
10. Thomas Peterson (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
11. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Credit Agricole
12. Taylor Tolleson (USA) BMC Racing Team 5.17
13. Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
14. Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Saunier Duval-Scott
15. Mathias Frank (Swi) Gerolsteiner
16. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) High Road
17. Steven Cozza (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
18. Julien Simon (Fra) Credit Agricole
19. Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Credit Agricole 11.02

Team Classification

1. High Road 12.22.19
2. Team CSC 0.02
3. Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30
4. Astana 0.12
5. Bissell Pro Cycling 0.19
6. Quick Step 0.21
7. Health Net presented by Maxxis
8. BMC Racing Team 0.28
9. Toyota – United Pro Cycling Team 0.32
10. Rock Racing 0.34
11. Saunier Duval-Scott 0.35
12. Credit Agricole 0.38
13. Rabobank 0.42
14. Bouygues Telecom 0.43
15. Gerolsteiner 0.55
16. Kelly Benefit Strategies / Medifast 10.18
17. Jelly Belly Cycling Team 11.19