February 15, 2009 (Santa Rosa, CA) — Spain’s Francisco Mancebo has given Rock Racing its first stage win and the leader’s jersey at the 2009 Amgen Tour of California winning Sunday’s tough 173.2 km/107.6 mile Stage 1 from Davis to Santa Rosa in rainy conditions. Belgium’s Jurgen van de Walle (Quick Step) was second and Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas finished 3rd.

Top Canadian was Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervélo TestTeam in 26th and sits 32nd overall. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin-Slipstream who finished 31st is 24th overall.

Mancebo attacked early and built up a 12-minute lead at one point. He was joined by Tim Johnson (OUCH) and David Kemp (Fly V Australia) for awhile but shed them as he pushed ahead to victory.

Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana became the race leader during the stage as yellow jersey wearer and Prologue winner, Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank, abandoned after becoming ill following his win, with a fever and sore throat.

Finally the peloton reacted to Mancebo with Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana, who punctured and crashed earlier, leading a group of chasers including team mates Levi Leipheimer (USA) and Chris Horner (USA), Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad, Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step, Floyd Landis (USA) OUCH, Ivan Basso (Ita) and Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) from Liquigas and others.

They reeled Mancebo in with Nibali and Walle attacking near the end and bridging to the leader who was able to hang in for the win.

Leipheimer and Armstrong’s group followed about a minute or so later but Landis was not so lucky suffering a flat right before entering Santa Rosa losing time waiting for a tire and dropping further down in the GC. The main peloton finished more than five minutes behind.

“When I attacked, I just wanted to keep going and stay ahead because the cold was hard for me – and slowly after I started speeding up, I started feeling more comfortable,” said Mancebo later. “This win is very important for me and of course for my team. The Amgen Tour of California is an important race because it’s a home race for my team, so starting off with a victory is good.”

Not wanting riders to sprint at the end given the rain conditions and possible crashes (there was a crash a couple of years ago on this tight Santa Rosa circuit), the Chief Commmisaire decided to use rider times from when the first rider crossed the finish line the first time (with three circuits to follow) for GC placement. No stage times were awarded only finishing positions.

Results

1. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
3. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad
4. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
5. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
6. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
7. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
8. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
9. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
10. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
11. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
12. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
13. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
14. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
15. Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step
16. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia-Highroad
17. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
18. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
19. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
20. Rory Sutherland (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
21. Floyd Landis (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
22. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
23. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
24. Glen Chadwick (NZl) Rock Racing
25. Weert Kevin De (Bel) Quick Step
26. Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervélo TestTeam
27. Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervélo TestTeam
28. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
29. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
30. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin-Slipstream
32. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-Highroad
33. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
34. Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team
35. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
36. Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
37. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC Racing Team
38. Edward King (USA) Cervélo TestTeam
39. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
40. Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
41. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling
42. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
43. Phil Zajicek (USA) Fly V Australia
44. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
45. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
46. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
47. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
48. Thomas Frei (Swi) BMC Racing Team
49. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
50. Enrique Gutierrez (Spa) Rock Racing
51. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1
52. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
53. Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana
54. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
55. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
56. Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
57. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
58. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
59. Will Routley (Can) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
60. Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
61. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
62. Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
63. Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Saxo Bank
64. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
65. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
66. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad
67. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad
68. Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia-Highroad
69. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia-Highroad
70. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad
71. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
72. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream
73. Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step
74. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
75. Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step
76. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
77. Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank
78. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Rabobank
79. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
80. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
81. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas
82. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas
83. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
84. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
85. Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
86. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
87. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
88. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
89. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
90. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
91. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervélo TestTeam
92. Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
93. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
94. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team
95. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
96. Cameron Evans (Can) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
97. Bradley White (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
98. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
99. Karl Menzies (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
100. John Murphy (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
101. Kirk O’Bee (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
102. Peter Latham (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling
103. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
104. Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
105. Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1
106. Ian MacGregor (USA) Team Type 1
107. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1
108. Darren Lill (RSA) Team Type 1
109. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1
110. Alejandro Alberto Borrajo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
111. Anibal Andres Borrajo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
112. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
113. Aaron Olson (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
114. Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
115. Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
116. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
117. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
118. Phillip Gaimon (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
119. Matthew Crane (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
120. Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
121. Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
122. Ben Day (Aus) Fly V Australia
123. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia
124. Michael Grabinger (USA) Fly V Australia
125. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Fly V Australia
126. Robert Gunn (USA) Fly V Australia
127. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
128. Victor Hugo Peña (Col) Rock Racing
129. Freddy Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
130. Chris Baldwin (USA) Rock Racing
131. Scott Davis (Aus) Fly V Australia
132. David Kemp (Aus) Fly V Australia
133. Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1
134. Phil Southerland (USA) Team Type 1
DNF Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale

GC after Stage 1

1. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing 4:15:46
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 1:02
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 1:03
4. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad
5. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 1:05
6. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 1:09
7. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia-Highroad 1:13
8. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
10. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 1:14
11. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
12. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 1:15
13. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana
14. Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step 1:16
15. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1:17
16. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
17. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank 1:18
18. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 1:20
19. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step 1:26
20. Rory Sutherland (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 1:45
21. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam 5:03
22. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia-Highroad
23. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
24. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin-Slipstream 5:04
25. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
26. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 5:05
27. Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank 5:07
28. Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervélo TestTeam
29. Floyd Landis (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 5:08
30. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling
31. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin-Slipstream
32. Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervélo TestTeam 5:09
33. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step 5:10
34. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
35. Edward King (USA) Cervélo TestTeam 5:11
36. Enrique Gutierrez (Spa) Rock Racing 5:12
37. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
38. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
39. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
40. Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 5:13
41. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
42. Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana
43. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 5:14
44. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team 5:15
45. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
46. Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team
47. Phil Zajicek (USA) Fly V Australia 5:17
48. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC Racing Team
49. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
50. Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 5:19
51. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1
52. Weert Kevin De (Bel) Quick Step
53. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 5:20
54. Glen Chadwick (NZl) Rock Racing
55. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
56. Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 5:24
57. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
58. Thomas Frei (Swi) BMC Racing Team
59. Will Routley (Can) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 5:31
60. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
61. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 5:32
62. Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 7:02
63. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad 13:35
64. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia-Highroad 13:36
65. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Slipstream 13:38
66. Charles Bradley Huff (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 13:39
67. John Murphy (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
68. Peter Latham (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 13:40
69. Andy Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 13:41
70. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank 13:42
71. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
72. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 13:43
73. Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team
74. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 13:44
75. Karl Menzies (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
76. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia-Highroad
77. Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Saxo Bank
78. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
79. Ben Day (Aus) Fly V Australia 13:45
80. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
81. Darren Lill (RSA) Team Type 1
82. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia-Highroad
83. Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank
84. Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step 13:46
85. Victor Hugo Peña (Col) Rock Racing
86. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC Racing Team
87. Matthew Crane (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 13:47
88. Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia-Highroad 13:48
89. Chris Baldwin (USA) Rock Racing
90. Kirk O’Bee (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
91. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
92. Bradley White (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 13:49
93. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
94. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervélo TestTeam
95. Freddy Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 13:50
96. Robert Gunn (USA) Fly V Australia
97. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
98. Alejandro Alberto Borrajo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
99. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 13:51
100. Jonathan Clarke (Aus) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
101. Phillip Gaimon (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
102. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Rabobank 13:53
103. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
104. Cameron Evans (Can) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 13:54
105. Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step 13:55
106. Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
107. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
108. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin-Slipstream 13:56
109. Moises Aldape Chavez (Mex) Team Type 1
110. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
111. Michael Grabinger (USA) Fly V Australia
112. Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Fly V Australia
113. Aaron Olson (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
114. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC Racing Team 13:57
115. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
116. Anibal Andres Borrajo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 13:58
117. Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
118. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1
119. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas
120. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia 14:01
121. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas 14:02
122. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 14:03
123. Omer Kem (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 14:04
124. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 14:05
125. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 14:06
126. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas
127. Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 14:10
128. Ian MacGregor (USA) Team Type 1 14:11
129. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 14:13
130. John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 14:15
131. Scott Davis (Aus) Fly V Australia 19:00
132. David Kemp (Aus) Fly V Australia 20:18
133. Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 21:20
134. Phil Southerland (USA) Team Type 1 21:24

Sprint Classification

1. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing 25 pts
2. Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step 12
3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 10
4. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 7
5. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 6
6. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 5
7. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step 4
8. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 4
9. David Kemp (Aus) Fly V Australia 4
10. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 3
11. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing 2
12. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 1

Mountain Classification

1. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing 16 pts
2. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 10
3. David Kemp (Aus) Fly V Australia 8
4. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 5
5. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 4
6. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana 3
7. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 2
8. Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia-Highroad 1