February 18, 2009 (Paso Robles, CA) – Team Columbia-Highroad’s Mark Cavendish (Gbr) scored his second consecutive stage win on Thursday at Stage 5, a new course for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California from Visalia to Paso Robles, 216.1 km/134.3 miles, over Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step in second with Pedro Horillo (Spa) Rabobank in third as sunshine blessed the ToC again. For the first 160km/100 miles there was no protection from the wind. As the route wound its way back to the coast, past cattle ranches and horse farms, riders then hit rolling hills until the final 48km/30-mile run to the finish.

Canada’s Cameron Evans (OUCH p/b Maxxis) was in an early break of six riders – including Pieter Weening (Rabobank), Glen Chadwick (Rock Racing), Matthew Crane (Jelly Belly Cycling Team), Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Curtis Gunn (Fly V Australia) – with over seven minutes on the peloton at one point.

As the finishline approached two riders were dropped and then Evans and Crane tried to get away but the peloton swallowed up the break setting up the sprint win for Cavendish. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana is still the race leader as riders face the Solvang ITT on Friday.

Amgen Tour of California Report

Enthusiastic crowds turned out at the start of the race today in Visalia as race leaders Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana, Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia-Highroad, David Zibriskie (USA) of Garmin-Slipstream and Lance Armstrong (USA) of Astana led the peloton into Stage 5 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Equally impressive crowds lined the streets in Paso Robles to witness the incredible sprint to the finish line that saw Mark Cavendish (GBR) of Team Columbia-Highroad take his second consecutive stage win in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.  Leipheimer maintained the overall lead after coming in 15th place in the longest stage of the race. Day six of the 2009 race included no King of the Mountain competitions, but two sprint competitions on a flat, fast day of racing that took the riders from Visalia to Paso Robles.

Moving into second and third overall were Rogers and Zabriskie, respectively.

“This was the day that I was planning on winning this year,” said Cavendish. “It was a hard day; harder than expected. It seems like they’ve replicated the Tour de France with the speed and the par course. It has been incredibly hard.”

Team Columbia-Highroad again delivered Cavendish to the finish line at the front, where he sprang off the lead-out wheels to win with ease. And once again it was Quick Step’s Tom Boonen (BEL) who finished second in the stage, just ahead of Pedro Horrillo (ESP) of Rabobank.

“This stage win is massively important,” added Cavendish. “Any stage in the Amgen Tour of California is big. It’s big for the team, and this one is a bit more personal because it’s close to home. Every other stage is important, but this one is a bit more personal.”

Despite the apparent ease of victory for Cavendish, it was a long, hard stage for him and the rest of the field. A six-man group escaped only seven miles into the 134.3- mile route from Visalia to Paso Robles, with early attacks led by Jelly Belly’s Matthew Crane (USA), who was eventually joined by Jeff Louder (USA) of Team BMC, Robert Gunn (AUS) of Fly V Australia Powered by Successful Living, Glen Chadwick (NZL) of Rock Racing and Cameron Evans (CAN) Ouch Presented by Maxxis.

Cruising through the flat San Joaquin Valley floor under sunny skies, the escapees steadily opened the gap to a maximum of eight minutes mid-way through the race, with Astana leading a steady tempo in the field. At 50 miles to go, Quick Step, Team Columbia-Highroad and Saxo Bank began sharing the load at the front, and the time differential decreased rapidly. The breakaway splintered under the pressure, with Chadwick being the last one reeled in with less than three miles to go, when Team Columbia-Highroad led Cavendish to take over.

With the sun hanging high in a flawless baby blue sky in Paso Robles, all of the top riders finished in the main group, completing a long, flat stage leading into the critical Individual Time Trial in Solvang tomorrow.

It’s going to be a big showdown tomorrow,” said two-time defending champion and overall leader Leipheimer. “You have the three-time World Champion Michael Rogers and Dave Zabriskie, the National Champion, so it will be special. I’m actually really looking forward to it. I feel good; I’ve felt great throughout the whole race. I feel pretty awesome about keeping the lead.”

There were only two changes in the jerseys today, with Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancerâ„¢ Most Courageous Rider Jersey going to Matthew Crane (USA) of Jelly Belly Pro Cycling and the Herbalife Sprint Jersey going to Cavendish. The other jersey winners remain unchanged with Leipheimer in the Amgen Leader Jersey, Robert Gesink (NED) of Rabobank in the Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey and Francisco Mancebo (ESP) of Rock Racing in the California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey.

Results

1. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Team Columbia – Highroad 5:07:28
2. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
3. Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank
4. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
5. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam
6. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
7. Freddy Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing
8. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
9. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia
10. Karl Menzies (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
11. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank
12. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
13. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
14. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
15. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
16. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
17. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank
18. Thomas L̦vkvist (Swe) Team Columbia РHighroad
19. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
20. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana
21. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
22. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step
23. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad
24. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing
25. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad
26. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
27. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
28. Enrique Gutierrez (Spa) Rock Racing
29. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
30. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
31. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
32. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
33. Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step
34. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana
35. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
36. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
37. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
38. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas
39. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
40. Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
41. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam
42. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
43. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank
44. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
45. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
46. Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
47. Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
48. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
49. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia – Highroad
50. Weert Kevin De (Bel) Quick Step
51. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
52. Rory Sutherland (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
53. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
54. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
55. Cameron Evans (Can) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
56. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin – Slipstream
57. Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
58. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
59. Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia – Highroad
60. Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervélo TestTeam 0:13
61. Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana
62. Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervélo TestTeam 0:20
63. Glen Chadwick (NZl) Rock Racing
64. Matthew Crane (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
65. Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step
66. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas
67. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervélo TestTeam
68. Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Saxo Bank 0:33
69. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 0:47
70. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:53
71. Thomas Frei (Swi) BMC Racing Team
72. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
73. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
74. Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
75. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
76. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
77. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step
78. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1
79. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1
80. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1
81. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad
82. Peter Latham (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling
83. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
84. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling
85. Aaron Olson (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
86. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas
87. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing
88. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
89. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam
90. Chris Baldwin (USA) Rock Racing
91. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
92. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
93. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Rabobank
94. Ben Day (Aus) Fly V Australia
95. Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team
96. Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step
97. Will Routley (Can) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
98. Floyd Landis (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis
99. Bradley White (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 1:44
100. Robert Gunn (USA) Fly V Australia
101. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 1:59
102. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
103. Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 2:06
104. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
105. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 2:14
106. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin – Slipstream 3:05
107. Phillip Gaimon (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 6:07
108. Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team 6:10

GC after Stage 5

General classification after stage 5

1. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 23:41:20
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 0:24
3. David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 0:28
4. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 0:30
5. Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 0:34
6. Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana 0:38
7. Thomas L̦vkvist (Swe) Team Columbia РHighroad
8. José Luis Rubiera (Spa) Astana
9. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
10. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:39
11. Oscar Sevilla (Spa) Rock Racing
12. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:40
13. Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 0:42
14. Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
15. Kevin Seeldraeyers (Bel) Quick Step 0:51
16. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Rock Racing 0:53
17. Jurgen van de Walle (Bel) Quick Step 2:12
18. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank 3:03
19. Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 4:32
20. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 4:40
21. Iñigo Cuesta (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 4:45
22. Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step 5:25
23. Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 5:56
24. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia – Highroad 5:59
25. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 6:01
26. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 6:04
27. Enrique Gutierrez (Spa) Rock Racing 6:08
28. Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
29. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light
30. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 6:09
31. Tom Zirbel (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 6:53
32. Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervélo TestTeam 6:56
33. Weert Kevin De (Bel) Quick Step 7:01
34. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
35. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC Racing Team 7:06
36. Thomas Frei (Swi) BMC Racing Team 7:13
37. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 7:21
38. Floyd Landis (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 7:43
39. Dominique Rollin (Can) Cervélo TestTeam 9:07
40. Steven Cozza (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 9:08
41. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 9:09
42. Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling 10:07
43. Will Routley (Can) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 10:19
44. Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 11:02
45. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 14:39
46. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 14:59
47. Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin – Slipstream 15:13
48. Jason Mccartney (USA) Team Saxo Bank 15:36
49. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 15:40
50. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 15:44
51. Glen Chadwick (NZl) Rock Racing 15:49
52. Cameron Evans (Can) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 15:51
53. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 16:44
54. Matthew Crane (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 18:02
55. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team 18:26
56. Rory Sutherland (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 18:45
57. Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step 21:05
58. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervélo TestTeam 21:07
59. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 21:33
60. Grégory Rast (Swi) Astana 21:40
61. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale 22:19
62. Markus Zberg (Swi) BMC Racing Team 22:21
63. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 22:24
64. Steve Morabito (Swi) Astana 23:11
65. Timothy Johnson (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 24:02
66. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 24:15
67. Matthew Wilson (Aus) Team Type 1 24:53
68. Mauricio Ardila (Col) Rabobank 24:55
69. Addy Engels (Ned) Quick Step 25:43
70. Christopher Jones (USA) Team Type 1 25:46
71. Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 26:07
72. Bradley White (USA) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 26:26
73. Brian Vandborg (Den) Liquigas 26:57
74. Trent Lowe (Aus) Garmin – Slipstream 27:56
75. Aaron Olson (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 28:07
76. Serge Pauwels (Bel) Cervélo TestTeam 28:28
77. Mark Cavendish (Gbr) Team Columbia – Highroad 29:30
78. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 29:45
79. Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 29:51
80. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank 29:52
81. Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank 29:55
82. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Cervélo TestTeam 29:56
83. Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank 29:58
84. Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia – Highroad 30:02
85. Phillip Gaimon (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 30:07
86. Nick Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 30:09
87. Bernard Sulzberger (Aus) Fly V Australia 30:15
88. Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step 30:20
89. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 30:27
90. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream 30:45
91. Peter Latham (NZl) Bissell Pro Cycling 30:47
92. Ben Day (Aus) Fly V Australia 30:52
93. Kiel Reijnen (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
94. Chris Baldwin (USA) Rock Racing 30:55
95. Tyler Hamilton (USA) Rock Racing 31:37
96. Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Quick Step 31:49
97. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 32:02
98. Robert Gunn (USA) Fly V Australia 32:25
99. Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team 32:52
100. Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervélo TestTeam 33:39
101. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad 33:52
102. Karl Menzies (Aus) OUCH Presented By Maxxis 34:59
103. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas 35:33
104. Freddy Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing 36:39
105. Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas 36:51
106. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Liquigas 36:55
107. Andy Guptill (USA) Colavita / Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light 36:59
108. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 38:22