February 19, 2007 (Sausalito, CA) — Australian Graeme Brown (Rabobank), a two-time track Olympic gold medalist edged Greg Henderson (T-Mobile) of New Zealand in a photo finish to claim the crashed-marred first stage of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California.

Brown escaped from a massive pack finish to complete the 156.2-kilometer road stage from Sausalito in 4:17:19. Henderson was second in what race officials estimated as a four-centimetre gap. Allan Davis (Discovery Channel) of Australia was third in the same time.

American Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel) finished 50th in the stage with the same time and retains a one-second race lead over first-year American pro Jason Donald (Slipstream) of Brighton, Colo. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health), also from the United States is third overall, trailing by five seconds.

David Zabriskie, who finished second overall last year crashed with about 50-kilometers to go and sustained head and wrist injuries. He was taken to a local hospital, which reported his x-rays were negative.

Leipheimer, the former Tour of Germany winner who’s hometown is Santa Rosa (also the Stage 1 finish), crashed on the second of three 5-km finishing circuits and placed more than a minute behind the winner.

Race judges, however, made a discretionary ruling and gave Leipheimer and the several dozen other riders in the crash the same time. Tomorrow’s second stage of the 1,029-kilometer race is a 186.4 kilometer road race from Santa Rosa to Sacramento.

“No, I’m not surprised I still have the race lead,” said Leipheimer. “You have to remember that circuits in races of this caliber aren’t very common. But it’s very necessary because of the crowds and amount of people on the course today, they deserve a show. They deserve to see some great biking. On these kinds of narrow circuits, the risk of crashes is very high.”

Canada’s Michael Barry (T-Mobile) was the top Canuck today in 45th and is 71st overall, trailing by 31 seconds. Fellow Canadian Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net) was 59th today and is in 9th, overall, nine seconds behind Leipheimer. Charles Dionne (Can) Coalavita-Sutter Home placed 115th today and is in 117th overall.

Results

1. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 4.17.19
2. Greg Henderson (NZl) T-Mobile
3. Allan Davis (Aus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
4. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
5. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto
6. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
7. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
8. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC
9. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
10. David Vitoria (Swi) BMC
11. Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step
12. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
13. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
14. Michael Sayers (USA) BMC
15. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
16. Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
17. Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
18. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC
19. Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
20. Jakob Piil (Den) T-Mobile
21. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
22. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
23. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC
24. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
25. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
26. Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
27. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
28. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota United Pro
29. Adam Hansen (Aus) T-Mobile
30. Grischa Jan Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
31. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
32. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
33. Aaron Olsen (USA) T-Mobile
34. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
35. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole
36. John Devine (USA) USA National team
37. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
38. Viktar Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
39. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
40. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
41. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
42. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole
43. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota United Pro
44. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
45. Michael Barry (Can) T-Mobile
46. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step
47. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step
48. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
49. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
50. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
51. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor-Lotto
52. Taylor Tolleson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
53. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
54. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC
55. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
56. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
57. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita Sutter Home
58. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner
59. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
60. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
61. Justin England (USA) Toyota United Pro
62. Brent Bookwalter (USA) USA National team
63. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita Sutter Home
64. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
65. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC
66. Glen Alan Chadwick (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
67. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
68. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
69. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
70. Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile
71. Veleriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
72. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
73. Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank
74. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
75. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
76. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
77. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
78. Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
79. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Credit Agricole
80. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
81. Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
82. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner
83. Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
84. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
85. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Quick Step
86. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step
87. Dimitri Fofonov (Kaz) Credit Agricole
88. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
89. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC
90. Alexander Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
91. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
92. Caleb Manion (USA) Toyota United Pro
93. Charly Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas
94. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota United Pro
95. Bart Dockx (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
96. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
97. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.25
98. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
99. Russell Downing (GBr) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
100. Brian Dziewa (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 1.47
101. Christopher Horner (USA) Predictor-Lotto
102. Michael Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 3.32
103. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota United Pro
104. Ken Hanson (USA) BMC
105. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
106. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
107. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
108. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
109. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National team
110. Steven Cozza (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
111. Tom Zirbel (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
112. Christopher Stockburger (USA) USA National team
113. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National team
114. Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
115. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita Sutter Home
116. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
117. Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home
118. Alejandro Acton (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home
119. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home
120. Shawn Milne (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
121. Brian Sheedy (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
122. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 4.3
123. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
124. Nicolar Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
125. Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
126. Emile Abraham (Tri) Priority Health Cycling Team 4.56
127. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC 6.34
128. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
129. Darren Lill (RSA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
130. Chad Beyer (USA) USA National team
131. Sheldon Deeny (USA) USA National team 6.35
132. Scott Stewart (USA) USA National team
133. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Credit Agricole
134. Sean Sullivan (Aus) Toyota United Pro 6.36
135. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 6.37
136. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota United Pro
137. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
138. Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
139. Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 6.38
140. Nic Ingels (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 7.04
141. Nicolas Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto 8.4
142. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) T-Mobile 8.43
143. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 8.45
DNF David Zabriskie (USA) Team CSC

GC
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 4.22.08
2. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 0.01
3. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 0.05
4. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 0.06
5. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
6. Adam Hansen (Aus) T-Mobile
7. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank 0.07
8. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.08
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.09
10. Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
11. Allan Davis (Aus) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
12. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 0.1
13. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
14. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
15. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
16. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.12
17. Taylor Tolleson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 0.13
18. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
19. Veleriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
20. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 0.14
21. Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
22. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota United Pro
23. Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile 0.15
24. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota United Pro
25. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota United Pro
26. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC 0.16
27. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 0.17
28. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
29. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
30. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
31. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
32. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto 0.18
33. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
34. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 0.19
35. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
36. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole
37. Greg Henderson (NZl) T-Mobile
38. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Credit Agricole 0.2
39. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
40. Justin England (USA) Toyota United Pro
41. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
42. Aaron Olsen (USA) T-Mobile 0.21
43. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
44. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole 0.22
45. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
46. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 0.23
47. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
48. Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
49. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
50. Charly Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas
51. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor-Lotto 0.24
52. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
53. David Vitoria (Swi) BMC 0.25
54. Grischa Jan Niermann (Ger) Rabobank
55. Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step
56. Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step 0.26
57. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Quick Step
58. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC
59. Bart Dockx (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
60. Jakob Piil (Den) T-Mobile
61. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
62. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Sutter Home 0.27
63. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
64. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step 0.28
65. Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank
66. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole 0.3
67. Viktar Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
68. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita Sutter Home 0.31
69. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
70. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
71. Michael Barry (Can) T-Mobile
72. Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 0.32
73. Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
74. Dimitri Fofonov (Kaz) Credit Agricole 0.33
75. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC
76. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
77. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC 0.34
78. Glen Alan Chadwick (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
79. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 0.35
80. Brent Bookwalter (USA) USA National team 0.37
81. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
82. Scott Zwizanski (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
83. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC 0.38
84. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
85. David Mccann (Irl) Colavita Sutter Home 0.39
86. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.41
87. Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.42
88. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step
89. Caleb Manion (USA) Toyota United Pro 0.43
90. Alexander Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
91. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner
92. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
93. John Devine (USA) USA National team 0.45
94. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.54
95. Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 0.55
96. Michael Sayers (USA) BMC 0.56
97. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.3
98. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.38
99. Russell Downing (GBr) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 1.5
100. Christopher Horner (USA) Predictor-Lotto 2.01
101. Brian Dziewa (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 2.17
102. Shawn Milne (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.52
103. Tom Zirbel (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 3.53
104. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 3.54
105. Alejandro Acton (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home 3.56
106. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home 3.59
107. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 4
108. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National team 4.01
109. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 4.02
110. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner 4.04
111. Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
112. Steven Cozza (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 4.06
113. Gustavo Artacho (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home 4.09
114. Michael Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 4.13
115. Brian Sheedy (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 4.15
116. Christopher Stockburger (USA) USA National team 4.2
117. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita Sutter Home 4.21
118. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 4.25
119. Ken Hanson (USA) BMC 4.27
120. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota United Pro 4.28
121. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National team 4.32
122. Jason McCartney (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 4.49
123. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 5.01
124. Nicolar Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 5.09
125. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 5.16
126. Emile Abraham (Tri) Priority Health Cycling Team 5.55
127. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 6.42
128. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 6.57
129. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Credit Agricole 7.05
130. Darren Lill (RSA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 7.07
131. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
132. Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas 7.09
133. Sean Sullivan (Aus) Toyota United Pro 7.1
134. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota United Pro 7.13
135. Scott Stewart (USA) USA National team 7.22
136. Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 7.25
137. Sheldon Deeny (USA) USA National team
138. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC 7.4
139. Nic Ingels (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
140. Chad Beyer (USA) USA National team 7.44
141. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 9.13
142. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) T-Mobile 9.2
143. Nicolas Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto 9.21