Sagan romps home for a second stage win
Philip Deignan has given some indications of good form at the Tour of California, taking maximum points on one of stage 2’s climbs and stringing the peloton right out in the process.
That second category climb of Bear Creek came after 155km, leaving some 33km still to race into the finish in Santa Cruz County. It meant many of the riders out the back of what was still a fairly large group at the summit got back on, setting up the stage for what was something of an inevitable bunch sprint.
And so it came to pass, with stage 1 winner and race leader Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) galloping to take the stage and make it two from two.
Deignan’s Unitedhealthcare team were very much in evidence at the front of the bunch and off the front throughout yesterday’s second stage.
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However, there was nothing any of the teams could do to split up the race, with most of the run in after the final climb to the finish either downhill or flat.
Sagan’s team assumed control with around 20kms to go, when the bunch numbered between 70 and 80 riders of the 130 starters.
Deignan’s team mate Rory Sutherland put in a good burst off the front up a small incline with 2.5km to go, but Sagan’s team was still on the front, with GreenEdge and Spidertech lending a hand in the finale.
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Sutherland’s breakaway was short-lived, coming to an end just inside the 1km to go mark.
Sagan was left to his own devices in the gallop, but having profited from the small GreenEdge train on the front in the closing 500ms, he sprinted home for what was a comfortable win.
Garmin Barracuda’s Heinrich Haussler was second with Leigh Howard of GreenEdge third.
Sagan leads going into today’s stage with Haussler second on GC.
Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) and Deignan finish 19th and 50th respectively in the 63-man bunch that arrived at the finish after just over five hours in the saddle.
Roche is now 36th on GC and Deignan 41st, both among a large group of riders just 20 seconds down on Sagan.
Deignan’s team mates Sutherland and Chris Jones crashed earlier in the stage, with Jones a doubt to continue.
Today’s stage takes the riders from San Jose to Livermore; a 185km run with three climbs, the last of which is crested just under 15km from the finish.
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