2013 Tour of California
| UCI America Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Race details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | May 12–19, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stages | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 729 mi (1,173 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Winning time | 29h 43' 00" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2013 Amgen Tour of California was the eighth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 12–19, and was rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour. It began in Escondido and finished in Santa Rosa.[1]
It was won by the American Tejay van Garderen[2] (BMC Racing Team), the first success in the general classification of a stage race in the career of the then 24-year-old rider.[3] The sprints jersey was handed to Slovak Peter Sagan (Cannondale), who won it for the fourth time in four consecutive presences at the Tour.[4] Carter Jones (Bissell) prevailed in the mountains classification thanks to his participation in numerous breakaways,[5] and Lawson Craddock of Bontrager Cycling Team earned the youth classification jersey at 21 years of age.[6]
Prior to the race
[edit]The winner of the 2012 race, Robert Gesink, did not participate in this edition as he was riding the Giro d'Italia.[7] For this edition, the UCI elected to reintroduce blood testing based on the biological passport, as USADA would also take care of pre-race testing, but no cooperation was established between the two agencies.[8] The favorites for the overall classification have been deemed to be Tejay van Garderen, Haimar Zubeldia, Cameron Meyer, Michael Rogers (who won the 2010 edition and was making a comeback to the race),[9] Thomas De Gendt and Francisco Mancebo, among others. Another rider to watch was David Zabriskie, who finished second in the general classification of the race on four occasions including the latest edition, without ever winning the top honors.[10]
Riders looking for stage wins in sprints included Slovak Peter Sagan (who held the record for stage wins in the Tour at eight going into the event),[11] Belgian Gianni Meersman and Dutch Boy Van Poppel. Also in contention for stage honors were Aussie Michael Matthews, American Tyler Farrar and Belgian Philippe Gilbert.[12] 2010 Tour de France winner Andy Schleck was also present.[10]
Participating teams
[edit]Sixteen teams participated in the 2013 Tour of California, including eight UCI World Tour teams, three UCI Professional Continental teams, and five UCI Continental teams. They were:[13]
| UCI ProTeams | UCI Professional Continental Teams | UCI Continental Teams |
Schedule
[edit]| Stage | Date | Course | Distance | Type | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 12 | Escondido to Escondido | 165.1 km (103 mi) |  |
Hilly stage |  Lieuwe Westra (NED) | |
| 2 | May 13 | Murrieta to Greater Palm Springs | 200 km (124 mi) | |
Hilly stage |  Janier Acevedo (COL) | |
| 3 | May 14 | Palmdale to Santa Clarita | 177.7 km (110 mi) | |
Hilly stage |  Peter Sagan (SVK) | |
| 4 | May 15 | Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara | 134.5 km (84 mi) | |
Hilly stage |  Tyler Farrar (USA) | |
| 5 | May 16 | Santa Barbara to Avila Beach | 186 km (116 mi) | |
Hilly stage |  Jens Voigt (GER) | |
| 6 | May 17 | San Jose | 31.9 km (20 mi) |  |
Individual time trial | Tejay van Garderen (USA) | |
| 7 | May 18 | Livermore to Mount Diablo | 147.1 km (91 mi) |  |
Mountain stage |  Leopold König (CZE) | |
| 8 | May 19 | San Francisco to Santa Rosa | 130 km (81 mi) |  |
Flat stage | Peter Sagan (SVK) | |
| Total | 729 mi (1,173 km) | ||||||
Stages
[edit]Stage 1
[edit]The course was mountainous and included as a major obstacle the Category 1 Palomar Mountain climb about halfway through the stage, which took the riders to an altitude of about 5,200 ft (1,600 m). Other categorized difficulties were the Mesa Grande (cat. 4) situated before the latter climb and the Cole Grade (cat. 3), whose summit was situated 20 mi (32 km) from the finish. The only intermediate sprint was disputed in Ramona after 20 mi (32 km) of racing and before the difficulties of the day.[14]
One rider missed the start of the first stage, Ben King (RadioShack–Leopard) had to withdraw due to a hand injury suffered while training two days prior.[15] The heat proved to be a factor in this stage, as it was reported temperatures reached over 100 °F (38 °C).[16] Early in the race, a breakaway of four riders formed: Zak Dempster (NetApp–Endura), Marsh Cooper (Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies), James Stemper (5-hour Energy), and Carter Jones (Bissell). The quartet built a maximum lead of ten minutes, Jones grabbed the intermediate sprint points, and Dempster was first atop the Mesa Grande (cat. 4). The latter was dropped on the slopes of Palomar Mountain, a ten mile long challenge featuring a 4,5% average slope, which Jones crested first.[16] The leading group, now reduced to a trio, cooperated on the twisting descent and on the flatter sections afterward, until they tackled the last categorized difficulty, the Cole Grade. The Canadian Marsh Cooper was unable to follow the pace on the short but steep climb, as Stemper and Jones powered away. The duet held a sizable lead, and it looked like they might hold the peloton at bay[17] but BMC Racing Team, Cannondale, Saxo–Tinkoff and Vacansoleil–DCM took matters into their own hands and started to reel the escape in gradually.
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) was dropped on the Cole Grade, but some teammates folded back to help him reintegrate the main group, which he did. In the run-in to Escondido, world champion Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team) was distanced, and Luis Amaran of Jamis–Hagens Berman took a nasty spill, but was able to remount and finish the stage.[18] Jones and Stemper were finally caught with 5 km (3.1 mi) to go. As the two shook hands to congratulate each other for the big effort, Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil–DCM) jumped out of the peloton, and was joined by Francisco Mancebo (5-hour Energy). Sagan then had problems with his rear derailleur and was soon relegated to the back of the peloton, where he sorted out the problem without leaving the saddle.[citation needed] The Mancebo-Westra duo cooperated well, taking advantage of the sprinters' teams confusion, and managed to resist. Westra outsprinted Mancebo to take Vacansoleil–DCM's second win of the year and the 10 seconds bonification. Sagan won the sprint of the bunch, coming in six seconds after the escapees. Thanks to their long escape, Jones earned the mountains classification jersey while his fellow escapee Stemper won the "Most Courageous" rider jersey.[17]
Stage 2
[edit]
Stage 2 was another very hilly affair with a sprint counting toward the points classification jersey in Hemet after a little more than 40 mi (64 km), before the climbing began. Once again the highest point of the course was situated midway through the race atop the Category 1 Mountain Center climb, which translated to a 1,000 m (3,300 ft) gain in altitude. Another intermediate sprint was located at the foot of the descent, then the road went flat until the final ascent to the finish in the vicinity of Palm Springs, which was also a Category 1 affair.[20]
The heat was once again a major factor in the race, as the temperatures reached 42 °C (108 °F) and nearly 120 degrees on the pavement. Afterwards, riders tweeted pictures of blisters from burns on their bodies from lying on the black pavement after the stage.[21] The riders kept themselves cool with ice packs taken from the team cars, tucking them in their jerseys as they were racing through the desert landscape.[22] The day's early breakaway included Bissell's Pat McCarty, Ben Jacques-Maynes (Jamis–Hagens Berman), Scott Zwizanski (Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma–Quick-Step).[23] McCarty was the better placed rider in the overall classification at only 16 seconds,[19] which hindered the break's chances greatly. Nevertheless, they held a maximum lead of twelve minutes over the bunch. McCarty took the first intermediate sprint points. The gap started melting when they crested Mountain Center as Jacques-Maynes took the maximum King of the Mountains points. They negotiated the twisting descent to Palm Springs, passing through the last intermediate sprint without contesting it (Zwizanski happened to be at the front).[23] Back in the peloton, race leader Lieuwe Westra suffered a flat tire, but was able to negotiate his way back to the main field by weaving through the team cars.
With 25 km (16 mi) to cover and a gap of three minutes, disagreement started to appear in the lead group as Zwizanski placed an acceleration, followed by a dig from Jacques-Maynes, who spent two kilometers alone in front before the quartet got back together. At the foot of the final climb with 6 km (3.7 mi) to the finish, the escapees were finally caught. The ascent was officially 6.4 km (4.0 mi) long at an average gradient of 10%.[22] The peloton started breaking rapidly thanks to the very steep gradient. Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil–DCM) was soon distanced, and lost more than 9 minutes and the yellow jersey, finishing near pre-race favorites, Andy Schleck (RadioShack–Leopard) and David Zabriskie (Garmin–Sharp).[24] Up the road, Philip Deignan of UnitedHealthcare attacked the leading group of five riders and hung in front for 2 km (1.2 mi), but was swept back by Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) and Janier Acevedo (Jamis–Hagens Berman), who went under the flamme rouge in the lead. Acevedo put a last acceleration in and distanced Van Garderen, earning the biggest victory of his career so far and taking the leader's jersey.[25] For his efforts in the break, Chavanel earned the "Most Courageous" rider award.[23]
Stage 2 result[24]
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General Classification after Stage 2[24]
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Stage 3
[edit]Stage 3 was composed of numerous Category 4 climbs as opposed to the two prior stages which included one or two major difficulties. The first one was situated on Munz Ranch road, the following two occurred on Lake Hughes Road, after which two intermediate sprints were disputed; one near Lake Hughes and another one in the Leona Valley. The last categorized bump was on the Bouquet Canyon Road, 22 mi (35 km) from the finish line which was reached via mostly downhill roads in Santa Clarita.[26]
The temperatures were a lot more favorable to the riders on Stage 3. 41-year-old Jens Voigt (RadioShack–Leopard) attacked right as the flag was dropped and a 23 men breakaway formed. The large group stayed free for 30 kilometres (19 mi) until the first categorized climb, as they were reeled back in by the leader's team, Jamis–Hagens Berman.[27] Carter Jones (Bissell) took the KOM points, securing the mountains classification jersey for another day.[28] At the same moment, another attempt at forming an escape succeeded: Andy Schleck (RadioShack–Leopard), Gavin Mannion (Bontrager Cycling Team), Chad Beyer (Champion System) and points classification leader Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil–DCM) steered clear of the bunch. The gap maximized at 4:45, Beyer took the 2 following King Of the Mountains contests, and the quartet did not contest the intermediate sprints, leaving the points to Westra, who wanted to comfort his lead for the Green Jersey. Schleck took maximum points on the last climb of the day, and the peloton started chasing harder, led by Garmin–Sharp, Cannondale and Omega Pharma–Quick-Step. Mannion sat up during the descent to reintegrate the main field, and with 20 kilometres (12 mi) to cover and a slight gap of 45 seconds, Schleck and Westra decided to call it quit and chat before the inevitable junction. Beyer had other ideas, soldiered onward and was caught shortly.[29] This last effort netted him the "Most Courageous" rider jersey.[30]
As the quasi-totality of the remaining peloton in the Tour came charging in Santa Clarita, the lead-out trains tried to sort themselves out. The only attack in the final came in the form of Markel Irizar (RadioShack–Leopard), who rolled the dice with 6 km (3.7 mi) to go, but the maneuver failed as he spent less than a minute at the front.[29] In the final dash for the line, no lead-out trains stood out and Peter Sagan (Cannondale) seemed distanced until his lead-out man Guillaume Boivin found him and pulled, and at the same time Baden Cooke was leading out Michael Matthews for Orica–GreenEDGE.[27] As the sprint was unleashed, Sagan was still behind the first row, but managed to find an opening on the right side of the road to beat Matthews by half-a-wheel. This was the ninth victory at the Tour of California for Sagan, who improved his own record.[28]
Stage 3 result[31]
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General Classification after Stage 3[31]
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Stage 4
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The stage started with a very long 35 mi (56 km) downhill false-flat at the bottom of which an intermediate sprint was disputed in Santa Paula. Immediately after the sprint, the road kicked up to the Category 4 Dennison Grade. The latter climb was featured at the midway point of the stage once again. Another intermediate sprint was scheduled on the way down, followed by a Category 3 difficulty situated about 20 mi (32 km) from the line. Then the route was mainly flat or downhill.[32]
A notable non-starter for the fourth stage was Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team), who packed his bags since his wife was delivering their baby a little sooner than expected.[33] A flurry of attacks punctuated the first 15 km (9.3 mi) until a move of 5 Americans and a Canadian formed, Nathan Brown (Bontrager Cycling Team), Frank Pipp (Bissell), the previous day's "Most Courageous" rider Chad Beyer (Champion System), James Stemper (5-hour Energy), Chris Baldwin (Bissell) and Canadian Marsh Cooper (Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies). Baldwin was the better placed rider in the overall, 3:19 down on race leader Janier Acevedo (Team Jamis), and became the virtual leader at one point as the gap culminated to 3:30.[34] Stemper won the first intermediate sprint in Santa Paula, as Baldwin was first to cross the line of the Category 4 Dennison Grade and at the intermediate sprint after the descent in Ojai. The 21-year-old Brown was aggressive on the last climb of the day, breaking away to take maximum points, and the group reformed on the descent.[34]
A small bump up during the descent shed Pipp off the group, as the breakaway held an advantage of a minute with 30 km (19 mi) to cover. Some attacks occurred in the breakaway, the most significant being led by Brown, who sped away solo with 18 km (11 mi) as the break was about to be caught, and increased his lead to 40 seconds until a dig initiated by Jens Voigt (RadioShack–Leopard) brought the main field together at the 10 km (6.2 mi) to go banner. Brown gained the privilege to wear the "Most Courageous" rider jersey on the next stage for this last-ditch effort.[35] Another significant attack happened with 2 km (1.2 mi) to race as the bunch negotiated a weirdly shaped roundabout, with Matt Brammeier (Champion System) taking the least traveled path and holding on until he got caught at the flamme rouge.[36] As the sprint unfolded, Tyler Farrar was well positioned at the front, and powered away with Ken Hanson (Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies) coming in second.[37] This was Farrar's first win since the USA Pro Cycling Challenge last summer, and the second win of the day for Garmin–Sharp, as Ramūnas Navardauskas won the Giro d'Italia's stage 11 hours earlier.[35] There were no changes in the overall classification, but the Green jersey changed hands and went to Peter Sagan, who finished fifth.[34]
Stage 4 result[38]
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General Classification after Stage 4[38]
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Stage 5
[edit]Stage 5 counted only one categorized climb, which was disputed at the beginning of the race, the San Marcos Pass which was graded as a Category 2 and whose summit was situated at the 20 mi (32 km) mark. From that point, the terrain was undulating or flat and passed through 3 intermediate sprints situated in Orcutt, Guadalupe and then Arroyo Grande.[39]
The stage was deemed to be a sprinters' affair due to the fairly flat terrain after the Category 2 San Marcos Pass, and the early breakaway detached themselves before the difficulty: Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil–DCM), Kai Chun Feng (Champion System) and mountains classification leader Carter Jones (Bissell). Jones added valuable points to his tally as he crested the San Marcos Pass in first position. The three escapees enjoyed a maximum freedom of 8:30 before the bunch decided it was enough and started working.[40] With 55 kilometres (34 mi) to cover and with the break still enjoying an advantage of two minutes, the crosswinds were battering the peloton in the open fields and RadioShack–Leopard, notably Jens Voigt, put a dig at the front that splintered the field in numerous groups.[41] Soon, Saxo–Tinkoff, BMC Racing Team and Orica–GreenEDGE contributed to help the first echelon take large. The early break was caught then quickly shed off the back as Tejay van Garderen, Michael Rogers Cameron Meyer and Matthew Busche were in the lead group, all of them well-placed general classification contenders. Peter Sagan was also in the escape, isolated as he had no teammates with him. The group clawed its way to a steady growth of their advantage. Caught in the main group at the back were race leader Janier Acevedo (Jamis–Hagens Berman), third placed Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare), Chad Haga (seventh, Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Lawson Craddock (ninth, Bontrager Cycling Team).[40]
The chase was mostly led by UnitedHealthcare while Jamis–Hagens Berman also chipped in. As the lead group continued to gain time, Busche told his teammate Voigt "you look pretty good, why don't you go for the stage?". Voigt did exactly that and with 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to race until the finish line he launched an attack that would not be nullified. He crossed the line in Avila Beach solo, registering his first victory of the year. The large group of escapees he was part of came in 6 seconds later, and the whole peloton a minute and seven seconds in arrears.[42] The general classification was reshuffled, with Van Garderen taking the lead from Acevedo and Michael Rogers going from fifth to second.[43] 41-year-old veteran Voigt said in his typical good humored fashion when interviewed after his victory: "I just did the same move I've been doing since the ice age, and I couldn't believe they let me go. Once I get 20 seconds, I'm gone. I looked back and said, 'I can't believe they're giving me 20 seconds, don't they know?'[40]
Stage 5 result[42]
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General Classification after Stage 5[42]
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Stage 6
[edit]
The individual time trial stage started with a small climb coming 1 mi (1.6 km) after the starting ramp, then became mostly flat until the final 1.6 mi (2.6 km). From that point it kicked up for an elevation gain of almost 1,000 ft (300 m), featuring some sections at a gradient of 10%.[44]
A notable rider could not start the stage, David Zabriskie (Garmin–Sharp) crashed during a reconnaissance ride and had to abandon.[45] A choice faced the riders as they devised their strategy for the time trial: should they lose time at the foot of the final climb to switch to a normal road bike or power through with their aerodynamic machine not suited for steep climbing? The choices differed, as Michael Rogers opted for a change, while Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) continued on the TT bike.[46] Kristijan Koren (Cannondale) was the first rider to complete the course under the 51 minutes bar, but then Rohan Dennis (Garmin–Sharp) exploded that time with a chrono of 49 minutes 20 seconds.[47] Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma–Quick-Step) then scored an honorable time, a little more than a minute in arrears of Dennis. Overall contenders who lost time on the last day's echelon, Lawson Craddock (Bontrager Cycling Team), Chad Haga (Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies), Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare) and Francisco Mancebo (5-hour Energy) all performed well enough to keep their top ten overall placings.[46]
Meanwhile, former leader Janier Acevedo suffered a mechanical which forced him to change machines, he would ultimately finish 18th, 2:41 behind the winner.[47] First stage winner Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil–DCM) then bested Dennis' time by 5 seconds, establishing a new mark. Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare) rode his way to 24th, a time that would make him lose 3 spots, from fifth to eighth. Cameron Meyer (Orica–GreenEDGE) put in a good performance with a time of 50' 20", which translated in a jump from sixth place to third.[45] Michael Rogers (Saxo–Tinkoff) then signed what would become the fourth fastest time of the day, saying afterward that the wind played a big role.[48] Being the overall classification leader, Van Garderen rolled off the ramp last, and confirmed his overall ambitions by crushing the stage, registering the only time below 49 minutes (48' 52", 22 seconds faster than Westra). It was Van Garderen's first victory of the year despite some notable results earlier in the season and he declared after the event: "I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, but I'm ready to win, and I think it's about time. I think now I’m finally mature enough to pull through to the end. I think I’m ready to do it."[47]
Stage 6 result[49]
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General Classification after Stage 6[49]
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