Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California — the Queen Stage — headed out of the town of San Jose, California and over Mt. Hamilton before setting its sights on the nefarious Mt. Diablo. The Rapha Mobile Cycle Club had positioned itself on one of the final curves that the peloton would face before the summit. It was from this vantage point that we were able to play witness to what the likes of Team Sky race leader Sir Bradley Wiggins and second on the General Classification Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) would do to a peloton of their peers. Behind the charging front group the remainder of the field trickled up the mountain in disorganized groups. Faces looked like they had seen better days — cold cokes and beers were not turned away. Dutch Cyclocross Champion Lars Boom (Belkin) looked as though he had seen a ghost in the previous turns. While the US rider Brad Huff (Optum Pro Cycling presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) looked as though he had seen better days. Do not let a friendly wave to the crowd fool you, he had crashed earlier in the stage and torn his clothing as well as his skin with it. Dennis would go on to win the stage and at the same time chipping away at 20 seconds over Wiggins. Mt. Diablo turned up the heat once again to make for an interesting and exciting stage. Stage 4 saw action of a different sort. Monterey played host city once again and that meant the only way to get to Cambria, California was along HWY 1. This road is famous for its wonderful views of the ocean. After spending a long day in the break Canadian cyclist Will Routley (Optum – Kelley Benefit Strategies) took the win in front of Bissell Development Team rider Gregory Daniel. It was also interesting to note that Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling) was the fourth place finisher on the day. Bradley Wiggins, finishing 18th, put in a few precious seconds on Rohan Dennis as the peloton came charging in 1:17 after the break. Wiggins will remain in yellow for the start of Stage 5 – Pismo Beach to Santa Barbara. (Words Jeremy Dunn / Photos John Watson)
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 08:46:48 +0000
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