Il Tour of California è una calamita per Peter Sagan. Due vittorie nel 2010, una nel 2011 e ieri (notte italiana) la prima del 2012. Sul rettilineo di Santa Rosa (da dove la corsa era partita) il campione slovacco della Liquigas-Cannondale ha dato una dimostrazione di potenza che non ha lasciato nessuna possibilità agli avversari (Haussler secondo, Rodriguez terzo). Bravissimo Sagan e bravissimi i compagni che l’hanno prima aiutato a rientrare in gruppo dopo una foratura a 8 km dal traguardo e poi, con Daniel Oss, a lanciarlo nel migliore dei modi per la volata.
«Non sapevo quanto potevo essere brillante visto che non correvo da quasi un mese – ha spiegato Sagan – e l’incognita maggiore era la tenuta sulle salite finali. Più passavano i chilometri, però, e più le sensazioni miglioravano. Nel finale è successo di tutto: prima la foratura, rimediata grazie ai compagni, poi una caduta che ha coinvolto King e che per poco non buttava a terra anche me. Superata quella, il gruppo si è frazionato e c’era confusione. Daniel Oss mi ha guidato e lanciato alla perfezione, io ho solo aperto il gas più che potevo. E’ stata gran una bella vittoria di squadra. Ora vediamo quanto riesco a tenere la maglia di leader anche se sarà molto dura. In compenso ci sono altre tappe che potrebbero fare per me».
Con la vittoria nella prima tappa Sagan si è ovviamente portato al comando della classifica generale, di quella a punti e di quella di miglior giovane.
Comunicato Stampa Liquigas Cannondale
Ordine d’arrivo:
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 4:42:35
2 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda
3 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy
4 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
5 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
6 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
7 Ryan Anderson (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
8 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
9 Lawson Craddock (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
10 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
11 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
12 Gavin Mannion (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
13 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
14 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
16 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
17 Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack-Nissan
18 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Argos – Shimano
19 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
20 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
21 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
22 Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
23 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
24 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
25 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
26 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
27 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team
28 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
29 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
30 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
31 Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
32 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
33 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
34 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
35 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
36 Brian Vandborg (Den) Spidertech Powered By C10
37 Raymond Kunzli (Swi) Spidertech Powered By C10
38 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
39 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
40 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
41 Andrés Díaz Corrales (Col) Team Exergy
42 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
43 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
44 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
45 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling
46 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
47 Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team
48 Philip Deignan (Irl) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
49 Matt Cooke (USA) Team Exergy
50 Josh Atkins (NZl) Bontrager Livestrong Team
51 Nathan Brown (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
52 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
53 Ian Boswell (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
54 Jeffry Louder (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
55 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
56 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
57 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:00:22
58 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
59 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Argos – Shimano 0:00:24
60 George Bennett (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan
61 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
62 Joseph Dombrowski (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
63 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
64 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
65 Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:00:33
66 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
67 Alex Howes (USA) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:33
68 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Cycling
69 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
70 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
71 Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
72 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
73 Sam Johnson (USA) Team Exergy 0:04:43
74 Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
75 Sébastian Salas (Can) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:06:15
76 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:06:56
77 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
78 Thomas Zirbel (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
79 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Bissell Cycling
80 Grégory Rast (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan
81 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
82 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
83 Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
84 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
85 Logan Loader (USA) Team Exergy
86 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale
87 Benjamin King (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
88 Carter Jones (USA) Bissell Cycling
89 Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
90 Hugo Houle (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
91 David Boily (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
92 Javier Gonzalez Barrera (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
93 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
94 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
95 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
96 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Argos – Shimano
97 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
98 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos – Shimano
99 Ken Hanson (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
100 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Argos – Shimano
101 Alexander Candelario (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
102 Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
103 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
104 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
105 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
106 Roger Kluge (Ger) Argos – Shimano
107 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Argos – Shimano
108 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
109 Morgan Schmitt (USA) Team Exergy
110 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos – Shimano
111 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda
112 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
113 Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
114 Michael Creed (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
115 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Bontrager Livestrong Team
116 Ryan Eastman (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
117 Lucas Euser (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
118 Michael Rodriguez Galindo (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes 0:10:35
119 Serghei Tvetcov (Mda) Team Exergy 0:11:48
120 Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
121 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
122 Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
123 Jason McCartney (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
124 Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (Col) Team Exergy
125 Michael Friedman (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
126 Eric Young (USA) Bissell Cycling
127 Travis Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
128 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:16:23
Classifica generale dopo la 1ª tappa:
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 4:42:25
2 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda 0:00:04
3 Jeffry Louder (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
4 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy 0:00:06
5 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling
6 Josh Atkins (NZl) Bontrager Livestrong Team 0:00:09
7 Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:10
8 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
9 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
10 Ryan Anderson (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
11 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
12 Lawson Craddock (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
13 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team
14 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
15 Gavin Mannion (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
16 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
17 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
18 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
19 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
20 Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack-Nissan
21 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Argos – Shimano
22 Wilco Kelderman (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
23 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
24 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
25 Marc De Maar (AHo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
26 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
27 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
28 Andrew Talansky (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
29 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
30 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team
31 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
32 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team
33 Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
34 Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
35 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
36 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
37 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
38 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
39 Brian Vandborg (Den) Spidertech Powered By C10
40 Raymond Kunzli (Swi) Spidertech Powered By C10
41 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
42 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
43 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
44 Andrés Díaz Corrales (Col) Team Exergy
45 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
46 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
47 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
48 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
49 Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team
50 Philip Deignan (Irl) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
51 Matt Cooke (USA) Team Exergy
52 Nathan Brown (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
53 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
54 Ian Boswell (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
55 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
56 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
57 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
58 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team
59 Alex Howes (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
60 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Cycling
61 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
62 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale
63 Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
64 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale
65 Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
66 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:00:32
67 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:33
68 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) Argos – Shimano 0:00:34
69 George Bennett (NZl) RadioShack-Nissan
70 Andrew Bajadali (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
71 Joseph Dombrowski (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
72 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
73 Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:00:43
74 Sam Johnson (USA) Team Exergy 0:04:53
75 Sébastian Salas (Can) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:06:25
76 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:07:06
77 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
78 Thomas Zirbel (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
79 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Bissell Cycling
80 Grégory Rast (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan
81 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
82 Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
83 Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
84 Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
85 Logan Loader (USA) Team Exergy
86 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale
87 Benjamin King (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
88 Carter Jones (USA) Bissell Cycling
89 Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
90 Hugo Houle (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
91 David Boily (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
92 Javier Gonzalez Barrera (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
93 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Spidertech Powered By C10
94 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
95 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
96 Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Argos – Shimano
97 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
98 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos – Shimano
99 Ken Hanson (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
100 Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Argos – Shimano
101 Alexander Candelario (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
102 Thomas Peterson (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
103 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
104 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
105 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan
106 Roger Kluge (Ger) Argos – Shimano
107 Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Argos – Shimano
108 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
109 Morgan Schmitt (USA) Team Exergy
110 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos – Shimano
111 Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda
112 Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
113 Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
114 Michael Creed (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
115 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Bontrager Livestrong Team
116 Ryan Eastman (USA) Bontrager Livestrong Team
117 Lucas Euser (USA) Spidertech Powered By C10
118 Michael Rodriguez Galindo (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes 0:10:45
119 Serghei Tvetcov (Mda) Team Exergy 0:11:58
120 Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
121 Jacob Rathe (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
122 Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
123 Jason McCartney (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
124 Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (Col) Team Exergy
125 Michael Friedman (USA) Team Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies
126 Eric Young (USA) Bissell Cycling
127 Travis Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
128 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:16:33
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