Today's the day when the Tour of California likely gets settled, and it is by no means a lock for the favorite, and defending champ Levi Leipheimer. Although Levi's team Astana has pretty much controlled this race from the start, and he's got great support from domestiques like Grand Tour battled-hardened Chris Horner, there are major threats on the coastal highway to Pasadena come Sunday and the final podium. Former world time-trailing champion David Millar, once banned, and now a pretty-boy for clean living, with the backing of teammates Christian Vandevelde and David Zabriskie who stand 3rd and 5th in the GC rankings, will be looking to stamp the first tour victory for the newly christened Chilpolte-Slipstream. Chilpolte-Slipstream has hopes of becoming America's team, but with their best rider a Scot, that's a stretch.
Challenge will also come in the form of reigning world time-trial champion and young Swiss phenom Fabian Cancellara, riding for CSC, and always ready to launch attacks as he did last year taking stage 3 in Le Tour and wearing the Maillot Jaune for the first third of the race.
The only hope for someone other than Levi to end up in yellow come Sunday are to mount repeated attacks and hope for a sustained break as the end of today's 170 km ride from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita ends with 3 circuits around town. Such a finish favors the sprinters, and Levi's 49 seconds over Millar can't be lost in a field sprint. That means tons of action during today's stage which you can watch live via the link below.
Coverage begins @ 11 AM PST.
Image captured from the ATOC-Adobe tour tracker, courtesy of Richard Masoner
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tour of california