Tour of California 2015 – Stage 3 [FULL STAGE]

May 12, 2015

Tour of California 2015 – Stage 3 – San Jose – San Jose : 168,9 km

In the tradition-rich world of cycling, where some of the oldest monuments reach back into history more than a hundred years, a single decade marks a race that hasn’t yet hit adolescence. But for the Amgen Tour of California, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, a decade has sometimes seemed like a liftetime. The race has witnessed monsoon-like conditions in the early years when it was on the calendar in February. It persevered through a snowed-out stage during a planned start at Lake Tahoe in 2011. It survived several invasions by Rock Racing and its flamboyant owner Michael Ball, who had three riders cover stage routes ahead of the 2008 race after being excluded by organisers. The race was the site of a showdown between an icon of the sport, Lance Armstrong and his dogged accuser Floyd Landis, and it was the unwilling host for headline-stealing revelations from the race’s first winner that would eventually prove true and rock the sport to its core. It all seems like an awful lot for one decade, but the UCI 2.HC race that started in the still-warm glow of Armstrong’s seven Tour de France wins, which have since been vacated by the UCI, continues to thrive and even expand this year. The eight-day race, an entity of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the world’s largest owner of sports teams and events, has grown into an important preparation race for the Tour de France in July. AEG invited 18 men’s teams to the race this year, more than ever before, and it has added a three-day women’s UCI race to the mix.

Toms Skujins took the biggest win of his career in San Jose, pulling off an audacious 55km solo ride to the finish line that also saw him move into the leader’s jersey on stage 3 of the Tour of California. The 23-year-old started to hit the wall in the final kilometre of the climb as Team Sky led the chase behind realising that the GC could be riding away from them, but held firm to take the lead from Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) by 32 seconds.

Sagan led home the chasers for his third second place in three days ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick-Step). Mark Cavendish saw his overall lead disappear as he finished in the gruppeto, several minutes down on Skujins.

“The last split I heard was like two minutes,” Skujins said after the finish. “And then I thought this last 2km is going to be insufferable. I didn’t look back at all like the whole race, except for that last kilometre because I was like, ‘No way they are going to catch me.’ It was such a relief to get those last 200 metres, because that’s when I really knew that I going to get it.”

Skujins was part of a seven-man escape that launched off the back of an attack by Roy Curvers (Giant-Alpecin) and Travis Meyer (Drapac). Joining the pair were Skujins Daniel Oss (BMC), Jonny Clarke (UnitedHealthcare), Oscar Clark (Hincapie), and Evan Huffman (Team SmartStop).

They built up a lead of nearly five minutes, as Oss went after the mountains classification, but then underestimated the wily Latvian on the climb to Mt. Hamilton, where Skujins stuck in the knife.

Oss chased with Clarke and Huffman all the way to the top, but on the deceptively technical descent, Huffman first lost contact and then Skujins and Clarke each came to grief several times on the descent, but without incident.

Still, Skujins held a lead of two minutes on his chasers, with the peloton four minutes behind as he headed up the penultimate climb and rode himself into the mountains classification.

The Tinkoff-Saxo team chased the seven-man escape from where it left the peloton 36km into the stage until the race hit Mt. Hamilton, the massive hors categorie ascent crested just under 50km to the finish. Sagan chased back through the team cars on the climb, rejoining the peloton after the descent but absent one important item: race leader Mark Cavendish, who threw in the towel on the mountainous stage.

It looked as if Sagan might win the stage, as the finish suited him, but there were two things standing in his way: first, the very determined and underestimated Skujins, who threw caution to the wind even after his two near crashes, hurtling down each descent and then holding his own going uphill, and second, the lack of teammates.

Team Sky looked to keep the general classification in control, but weren’t going to chase Skujins down just to hand the yellow jersey over to Sagan. British champion Peter Kennaugh looked increasingly frustrated by the situation as the final 10km clicked down, until finally Phil Deignan took charge and whittled the leader’s gap down.

They timed it just well enough to deny Sagan the stage win, but keep Kennaugh and Henao in contention at 47 seconds, time easy enough to get back on Sagan when the race heads up Mt. Baldy, but with plenty of other contenders in tow. Etixx-Quickstep salvaged the day with a fine third place from Julian Alaphilippe, with Cavendish in the points classification lead and Alaphilippe in the white jersey of best young rider.

“Today I thought might be a chance to maybe show myself if the condition was there. Voila, my condition was good,” Alaphilippe said. “I was able to stay in the front group with the best guys. In the end it was clear we couldn’t catch Skujins, so congratulations to him for a strong stage. I still wanted to go for the podium on the uphill finish and I did it. Against a guy like Peter Sagan I can be satisfied with a third place. Now I am in the White Jersey for Best Young Rider, and fourth in the GC. Tomorrow begins more chances for sprints with Mark. We’ll see what we can do. I’m learning more and more day-by-day, and if there can be an opportunity for me in the next days, why not, we will see what I can do to protect my overall position.”

In addition to the race lead, Skujins holds the mountains classification.

Results :
1 Toms Skujins (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team 4:33:10
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:01:06
3 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step
4 Daniel Alexander Jaramillo Diez (Col) Jamis – Hagens Berman
5 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:09
6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
7 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky
8 Michael Woods (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
9 Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin
10 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
11 Dion Smith (NZl) Hincapie Racing Team
12 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
13 Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
14 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Trek Factory Racing
15 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop
16 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
17 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing
18 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky
19 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team
20 Ben King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
21 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team
22 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing
23 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
24 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
25 James Oram (NZl) Axeon Cycling Team 0:01:18
26 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
27 Carter Jones (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:25
28 Ian Boswell (USA) Team Sky 0:01:35
29 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky 0:01:39
30 Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing 0:01:57
31 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky
32 Gregory Obando Brenes (Crc) Jamis – Hagens Berman 0:02:16
33 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Cycling Team 0:03:39
34 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:04:45
35 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
36 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo
37 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing 0:06:05
38 Chris Butler (USA) Team SmartStop 0:06:34
39 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:07:25
40 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:07:45
41 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Cycling Team 0:08:00
42 Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka 0:08:10
43 Travis McCabe (USA) Team SmartStop 0:08:54
44 Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:12:23
45 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
46 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:13:42
47 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Team Sky 0:14:26
48 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky
49 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:14:28
50 Evan Huffman (USA) Team SmartStop 0:15:19
51 Oscar Clark (USA) Hincapie Racing Team
52 Jos van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:16:07
53 Daniel Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
54 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
55 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Jamis – Hagens Berman
56 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek Factory Racing
57 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka
58 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
59 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
60 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
61 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka
62 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
63 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team
64 Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
65 Robin Carpenter (USA) Hincapie Racing Team
66 Will Routley (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
67 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
68 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
69 Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
70 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:16:31
71 Koen de Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:21:01
72 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
73 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
74 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
75 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
76 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
77 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
78 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
79 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
80 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
81 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
82 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
83 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
84 Eric Marcotte (USA) Team SmartStop
85 Edward King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
86 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka
87 Tom Zirbel (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
88 Jempy Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
89 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin
90 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
91 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
92 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Jamis – Hagens Berman
93 Dennis van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
94 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
95 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
96 Stephen Leece (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman
97 Robert Sweeting (USA) Team SmartStop
98 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Etixx – Quick-Step
99 Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk
100 Carson Miller (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman
101 Travis Livermon (USA) Team SmartStop
102 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
103 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Etixx – Quick-Step
104 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team SmartStop
105 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Hincapie Racing Team
106 Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
107 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Hincapie Racing Team
108 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
109 Justin Oien (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
110 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
111 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
112 Campbell Flakemore (Aus) BMC Racing Team
113 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
114 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
115 Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
116 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk 0:21:56
117 Martin Kohler (Swi) Drapac Professional Cycling
118 Travis Meyer (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
119 Jesse Anthony (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
120 Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
121 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN – Qhubeka
122 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick-Step
123 Thomas Soladay (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
124 David Williams (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman
125 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
126 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
127 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
128 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky 0:22:32
129 Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:26:47
130 Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo
131 Joshua Berry (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
132 William Clarke (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:27:49
133 Graeme Brown (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
134 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:28:19
DNF Theo Bos (Ned) MTN – Qhubeka
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNF Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo
DNF Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
DNF Scott Ambrose (NZl) Team Novo Nordisk
DNS Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin
DNS Tyler Magner (USA) Hincapie Racing Team

General Classification after Stage 3 :
1 Toms Skujins (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team 14:04:01
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:32
3 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop 0:00:43
4 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:44
5 Daniel Alexander Jaramillo Diez (Col) Jamis – Hagens Berman
6 Dion Smith (NZl) Hincapie Racing Team 0:00:47
7 Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
8 Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team
9 Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin
10 Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo
11 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky
12 Michael Woods (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
13 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
14 Joey Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
15 Sergio Luis Henao Montoya (Col) Team Sky
16 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
17 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
18 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
19 Haimar Zubeldia Aguirre (Spa) Trek Factory Racing
20 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team
21 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team
22 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek Factory Racing
23 Ben King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
24 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing
25 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:00:56
26 Carter Jones (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:03
27 Ian Boswell (USA) Team Sky 0:01:13
28 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky 0:01:17
29 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky 0:01:35
30 Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing
31 James Oram (NZl) Axeon Cycling Team 0:01:38
32 Gregory Obando Brenes (Crc) Jamis – Hagens Berman 0:01:54
33 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Cycling Team 0:03:17
34 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:04:23
35 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
36 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing 0:05:43
37 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:07:03
38 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Cycling Team 0:08:00
39 Jacques Janse van Rensburg (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka 0:08:10
40 Travis McCabe (USA) Team SmartStop 0:08:32
41 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:09:02
42 Jesus Hernandez Blazquez (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:10:47
43 Chris Butler (USA) Team SmartStop 0:11:06
44 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:12:01
45 Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:12:23
46 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:13:42
47 Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky 0:14:04
48 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:14:06
49 Oscar Clark (USA) Hincapie Racing Team 0:14:57
50 Robin Carpenter (USA) Hincapie Racing Team 0:15:36
51 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek Factory Racing 0:15:39
52 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:15:45
53 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Jamis – Hagens Berman
54 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
55 Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
56 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
57 Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
58 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN – Qhubeka
59 Daniel Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
60 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team
61 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) MTN – Qhubeka
62 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
63 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
64 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:16:09
65 Evan Huffman (USA) Team SmartStop 0:17:28
66 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:17:36
67 Xabier Zandio Echaide (Spa) Team Sky 0:18:15
68 Will Routley (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:18:49
69 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:20:19
70 Jempy Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 0:20:35
71 Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:20:39
72 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing
73 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
74 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN – Qhubeka
75 Koen de Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
76 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team SmartStop
77 Eric Marcotte (USA) Team SmartStop
78 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
79 Dennis van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
80 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
81 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Etixx – Quick-Step
82 Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek Factory Racing
83 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
84 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
85 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Hincapie Racing Team
86 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
87 Edward King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
88 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
89 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
90 Justin Oien (USA) Axeon Cycling Team
91 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
92 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Team Giant-Alpecin
93 Lasse Norman Hansen (Den) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team
94 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
95 Robert Sweeting (USA) Team SmartStop 0:20:57
96 Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:21:01
97 Travis Livermon (USA) Team SmartStop
98 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Jamis – Hagens Berman 0:21:28
99 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk 0:21:34
100 Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
101 Travis Meyer (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling
102 Jesse Anthony (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
103 Martin Kohler (Swi) Drapac Professional Cycling
104 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Hincapie Racing Team 0:21:35
105 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:21:47
106 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:23:03
107 Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:23:10
108 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN – Qhubeka
109 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
110 Thomas Soladay (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:23:43
111 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN – Qhubeka
112 Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:24:08
113 Campbell Flakemore (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:24:50
114 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:25:51
115 Darren Lapthorne (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:26:02
116 Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky 0:26:21
117 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:26:23
118 Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 0:26:54
119 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:27:03
120 Tom Zirbel (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
121 Stephen Leece (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman
122 Joshua Berry (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:27:11
123 William Clarke (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:27:18
124 Jos van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo 0:27:25
125 Carson Miller (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman 0:27:27
126 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:27:53
127 Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk 0:27:55
128 Daniele Ratto (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:27:58
129 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick-Step
130 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:28:50
131 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN – Qhubeka 0:29:36
132 David Williams (USA) Jamis – Hagens Berman 0:32:51
133 Graeme Brown (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling 0:33:32
134 Matti Breschel (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:33:43