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Cycling Fri Feb 13 2009
And over on the West Coast
The Amgen Tour of California starts its fourth running on Saturday with a prologue stage in Sacramento that is apparently throwing a pump through the spokes of a meeting of the Californian legislative body. The Tour of California, along with the Tour of Missouri, are the two definitive pro-only stage races in the United States, now that the Tour of Georgia is dead. A shame, too, because the Tour of Georgia was a sporting spectacle that saw some epic riding on the part of Tom Danielson, Floyd Landis and Kanstantin Siutsou (who?)
But back to tomorrow. Yes, the press and public are going gonzo over Big Tex, y'know, Lance, but let's not forget the real riders to watch. Levi Leipheimer, who as Lance Armstrong's teammate on the Astana squad, has won the race the past two years and is reportedly gunning for his third. What about Garmin-Slipstram rider Christian Vande Velde, who as a Chicagoland native, also represents Flatland for the squad in argyle? Brash Manxian Mark Cavendish of Columbia-Highroad is the sprinter to gape at, but Big George Hincapie may find himself at the front of the pack in the twilight of his long, sometimes-starcrossed career.
The race is available to watch on Versus or Cycling.TV.
ManxLondoner / February 13, 2009 6:37 PM
Mark Cavendish may be Brash but he is not a 'Manxian'. He is Manx - a national of the Isle of Man. This small island is producing some amazing young cycling talent and Cav is the fastest of the lot. Enjoy watching him sprint!