TOC Stage 7 - LA Time Trial

Todays stage of the Tour of California was really the last opportunity for a big GC shake up, combine that with being the only stage in this years race that took place close enough for most Southern Californians to watch the riders go by, and it was always going to be a massive day.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was going to try to get a VIP pass for todays stage since I missed out yesterday.  Brad's significant other, Eryka, entered me in a contest posted by V Australia on twitter during the day on Thursday, while I was staring out a train window between Oakland and LA.  The first I'd actually heard about said contest was when I checked in to my LA hotel late Thursday night and checked my email, where I found an email from V Australia's marketing manager regarding VIP passes for Friday's stage to Big Bear.  I didn't quite know what to make of it, since at that point I hadn't read Eryka's emails explaining she had entered me in a twitter contest, and while I had been given a contact within the Fly V Australia team before leaving for the race, since the rider wasn't on the roster for California, I thought better of making the call.   To cut a long story short, I had to contact the marketing manager for V Australia by 3.30 in the afternoon on Thursday to arrange to have the pass sent to me, I didn't read the email until 9.30 pm on Thursday, I also didn't have any means to get out to Big Bear, since it's around a 2 hour drive from LA, and the road that goes up there was going to be closed most of the day anyway, so I figured my best shot was trying my luck in swapping stages.  I don't know how many phone calls later (but I have every idea they weren't cheap!) I didn't have an answer, so I thought my best bet was to visit the V Australia tent today and play the poor Aussie tourist card.  Again, I was too late, as they had found homes for their allocation of VIP passes for the day, but I did manage to score a couple of bottles (although if you timed it right, just about anybody could have done the same).

On to the racing.  Being a time trial, and being an out and back/circuit type course, there was plenty of opportunities to catch the riders, and since in a TT the riders are all going solo, it's also a great time to pick out the favorites to try and catch some photos.  Since the leaders were going off later in the afternoon I spent the early part of the stage checking out the lifestyle festival (I only bought 2 T-shirts today, and got another for nothing) and the teams compound, where riders were warming up and preparing for their time against the clock.  Conveniently for the riders and spectators alike, this was right near the start chute, so I could bounce between the compound and start line catching riders outside their busses and on the course, but it didn't stop me from missing current world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (although he has had a very disappointing tour to date, but you can't peak for 8 months a year).  My position near the chute was also near a split in the out and back section of the course that headed south towards the LA Coliseum, so for any given rider I had the potential to see them 4 times on the 2 lap circuit.

[caption id="attachment_67" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Although Cav missed the time cut yesterday, he still showed up to keep the sponsors happy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Spartacus post race, and Andy Schleck pre race"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_70" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Avid readers of Bikesnob NYC will recognize this man, The Lone Wolf"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_71" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Dave Z evidently likes to warm up wearing a sleeping mask..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_72" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Bjarne Riis, sorting out radios for Andy Schleck"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_73" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Jens warming up prior to his start, his 5th place on the stage catapulted him into the top 5 overall"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_74" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Peter Sagan ahead of his start"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_75" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Michael Rogers warming up"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Points leader and best young rider Peter Sagan"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_78" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Dave Z dives in to the corner"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Crowd favorite Levi Leipheimer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Captain America, US National TT Champion Dave Zabriske"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_81" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Mick Rogers on a flyer"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_82" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Aussie Rory Sutherland, highest placed non pro tour rider in 5th place overall entering stage 7"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_83" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Michael Rogers on his way to 2nd place on the stage, and securing his yellow jersey"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_84" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Dave Zabriske could only manage 3rd on the stage, losing precious seconds overall to our Mick"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_85" align="aligncenter" width="510" caption="Mick Rogers, 150 meters to go"][/caption]

At the conclusion of the stage, HTC Columbia were the big winners, with German national TT champion Tony Martin taking out the stage, and Michael Rogers' second place secured valuable seconds over GC rival Dave Zabriske to extend his overall lead to 9 seconds.  Although tomorrows stage includes 4 repeats of the climb on Mullholand Highway, HTC have demonstrated that they are able to defend the jersey, and Rogers has made all the selections the race has created to date.  Well done Mick, and good luck tomorrow.