Rogers rides out challenges in California
Source: Agencies |
May 25, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MICHAEL Rogers of Australia won the Tour of California on Sunday, overcoming several challenges in the final kilometers to capture a race overshadowed by Floyd Landis' accusations of doping by Lance Armstrong.
Rogers won by 9 seconds after holding the lead since Thursday. Despite not having a teammate in the attacking group to help, he repelled all challenges during the 134.4-kilometer final stage on a hilly circuit in Ventura County while riding for the US-based team of HTC-Columbia.
He crossed the finish line giving a one-armed salute.
"They made me sweat until the end," Rogers said. "I really didn't expect this stage to be so hard."
American David Zabriskie of Garmin-Transitions, who led Stages 3 and 4, finished second overall, his third runner-up finish in the 5-year-old race.
"We were trying to get him to start covering attacks, but he was exceptionally strong," he said of Rogers.
Three-time champion Levi Leipheimer of the United States began the day third overall and ended up there for RadioShack. He overcame a flat rear tire near the base of one of the climbs.
"We gave it a good try," he said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Am I disappointed? Not at all. I was the main animator of the race and I have to take pride in that."
The US-based RadioShack team lost Armstrong after he crashed on Thursday. "That weakened our team," Leipheimer said.
Rogers won by 9 seconds after holding the lead since Thursday. Despite not having a teammate in the attacking group to help, he repelled all challenges during the 134.4-kilometer final stage on a hilly circuit in Ventura County while riding for the US-based team of HTC-Columbia.
He crossed the finish line giving a one-armed salute.
"They made me sweat until the end," Rogers said. "I really didn't expect this stage to be so hard."
American David Zabriskie of Garmin-Transitions, who led Stages 3 and 4, finished second overall, his third runner-up finish in the 5-year-old race.
"We were trying to get him to start covering attacks, but he was exceptionally strong," he said of Rogers.
Three-time champion Levi Leipheimer of the United States began the day third overall and ended up there for RadioShack. He overcame a flat rear tire near the base of one of the climbs.
"We gave it a good try," he said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Am I disappointed? Not at all. I was the main animator of the race and I have to take pride in that."
The US-based RadioShack team lost Armstrong after he crashed on Thursday. "That weakened our team," Leipheimer said.
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