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Tour of California Prologue: Live Coverage - See how the race unfolded

Published: Feb. 17, 2008
  • 12:36 PM: Good day and welcome
    to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the first stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California.
  • 12:54 PM: Today's course
    represents a big change from the last two editions of the AToC prologue, in which riders rode to the top of San Francisco's Telegraph Hill. Today, riders are taking on a relatively flat 3.5km course at the Stanford University campus.

    Who that might favor is anyone's guess. Levi Leipheimer was tops in the prologue last year, but this is a course designed to favor a pursuit specialist, so we won't know until the last rider — Leipheimer — has finished the course at the end of the day.

  • 01:01 PM: Today's weather
    Right now it's sunny and 56 degrees (F) in Palo Alto, with humidity at 71% and a 4mph wind out of the east — that will mean a slight headwind for most of the course. You can take a close look at the course by clicking the map button to your right.

  • 01:09 PM: Riders are already on route
    John Murphy has the best time so far, with a 4:04:479. That's a figure we'll see change throughout the day.
  • 01:14 PM: 12 riders
    Have completed the route, with Murphy's 4:04 still at the top. Rock Racing's Doug Ollerenshaw has the slowest time, with a 4:20.
  • 01:19 PM: Current top three
    1. John Murphy (Health Net), 4:04.47
    2. Dominique Rollin (Toyota), 4:05
    3. Edward King (Bissell), 4:07
  • 01:26 PM: Zabriskie
    is in the starting house. He's sporting some unique facial hair and the stars-and-stripes skinsuit. He'll be one to watch folks.
  • 01:28 PM: Zabriskie is looking good
    He's really powering through the course. We should see him close to the finish in a couple of minutes. You really ought to see the Snidley Whiplash mustache he's sporting today.
  • 01:30 PM: Sub 4:00
    Zabriskie comes in at 3:59.5 ... and now has the fastest time of the day.
  • 01:32 PM: Stuart O'Grady
    is on route. Man, we thought he would be quitting the sport after the crash he had at the Tour last year. He must have taken the advice of his wristband to heart, eh?
  • 01:34 PM: Current top three
    1. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    2. John Murphy (Health Net), 4:04.479
    3. Adam Hansen (High Road), 4:05.03
  • 01:37 PM: Thomas Lovkvist
    of team High Road his powering into the finish with a 4:02.3. You can look over to the right and check out his Giant time trial bike, if you get a chance.
  • 01:40 PM: We're 28 minutes away
    from seeing the official return to racing of none other than Mario Cipollini. That should be interesting. Right now Ben Jacques Maynes is on the road. He may be one of the dark horse favorites today. He finished third in last year's prologue on the streets of San Francisco.
  • 01:44 PM: Ben Jacques-Maynes
    is heading into the finish... and he turns in a strong time, with a 4:00.172. ... OH SO CLOSE!
  • 01:47 PM: The top-five
    1 David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    2. Ben Jacques--Maynes (Bissell), 4:00.172
    3. Thomas Lovkvist (High Road), 4:02.33
    4. Stuart O'Grady (CSC), 4:04.25
    5. John Murphy (Health Net), 4:04.479
  • 01:48 PM: Gustav Larsson
    The Swedish national TT champion is on the road. We'll watch the CSC rider to see how he does.
  • 01:51 PM: Fast Freddie
    (Rock Racing) is on the road. He's one of five riders from that team here.
  • 01:52 PM: A new leader
    Larsson turned in a 3:53.199, so he has edged Zabriskie and is only the second rider to break four minutes so far today.
  • 01:54 PM: Chris Horner
    is smiling and ready to start, soon.
  • 01:56 PM: Fred Rodriguez
    comes in at 4:09, about 19th best so far. He's wearing the new black-and-green Rock kit. I dunno why, but I keep thinking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I see it, but it is unique.
  • 01:59 PM: High Road's Cavendish
    has broken the four-minute mark. He's in third behind Larssen and Zabriskie. Horner, finishes with a 4:03, good enough for seventh best so far.
  • 02:01 PM: Tom Danielson
    is on the road. We'll see how he does. This may not be the sort of route that favors his talents, but we'll soon see.
  • 02:02 PM: The current top five
    1. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19
    2. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    3. Mark Cavendish (High Road), 3:59.65
    4. Steven Cozza (Slipstream), 4:00.12
    5. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) , 4:00.17
  • 02:08 PM: Cipo' in da house
    ... well, he's on the road now.
  • 02:10 PM: Cipollini is 1km
    from the finish. He won't top the podium ... but he's certainly the most popular here.
  • 02:11 PM: Wowie...
    ... not bad. Cipollini turns in a 4:08. He's in 20th. Wow. Not bad. He's 40 years old folks.
    How cool is that?
  • 02:16 PM: Henk Vogels
    is on route ... and folks, we've known Henk for years, but were surprised today when we saw his license, which lists him as "Hendricus Vogels." You learn something new every day.
  • 02:18 PM: By the way,
    we didn't mention Tom Danielson's finishing time. He turned in a 4:11... meaning that a 40-year-old retiree spanked him. Not a good ride today for TD.
  • 02:19 PM: Tyler Farrar is on the road
    Slipstream's Tyler Farrar is out there. He's another rider who suffered a serious crash last year, but he's on good form here today.
  • 02:21 PM: We said he was in good shape
    Farrar has turned in a 3:56.4 and he's the new leader.
  • 02:29 PM: The current top 5
    1. Tyler Farrar (Slipstream), 3:56.46
    2. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19
    3. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    4. Mark Cavendish (High Road), 3:59.65
    5. Steven Cozza (Slipstream), 4:00.12
  • 02:36 PM: Oscar Freire (Rabobank)
    Has finished with a 4:16.269... the three-time world champion has turned in the 63rd best of the day.
  • 02:38 PM: Farrar still leading
    High Road's Edvald Hagen has finished with a 3:58.891. That was good enough for second, but Farrar continues to lead.
  • 02:41 PM: Julich
    is powering through the course, using his favorite eliptical chainrings. He's using a 56-tooth ring up front.
  • 02:42 PM: 4:06
    Julich turns in a 4:06.367. That's good enough for 20th, so far.
  • 02:47 PM: Janez Brajkovic
    The winner of the 2007 Tour of Georgia just finished with a 4:12.
  • 02:48 PM: National cyclocross champion
    Tim Johnson (Health Net) has finished with a 4:13.192
  • 02:49 PM: Current top-10
    1. Tyler Farrar (Slipstream), 3:56.46
    2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road), 3:58.89
    3. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19
    4. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    5. Mark Cavendish (High Road), 3:59.65
    6. Steven Cozza (Slipstream), 4:00.12
    7. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), 4:00.17
    8. Thomas Lovkvist (High Road), 4:02.33
    9. Stuart O'Grady (CSC), 4:04.25
    10. John Murphy (Health Net), 4:04.48
  • 02:52 PM: Vande Velde
    Slipstream's Christian Vande Velde has finished with a 4:01.234. Nice ride!
  • 02:54 PM: New top 10
    1. Tyler Farrar (Slipstream), 3:56.46
    2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road), 3:58.89
    3. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19
    4. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    5. Mark Cavendish (High Road), 3:59.65
    6. Steven Cozza (Slipstream), 4:00.12
    7. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), 4:00.17
    8. Christian Vande Velde (Slipstream), 4:01.234
    9. Thomas Lovkvist (High Road), 4:02.33
    10. Stuart O'Grady (CSC), 4:04.25
  • 03:01 PM: Well, they did say
    that this course suits pursuiters. Bradley Wiggins has turned in a 3:55.980
  • 03:04 PM: The new top 10
    1. Bradley Wiggins, (High Road), 3:55.980
    2. Tyler Farrar (Slipstream), 3:56.46
    3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road), 3:58.89
    4. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19
    5. David Zabriskie (Slipstream), 3:59.58
    6. Mark Cavendish (High Road), 3:59.65
    7. Steven Cozza (Slipstream), 4:00.12
    8. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell), 4:00.17
    9. Christian Vande Velde (Slipstream), 4:01.234
    10. Thomas Lovkvist (High Road), 4:02.33
  • 03:05 PM: David Millar
    He's in the start house. We have to follow this one. He's the British time trial champion.
  • 03:06 PM: Millar is flying
    We could see another top finish here today. Stand by.
  • 03:10 PM: Millar
    comes in with a time of 3:59.789, which is good enough for 7th place. Wiggins still leads. One rider to watch soon is Fabian Cancellara, the world TT champ.
  • 03:12 PM: Bettini
    is riding. The current world and Olympic champion is on course. We're not expecting him to be in the top 10, but we do expect he'll be aiming for a stage win down the road.
  • 03:13 PM: Bettini
    takes a 4:14 ... well down the finishing list, but this is not his specialty.
  • 03:18 PM: Cancellara
    is heading to the finish ... and George Hincapie is in the start house.
  • 03:19 PM: Cancellara
    BLOWS them all away! He finishes with a 3:51.211, that's 4.7 seconds better than Wiggins' time. WOW!
  • 03:23 PM: New top five
    1. Fabian Cancellara (CSC), 3:51.211
    2. Bradley Wiggins, (High Road), 3:55.980
    3. Tyler Farrar (Slipstream), 3:56.46
    4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (High Road), 3:58.89
    5. Gustav Larsson (CSC), 3:59.19

    That's what we're looking at now. Hincapie finishes with a 4:01.9. Leipheimer is the only rider out there.

  • 03:24 PM: Leipheimer
    is the last rider on the course and he's dreaming of wearing the yellow jersey to his hometown tomorrow.
  • 03:27 PM: No yellow for Levi
    It will be Fabian Cancellara (CSC) wearing the leader's yellow jersey when the Tour of California hits Santa Rosa tomorrow. The world time trial champion POWERED to a 3:51.211, which was almost five seconds better than the world pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins of Team High Road.
  • 03:34 PM: Final top five
    Here ya go, folks. This is how the day shook out.

    1. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) CSC, 3:51.211
    2. Bradley Wiggins, (GB), High Road, 3:55.980
    3. Tyler Farrar (USA), Slipstream, 3:56.46
    4. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana, 3:57.525
    5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (N), High Road, 3:58.981

    Thank you very much for tuning in today. We'll be back for complete Live Coverage of every stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. See ya tomorrow!