Tyler Farrar Takes Stage 4 in California

By Jim Freibert – May 16, 2013–California. Edited by Jen Benepe

Tyler Farrar clinched the finish at the fourth stage of the big California race yesterday.

The stage was once again nearly dominated by the internationals, until the finish, when Americans placed one and two to the line

The next fifteen places were all foreign, not domestic, pros.

But who will remember anyone other than Tyler Farrar, unless they remember he was just ahead of second place rider Ken Hanson, number 125 of Optum who earned a 6-second time bonus, or the third place Belgian, Gianni Meersman, of Omega Pharma Quickstep.

Behind Kris Boeckmans, was fifth place Peter Sagan who congratulated Farrar for winning (in stage 3 Farrar was third, Sagan was first, and today’s 6th place, Mick Matthews, was between them).

At the end of the day, all the race category leaders kept their jerseys, and it looks like 115 riders will start Thursday’s stage from Santa Barbara to Avila Beach.  More familiar roads for ATOC veterans, but the sprinters and tired climbers will not like climbing San Marcos Pass to leave Santa Barbara!

From the standpoint of long-time tour of California, today’s stage was about as close as you get to a “classic” for the Amgen Tour of California

The race has traveled between Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita three times before, almost a reverse of today’s route in 2007 and ’08, and part of this course was used in 2006.

And this was the first time Santa Barbara has been visited in May, a particularly great time for riders and spectators to visit one of the most fragrant areas of America.

Substantial quantities of America’s orchids, roses, and other flowers are grown in and around the Santa Barbara and Carpenteria areas where Jens Voigt upped the pace before the finish – also a spot where you’re no doubt, inhaling more citrus scents, than at a perfume counter!  Maybe he was inspired, remembering his sweetheart, Stephanie, the mother of their six children!

Earlier, closer to the Santa Clarita start, the riders skirted some of the more infamous short climbs used in the Amgen Tour’s first few years, and there’s little doubt that the veterans breathed a sigh of relief that the killer climbs east of Ventura were not included this year.

For you professional wannabes, with a sense of humor, or aspiring, wannabe professional racers, a new addition to this years race is a GRID, with competitors numbers… imagine you’re in 23rd place overall,… you really want to mark the riders in 22nd, 21st, and 20th place, and if you can – pass and gain time on those rivals in particular you improve your, and your teams standings.

The grid allows riders to cut out names and numbers, tape the small pieces to their bars or stems (easier than writing on your arm, the old fashioned way of the pros), and look to beat these guys at the line!

You didn’t think it was coincidental that so many stage racers finish in the same clusters day after day, did you?

If you’re not watching the race, and you want to see why San Marcos pass is so memorable – come back tomorrow, because a picture is worth a thousand words, and Cyclists International should have some exclusive photos.

It’s nothing like Manhattan, Greenwich, Providence, Boston, or Philly!  This pass, and these exact roads that criss-cross it, are part of the reason several world class teams return to Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley behind it, to train – why they’ve left the names of rivals, teams, and Tour champions painted on these side roads for nearly 30 years!

2013 Amgen Tour of California Stage 4 Results

Pos. No. UCI Code Rider Team Time Gap

1. 14 USA19840602 FARRAR, Tyler GRS 03:14:09 00:00:00
2. 125 USA19820414 HANSON, Ken OPM 03:14:09 00:00:00
3. 24 BEL19851205 MEERSMAN, Gianni OPQ 03:14:09 00:00:00
4. 72 BEL19870213 BOECKMANS, Kris VCD 03:14:09 00:00:00
5. 51 SVK19900126 SAGAN, Peter CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
6. 46 AUS19900926 MATTHEWS, Michael OGE 03:14:09 00:00:00
7. 35 NOR19780118 HUSHOVD, Thor BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
8. 21 FRA19790630 CHAVANEL, Sylvain OPQ 03:14:09 00:00:00
9. 118 NZL19801006 VENNELL, Jeremy BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
10. 148 BEL19920417 STUYVEN, Jasper BCT 03:14:09 00:00:00
11. 53 CAN19890525 BOIVIN, Guillaume CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
12. 108 GER19860326 VOSS, Paul TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
13. 104 AUS19870927 DEMPSTER, Zakkari TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
14. 82 IRL19830907 DEIGNAN, Philip UHC 03:14:09 00:00:00
15. 66 DEN19850430 MORKOV, Michael TST 03:14:09 00:00:00
16. 65 AUS19920908 MCCARTHY, Jay TST 03:14:09 00:00:00
17. 147 USA19920421 PUTT, Tanner BCT 03:14:09 00:00:00
18. 107 AUT19881021 SCHORN, Daniel TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
19. 31 USA19880812 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
20. 106 POR19850424 PIMENTA, Jose Joao TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
21. 32 USA19840216 BOOKWALTER, Brent BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
22. 3 LUX19840719 DIDIER, Laurent RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
23. 105 POL19801027 HUZARSKI, Bartosz TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
24. 83 USA19831205 EUSER, Lucas UHC 03:14:09 00:00:00
25. 153 USA19861205 JENKINS, Max 5HR 03:14:09 00:00:00
26. 61 AUS19791220 ROGERS, Michael TST 03:14:09 00:00:00
27. 68 SUI19810509 ZAUGG, Oliver TST 03:14:09 00:00:00
28. 128 USA19770529 ZWIZANSKI, Scott OPM 03:14:09 00:00:00
29. 143 CAN19910912 DUCHESNE, Antoine BCT 03:14:09 00:00:00
30. 121 USA19880826 HAGA, Chad OPM 03:14:09 00:00:00
31. 33 SUI19861209 FRANK, Mathias BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
32. 77 NED19880118 VAN POPPEL, Boy VCD 03:14:09 00:00:00
33. 151 ESP19760309 MANCEBO, Francisco 5HR 03:14:09 00:00:00
34. 4 ESP19800205 IRIZAR, Markel RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
35. 71 BEL19861106 DE GENDT, Thomas VCD 03:14:09 00:00:00
36. 2 USA19850509 BUSCHE, Matthew RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
37. 47 AUS19880111 MEYER, Cameron OGE 03:14:09 00:00:00
38. 56 USA19830131 KING, Edward CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
39. 81 AHO19840215 DE MAAR, Marc UHC 03:14:09 00:00:00
40. 96 CAN19830110 ROTH, Ryan CSS 03:14:09 00:00:00
41. 137 CUB19790407 ROMERO AMARAN, Luis JSH 03:14:09 00:00:00
42. 101 CZE19871115 KOENIG, Leopold TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
43. 103 ESP19890506 DE LA CRUZ, David TNE 03:14:09 00:00:00
44. 1 GER19710917 VOIGT, Jens RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
45. 67 ITA19740514 TOSATTO, Matteo TST 03:14:09 00:00:00
46. 95 SLO19811015 GAZVODA, Gregor CSS 03:14:09 00:00:00
47. 131 COL19851206 ACEVEDO, Janier JSH 03:14:09 00:00:00
48. 55 ARG19830418 HAEDO, Lucas Sebastian CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
49. 134 USA19780922 JACQUES-MAYNES, Ben JSH 03:14:09 00:00:00
50. 113 USA19890227 JONES, Carter BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
51. 93 USA19880216 BUTLER, Chris CSS 03:14:09 00:00:00
52. 8 ESP19770401 ZUBELDIA, Haimar RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
53. 52 POL19850307 BODNAR, Maciej CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
54. 57 SLO19861125 KOREN, Kristijan CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
55. 145 USA19910824 MANNION, Gavin BCT 03:14:09 00:00:00
56. 36 FRA19820202 MOINARD, Amael BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
57. 37 ITA19760225 PINOTTI, Marco BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
58. 58 DEN19811204 VANDBORG, Brian CAN 03:14:09 00:00:00
59. 7 LUX19850610 SCHLECK, Andy RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
60. 152 USA19840328 ENGLISH, Nathaniel 5HR 03:14:09 00:00:00
61. 5 LUX19920922 JUNGELS, Bob RLT 03:14:09 00:00:00
62. 78 NED19820911 WESTRA, Lieuwe VCD 03:14:09 00:00:00
63. 94 TPE19881102 FENG, Chun Kai CSS 03:14:09 00:00:00
64. 41 AUS19861020 SULZBERGER, Wesley OGE 03:14:09 00:00:00
65. 142 USA19920220 CRADDOCK, Lawson BCT 03:14:09 00:00:00
66. 123 USA19750226 CANDELARIO, Alexander OPM 03:14:09 00:00:00
67. 11 USA19790112 ZABRISKIE, David GRS 03:14:09 00:00:00
68. 116 USA19730903 MCCARTY, Pat BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
69. 38 SUI19860929 SCHAR, Michael BMC 03:14:09 00:00:00
70. 114 NZL19870412 TORCKLER, Michael BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
71. 13 USA19870219 FAIRLY, Caleb GRS 03:14:09 00:00:00
72. 111 USA19751015 BALDWIN, Christopher BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
73. 115 USA19820124 MCCARTNEY, Jason BPC 03:14:09 00:00:00
74. 16 AUS19920102 MORTON, Lachlan David GRS 03:14:09 00:00:00
75. 22 BEL19820527 DE WEERT, Kevin OPQ 03:14:09 00:00:00
76. 28 ESP19921104 VERONA, Carlos OPQ 03:14:09 00:00:00
77. 126 USA19830820 SOLADAY, Thomas OPM 03:14:24 00:00:15
78. 75 NED19890616 LINDEMAN, Bertjan VCD 03:14:26 00:00:17
79. 73 ESP19770917 FLECHA, Juan Antonio VCD 03:14:26 00:00:17
80. 43 AUS19781012 COOKE, Baden OGE 03:14:32 00:00:23
81. 48 AUS19890608 MEYER, Travis OGE 03:14:36 00:00:27
82. 64 DEN19860420 JORGENSEN, Jonas Aaen TST 03:15:00 00:00:51
83. 92 IRL19850607 BRAMMEIER, Matt CSS 03:15:03 00:00:54
84. 44 AUS19861002 DOCKER, Mitchell OGE 03:15:20 00:01:11
85. 12 AUS19900528 DENNIS, Rohan GRS 03:15:37 00:01:28
86. 15 USA19880101 HOWES, Alex GRS 03:15:40 00:01:31
87. 17 USA19910313 RATHE, Jacob GRS 03:15:40 00:01:31
88. 91 USA19860815 BEYER, Chad CSS 03:15:40 00:01:31
89. 156 USA19850821 STEMPER, James 5HR 03:15:40 00:01:31
90. 85 USA19790806 JONES, Christopher UHC 03:16:17 00:02:08
91. 86 USA19870618 KEOUGH, Jake UHC 03:16:17 00:02:08
92. 122 USA19850612 ANTHONY, Jesse OPM 03:16:17 00:02:08
93. 88 USA19841215 MURPHY, John UHC 03:16:17 00:02:08
94. 98 HKG19840605 WU, Kin San CSS 03:16:17 00:02:08
95. 138 USA19810304 WREN, Tyler JSH 03:16:17 00:02:08
96. 63 USA19821114 DUGGAN, Timothy TST 03:16:17 00:02:08
97. 84 SLO19840901 ILESIC, Aldo Ino UHC 03:16:17 00:02:08
98. 144 USA19920728 EASTMAN, Ryan BCT 03:16:17 00:02:08
99. 146 NZL19930617 ORAM, James BCT 03:16:17 00:02:08
100. 157 USA19870605 SWEETING, Robert 5HR 03:16:17 00:02:08
101. 74 NED19901104 KREDER, Wesley VCD 03:16:17 00:02:08
102. 26 BEL19910214 VAN KEIRSBULCK, Guillaume OPQ 03:16:17 00:02:08
103. 102 ITA19870803 BENEDETTI, Cesare TNE 03:16:17 00:02:08
104. 141 USA19910707 BROWN, Nathan BCT 03:17:40 00:03:31
105. 117 USA19770522 PIPP, Frank BPC 03:20:09 00:06:00
106. 135 USA19890109 MILLER, Carson JSH 03:20:09 00:06:00
107. 154 USA19811109 MILNE, Shawn 5HR 03:20:09 00:06:00
108. 18 BEL19810204 VAN SUMMEREN, Johan GRS 03:20:09 00:06:00
109. 124 CAN19850822 COOPER, Marsh OPM 03:20:53 00:06:44
110. 132 USA19861111 DRISCOLL, James JSH 03:20:53 00:06:44
111. 158 USA19880619 WILLIAMS, David 5HR 03:20:53 00:06:44
112. 87 USA19771208 LOUDER, Jeffry UHC 03:20:53 00:06:44
113. 62 AUS19820108 CANTWELL, Jonathan TST 03:20:53 00:06:44
114. 97 NED19811103 TRASKEL, Bobbie CSS 03:23:00 00:08:51
904. 34 BEL19820705 GILBERT, Philippe BMC Did Not Start
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