TOC Stage 7: High Road Gets Their Win, Fans Get Their Fill

Rainy Pasadena was host to the finish of the 2008 Tour of California

For the past week, the Tour of California has brought top-flight, Euro-syle bike racing to American fans across the state. With five world champions, and numerous Classics and stage race winners, the 2008 Tour has been by far the biggest and best in the three years it has been held. Attendance for the race this year approached 2 million, despite terrible weather throughout the week.

The crowds for the final stage were enormous despite the horrible weather

Stage seven, from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, promised more of the same as poor weather was predicted at the finish line in southern California. And although the rain held for awhile, in the end all were soaked as waves of water fell on both spectator and athlete alike. The funny thing was that it didn’t matter. Fans showed up in droves to watch the action, and the athletes in turn obliged the crowd with an exciting race from start to finish.

Hincapie was on good form, and would not be denied for stage seven

The day’s major break was a powerful one, filled with solid, talented riders. High Road’s George Hincapie was there, as was Rory Sutherland of Health Net, Oliver Zaugg of Gerolsteiner, Bouyges Telecom’s Dimitre Champion, Bissel’s Tom Zirbel, Slipstream’s Dany Pate, Rock Racing’s Mike Creed, CSC’s Jason McCartney, Yannick Talabardon of Credit Agricole, and BMC’s Taylor Tolleson. The group worked well together, and held the peloton at bay for much of the race.

Rabobank pushes through the rain, searching for the breakaway

But as the break approached the finishing circuits around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the riders began to grow restless, and the cooperation that had existed between them melted away, as different riders began to attack the group, looking for a decisive gap. After several such attacks, Tom Zirbel of the Bissel team was able to go clear and make his play for the win.

Zirbel went off alone in search of the victory, but was unsuccessful

Pursuing Zirbel was a powerful group of four from the original ten man break: Hincapie, Creed, McCartney, and Sutherland. Taking turns at the front, they kept Zirbel in their sites, allowing him to have a twenty second gap for five of the six laps around the Rose Bowl stadium.

Hincapie leads the chase for Zirbel, who was 20 seconds up the road

Meanwhile, back in the peloton, Rabobank and Quick Step were riding at the front trying to reel in the break. Astana too rode tempo, as they tried to keep race leader Leipheimer at the front of the group and out of trouble. But as the bell rang for the final lap, it was apparent that the breakaway wouldn’t be caught, and so all of the pace-making duties fell to Astana.

Astana at the front, keeping race leader Leipheimer out of trouble

As Zirbel time trialed his way to the finish, Hincapie, McCartney, Sutherland, and Creed worked to close the gap. They seemed to purposely keep Zirbel just in front of them, until about half way through the final lap, when Sutherland and Hincapie passed the 29 year old American, effectively ending his bid for victory. Creed, Zirbel and McCartney were able to bridge back up to Sutherland and Hincapie, and the stage was set for a five-up sprint for the win.

As the group approached the finish line, they were all bunched together, marking each other and waiting for someone to initiate the sprint. Sutherland finally went, but Hincapie was able to come around him with ease, giving team High Road the victory they so desperately wanted---and needed, to make their 2008 Tour of California a success.

The stage seven podium: Sutherland, Hincapie, McCartney