Peter Sagan , ancora lui ! Il Campione del Mondo ha vinto allo sprint la quarta tappa dell'Amgen Tour of California che si è corsa mercoledì, quando in Italia era notte fonda , più o meno le due della mattina di questo giovedì, da calcolare infatti le nove ore di differenza di fuso orario tra l'Europa e la California. La tappa finisce normalmente intorno alle quattro del pomeriggio ora locale nella costa ovest degli Stati Uniti . I colori dell' iride risplendono sul traguardo di Laguna Seca, dove Peter Sagan, sulla pista che normalmente ospita le gare di motomondiale, con un potentissimo sprint dei suoi ha preceduto Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team ) e Nathan Haas . Primo degli italiani Gianni Moscon che ha chiuso al 14°posto, bene anche Marco Canola, 24° all'arrivo. Julian Alaphilippe conserva la maglia gialla di leader con 22" di vantaggio su Peter Stetina a due giorni dalla cronometro di Folsom , frazione che può essere decisiva per questo Amgen Tour of California nel quale Peter Sagan potrebbe ancora aumentare il proprio bottino di vittorie personali, iniziato sei anni fa, nel 2010, al suo debutto nella gara a tappe californiana. Immagini spettacolari che ci arrivano dall'Amgen Tour of California con paesaggi fantastici, vi consiglio di guardare l'album fotografico in fondo pagina !
VERSION EN FRANCAISELe champion du monde Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) poursuit sa moisson de bouquets américains avec un quinzième succès record sur les routes de l'Amgen Tour of California, mercredi à Laguna Seca. Une nouvelle fois en vue dans le final, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) conserve son maillot jaune à mi-course. Jeudi, le peloton féminin entrera également en action et retrouvera la course homme à South Lake Tahoe.
Après une victoire au sprint pour marquer son retour sur les routes américaines, Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) a démontré une autre facette de son talent, mercredi. Le champion du monde slovaque a de nouveau pris le meilleur sur ses rivaux puncheurs dans un final rythmé pour remporter à Laguna Seca la 4e étape de l'Amgen Tour of California, sa quinzième victoire depuis ses débuts sur l'épreuve en 2010. "C'était dur, mais bon !", s'amusait Sagan après son effort victorieux. "Je suis très heureux pour mes coéquipiers et très satisfait de cette victoire." Cette victoire permet au Slovaque d'endosser à nouveau le maillot vert de leader du classement par points, mais sans options d'arracher le jaune à coup de bonifications comme il l'avait fait en 2015, après avoir perdu plus de 20 minutes mardi sur les pentes de Gibraltar Road.
Au lendemain de sa prise de pouvoir, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) a répondu présent dans les deux ascensions venues muscler les dix derniers kilomètres de l'étape la plus longue de ce 11e Amgen Tour of California (215 km depuis Morro Bay). Après avoir laissé son équipe travailler derrière les échappés du jour, parmi lesquels Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data), Alaphilippe est sorti du peloton avec un groupe de poursuivants venus reprendre le dernier fuyard, Greg Daniel (Aexon Hagens Berman), à moins de 4 kilomètres de l'arrivée. Ruben Guerreiro (Aexon Hagens Berman) et Nathan Haas (Dimension Data) ont alors chacun tenté de faire la différence. En vain. Samuel Sanchez (BMC Racing Team) a fait l'effort et Peter Sagan a fini par s'imposer devant Haas et Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team). Solide leader, Julian Alaphilippe conserve la tête du général à deux jours du contre-la-montre décisif de Folsom (20,3 km). Parmi ses rivaux, seul Lachlan Morton (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis) a cédé du terrain, victime d'une chute qui le renvoie au 37e rang au classement général.
ENGLISH VERSIONWorld Champion Peter Sagan (SVK) of Tinkoff has claimed his 15th all-time Amgen Tour of California stage win after a long and hilly ride northward on one of the most scenic and iconic stretches of California roadway, Highway 1, through Monterey County. “It was hard, but good,” said Sagan, when asked about today’s stage. “I’m very happy for my other teammates, and I’m very happy to have won.”
At 133.6 miles, the 2016 race’s longest stage began in Central Coast’s charming Morro Bay. The peloton of 133 faced undulating hills much of the day with a total of 8,500 feet of climbing during the only south-to-north route along Highway 1 in 11 years of the race. Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s Mark Cavendish (GBR), who has nine Amgen Tour of California stage wins to his credit, was among a breakaway that formed about an hour into the race and stuck until a series of climbs toward the stage conclusion in the final miles. The 2011 World Champion was awarded the Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider Jersey for his ride out front. “The plan today was to get in the break,” said Cavendish. “We had a good card to play with Nathan Haas in the final, which we wanted to, but we didn’t want to have to ride to do that, because we wanted as many guys as possible in the final to help him, so the best option to support that was to get in the break.”
Also in the breakaway were Axeon Hagens Berman’s 21 year-old Greg Daniel (Denver, Colo.), who spent his second day in the row riding out front, and Direct Énergie’s Ryan Anderson (CAN). In the last seven miles of the race, the peloton faced two categorized climbs to reach the finish at a destination known worldwide for speed, the Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. As the cyclists fought it out in the streets, the breakaway was mostly overtaken and the peloton shattered, with attacks coming from all sides as riders vied for position early in the climb. The WorldTour teams worked up front including Etixx – Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) to defend his Amgen Race Leader Jersey won yesterday. The last remnants of the breakaway, Anderson drove at the front, with Daniel eventually gaining ground to take a solo first position up the climb with about 3 miles left to ride.
A chase group containing Sagan, Nathan Haas (AUS) of South Africa’s Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka and Alaphilippe caught up to Daniel with about two miles to go. Another attack from Axeon Hagens Berman, this time from Ruben Guerreiro (POR), was countered by Haas after a hairpin right turn on the race track, to take the lead with just over one mile to go. BMC Racing Team’s Samuel Sánchez (ESP) worked to close the gap, with Sagan coming forward to put himself into contention for the finish sprint. Haas attacked on the final climb and led out the sprint to the finish. Sagan summoned his trademark burst of speed to propel him there first. Haas ended the stage in third place, with BMC Racing Team’s Greg Van Avermaet (BEL) swooping in to claim second.
Sagan’s performance will put him in the Visit California Sprint Jersey tomorrow, and he is the overall leader for that Points competition as well. The SRAM Best Young Rider Jersey will stay with Neilson Powless (USA) of Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team, who turned in another impressive performance on today’s climb, and Rally Cycling’s Evan Huffman (USA) retains the Lexus King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey. At the midpoint of the race, there is no change to overall top-5 riders with Alaphilippe retaining overall lead by 22 seconds over Trek – Segafredo’s Peter Stetina (USA), followed by George Bennett (NZL) of Team Lotto NL – Jumbo, BMC Racing Team’s Brent Bookwalter (USA) and Powless, all within striking distance and 43 seconds of the race leader.
Peter Sagan Win 4° Stage Amgen Tour of California Photogallery : Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images Ezra Shaw/Getty Images – Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Brian Hodes/Velo Images
