Toms Skujins vince la quinta tappa dell' Amgen Tour of California dopo una lunghissima fuga verso South Lake Tahoe. Il giovane corridore lettone che veste la maglia della Cannondale Pro Cycling bissa il successo dello scorso anno e si impone così nella difficile tappa ricca di saliscendi, ben 2600 metri di dislivello. Non solo ma Toms Skujins ha vinto anche il premio combattività della giornata, visto che già nella prima salita è stato il più attivo del gruppetto dei 18 fuggitivi. Sulla seconda ascesa Carson Pass l'allungo del lettone assieme ad Adam De Vos (Rally Cycling) e Xabier Zandio (Team Sky). Un'ulteriore allungo verso l'arrivo ha consentito a Toms Skujins di vincere la volata a due su De Vos, staccato di 8" Zandio. Non male gli italiani Marco Canola, 31° ad 1'01 ed Jacopo Guarnieri, 35° ad 1'04". La Maglia Gialla di leader resta sulle spalle di Julian Alaphilippe con 22" su Peter Stetina.
VERSION EN FRANCAISEUn an après avoir brillé à San José, le jeune Letton Toms Skujins (Cannondale Pro Cycling) s'est à nouveau imposé sur l'Amgen Tour of California après une longue échappée vers South Lake Tahoe. Sur un terrain difficile, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) a souffert pour conserver son maillot jaune. La championne des Etats-Unis Megan Garnier (Boels-Dolmans) a elle remporté la première étape de la course féminine.
Tout juste 24 ans et déjà deux jolis succès sur l'Amgen Tour of California. Le jeune Letton Toms Skujins (Cannondale Pro Cycling Team) s'est imposé jeudi sur un parcours des plus musclés entre Lodi et South Lake Tahoe (212 kilomètres). Plus de 2.600 mètres d'élévation sur une seule étape, l'Amgen Tour of California n'avait jamais connu ça. Une aubaine pour le courageux Skujins, déjà vainqueur d'une belle étape l'année dernière à San José.
Les difficultés du jour ont rapidement attiré un groupe de 18 coureurs à l'avant de la course. Désigné combatif du jour, Tom Skujins se montrait déjà actif dans la première côte répertoriée, poussant à 4 minutes l'avance des échappés sur le peloton à une trentaine de kilomètres de l'arrivée. La deuxième ascension, Carson Pass, a ensuite permis au Letton de s'isoler à l'avant de la course avec Adam De Vos (Rally Cycling) et le vétéran Xabier Zandio (Team Sky). Les trois hommes se sont rapidement retrouvés en position de se disputer la victoire d'étape, avec une avance d'une minute sur leurs anciens compagnons et un peloton incapable de réduire l'écart. Toms Skujins a ensuite dominé l'emballage final pour signer la deuxième victoire de sa formation américaine cette semaine, trois jours après Ben King. Derrière, le groupe du maillot jaune Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) s'est déchiré dans les dernières rampes menant à l'arrivée.
"J'ai vraiment souffert aujourd'hui", lâchait Alaphilippe, septième sur la ligne d'arrivée. "Nous n'avons fait que monter toute la journée. Je ne me suis pas entraîné en altitude et c'est vraiment un effort différent." Toujours leader après cinq étapes, le Français doit maintenant défendre sa position sur un contre-la-montre dans les rues de Folsom. "Je vais faire les 20 kilomètres à fond pour essayer de sauver ce maillot, mais ce n'est pas ma spécialité. Je vais faire le maximum." 
ENGLISH VERSIONAfter a long day in the breakaway as the peloton cruised from Lodi to South Lake Tahoe, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team’s Toms Skujiņš (LAT) led a group of three out ahead of the leaders, up the mountains where elevations approached 8,600 feet at the apex, and over the finish line at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
“It wasn’t easy to get in the break, of course, because people knew that the break might stick,” said Toms Skujiņš. “I luckily managed to get in the right one.” The speeds were high on the flattest part of today’s 131.7-mile course, the second longest of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California, as the peloton rolled out along Lodi’s vineyards and orchards, a reprieve before the rising altitudes approaching South Lake Tahoe, where crowds were 10 deep for long stretches.
A breakaway of 18 riders escaped at about 45 minutes into the race day and was holding a 3-minute advantage around today’s midway point. Cannondale’s Toms Skujiņš attacked at Kirkwood summit, the first of three King of the Mountain (KOM) categorized climbs today. Now down to 16, the leaders had increased their lead to four minutes with 20 miles left to ride, and with the second KOM at Carson Pass in their sights. BMC Racing Team picked up the pace between the two climbs, pulling the peloton to steadily close the gap, while 24 year-old Toms Skujiņš, who claimed the mountainous San Jose stage and a three-day stint as race leader last year, launched a solo attack on the leaders at the front. He was soon joined by Rally Cycling’s Adam De Vos (CAN) and Team Sky’s Xabier Zandio (ESP), the oldest rider in the race at 39.
The three quickly built their lead to nearly one minute over the remaining breakaway riders. The peloton containing Etixx – Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) wearing the Amgen Race Leader Jersey, and World Champion Peter Sagan (SVK) of Tinkoff was about three minutes back from the leaders with less than 10 miles to go. With less than four miles left to ride, the chase group remained about 50 seconds back from the race leaders, splintering with various attacks and counters to pull it back together. The three leaders held strong on the final uphill mile to Heavenly Mountain Resort, all vying for the stage win, with Toms Skujiņš ultimately coming to the line the clear winner of the day ahead of De Vos and then Zandio. In addition to the stage win, Toms Skujiņš came away from today’s stage with the Breakaway from Cancer®Most Courageous Rider Jersey.
Riding in the main peloton today, Tinkoff's Peter Sagan (SVK) retains the Visit California Sprint Jersey. The SRAM Best Young Rider Jersey stays with Roseville, Calif. native, Neilson Powless (USA) of the Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team for the third consecutive day, and Rally Cycling’s Evan Huffman (USA) retains the Lexus King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey, which he’s worn since Stage 3. The leader board remains mostly in tact after today, with Alaphilippe retaining the overall lead by 22 seconds over Trek – Segafredo’s Peter Stetina (USA), followed by George Bennett (NZL) of Team Lotto NL – Jumbo, who held onto third place overall despite a flat tire on the descent of the second KOM today, and BMC Racing Team’s Brent Bookwalter (USA) in fourth; Team Giant-Alpecin’s Laurens ten Dam (NED) moves up to fifth place.
Toms Skujins 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
