Posted by Editoress on 08/26/11
Clear blue skies and remarkable crowds welcomed the riders to the Stage 4 finish in Steamboat Springs, as 22-year-old Elia Viviani (ITA) took a strong lead-out from teammate Daniel Oss of Liquigas-Cannondale and outsprinted the field to take the win. After another impressive day of racing, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Team RadioShack retained the overall lead and will wear the Quiznos Leader Jersey heading into the penultimate stage tomorrow, which takes the riders from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge.
“Today was a nice day because it was a little bit shorter and flat, and I think all the riders were looking forward to that – it’s nice to have a mixture of stages,” said Leipheimer. “While I was riding I had the chance to look around and it was just breathtaking. Through all the communities you could tell that the entire population had come out to cheer us on and that was really nice.”
With beautiful weather against a stunning backdrop, Stage 4 of the race, which would take the riders on an 82.8-mile route to Steamboat Springs, began with two neutral laps around the city of Avon. Although there were no categorized KOMs on this stage, it was filled with rolling hills through beautiful ranching country that would still prove to make a challenging route.
A breakaway of three riders formed early in the stage and included Stefen Denifl (AUT) of Team Leopard-Trek, Cristhian Montoya (COL) of Gobernacion de Antioquia and Janier Acevedo (COL) also of Gobernacion de Antioquia. They were chased and soon joined by a duo from Team Type 1-sanofi Vladimir Efimkin (RUS) and Rubens Bertogliati (SUI). The breakaway of five managed to maintain a two-minute lead over the peloton for a good part of the race.
In the only sprint competition of the day, Denifil crossed the line at Oak Creek first, followed by Acevedo and Bertogliati. With no KOMs in the stage, the riders would focus on the stage win for the rest of the day.
With the entire Liquigas-Cannondale squad leading the chase at an average speed of 25 mph, the break was swallowed up with 4.5 miles to go to the finish in Steamboat Springs. With a wide, open road ahead the pack was spread out across the road. In the final stretch heading into the finish various riders and teams went to the front to go for the win, but ultimately the Liquigas-Cannondale team was able to get Viviani across the line first, followed by Michael Morkov (DEN) of Saxo Bank SunGard and Kenny Van Hummel (NED) of Skil-Shimano.
“Of all the events I’ve ever attended that was the most energetic finish I’ve seen,” said Shawn Hunter, co-chairman and CEO of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. “Today’s crowd was by far the biggest of the week and we keep growing – this race is only going to get bigger and bigger.”
Leipheimer retained the Quiznos Leader Jersey. Viviani took the Smashburger Sprint Jersey. Van Garderen kept the Sheets Best Young Rider’s Jersey for the fifth straight day. The Nissan King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey was once again awarded to Walter Pedraza Morales (COL) of UNE-EPM. And the Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey went to Efimkin.
Results from the 5th stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado
Stage 4: Avon to Steamboat Springs, 133.2 | |
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 2:58:14 |
2 Michael Christiansen Morkov (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
3 Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil - Shimano | |
4 Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
5 Dennis van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
6 Jaime Castaneda (Col) EPM - UNE | |
7 Danny Summerhill (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
8 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
9 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
10 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy | |
11 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
12 Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Cycling | |
13 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
14 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
15 Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
16 William Dugan (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
17 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
18 Martin Mortensen (Den) Leopard Trek | |
19 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
20 Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy | |
21 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
22 Carlos Alberto Ospina Hernandes (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
23 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling | |
24 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack | |
25 Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
26 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
27 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
28 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Esp) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
29 Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek | |
30 Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Col) EPM - UNE | |
31 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek | |
32 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team RadioShack | |
33 Rafael Infantino Abreu (Col) EPM - UNE | |
34 Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE | |
35 André Steensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
36 Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
37 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
38 Nic Hamilton (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
39 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team RadioShack | |
40 Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Col) EPM - UNE | |
41 Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
42 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
43 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
44 Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (Col) Team Exergy | |
45 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
46 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Cycling | |
47 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
48 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Skil - Shimano | |
49 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad | |
50 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
51 Ben King (USA) Team RadioShack | |
52 Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
53 Eduard Beltran Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE | |
54 Chris Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
55 Alastair Loutit (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
56 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
57 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
58 Lucas Euser (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
59 Laurent Didier (Lux) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
60 Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek | |
61 Flavio de Luna (Mex) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
62 Anders Lund (Den) Leopard Trek | |
63 Lachlan Norris (Aus) HTC-Highroad | |
64 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling | |
65 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
66 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
67 Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
68 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek | |
69 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
70 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | |
71 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
72 Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad | |
73 Sergio Henao Montoya (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
74 Rafael Montiel (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
75 Oscar Alvarez (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
76 Andrés Miguel Diaz (Col) Team Exergy | |
77 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
78 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
79 Jason McCartney (USA) Team RadioShack | |
80 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling | |
81 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
82 Javier Megias Leal (Esp) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
83 Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Cycling | |
84 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
85 Rubens Bertogliati (Sui) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | |
86 Martin Reimer (Ger) Skil - Shimano | |
87 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Bissell Cycling | |
88 Carlos Fernando Piamonte Rodriguez (Col) EPM - UNE | |
89 Alex Hagman (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
90 Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek | |
91 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | |
92 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
93 Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | all s.t. |
94 Philipp Ries (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 0:13 |
95 Alejandro Ramirez Calderon (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 0:20 |
96 Adrian Hegevary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:23 |
97 Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:28 |
98 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad | 0:33 |
99 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:36 |
100 Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 0:41 |
101 Sebastian Salas (Can) Team Exergy | 0:56 |
102 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 1:03 |
103 Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | |
104 Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
105 William Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | |
106 Francois Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
107 Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
108 Cristhian Montoya Giraldo (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | |
109 David Boily (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
110 Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Skil - Shimano | |
111 Kai Applequist (USA) Team Exergy | |
112 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | |
113 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team RadioShack | |
114 Craig Lewis (USA) HTC-Highroad | |
115 Rob Britton (Can) Bissell Cycling | |
116 Ryan Roth (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
117 George Bennett (NZl) Team RadioShack | |
118 Matt Cooke (USA) Team Exergy | all s,t, |
119 Sander Oostlander (Ned) Skil - Shimano | 1:31 |
120 Scott Zwizanski (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | s.t. |
121 Sam Johnson (USA) Team Exergy | 2:28 |
DNS Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
DNS Bruno Langlois (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | |
GC | |
1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack | 13:28:43 |
2 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | all 0:11 |
3 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad | 0:17 |
4 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 0:21 |
5 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:53 |
6 Rafael Infantino Abreu (Col) EPM - UNE | 1:14 |
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 1:18 |
8 Stef Clement (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 1:42 |
9 Bruno Pires (Por) Leopard Trek | 1:49 |
10 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 1:50 |
11 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team RadioShack | 2:07 |
12 Jeffry Louder (USA) BMC Racing Team | 2:17 |
13 Fränk Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek | s.t. |
14 Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE | 2:20 |
15 Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 2:35 |
16 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling | 2:38 |
17 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 2:46 |
18 Sergio Henao Montoya (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 3:14 |
19 Oscar Sevilla Ribera (Esp) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 3:16 |
20 Peter Stetina (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 3:26 |
21 Eduard Beltran Suarez (Col) EPM - UNE | 3:35 |
22 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | 3:54 |
23 Gustav Erik Larsson (Swe) Saxo Bank Sungard | 4:11 |
24 Lucas Euser (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 4:28 |
25 Laurent Didier (Lux) Saxo Bank Sungard | 4:40 |
26 Rubens Bertogliati (Sui) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 4:49 |
27 Jaime Castaneda (Col) EPM - UNE | 5:01 |
28 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 5:08 |
29 Stefan Denifl (Aut) Leopard Trek | 5:48 |
30 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Skil - Shimano | 5:55 |
31 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | 5:59 |
32 Andrés Miguel Diaz (Col) Team Exergy | 6:10 |
33 Alex Hagman (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 6:16 |
34 Jens Voigt (Ger) Leopard Trek | 6:17 |
35 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 6:28 |
36 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | s.t. |
37 Anders Lund (Den) Leopard Trek | 6:42 |
38 Philip Deignan (Irl) Team RadioShack | 6:52 |
39 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek | 6:59 |
40 Danny Summerhill (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 7:24 |
41 Valery Kobzarenko (Ukr) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 7:30 |
42 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 7:36 |
43 Carlos Fernando Piamonte Rodriguez (Col) EPM - UNE | 7:37 |
44 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 7:38 |
45 Ben King (USA) Team RadioShack | 7:56 |
46 Chris Butler (USA) BMC Racing Team | 7:59 |
47 Hayden Roulston (NZl) HTC-Highroad | 8:14 |
48 Chad Beyer (USA) BMC Racing Team | 8:20 |
49 Edward Stiver Ortiz Caro (Col) EPM - UNE | 8:29 |
50 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 8:43 |
51 Cristhian Montoya Giraldo (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 9:29 |
52 Rafael Montiel (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 9:37 |
53 Flavio de Luna (Mex) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 9:53 |
54 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad | 10:07 |
55 Edward King (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale | 10:29 |
56 Javier Megias Leal (Esp) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 10:32 |
57 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 10:33 |
58 Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 10:36 |
59 Lachlan Norris (Aus) HTC-Highroad | 10:50 |
60 Daniel Navarro Garcia (Esp) Saxo Bank Sungard | 11:02 |
61 George Bennett (NZl) Team RadioShack | 11:06 |
62 Sebastian Salas (Can) Team Exergy | 11:07 |
63 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 11:24 |
64 Alejandro Ramirez Calderon (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 11:25 |
65 Thomas Bonnin (Fra) Skil - Shimano | 12:02 |
66 William Dugan (USA) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 12:14 |
67 Matt Cooke (USA) Team Exergy | 12:14 |
68 Davide Frattini (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 13:16 |
69 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) HTC-Highroad | 13:41 |
70 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale | 14:22 |
71 David Zabriskie (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo | 14:56 |
72 Walter Fernando Pedraza Morales (Col) EPM - UNE | 15:38 |
73 Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad | 15:49 |
74 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team | 16:07 |
75 Carlos Alberto Ospina Hernandes (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 16:28 |
76 Rob Britton (Can) Bissell Cycling | 16:52 |
77 Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Cycling | 17:01 |
78 Laurens ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 17:09 |
79 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale | 17:17 |
80 Oscar Alvarez (Col) Gobernacion de Antioquia - Indeportes Antioqua | 17:59 |
81 Martin Mortensen (Den) Leopard Trek | 18:02 |
82 David Boily (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 18:09 |
83 Fred Rodriguez (USA) Team Exergy | s.t. |
84 Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Cycling | 18:11 |
85 Nic Hamilton (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 18:14 |
86 Philipp Ries (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 18:22 |
87 Michael Christiansen Morkov (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | 18:36 |
88 Thimothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team | 18:53 |
89 Alastair Loutit (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | s.t. |
90 Dennis van Winden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team | 18:54 |
91 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 19:09 |
92 Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | 19:21 |
93 Scott Zwizanski (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 19:59 |
94 Martin Reimer (Ger) Skil - Shimano | 20:13 |
95 André Steensen (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard | 20:23 |
96 Caleb Fairly (USA) HTC-Highroad | 20:26 |
97 Francois Parisien (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 20:33 |
98 Andrew Dahlheim (USA) Bissell Cycling | 20:41 |
99 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Bissell Cycling | 20:55 |
100 Robert Förster (Ger) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 21:46 |
101 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 21:54 |
102 Thierry Huppond (Fra) Skil - Shimano | s.t. |
103 Erik Slack (USA) Team Exergy | 22:09 |
104 Jeremy Vennell (NZl) Bissell Cycling | 22:38 |
105 Craig Lewis (USA) HTC-Highroad | 23:19 |
106 Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil - Shimano | 23:22 |
107 Adrian Hegevary (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 23:25 |
108 Jason McCartney (USA) Team RadioShack | 23:33 |
109 Bradley White (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 24:15 |
110 Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 25:24 |
111 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 26:26 |
112 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale | 26:32 |
113 Frank Pipp (USA) Bissell Cycling | 26:49 |
114 Sander Oostlander (Ned) Skil - Shimano | 27:48 |
115 Fabio Calabria (Aus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi | 28:32 |
116 Ryan Roth (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 | 30:04 |
117 Ben Hermans (Bel) Team RadioShack | 31:05 |
118 Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar (Col) Team Exergy | 34:14 |
119 Kai Applequist (USA) Team Exergy | 34:40 |
120 Sam Johnson (USA) Team Exergy | 34:49 |
121 William Dickeson (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda | 35:55 |