The short hard stage to Mount Baldy arrives and after a hard week of racing over hilly terrain and the odd bit of chrono we have the figure of Cancellara leading.
Yesterday was tough for the Swiss engine, today will be tougher! Still he has to be taken out with a squabbling bunch of climbers waiting behind. Brajkovic, Machado, Uran and Van Den Broeck look the hungriest. Though the climbing prowess of Contador must not be underestimated.
The riders get into climbing the Glendora ridge road almost immediately before a long descent and intermediate sprint. From there we begin another of our long ascents, but unlike yesterday the climb doesn't level out it rears up nastily to the top of Mount Baldy.
Eight riders get up the road to make our breakaway.
Le Bon Ten Dam Summerhill Rooijakkers Kluge Pavarin at 4.45 on GC and with 22 KoM points Rabon at 2.48 on GC Rolland at 2.33 on GC
There are two second category classed climbs today along with the Hor Category finish to Baldy. Pavarin is unlikely to win the king of the mountains competition but could finish second by taking the two early primes. He nabs the first easily.
The descent from the climb is long and we see some misfortune as Koenigsegg climber Pedraza comes a cropper and slips out of the pack.
We will see if he can work his way back to the pack on the valley roads.
The break arrive at the sprint where Rolland out kicks Rabon for the six bonus seconds.
The bad news for the break is that Red Bull are bafflingly chasing them quite hard with 50km to go their lead is down to 3.30 from six minutes they had at the top of the climb.
It is also bad news for Pedraza who is not getting back on at all.
40km to go
Break of 8 lead
112 man pack 2.22 Pedraza at 6.28
Gruppeto at 7.51 (These guys have to watch out on today's short one)
The pace work continues by the Red Bull's they have it down to 1.40 at the begin of this long hard ascent to Mount Baldy.
We can see here that Machado's Pearl Adidas squad and Brajkovic's CalGiant squad are ready to take the reins.
It is the waiting game now as Red Bull go back to this steady climbing maintaining a 1.30 gap to the breakaway through Moinard and Margoliot.
Nerz decides to give it a go.
It could be a move for the young riders jersey currently held by Bobridge.
This prompts a move by Medvedev, Valls and ....
CONTADOR!
Up front the break is nearly reeled in but not before Pavarin nips forward and seals second place overall on the KoM classification.
Contador has been accelerating up the last 2km of this climbing section and has really stretched things behind. this is bound to cause a selection of some sort.
It settles down momentarily with Contador joining Pavarin, Summerhill and Rooijakkers 30 seconds ahead of a stretched 90 man pack.
Red Bull find an ally in Grivko who pulls Contador back, but Van Den Broeck immediately counters.
However like Contador he cannot get away, with WWE trying something through Ardila.
The climbers will have eyed up this domed section with 13km to go
to launch and with Ardila 30 seconds up the road as a perfect carrot they are ready to attack again.
It's Van Den Broeck again this time with Uran and LL Sanchez. Brajkovic quickly bridges also.
Brajkovic attacks on dragging LL Sanchez and Martin with him to Ardila as we get to 10km to go.
Race situation
Ardila, Brajkovic, LL Sanchez, Martin lead
55 man pack led by Uran at 30 seconds.
Cancellara is beginning to drift back with Moinard
8.5km to go: Valls, Contador and Denifl pull pack up to the leaders.
59 riders left in the front group but we still have the nasty kick to the summit of Baldy. TvG and Rolland have been dropped.
Jack Bobridge is also dropped.
This means Nerz, Talanskiy and Margaliot look set to battle for the young riders jersey.
Approaching the descent down to Baldy Cancellara and Moinard come to the front. This prompts more attacks.
It's Valls, Ardila, Denifl, Siutsou, Frank, Nerz, De La Fuente and Vanendert.
No joy as Moinard is leading Cancellara into the last three kilometres!
Machado, Brajkovic, Uran and Van Den Broeck are in positions to attack.
The road kicks up with 2.2km to go.
Valls kicks with 1800m to go.
Ardila, Uran, Denifl and Sanchez Gil are in the wheels. Valls cannot sustain on this 10% gradient as Sanchez Gil pushes hard.
This is the moment here with Machado, Denifl, VdB and Brajkovic, Uran on the pedals.
Contador is way back.
700m left.
Machado uses Sanchez as a launch pad, he needs that bonus and another 30 seconds to take the GC off of Cancellara. He should get it if gaps open up.
Denifl, VdB are there with Brajkovic struggling to hold them.
Uran is leading the remnants behind, Contador is now coming past Cancellara.
Denifl cannot match Machado up front, who is at full gas charging toward the California title.
Brajkovic is making a late burst to get second, no way back to Machado. Uran has found space too late also.
Machado takes his second stage of the race and this was the big one.
Denifl takes a fine second on Baldy ahead of Van Den Broeck who denies Brajkovic the bonification today. Sanchez Gil and Uran look like they are with this group on time, a crucial late juncture by Uran perhaps as he had a good TT the other day.
Contador leads the rest home.
A shocking result from him there, California is not agreeing with Berti.
Cancellara finishes in amongst the group behind Contador, he defended himself incredibly well today. Nerz is alongside, the likely recipient of the young riders jersey.
On Gc then, Machado then takes the lead, with Brajkovic just edging Cancellara into third. Uran is fourth over Van den Broeck. Contador is back in 12th.
Just one rider missed the time cut Aasveld.
Stage results
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Tiago Machado
Pearl Adidas
3h25'12
2
Stefan Denifl
Wikipedia
+ 13
3
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
4
Janez Brajkovic
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
s.t.
5
Luis Leon Sanchez Gil
Project 1t4i
s.t.
6
Rigoberto Úran
Milka - AVG
s.t.
7
Alberto Contador
Festina-Canal+
+ 43
8
Rafael Valls
Santander
+ 54
9
Branislav Samoilev
Pearl Adidas
s.t.
10
Daniel Martin
Pendleton's
s.t.
11
Dmitri Medvedev
Vesuvio - Accumalux
s.t.
12
Robin van der Hugenhaben
Koenigsegg
s.t.
13
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Team WWE
s.t.
14
Franco Pellizotti
Team WWE
s.t.
15
Mauricio Ardila
Team WWE
s.t.
16
Klaas Vantornout
Aker - MOT
s.t.
17
Dominique Nerz
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
18
Vladimir Gusev
Pendleton's
s.t.
19
Konstantin Siutsou
Pendleton's
s.t.
20
David De la Fuente
Lotto - Cervelo
s.t.
21
Andrei Grivko
Team B&O
s.t.
22
Andrew Talansky
Wikipedia
s.t.
23
Arnold Jeannesson
Heineken presented by California Giant Berry Farms
