CAVENDISH WINS BUT DISQUALIFIED FROM CALIFORNIA SPRINT

Mark Cavendish?s joy after winning the sixth stage of the Tour of California turned to bitter disappointment a few minutes later after the race commissaire?s disqualified him for taking a tow from the High Road team car after he was involved in a crash ten kilometres from the finish.

Cavendish came from behind to win the sprint and described it as one of his best ever wins but then Saunier Duval directeur sportif Matteo Algeri complained to the commissaries and they decided to penalise Cavendish and award the stage victory to Luciano Pagliarini of Saunier Duval who finished second behind Cavendish. JJ Haedo (CSC) was awarded second place and Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) third.

Mario Cipollini was also involved in the crash and like Cavendish he was given a fine and a 20-second time penalty that meant they officially finished 74 and 75th respectively.

Despite a late attack by David Millar (Slipstream), Levi Leipheimer kept his 49-second lead in the overall standings. He has only to defend the yellow jersey during Sunday?s 150km final stage to Pasadena to take his second consecutive victory in the Tour of California. The stage includes the long climb to the 1463m high Millcreek Summit but the climb could be cut due to bad weather.

?I?m tired but we all are. Tomorrow could be a miserable day but I?ve got a team that can respond to any attacks by Millar and Vandevelde,? Leipheimer said.

?Rubiera is riding very strong and can stay with anybody. We?re optimistic that we can control the race lead until Pasadena.?

Results

1 Luciano Pagliarini (Bra) Saunier Duval-Scott 4.18.31 (40.616 km/h)

2 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC

3 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step

4 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road

5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank

6 Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota

7 Alexander Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies

8 Markus Zberg (Swi) Gerolsteiner

9 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team

10 Pedro Horrillo Munoz (Spa) Rabobank

General Standing

1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 25.33.23

2 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream 0.49

3 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Slipstream 1.08

4 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 1.18

5 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team CSC 1.19

6 David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream 1.36

7 Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 2.07

8 Jurgen Vandewalle (Bel) Quick Step 2.11

9 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 2.18

10 Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team 2.27

Stage seven: Leiphemier wins Tour of California

Stage six: Cavendish wins, then gets disqualified

Stage five: Leipheimer sets up victory

Stage four: wind and rain lash race

Stage three: Leipheimer takes the lead

Stage two: Boonen wins in the rain

Stage one: Haedo wins sprint

Prologue: Cancellara wins

Video highlights: stage five

Video highlights: stage four

Video highlights: stage three

Video highlights: stage two

Video highlights: stage one

Video highlights: prologue

RELATED LINKS

Millar happy with second in Tour of California

Stage six video interviews

Cavendish angry about disqualification

Stage five video interviews

Millar: "We won't let Leipheimer win it"

Stage four video interviews

Stage three video interviews

Millar picks Cancellara as favourite for California TT

Cancellara and Millar to challenge Leipheimer

Tour of California: photo gallery

Cipollini: "Third here is worth a hundred other victories"

Stage two: Cavendish angry after sprint mix-up

Cancellara angry with Hamilton, Sevilla, Botero protests

Cancellara: "I always have to win prologues"

Wiggins and Millar unhappy with prologue rides

Tour of California: preview