TOUR OF CALIFORNIA STAGE 1: HAEDO WINS SPRINT

Team CSC took their second consecutive stage win at the Tour of California in Santa Rosa on Monday, with Argentina?s JJ Haedo following on from Fabian Cancellara?s prologue win on Sunday.

Haedo was given a perfect lead out by Cancellara and the other CSC riders and won by several lengths. It was his second stage win in Santa Rosa and his fifth win in three editions of the Tour of California. Gerald Ciolek (High Road) was second and fellow German Heinrick Hausler (Gerolsteiner) was third.

Tom Boonen was the big favourite for the sprint after Quick Step set up a lead out train for him in the final kilometre but he touched wheels with George Hincapie after the High Road rider was hit by another rider in the dark tunnel with four hundred metres. Boonen sat up after the tangle and finished out of the leading placings. Hincapie came off the worst and hit the road at 70km/h, landing on his head. He also suffered some nasty road rash but will at least try and start Tuesday?s second stage to Sacramento.

The 155km stage turned into a nervous battle for precious time bonuses after the close result of Sunday's prologue. Jackson Stewart (BMC) was the lone breakaway of the stage but behind him Mark Cavendish and Tyler Farrar (Slipstream) fought for every second in the sprints and reduced the gap on Cancellara and the leader?s yellow jersey.

The mid-race series of climbs away from the Pacific coast caused the peloton to blow apart and then Slipstream dragged a lead group of 60 riders clear after realising Mark Cavendish had failed to make the split over the top of the climb. High Road team manager Bob Stapleton told Cycling Weekly that Cav missed the front group by just 20 metres but was unable to get back on because of Slipstream?s hard work on the front. Cavendish eventually finished 5-17 behind Haedo. He also punctured on the last lap to end a bad day for the young British sprinter. Mario Cipollini (Rock Racing) also suffered on the climb and finished 5-17 down

Cavendish was in no mood to talk after the stage and was angry and disappointed as he set off to ride to his hotel in Santa Rosa. Cipollini took things a little more philosophically, clearly enjoying just being back in a bunch after almost three years away.

Team Slipstream used a lot of firepower to make sure Cavendish did not get back on but were then unable to match CSC and Quick Step in the sprint. Farrar finished sixth and now second, two seconds behind Cancellara.

Tuesday?s 187km second is across the Napa valley wine district from Santa Rosa to the California state capital of Sacramento. Haedo won here last year but will knows he that Tom Boonen will be determined to win after missing out in Santa Rosa.

1 Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 97 miles in 4-03-29

2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road

3 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner

4 Dominique Rollin (Can) Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team

5 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step

6 Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle

7 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner

8 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Bouygues Telecom

9 Freddie Rodriguez (USA) Rock Racing

10 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank all at same time.

British

27 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream-Chipotle

62 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) High Road all at same time

76 Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road at 5-17

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) CSC in 4-07-20

2 Tyler Farrar (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle at 2secs

3 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) High Road at 4secs

4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana at 6secs

5 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream-Chipotle at 7secs

6 Gustav Larsson (Swe) CSC at 8secs

7 David Zabriskie (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle at same time

8 Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Bissell Pro Cycling at 9secs

9 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) High Road at same time

10 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Slipstream-Chipotle at 10secs

Other British

76 Mark Cavendish (GBr) High Road at 5-21

Stage one: Haedo wins sprint

Prologue: Cancellara wins

Video highlights: stage one

Video highlights: prologue

RELATED LINKS

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