Hello, and welcome to stag🌠e 5 of the Amgen Tour of California! Racing will commence today at 9:30am PDT.

The race i⭕s underway, currently in a 2.9km neutral sectio🔯n.

The peloton is rolꦬling along at a leisuꦓrely 25km/hr, some riders are getting mechanical issues taken care of.

The peloton is making🌳 its way to Laguna Seca through gr♕een, rolling hills.

The race is on to Fort Ord mil▨itary base, nearing the official start of the race at km 0.

Today's stage is the longest of the Amgen Tour of California as the peloton makes its way 217.4km from S♚easide to Paso Robles. The peloton has an early start and are expected to take approximately six hours to complete theꦦ course.

And we're racing! And i🌜mmediately there's ꦍan attack from Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek).

Denifl's move was short-lived, and the peloton🧔𒅌 is back together now.

Stage five was originally intended to travel down California's iconic Highway 1 alongside the Pacific Ocean for the bulk of the stage before heading inla༺nd to Paso Robles, but landslides blocked sections of the coastal road after late winter storms in March. Today's route while be entirely inland and will showcase new scenery and town✅s.

Paso Robles last hosted a stage finish in the 2009 edition of the race, with the peloton travelling nearly exactly the same distance as today. The 2009 route, however, started to the northeast in Visalia and was flat for virtually the entire length. Today's route from Seaside will be a much hillier affair, 🤡with four KOMs on tap.

Th🃏ere's another attack. Six riders have a slight advantage.

After having two stages for the sprinters to open the Amgen Tour of California, yesterday the climbers came to the fore, with the race blowing apart on the finꦰishing ascent of Sierra Road.

Chris Horner (RadioShack) put on a tour 🍷de force performance in the closing kilometres as he soloed to victory and took over the race lead.

Here's a look at the top of the general classification heading into today:
1 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack 11:29:32
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:01:15
3 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:22
4 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:29
5 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:01:30
6 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
7 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:36
8 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Leopard Trek 0:01:50
9 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:00
11 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:02:05
12 Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo
13 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:02:33
14 Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10
15 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:02:38
16 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:44
17 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:53
18 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:04
19 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:03:19
20 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:03:25

We weren't able to g🍸et any IDs on༒ the break, but the peloton is all back together.

The tempo is a brisk 50k꧒m/h in the field as they fly by rolling coastal scrub brush and scattered pines. It's all very green after a rainy winter.

A Bissell rider has gone on the attack. They've been very aggreꦕssive thus far,💝 putting riders in every decisive break.

The peloton is passing Laguna Seca at the moment.

We had mentioned that four KOMs are on tap today. The first, the category﷽ 4 climb of Laureles Grade, is 5km away.

The battle for the mountains classification is v🐓ery tight and tod♋ay's four KOMs should be hotly contested.

The US's Jonathan Patrick McCarty, riding for Canadian Pro Continental squad Team Spidertech Powered By C10, currently tops the classification:
1 Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 12 pts
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 12
3 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack 10
4 Will Routley (Can) Team Spidertech Powered By C10 10
5 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 10
6 Matthew Busche (USA) Team RadioShack 10
7 Jesse Anthony (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies - OptumHealth 9
8 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Team RadioShack 8
9 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 7
10 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Team RadioShack 7

The peloton is now on the ascent to the first KOM. There are s▨weeping views of Carmel Valley.

The peloton is still together, trav🍎elling at a brisk tempo.

And we have an a🤡ttack from Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly p/b Kenda), but he's quickly brought back.

While the Amgen Tour of California has its official classifications, the ꦐpeloton's cyclo-cross riders have an informal 'cross classification.

Powers was keeping tabs on Lars Boom (Rabobank), but was bummed that he missed the day's decisive break, telling CN's Laura Weislo "I went one break too soon". He pr✅omised to be on the lookout today 🐎for the break.

We had an attack from Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank Cycling Team), Alexander Efimkin (Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis) and Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling), but it was quickly shut down.
 

The pa𒈔ck is strunꦕg out in approach of the first KOM

Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo) and Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling) attack.
 

We'ཧre trying to get an update on the road of the current situation.

Jonas Carny, the Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth director, thought the early KOMs woജuld force a selection. He's hoping that eit🌳her Mike Creed of Jesse Anthony can make their way into the early break.

Frankie Andreu, the director of Kenda/5-hour Energy p/b Geargrinder, spoke to Laura Weislo and thought꧒ that today would the day for a break to go the distance. He thought that RadioShack 🗹wouldn't have to worry about anyone more than six minutes down on GC.

We now have a four man break comprised of Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank Cycling Team), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo) and Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling).
 

The quartet went clear over the first KOM

KOM #1 results
1. Freire
2. Froome
3. Martin
4. Baldwini

Results of first sprint:

1. Freire
2. Martin
3. Baldwin

𝓡So we have a four-man break of Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank Cycling Teℱam), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling).

188km remaining from 217km

The escapees are 29km into the stage.

Bert Grabsch (HTC-Highroad) has abandoned.

Best young rider leader Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervelo) crashed on the desc🔥ent off the first KOM, be he's back up an🌠d regained contact with the peloton.

Oscar Freire spoke with uღs before the stage and he thought that a break could go the distance since the route is hilly and the GC order is now pretty clear. Little did we know that he had aspirations to make the m✃ove!

We have mentioned Andrew Talansky and another closely contested classification is for best young rider, which changed hands yesterday from Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) to Talansky. At the moment it appears to be shaping up as a three⭕-man contest between Talansky, Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) and Sagan.

Here's a look at the top-10 for best young rider:'
1 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 11:31:22
2 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:00:15
3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:54
4 Yannick Eijssen (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:02:38
5 Timothy Roe (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:05:53
6 Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:11:43
7 Ben King (USA) Team RadioShack 0:12:22
8 Alastair Loutit (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Kenda 0:22:36
9 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:22:53
10 Leigh Howard (Aus) HTC-Highroad

RadioShack will be expected to set tempo in the peloton, and amongst their riders is US road champion Ben King who spoke ꦍto Cyclingnews' Kirsten Frattini before today's stage.

"This week at the Tour of California has been great and I will be up there in the wind a lot with Markel and Jason and the reat of the guys. I love it, it is so rewar𒁏ding. It is so cool to finishi my job early on and roll up the climb. It was cool to get to the 💜top and have the spectators tell me that Chris won by a minute and half. It was cool to finish and see how happy everyone was, very exciting."

The four man break oꦍf Martin, Froome, Baldwin and Freire has been neutralised.

We now have 8 riders off the front and we'll provid🎉e their IDs shortly.

We have IDs of 7 of the eight riders off the front. The attackers ar♈e Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Sky Procycling), Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth).

177km remaining from 217km

They're 40km into the stage and have a lead of 1:4🍌0 over the pelo🌸ton on the approach to the second KOM.

It's very aggressive, fluid racing thus fꦏar today.

Four riders are tryin♐g to make it acros𒅌s to the break: Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling) and Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly p/b Kenda)

We had a mistake in the original composition of the break. Arvesen had aܫbandoned yesterday.

There is now a 10-ꦚman break off the front and they've passed throught ꦫthe second KOM.

We have IDs for eight of the ten riders off the front: Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Maarten Tjallingii (Rabꦿobank Cycling Team), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)

We have results for the second KOM:
1. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10)
2. Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
3. Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling)
4. Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team)
 

McCarty started the day in the KOM leader's jersey and is🍃 doing his part to defend his lead. He and Anthony had jumped from the break to contest the KOM and were then absorbed soon after into the break.

We spoke to the Steve Bauer, the Spi🎃dertech director, and he stated that they'd ride in defense of the mountains classification, and indeed they are!

The weather started cool and misty along the co꧒ast, but the temperatures are ജwarming up and the sun should be peeking through shortly as we make our way further inland.

Cyclingnews' Kirsten Frattini spoke to Brad White (UnitedHealthcare) ꦏprior to the start today:

"Our team is divided in figuring out what is going to happen today. It could be a breakaway and we will be watching for some of the bigger teams to go and that will help make our decision as to whether or not we will go in the break or not. We don’t want to burn too many guys in the breakaway because Rory has a good shot in the GC and we don’t want to burn a guy today that then c❀an’t help him later on in the race. It’s not worth us being up the road unless several other big teams are represented."

Today's stage is sponsored by Rabobank and the organisation has 250 people on-hand to watch. The 𝔉riders are definitely motivated, and Rabobank's Tjallingi is currently in the break.

The day's third KOM, the category 4 climb on Carmel 🍬Valley Road, comes 52.5km into the stage. We'll let you know the results as soon as possible.

If today's stage does end in a group sprint, former GC leader Ben Swift could be a contender to pick up his second stage win. He spoke to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Cyclingnews' Jen See yesterday.

Cyclingnews' Laura ♍Weislo caught up with Garmin-Cervelo director Jonathan Vaughters before today's stage.

"RadioShack caught onto our tactics pretty quickly [yesterday], having Thor in the break - if they had just ridden tempo instead of a full chase, he could hav💧e been away at the top and have rider reach him. Thor is one of the best descenders in the world, and if they could have had two minutes at the bottom of the final climb instead of one, it would have been a different story.

"Today we have 5 guys we can play the cards with. Horner is clearly the strongest guy in the race, we have to see if we can tactically leverage that so we can ma🌳ke it hard on him."

155km remaining from 217km

The break has pushed♊ ꦫout their lead to 3:05 at km 62.

There are now 11 riders a🎐t the head of the race. We'll have a full list shortly.

We have the names of 10 out of 11 riders currently off the front: Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (☂HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team), Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling) and Reid Mumford (Kelly♔ Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)

Their lead is now up to 3:50 over the peloton.

There's been plenty of cattle guards on the descents to keep the💙 riders on their toes. Despite the high speeds, riders are  choosing to bunny hop them!

Ah, quick correction on the break. The Kelly Benefit Strategi﷽es-OptumHealth rider is Jesse Anthony, not Reid Mumford. Sorry about that. The peloton is in a fairly remote region at the moment and updates are hard to come by for now.

There's plenty of horsepower up the road. Daniel Martin (Garmi🅷n-Cervelo) is best-place on GC, starting the day 2:05 down on Horner.

143km remaining from 217km

RadioShack is r♛iding te♉mpo in the peloton, with US road champion Ben King at the front.

The peloton is 74km into the stage.

Kirsten Frattini spoke to race leader Chris Horner yesterday. See what 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Horner had to say about his chances to stay in the leader's jersey through the final stage ﷽on Sunday.

There's another rather big race taking place c🌊oncurrent with the Amgen Tour of California, the Giro d'Italia of course. Find out what happened in stage 12 today.

And we've finally tracked down the ID of that elusive 11th rider in the break - 🍃it's Oscar Freꦏire (Rabobank)!

The break is entering Greenfield.

126km remaining from 217km

The break is at km 91 andꦫ holds a gap of 3:15 over the peloton.๊ We're in an area noted for its agriculture and are currently rolling by fields of broccoli.

It's a loღng, flat valley road surroun🌱ded y low rolling hills.

As a reminder, we have a break of 11 riders off the front comprised of: Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank Cycling Team), Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team), Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)
 

The break just made a right turn, heading south, and now haꦯve a tail wind to🌊 assist them.

The riders certainly are flying along to🥀day. At the moment they're ahead of the fastest pro𒊎jected time schedule.

There's been a crash in the field, thre✅e riders down.

Laura Weislo spoke to Jelly Belly's Bernarnd Van Ulden who's in his fourth straight Amgen Tour of California. Find out what he has to say about 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:this year's experience.

All three riders who hit the deck in 🦋the peloton are up and making their way back ꦦto the peloton.

RadioShack is setting tempo in th❀e peloton, keeping the break in check.

We're now in🌠 one of the most fertile agricultural valleys in California. Here, the land is flat a♌nd the growing season is well underway. Fields of grapes give way to lettuce and strawberries.

The riders are on roads paralleling the 101 freeway heading south to Ki🌳ng City, Steineck country.

We have results for KOM #3:

1. Anthony
2. McCarty
3. Baldwin
4. Tjallingi

Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) are having quite a duel 🌠for the KOM classification. McCarty started the day with a 3-point advantage over Anthony.

111km remaining from 217km

The eleven-man break's lead is at 3:00 with ꩲ106km completed thus far.

Jacob Rytlewski (Kenda/5-hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder) had a crash but he's up and back in the peloton.
 

Some action in the break as Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team) attacks! He's currently 20 seconds up on the remaining 10 riders.
 

The Bissell team has been very active thus far at the Amgen Tour of California and today makes it four out of four days they've put a rider up the road. Cyclingnews's Jen See talked to the Ame🦹rican Continental 🙈squad yesterday.

102km remaining from 217km

Tjallingi is back in the break, which is looking a bit dꦅisorganised at the moment. The peloton's 2:55 back.

There's b𝓀een a crash in the field. No detaiꦰls yet as to who went down.

Alex Dowsett (Sky Procycling), Gustav Larsson (Saxo Bank Sungard), Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Saxo Bank Sungard), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell Cycling), Alejandro Albe🍒rto Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home), Lജuca Damiani (Kenda/5-hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder) and Jacob Rytlewski (Kenda/5-hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder) were all involved in the crash in the peloton.

We're appro☂aching the mid-way point of today's stage w꧑ith 11 riders off the front of a RadioShack-led peloton.

Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Oscar Freire Gomez and Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team), Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissell Cycling) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) are the 11 riders on the attack.
 

The gap to the field is 2:45

The race is currently seven minutes faster than the quickest predicted🌄 sched♐ule.

A nature break is being taken by the peloton.

As the peloton stopped for the call of nature, 𒉰the break's lead has increased𝔍 slightly.

We're now in wine c𓃲ountry, plenty of vineyards along the race route.

79km remaining from 217km

✅The break is at km 138 and has a 2:55 advantage over the peloton.

Two riders i✃nvolved in the crash earlier, Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) and Gustav La🤡rsson (Saxo Bank Sungard), have abandoned. They've both been brought to a hospital with non-critical injuries.

Aꦡlex Dowsett (Sky) has also abandoned and is in his team car.

The riders are in the town of Lockwood under sunny skiesꦕ.

RadioShack is chipping🍒 away ౠat the break's advantage, now down to 2:00.

The fourth and final KOM of the day is located at km 184.2 on Interlake Road. All four KOMs today have been rate🌌d as category 4 climbs.

64km remaining from 217km

The break's bꦡeen pegged at 2:00, and they're currently 153km into the stage.

There's beau෴tiful, 𒅌sunny weather at the finish in Paso Robles.

World champion Thor Hushovd has a𒀰lso abandoned today. "I haven't been feeling very well since I arrived, and today I just felt empty. I couldn't continue. I'm very disappointed to leave the team and the race. I would hav𓆉e liked to finish because the last day was a goal for me. I wish the team luck. I'm proud of what we've done here so far."

57km remaining from 217km

The break is off the flat valley roads and back into hillier terrain. They're working smoothly togethe😼r now and have stretched their lead back out to 2:50.

Can they go the distance?

The break should stay clear through the fina🦋l KOM at 33.2km to go where Pat McCarty (Spidertech) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth🎉) can go head-to-head again for KOM supremacy.

And as a reminder, here's the composition of the 11-man break꧟:

Daniel Martin (Team Garmin-Cervelo), Martin Velits (HTC-Highroad), Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), Jeffry Louder (BMC Racing Team), Stefan Denifl (Leopard Trek), Oscar Freire Gomez and Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank Cycling Team), Bradley White (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), Jonathan Patrick McCarty (Team Spidertech Powered By C10), Christopher Baldwin (Bissꦡell Cycling) and Jesse Ant𒐪hony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth)

35km remaining from 217km

Th🌜e break's lead has been whittled back to 1:𝐆45 with 35.5km remaining.

RadioShack🧸 still doing the work at the head of the peloton.

Liquigas-Cannondale is situated just be𒁃hind RadꦜioShack

Bradley Whit🍸e (UnitedHealthcare) is being gapped out from the break a♈s they near the day's final KOM.

Luca Damiani (Kenda/5-hour Energy) looking pretty ri☂pped up from his earlier crash, having trouble staying in touch with the peloton.

The break's splitting up in approach of the KOM.

McCarty and Anthony marking each other

Denifl leading it out

McCarty𒁃 now takes over at the front and he takes maximum points. Trailed by Freire and Denifl.

McCarty will remain atop the KOM standings.

Denifl and Freire kept going over the✨ top of the KOM. Jesse Anthony is trying to bridge up to the ProTour duo.

30km remaining from 217km

RadioShack is st🐎ill powering the peloton. Their deficit is 2:20 with 30km to go.

Freire and Denifl working well together. Rabobank is sponsoring today's stage and Freire would like nothing more than 🐼to deliver the goods.

US road champion Ben King driving the peloton.

It looks like Bradley White (UnitedHea🎃lthcare) has been absorbed by the peloton♊.

Liguigas-Cannondale is now contributing to the c🌳hase, likღely hoping to set up Peter Sagan for a field sprint win.

McCarty about to be absorbed, mission 🥀accomplished for his KOM campaign today.

No word yet as to the status of the remaining riders from the originaౠl break.

24km remaining from 217km

Freire and Denifl holding steady at 2:25 u♏p on the peloton with 24.5km 🐷to go.

Riders are beginning to drop off the back of the peloton. It's a long day on th༒e🦹 road today.

Race leader Chris Horner (RadioShack) sitting comfortably near the head of the peloton, with his ever-present smil🐷e on his face.

Peloton just passed a "Share the Road" sign. Today🦩, there's no shar♌ing necessary as the peloton has a closed parcours.

20km remaining from 217km

The lead duo really want this to stick. At 20.5km ꦗto go their lead is at 2:05.

It's now up to the sprinters' te🅠ams to bring them back.

Freire and Denifl are flying downhill.

The remnants of the br🍸eak are li🌼kely to be absorbed soon.

17km remaining from 217km

17.5km to go, Freire and Denifl's lead at 1:55.

Freire alone in the lead, looks like D𓃲eni𓂃fl had a flat.

Freire not waiting, he'll miss the extra horsepower. Can he time trial🌼 the remaining 15.5km to victory?

14km remaining from 217km

Freire go🅷ing it alone, holding a 1:50 lead with 1🦋4km to go.

The peloton is stretched out single file with Liquig💖as-Cannondale doing the damage.

Ben King back on the front for RadioShack.

What was left of the break is shatt♓ered in between Freire and the peloton.

Louder, Anthony, Martin brought back.

Velits and Tjallingi are now caught.

9km remaining from 217km

9.9km to go and Freire's lead is now 1:20

8km remaining from 217km

Cameron Wurk🌠 (Liquigas-Cannondale) powering the peloton. Freire's lead at 1:10 with 8km to go.

Froome has been absorbed by the peloton.

Team car alongside Freire urging him on.

7km remaining from 217km

Gap at 1:00 with 7km remaining.

HTC-Highroad now on the front with Bernhard Eisel in the💃 lead.

Freire grits his teeth, still 100% committed.

Crash in the back of the field. Andy Jacques-Maynes💎 and Brent Bookwalter. They're up and trying to chase back on.

Peter Velits and Danny Pate now at the head of the chase for HTC-Highroad. The peloton is sཧplitting up on a false flat.

5km remaining from 217km

Not look꧒ing good for Freire. His lead is now at 2ꦬ5 seconds with 5km to go.

4km remaining from 217km

Four kilometres to go and Freꦰire's lead is a slender 15 seconds.

Freire🌌 glances back. The field has been ripped apart by HTC🌟-Highroad.

2km remaining from 217km

Freire is caught with 2.4km to go.

Attack by a Bissell rider

1km remaining from 217km

Vennell has been caught. Inside of 1km to go.

Field breaking up slightly under in🐷tense pressure.

Sagan takes it!

Leigh H💃oward led out the sprint, but Sagan kicked hard to come f𒅌rom four riders back.

Provisional top five:
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 5:16:03
2 Leigh Howard (Aus) HTC-Highroad
3 Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Procycling
4 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
5 Alex Candelario (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies - OptumHealth
 

Top three on GC remain unchanged:
1 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack 16:45:35
2 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:01:15
3 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:22
 

Thanks for tuning in to our live coverage. Tomorrow the Amgen Tour of California faces the race of truth in Solvang, w☂ith a 24km individual time trial.