It only took twelve stages worth of racing but at long last a good old fashioned domestique filled breakaway got clear, stayed clear and decided the result of yesterday's Giro stage. Did the peloton have their team radio's switched off or did the sprinters figure it was only fair to give their minions a day in the sun?
Probably the later but you won't hear Lars Ytting Bak complain as he crossed the line himself 11 seconds ahead of Sandy Casar in second with a group of five others. It didn't change the race lead but Casar did leap right up into third place and for a while was the virtual leader on the road.
With a flat stage tomorrow we can expect a bunch sprint. No way they let the grunts in the bunch another day clear of the field... Can't have them getting ahead of themselves.
Over in California...the riders dawned their skin suits, Stormtrooper type helmets and futuristic bikes to race against the clock. Dave Zabriskie was a favourite coming in and lived up to it with a big win which also seen him move into the yellow-ish jersey when Peter Sagan, the man who won the first four stages straight, barely got himself up the final climb never mind retaining his jersey.
The GC is tightly packed with two summit finishes coming up and it's going to make for fascinating racing before on the final stage they cruise through Hollywood disrupting the Ferrari driving celebrities afternoon for a finish in the heart of LA in which Sagan will get back to winning ways.
