Fans in Pasadena came out in droves to witness the finish to Stage 7 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, which included five, five-mile laps on a very demanding circuit through the area surrounding the Rose Bowl.
After a challenging day of cycling, Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA) of AG2R-La Mondiale crossed the finish line to take the stage, followed closely by Hayden Roulston (NZL) of Cervelo Test Team and Pieter Weening (NED) of Rabobank. Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana retained the overall lead heading into the final stage of the race, which will take riders into San Diego County for the first time, as they race from Rancho Bernardo to Escondido tomorrow.
Stage 7 top-five finishers:
1) Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA), AG2R La Mondiale
2) Hayden Roulston (NZL), Cervelo Test Team
3) Pieter Weening (NED), Rabobank
4) Markus Zberg (SUI), BMC Racing Team
5) Martin Elmiger (SUI), AG2R La Mondiale
General Classification top-five standings as of Stage 7:
1) Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2) David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
3) Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
4) Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank
5) Thomas Lövkvist (SWE), Team Columbia-High Road
Stage 7 jersey winners include:
Amgen Race Leader Jersey- Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey- Christian VendeVelde (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
Herbalife Sprint Jersey- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey- Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey- Jason McCartney (USA), Team Saxo Bank