Slovakian cyclist Peter Sagan claimed Stage 5 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Thursday. The 21 year-old earned his fifth win of the 2011 cycling season and improved his lead in the Herbalife Sprint Competition. He entered the day with a one point lead over Juan Jose Haedo but will expand that lead with his Thursday performance.
Overall race leader Chris Horner retained his lead without losing any time as he finished with the main pack in the closing sprint. He was not expected to lose any ground today and he was further helped by a strong tailwind that led to a quicker than expected finish for the peloton.
The Tour moves into the Solvang time trial on Friday. The trial is 15 miles long and race leader Chris Horner would appear to be in his element for this stage. He’ll be looking to build on his 1:15 cushion in advance of what will be a brutal climb up Mount Baldy.
Overall Standings
We’ll continue to provide race updates in our 2011 Tour of California story stream, and you can find more in-depth discussion of each stage at Podium Cafe.