BIG BEAR LAKE — After six days and more than 700 miles of racing, the Amgen Tour of California will likely be determined in about 30 minutes of high-speed, individual racing today.
Peter Sagan (Liquigas), the 20-year-old Slovakian, claimed his second straight stage and fifth win this season, and Australia's Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) kept his narrow lead Friday in the longest and most difficult sixth stage, a 135.3-mile trek from Palmdale to Big Bear Lake, in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 8 seconds.
Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) of Australia was second, compatriot Rogers finished third and Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack) of Santa Rosa was fourth.
Rogers, who assumed the race lead with his runner-up finish in Stage 5, maintained a four-second advantage over David Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions). With his 10-second stage winner bonus time, Sagan moved into third place overall, trailing by nine seconds.
Leipheimer dropped one position overall to fourth and trails by 14 seconds.
The sixth stage featured seven climbs, including reaching an elevation of more than 7,000 feet on the fourth ascent of the day about 60 miles into the stage. But while the stage was relentless, the race's overall profile had prompted a prevailing prerace consensus. The 20.9-mile time trial will determine the race winner.
"It was pretty tough, up and down and there was a lot of wind," said Rogers, the three-time former world time trial titlist of the most difficult stage in the event's five-year history. "It was 40,000 feet of climbing, but the individual climbs weren't that difficult. That's why a small group didn't get away."
The seventh stage, despite its climbs, featured a straight, slightly uphill finish into Big Bear Lake. It wasn't conducive to Leipheimer's best talents.
"The Tour of California could be a bigger race if it had a mountain-top finish," Leipheimer said. "But here you had a sprint finish with a big group. It will have to happen tomorrow."
The stage's severity may have been manageable for overall contenders, but it shattered the field. Eleven riders, including former race leader Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) of Great Britain, finished more than 48 minutes behind and were eliminated by the time limit.
An additional 17 riders, including Stage 5 winner Francesco Chicchi (Liquiqas) of Italy, abandoned the race during the stage for various reasons.
Sagan, who won three stages of prestigious European races prior to his two Tour of California stages, surged ahead of the main title contenders in the closing meters. Rogers, meanwhile, was content with third place.
"I was just happy to gain the four seconds," said the 30-year-old who finished third overall last year, trailing Leipheimer by 45 seconds. "Every second counts."
Indeed, it will.
In the seventh stage, the cyclists will pedal individually on a two-lap circuit that will take top riders about 30 minutes while at top speeds of more than 30 mph.
As per cycling etiquette, the field will ride in reverse order, beginning at 1 p.m. The route will take the riders past the Staples Center and other well-known downtown Los Angeles entertainment locales, including L.A. Live, ESPN and the Nokia Theatre.
Leipheimer, who won the final time trial of the 2007 Tour de France, is scheduled to start at 3:24 p.m. Rogers will start at 3:30 p.m. The top 14 riders in the overall standings are all with 35 seconds.
Leipheimer has built his success at the Tour of California via his time trial skills. He hasn't won a road stage, but he has claimed two prologues and three individual time trials in the race's five-year tenure.
"(Dave) Zabriskie, Michael (Rogers) and I are on the same time trial level," Leipheimer said. "It will be tough, but I'm confident."
The eight-day race concludes with an 83.5-mile circuit race Sunday in Thousand Oaks.
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