“I wanted to win a stage to show to everyone that day was an off day, that I had the legs and that I have what it takes to win a stage,” Ferrari said in a post-race press conference. “I’m sorry for all that happened and what I said right after the stage. Sometimes, when something just happens, it’s hard to think clearly.”

Ferrari shot between Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) and Cavendish in the final 250 meters of stage 3 in Horsens, Denmark. He clipped Cavendish’s front wheel and caused a wave a crashes that likely ultimately cost Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) his overall lead. Immediately afterwards, he put the blame on Cavendish.

Critics argued that the race jury should eject him from the Giro d’Italia, but Ferrari was allowed to continue, albeit with a relegation to last on the stage. Today in Tuscany, nearly 2000 kilometers away from Denmark, he made headlines for all the right reasons.

Cavendish lost ground after teammate Geraint Thomas’ pedal touched the pavement through a right-hand corner in the final 350 meters. Ferrari was able to maintain his momentum and carry on, catching Tomas Vaitkus (Orica-GreenEdge) and holding off Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Francesco Chicci for the win. Cavendish settled for fourth.

“I talked with a lot of other sprinters, they didn’t say I was in the right, but they said that these things happen. They told me to go ahead, sprint as I know how to do,” Ferrari continued.

“I’m thankful for the jury to allow me to race. It was my fault, but I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Italy’s RAI television invited Cavendish to speak on its Processo della Tappa show after the stage. He complimented Ferrari’s sprint, but said that he was lucky to have the chance.

“He’s lucky to stay in the race,” explained Cavendish. “It’s not his fault he’s still in the race, he doesn’t make the decisions.”

Ferrari said that he’s thankful to the jury for the simple relegation and for the right to continue racing. He built his season around the Giro d’Italia, the biggest race of the year for his second division team.

The stage marks the 29-year-old’s biggest win to date, joining a win in the GP Lugano on his palmarès. To earn a place in bigger races outside of Italy, such as the Tour de France or the classics, he would almost certainly need to switch teams, perhaps joining the first division. Ferrari said he would consider opportunities in the future, but is satisfied with Gianni Savio’s Pro Continental squad.

“I have a good relationship with Gianni Savio, he allows me to win in Italy and doesn’t put on pressure,” said Ferrari. “Who knows, though, in the future maybe I’ll have a chance, but I’d need to evaluate the offer.”

Savio told VeloNews that Ferrari’s contract ends with the close of this season.

“Like everything, there’s pro and cons to switching teams,” Savio said. “He has a good contact with our team, but yes, with this win, his value increases.”

After it bottomed out last Monday in Horsens, Ferrari’s stock is back on the rise.

“If Mark was strong, he would have won today,” Cipollini said on RAI. “I am beginning to wonder if he’s at the same level as last year. Will he be ready for the Olympics? I do not know. Even when his team delivers him, he’s not winning as easily as he used to.”

Cavendish didn’t take the bait and defended his ride so far through this Giro, which includes two stage victories and the red points jersey, which he took off the shoulders of rival Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) in Wednesday’s 11th stage.

“I come to this Giro in good condition. I have come through the climbs in good shape. I will be better at the Tour de France. It’s normal that you get better throughout the season,” Cavendish said. “I lost a week due to my crash (in stage 3). I am disappointed I did not win today. I was screaming in the last kilometer, Geraint (Thomas) was not careful. It was close to home and it was an important stage for me.”

Cavendish missed out on Wednesday’s sprint after the final corner with 350 meters to go saw him undermined by arch-nemesis Roberto Ferrari, who swept out his front wheel in stage 3. It’s the first stage in which Cavendish missed the win without crashing in the finale. The world champion has hit the deck twice in this Giro, but he also defended his new-look Sky train.

“We are still learning. As with anything when you change teams, you have to start fresh,” he said. “I am lucky to have won six or seven races so far this year with this new team. I don’t think we’ve done such a bad job.”

Per Cipollini, Cavendish kept it classy.

“I’m not a sprinter like you,” Cavendish said. “You were much stronger than me. I am faster than you.”

Stage 4 — Wednesday May 16

Breakfast Menu

Biju’s Oatmeal with Toasted Nut Mix
Muesli
Beet Juice
Pasta and Eggs
Mixed Berries and Fruit with Yogurt
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Herbs

Ride Menu

Allen Lim’s Rice Cakes

Recovery Menu

Sweet Potato and Egg Burrito
Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice
Servings > 2
Time > 10-15 minutes

This recipe is exactly as Allen presented it to his class in the third grade and exactly as he serves it to athletes at training camps, races, or impromptu dinners at his place in Boulder, Colorado. At the 2010 Tour de France, this was Lance Armstrong’s favorite post-race dish.

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2–3 green onions, diced or thinly sliced
3 eggs
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup cooked boneless chicken thighs (2–3 pieces)
1 cup frozen peas and corn

Optional Additions
Sriracha sauce
sesame oil

1. Bring a lightly oiled sauté pan to mediumhigh heat. Add the garlic and green onions and sauté for about 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and soy sauce vigorously and pour into the hot pan. The pan should be hot enough to cause the eggs to fluff. Stir the eggs to cook them quickly.
3. Add the rice and cooked chicken thighs and fry the mixture for 5–6 minutes.
4. Add the peas and corn and cook until the vegetables heat through and are vibrant in color.

Season to taste with salt, Sriracha sauce, and additional soy sauce or sesame oil.

PER SERVING> Energy 605 cal • Fat 17 g • Sodium 727 mg • Carbs 68 g • Fiber 4 g • Protein 39 g

WATCH A VIDEO: Allen Lim demonstrates how to whip up Chicken Fried Rice, the favorite recovery meal of riders at the Tour de France.

This recipe used with permission from “The Feed Zone Cookbook”

Dinner Menu

White Beans and Chicken
Rice and Eggs
Salad with Bitter Greens
Pasta with Olive Oil and Parmesan
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt with Toasted Nut Mix

The pint-sized “Purito” is convinced more than ever he can win the Giro d’Italia, and says that he intends to fight all the way to Milan to try to follow in the shoes of Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador as the only Spaniards who have won the corsa rosa.

“The objective is to win the Giro,” Rodríguez said confidently Wednesday morning in Assisi. “I know I can climb well and it will be difficult for the others to drop me. I come to this Giro in the best condition of my career. We are here to win.”

Katusha sport director Valerio Piva, at least publicly, is not quite as confident as his star rider and realizes the real Giro is only beginning.

“Of course, we are very happy to have the pink jersey, but the hardest part of the Giro is still to come,” Piva told VeloNews. “We have a strong team here and we are going to support him. We are not saying anything is won yet. Far from that, the Giro is just starting. The hardest stages are all still to come.”

Piva expressed satisfaction that Rodríguez made it through the first half of the Giro in excellent position, thanks in large part to the team’s surprising second-place finish in the stage 4 team time trial. Piva said the squad was expecting a good ride, but admitted that stopping the clock just five seconds slower than Garmin-Barracuda was a shock.

“I brought a team here with riders for the team time trial. Brutt, Ignatyev, Smukulis and Kuschynski are all powerful riders to pull him on the flats and we had Vicioso and Moreno for the climb,” Piva said. “We have worked on the bikes and with Purito on his time trial, but to finish second to Garmin by just five seconds was a surprise. A good one!”

That set up Rodríguez to take aim at Ryder Hesjedal’s pink jersey and Piva said the team rode perfectly Tuesday to set him up for the final steep charge up Assisi. Now comes the hard part.

“We might not want to keep the jersey all the way to Cervinia (Saturday). Thursday’s stage is very hard along the coast and if there is a break that goes away, we might let the jersey go with it,” Piva said. “We do not want to stress the team too much. We want the team to be at its best in the final week.”

Rodríguez says this year is different and that he won’t have one of his infamous late-race collapses that have so far handicapped his chances of winning a grand tour. He’s ridden into the top 10 in five grand tours over the past four seasons, but inevitably crumpled in the high mountains or in the individual time trial every time.

Stage results

• 1. Roberto FERRARI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela in 6:49:05
• 2. Francesco CHICCHI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 3. Tomas VAITKUS, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 4. Mark CAVENDISH, Sky at s.t.
• 5. Manuel BELLETTI, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 6. Giacomo NIZZOLO, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 7. Daniel SCHORN, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 8. Arnaud DEMARE, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 9. Danilo WYSS, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 10. Geoffrey SOUPE, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 11. Fabio SABATINI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 12. Nikolas MAES, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 13. Geraint THOMAS, Sky at s.t.
• 14. Fabio FELLINE, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 15. Christian MEIER, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 16. Mark RENSHAW, Rabobank at s.t.
• 17. Mirko SELVAGGI, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 18. Lars Ytting BAK, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 19. Julien VERMOTE, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 20. Kevin SEELDRAEYERS, Astana at s.t.
• 21. Sergey LAGUTIN, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 22. Ryder HESJEDAL, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 23. Michal GOLAS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 24. Giovanni VISCONTI, Movistar at s.t.
• 25. Thomas DE GENDT, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 26. Peter KENNAUGH, Sky at s.t.
• 27. Marco PINOTTI, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 28. Francis DE GREEF, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 29. Bart DE CLERCQ, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 30. Bartosz HUZARSKI, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 31. Damiano CARUSO, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 32. Marzio BRUSEGHIN, Movistar at s.t.
• 33. Sébastien ROSSELER, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 34. Gustav LARSSON, Vacansoleil-DCM at s.t.
• 35. Peter STETINA, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 36. Damiano CUNEGO, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 37. Juan Jose OROZ UGALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 38. Volodymir GUSTOV, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 39. Serge PAUWELS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 40. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, Katusha at s.t.
• 41. Mikel NIEVE ITURALDE, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 42. Paolo TIRALONGO, Astana at s.t.
• 43. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Katusha at s.t.
• 44. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, Movistar at s.t.
• 45. Oscar GATTO, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 46. Pier Paolo DE NEGRI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 47. Elia FAVILLI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 48. Daniele PIETROPOLLI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 49. Hubert DUPONT, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 50. Andreas DIETZIKER, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 51. Daniele RIGHI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 52. Gianluca BRAMBILLA, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 53. Andrey AMADOR BAKKAZAKOVA, Movistar at s.t.
• 54. Jackson RODRIGUEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 55. Michele SCARPONI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 56. Roman KREUZIGER, Astana at s.t.
• 57. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI, Sky at s.t.
• 58. Jan BARTA, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 59. Tanel KANGERT, Astana at s.t.
• 60. José RUJANO GUILLEN, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 61. Dario CATALDO, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 62. Grischa NIERMANN, Rabobank at s.t.
• 63. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, Movistar at s.t.
• 64. Juan Manuel GARATE, Rabobank at s.t.
• 65. Rigoberto URAN URAN, Sky at s.t.
• 66. Angel VICIOSO ARCOS, Katusha at s.t.
• 67. Francesco FAILLI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 68. Domenico POZZOVIVO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 69. Aliaksandr KUSCHYNSKI, Katusha at s.t.
• 70. Valerio AGNOLI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 71. Ivan BASSO, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 72. Benat INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA, Movistar at s.t.
• 73. Johann TSCHOPP, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 74. Eros CAPECCHI, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 75. Sergio Luis HENAO MONTOYA, Sky at s.t.
• 76. Sandy CASAR, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 77. John GADRET, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 78. Sylvester SZMYD, Liquigas-Cannondale at s.t.
• 79. Francis MOUREY, FDJ-Big Mat at s.t.
• 80. Ivan SANTAROMITA, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 81. Tom Jelte SLAGTER, Rabobank at s.t.
• 82. Martin VELITS, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 83. Diego ULISSI, Lampre-ISD at s.t.
• 84. Evgeny PETROV, Astana at s.t.
• 85. Christian VANDEVELDE, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 86. Matteo MONTAGUTI, Ag2r La Mondiale at s.t.
• 87. Enrico GASPAROTTO, Astana at s.t.
• 88. Enrico BATTAGLIN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 89. Gaetan BILLE, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 90. Marco BANDIERA, Omega Pharma-Quick Step at s.t.
• 91. Alessandro BALLAN, BMC Racing at s.t.
• 92. Anders LUND, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 93. Matteo TOSATTO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 94. Ian STANNARD, Sky at s.t.
• 95. Frank SCHLECK, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 96. Amets TXURRUKA, Euskaltel-Euskadi at s.t.
• 97. Fumiyuki BEPPU, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 98. Cesare BENEDETTI, Team NetApp at s.t.
• 99. Stefano PIRAZZI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 100. Emanuele SELLA, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 101. Alessandro DE MARCHI, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 102. Matteo RABOTTINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia at s.t.
• 103. Carlos José OCHOA, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 104. Adam HANSEN, Lotto-Belisol at s.t.
• 105. Bernhard EISEL, Sky at s.t.
• 106. Miguel Angel RUBIANO CHAVEZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela at s.t.
• 107. Lucas Sebastian HAEDO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 108. Juan José HAEDO, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 109. Jan BAKELANTS, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 110. Thomas ROHREGGER, RadioShack-Nissan at s.t.
• 111. Jack BAUER, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 112. Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS, Garmin-Barracuda at s.t.
• 113. Sonny COLBRELLI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 114. Daryl IMPEY, Orica-GreenEdge at s.t.
• 115. Jonas Aaen JÖRGENSEN, Saxo Bank at s.t.
• 116. Sacha MODOLO, Colnago-CSF Bardiani at s.t.
• 117. Matthias BRANDLE, Team NetApp +3:18
• 118. Andrey ZEITS, Astana +3:18
• 119. Mathieu PERGET, Ag2r La Mondiale +3:18
• 120. Luke ROBERTS, Saxo Bank +3:18
• 121. Graeme BROWN, Rabobank +3:18
• 122. Alexander KRISTOFF, Katusha +3:18
• 123. Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, Euskaltel-Euskadi +3:28
• 124. Simone PONZI, Astana +3:58
• 125. Luca MAZZANTI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +3:58
• 126. Theo BOS, Rabobank +4:00
• 127. Brett LANCASTER, Orica-GreenEdge +4:00
• 128. Dennis VANENDERT, Lotto-Belisol +4:00
• 129. Dominique ROLLIN, FDJ-Big Mat +4:00
• 130. Svein TUFT, Orica-GreenEdge +4:00
• 131. Przemyslaw NIEMIEC, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 132. Angelo PAGANI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +4:00
• 133. Ben GASTAUER, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 134. Tomasz MARCZYNSKI, Vacansoleil-DCM +4:00
• 135. Guillaume BONNAFOND, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 136. Julien BERARD, Ag2r La Mondiale +4:00
• 137. Adriano MALORI, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 138. Nelson Filipe SANTOS SIMOES OLIVEIRA, RadioShack-Nissan +4:00
• 139. Matteo BONO, Lampre-ISD +4:00
• 140. Oliver ZAUGG, RadioShack-Nissan +4:00
• 141. Alberto LOSADA ALGUACIL, Katusha +4:00
• 142. Brian BULGAC, Lotto-Belisol +6:43
• 143. Branislau SAMOILAU, Movistar +6:43
• 144. Andrea GUARDINI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +6:43
• 145. José HERRADA LOPEZ, Movistar +6:43
• 146. Reto HOLLENSTEIN, Team NetApp +6:43
• 147. Mathias FRANK, BMC Racing +6:43
• 148. Gabriel RASCH, FDJ-Big Mat +6:43
• 149. Jens KEUKELEIRE, Orica-GreenEdge +7:44
• 150. Maciej BODNAR, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 151. Michal KWIATKOWSKI, Omega Pharma-Quick Step +10:02
• 152. Alessandro SPEZIALETTI, Lampre-ISD +10:02
• 153. Paolo LONGO BORGHINI, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 154. Mauro SANTAMBROGIO, BMC Racing +10:02
• 155. Cristiano SALERNO, Liquigas-Cannondale +10:02
• 156. Stef CLEMENT, Rabobank +10:02
• 157. Jesse SERGENT, RadioShack-Nissan +10:02
• 158. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC Racing +10:02
• 159. Ben HERMANS, RadioShack-Nissan +10:02
• 160. Victor CABEDO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 161. Ivan VELASCO MURILLO, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 162. Stefan DENIFL, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 163. Martijn KEIZER, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 164. Matteo CARRARA, Vacansoleil-DCM +10:02
• 165. Mads CHRISTENSEN, Saxo Bank +10:02
• 166. Alex RASMUSSEN, Garmin-Barracuda +10:02
• 167. Gatis SMUKULIS, Katusha +10:02
• 168. Gregor GAZVODA, Ag2r La Mondiale +10:02
• 169. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela +10:02
• 170. Alexsandr DYACHENKO, Astana +10:02
• 171. Mickael DELAGE, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 172. Jussi VEIKKANEN, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 173. Manuele BOARO, Saxo Bank +10:02
• 174. Marco COLEDAN, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +10:02
• 175. Stefano LOCATELLI, Colnago-CSF Bardiani +10:02
• 176. William BONNET, FDJ-Big Mat +10:02
• 177. Andreas SCHILLINGER, Team NetApp +10:02
• 178. Timon SEUBERT, Team NetApp +10:02
• 179. Olivier KAISEN, Lotto-Belisol +10:02
• 180. Robert HUNTER, Garmin-Barracuda +10:02
• 181. Jack BOBRIDGE, Orica-GreenEdge +10:02
• 182. Alfredo BALLONI, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia +10:02
• 183. Matthew Harley GOSS, Orica-GreenEdge +10:02
• 184. Pierre CAZAUX, Euskaltel-Euskadi +10:02
• 185. Pavel BRUTT, Katusha +10:02
• 186. Mikhail IGNATYEV, Katusha +10:02
• 187. Jeremy HUNT, Sky +10:02
• 188. Adrian SAEZ, Euskaltel-Euskadi +12:33
• 189. Miguel MINGUEZ AYALA, Euskaltel-Euskadi +12:33

Vaitkus finished third, behind Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step).

Mark Cavendish (Sky) finished fourth after being gapped in the final corner.

Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) retained his overall lead after the 258km stage, the longest in this year’s race.

“As an Italian, it’s just a dream to win a stage in the Giro,” said Ferrari. “I came to the race in great condition and I knew I could do something big in the race.”

When asked about the stage 3 crash he caused with a wild move across the road, Ferrari said, “That’s cycling. I never did it on purpose, and today is a great day for me.

“I wanted to make up for what happened in Denmark. I apologize once again… I thank the jury for letting me continue in the race, who understood that it wasn’t a deliberate mistake.”

Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox) went down in the final, right-hand corner, causing a pileup with a handful of riders and delaying a number of sprinters.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “My wheel just slid out from under me and I hit the ground. It’s frustrating because I came here to win a stage, but these crashes are taking me out of the sprints every time.”

Chicchi wanted the win badly near his hometown of Camaiore.

“I really would to win in my home region. I don’t live far from the finish line. I wanted to do something good,” he said. “But, in the last corner, 300 meters from the finish, Modolo crashed as he entered the corner too quickly. The first part of the group broke into pieces. Ferrari was in front, and I was stuck behind the crash. When I realized Ferrari was leaving alone I tried to do my sprint, but it was a little bit too late even though I did a great sprint. The problem was, when Modolo crashed it created a fracture between Ferrari and me. That’s why he was so far in front today.”

In a marathon stage lasting just under seven hours, a group of five riders — Oliver Kaisen (Lotto-Belisol), Mickael Delage (FDJ-BigMat), Manuele Boaro (Saxo Bank), Stefan Denifl (Vacansoleil-DCM), Adrien Saez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) — broke away from the 10km mark and lasted until the final kilometers.

Thursday’s 12th stage covers 155km from Seravezza to Sestri Levante and includes one Category 2 and two Category 3 climbs, the final just 11km from the finish line on the Ligurian coast in northwestern Italy.

French daily L’Equipe on Wednesday reported that Turgot appeared before thecommittee of the French Cycling Federation (FFC) responsible for the sanctioning decision.

In a statement, the team Europcar recalled “it has always supported riders who deserved it, which is the case of Sebastien Turgot,” and noted that “the violation of the confidentiality of the process indicates again that the essential principle of innocence is violated.”

“This procedure demonstrates once again that the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) are very difficult to apply,” continued the French team, adding that “the riders have rights that must be respected, and there are serious implications for the alleged breaches.”

Turgot, 28, faces a two-year suspension under WADA regulations, which state that three breaches of reported whereabouts in eighteen months is equivalent to a controlled positive. The sanction is likely to be lowered to a one-year suspension if the rider benefits from extenuating circumstances.

For the second day in a row at the Amgen Tour, the blue and white of Garmin-Barracuda came to the front of the race Tuesday and showed, if only for a few kilometers, that it’s perhaps the strongest team in California.

“I think it’s pretty incredible, really,” said Andrew Talansky, one of Garmin’s two GC threats. “We have a really young team at this race, but it’s clearly a very strong team, and everyone is super motivated and it’s good.”

During Monday’s technical descent off the back of Bonny Doon, Garmin went to the front of the peloton and pressed the pace. Director sportif Jonathan Vaughters said it was to keep the team clear from danger, but it showed top organization and ability from the UCI’s no. 11 ranked team.

On Tuesday, the same day its Ryder Hesjedal lost his maglia rosa in Italy, Garmin revealed a bit more of its depth, when the team went to the head of the peloton before the day’s final climb, Patterson Pass, and split the race in a crosswind. Only a sharp turn into a headwind before the climb could take the bite out of the effort from Tom Danielson’s troops, and four groups on the road again became one.

“The team’s riding really well,” Danielson said. “They’re just super strong, and we haven’t really used the whole team yet. Just watching those guys ride strong is really nice. We’ve got to be aggressive. We’ve got one of the best teams in the race. I just felt like the moment was right before the climb with the crosswind so we tried something, and I think it worked. We got rid of a lot of the sprinters.”

This iteration of the Amgen Tour is waiting for a general classification shakedown, which will commence Thursday in Bakersfield with the individual time trial and crescendo on Saturday above Los Angeles, atop the Baldy climb that hits gradients of 15 percent in places. Until then, it’s been wait-and-see for the GC, though Garmin’s begun to show a bit of its hand.

The team’s sprinter, Heinrich Haussler, has finished second on every stage to Peter Sagan and now sits second on the general classification. The team is poised with GC contenders Talansky and Danielson, and has shown its able to control the front of the race.

Talansky said the efforts Tuesday served as fuel for the Garmin fire. “Things like that really motivate the guys and show everyone in the race we’re a strong team. We can take control when we need to so if, or when we have the jersey, we’ll be able to do that.”

Danielson said that it may seem like a waiting game outside the peloton, but the race is bearing down with each mile. “Every day is difficult and challenging. Although it ends in a sprint and it seems like we just all ride together to the line, it’s not at all. Anyone could lose a race on any one of these days. Like today, we attacked in a crosswind,” he said. “It could have ended some guy’s race right there.”

While Liquigas-Cannondale’s Peter Sagan has won the first three stages and earned himself a total of 30 seconds in time bonuses, the early stages of the fight for GC supremacy have begun to take shape within the peloton.

Though he’s coming off a broken leg, three-time winner Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) has proven himself able to race within the front group.

Garmin-Barracuda has been aggressive, massing at the front during the latter parts of stages 2 and 3, both to set up Heinrich Haussler and to protect GC leaders Tom Danielson and Andrew Talansky — and possibly set up a few days in the golden leader’s jersey for TT specialist Dave Zabriskie.

BMC Racing’s GC leader Tejay van Garderen has looked strong, though he suffered a blow when he lost teammates Steve Morabito and Stephen Cummings, who were unable to start Tuesday due to injuries sustained in Santa Cruz during the final 5km of stage 2.

Horner’s team also suffered a blow in that crash when national road champion Matthew Busche, who was instrumental to Horner’s performance on Baldy in 2011, went down. However, Busche told VeloNews after Tuesday’s stage that he expects to be able to ride at full strength following Thursday’s time trial.

“I’m feeling OK,” Busche said. “I took a chainring to the shoulder, and I put some Steri-Strips on that. Something landed on my leg, maybe a top tube, and it’s sore and bruised, but I’m doing OK. Mount Baldy is several days out. I should be healed up by then.”

The tactical battle between RadioShack and Omega Pharma, which flared up early on stage 1 when Leipheimer told Horner that his team would not contribute to the pace-making, appeared to subside Tuesday after Omega Pharma lined up at the front for its sprinter Tom Boonen, who finished third in Livermore behind Sagan and Haussler.

“Today was the first day Omega took some responsibility,” Busche said. “It was good to see them doing some work.”

Prior to stage 3, RadioShack was doing everything in its power to avoid riding in the defense of a race lead it does not yet have.

“It’s like everyone is playing poker, except us,” said Jens Voigt. “Everyone is holding his cards, and ours are all on the table — there’s no bluffing. We have American sponsors and they want us to be good here. We have the defending champion, so we have to straighten up our backs, and we have to carry that burden. We knew coming here with Chris as defending champion there was going to be a lot of responsibility. That’s just how racing goes.”

Horner said he has been pleased with his team, as well as the work that Liquigas and Garmin had done to control the race.

“I like the way Garmin is racing,” Horner said. “It seems like they are racing for Zabriskie to take the jersey, as well as for Talansky or Danielson for GC. I think Zabriskie has a great shot to take the jersey for a day, or maybe two days. He’s a fabulous rider, a big gun in the peloton. Garmin is doing a really good job.”

As for the impending GC battle that begins in earnest on Friday, Horner is sticking to his pre-race predictions, some of which have already proven true — that Sagan would win most, if not all, of the stages other than the time trial and Mount Baldy, where the overall will be decided.

“If my legs are good now, they are gonna be good on Baldy,” Horner said. “I’m gonna lose some time after the time trial and will probably be sitting in sixth, or eighth, or 10th. And the guys sitting in the top five are gonna have to do something at the beginning of Baldy, and at some point in time I’m gonna have to make up 30 to 50 seconds.”

Asked who he sees as the top GC favorites after three days of racing, Horner said it’s still tough to say.

“No one knows for sure but Talansky will throw in a good time trial,” he said. “He’s shown he’s a GC contender, but I’m not certain how he will go on Baldy, I’ve never seen him on a climb that steep with the best in the world. He’ll be extra motivated coming from [second overall at the Tour de Romandie]. Danielson looks really smooth, he’s in all same spots that I am. Levi looked better today than the first two stages, I’m not going to write him off, and the time trial will be ideal for him. Maybe [Rabobank’s Laurens Ten Dam] comes through — he’s like me, not the best in the time trial, he might go top 10, and then he’ll need to make up time on Baldy. And who knows, maybe Sagan surprises us all in the time trial, but I think his days are numbered past the time trial.”

So far, Horner’s prediction that Sagan would win “four or five” stages is proving dead-on. How his GC predictions will roll out, and what that will mean for his RadioShack team, remains to be seen.

The British speedster spent Tuesday night at the team hotel, as he did Sunday, plotting how to win his third stage of this Giro d’Italia and his career 10th. His rivals and their teams spent the night mostly at a loss on how to topple King Cavendish.

Matthew Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) succeeded in the Giro’s third leg to Horsens, Denmark, but that was not a head-to-head as Cavendish crashed. Before the incident, Cavendish was gaining on Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) and seemed to have the momentum to carry through.

“To be fair, we tried for our first two years to beat Mark Cavendish, and we didn’t manage it. So, I’m not the right guy to ask,” Sky’s team manager, David Brailsford told VeloNews.

Brailsford helped Cavendish come through the British Academy and saw him turn pro with T-Mobile, which later became Highroad and HTC. Over the winter, he signed GB’s hottest cycling commodity to race for Sky.

“Physically, he’s the fastest guy. Psychologically, he’s strong. You put his back against the wall and he comes out fighting. He’s got a winning mentality,” Brailsford continued. “The bottom line is that physically, you have to get someone in the right position who’s faster, but I don’t think there’s anybody who is faster.”

Farrar got the jump on Cavendish last year when the Tour de France travelled to Redon. His rival, to be fair, was caught behind. Cavendish said at the time, he was busy “fighting with [José] Rojas [and] Kamikaze, [Romain] Feillu.” Farrar explained that the others, like Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) on Monday, are able to take advantage of certain situations.

“It’s not easy, but a couple of guys do it every year,” Farrar told VeloNews last week.

“He’s not a robot, he does make mistakes on a handful of occasions; there are guys out there who are fast enough to beat him when he does. … You need legs and luck.”

Orica says the best way is to go early, as it tried to do on Monday with Daryl Impey leading Goss. The final-corner crash, though, prevented a fair match.

“We can count the times on one hand that he has had to come over other riders. In all his sprints, he is the first guy when he starts the sprint. There are only a couple of sprints he has ever done where he has been passed,” Orica’s sports director, Matt White told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. ”So for us to beat Cavendish, we have to deliver Gossy in front of Mark. That’s the best way, and only way really, to beat him.”

Garmin’s DS, Allan Peiper looked at the bright side. He told VeloNews, “If you get beaten by Cav, it’s no shame. He’s won so many races, it’s not like you’ve been beaten by some upstart, you’ve been beaten by a guy who’s won 20 stages in the Tour de France.”

On Wednesday, the world champ will try to make it an even 30 between the Giro and the Tour. Can anyone stop him?

For a team like Bissell Pro Cycling, a UCI Continental squad, the Amgen Tour is the single most important invitation of the year. The exposure is huge for a small team hungry for exposure. Also huge? The odds against the team winning a stage or classification. In fact, only one U.S.-based Continental rider has won a stage in a major U.S. race since 2009.

What’s a small team to do, then?

Attack.

“Our goal is winning the team National Racing Calendar, winning NRC races on a consistent basis. And we’ve done that,” said Omer Kem, the Bissell team director. “But when we come to the [Amgen] Tour of California, I change the mindset completely of the team. We race every day like it’s a one-day race. We’re going to race hard every day. And I’m going to always have guys who are in contention for that win. And if lightning strikes, we’ll take it.”

Jeremy Vennell, who has gone on the attack each of the last two days, is a prime example. Vennell was out all day on Monday in a break that the main field gobbled up late in the stage. He jumped into another move on Tuesday, staying away until 23.5km from the finish in Livermore.

Bissell’s Ben Jacques-Maynes rode the break on stage 1 and has gotten into at least one move in every edition of the Amgen Tour, perhaps making him the most aggressive rider in the history of the race.

“I was very lucky I had good legs,” Vennell said after Tuesday’s stage. “Bissell’s plan was to be in the break today.”

It’s actually Bissell’s plan to be in the break every day.

“I want the team to go out there and have the Bissell name shown every step of the way. And that’s why we get these invitations,” Kem said. “We’re the underdog, and we go out and race hard and see if we can make it happen.”

It does go deeper than one day at the front. The breakaways ripple through decisions race directors make months from now. As Kem put it, “In this industry, this sport, you can’t let them forget about you.”

There is a certain romance with the Sisyphean endeavor of trying to shape a race through the breakaway against bigger teams, talents and budgets. It seldom works, but that never stops smaller teams from throwing stones. Appropriately, former Bissell rider Jay Thomson went into the move on the first day of the USA Pro Challenge last August, just days after Kem and company learned that Bissell would be renewing its backing of the team.

“There was a moment there where maybe I thought we’d stay away,” Vennell said of his move on Tuesday — something nearly every rider in every breakaway says.

“That’s what keeps you going. It’s only a small, small dream, but you try and hold onto it.”

Has it ever succeeded for him? “Not yet. Not in this race. But one day, it will.”