Mark Cavendish Wins Stage 4; Leipheimer Retains the Yellow Jersey

ROUTE DETAILS Day: Wed, Feb 18 Start: Merced Finish: Clovis Start Time: 11:00 AM Miles: 115.4 KM: 185.7 End ETA: 3:19-4:29 PM Avis Budget Special Offer - Click Here for more info Stage 4 Results | Video | Press Release   Finally the golden California sunshine smiled upon the 2009 Amgen Tour of California as Stage 4 rolled off from Merced in front of an enormous crowd under dazzling blue skies on a 115.8-mile route that went into the snow-capped Sierra Mountains on the way to Clovis where an equally robust throng of spectators were treated to a thrilling high-speed sprint finish. Before that, a three-man escape consisting of Serge Pauwels (Cervelo Test Team), Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing) and Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank) spent most of the day in a break that covered five California Travel & Tourism climbs and two Herbalife Sprints. But the teams of the sprinters were not to be denied. Team Columbia-Highroad launched speedy British sprinter Mark Cavendish who managed to barely eclipse arch rival Tom Boonen (Quick Step) in a photo finish to win the stage. Overall race leader Levi Leipheimer (Astana) finished safely in the bunch and the top of the General Classification is unchanged. Stage 4 Action Stage Web Map Stage Map Stage Log Stage Profile While You're There Merced City Info Clovis Info Current Weather

Free Shuttle in Clovis

On February 18th, from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm, continuous free shuttle service will be offered between the Sierra Vista Mall Bus Stop and Clovis and Fifth Streets. Parking is free and Sierra Vista asks that you park on the south side of the mall. Signage will be posted on 168 and Shaw advising of the shuttle service.

Stage 4 Profile

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Refuel, Relax & Explore

Follow the Call of the Foothills near Merced
After the athletes in the Amgen Tour of California race out of town (Feb. 17), you may feel the yearning for an excursion of your own. The placid countryside surrounding Merced just begs for a bike ride, so pedal eastward along South Bear Creek Drive.

Spot the Amgen Start in Merced at a Local, Sustainable Restaurant
With both a year-round covered patio that seats 75 and an upstairs dining room overlooking Main Street, Bishop’s on the Square —only a little over a block from the race start—gives you a great vantage point for watching racers fly by.

Take an Easy Ride to See the Extreme Side of Cycling
Pedal west on the scenic Clovis Old Town Trail for a morning’s outing to Woodward Park, an open space of trees, wildlife and fish-stocked lakes. Avid cyclists, though, will surely want to check out the new mountain bike park, where dirt jumps, log rides, tire piles, and other rough obstacles challenge the skilled and fearless.

Gather in Clovis with other Cyclists in the Heart of the Amgen Action
Clovis’s sweet Old Town is home not just to the finish of Amgen’s Stage 4, but also to an active cycling community that loves to gather at the Corner Café. Don’t miss the nearby burgeoning Madera Wine trail.

Current Weather

Merced

Clovis