Photographic account of life at the Amgen Tour of California
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Bert Grabsch wheels his bag to the team bus for the transfer from Sacramento to Davis.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Mark Renshaw gets his legs rubbed down after a tough, wet and cold day.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Tony Martin prepares for a long day in the saddle.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Bernhard Eisel rolls out to start after being greeted by fans.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
With minutes to spare before start, Mark Cavendish appears from the team bus and is instantly swamped by fans and autograph requests.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
HTC-Columbia Director Allan Peiper checks rider radio contact during the neutral roll-out of stage two in Davis. Peiper is a vet of many grand tours and brings deep experience as a DS.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Allan Peiper keeps course profile for stage 2 close for easy reference.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
HED wheels of various depths and cassette combinations are within easy reach in team car.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
With feed zone duties completed, the race of mini-vans takes place as soigneurs scramble to the finish line, where they will receive riders at the end of the stage. Rains on stage 2 make for an even heavier workload for all staff.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
After almost 110 miles, most in the pouring rain, each bike gets completely washed and tuned as soon as possible following the stage.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
With less than 15 minutes to start of race, waiting at the bus for riders to appear is the same for spectators and staff.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
With Mark Cavendish in the leader’s jersey, race organizers provide HTC with numeral 1 decals for the two team cars, indicating their position in the race caravan.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Kyle Tohlen of Davis shows where he hopes to get Mark Cavendish’s autograph.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Mark Cavendish sits alone at the HTC-Columbia dining table, enjoying some solitude during a slightly later breakfast than the rest of the team.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Getting lost en route to start is not a good way to start the day. Accordingly, even a straightforward transfer to Davis is logged in GPS.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
For winning stage one in Sacramento, Mark Cavendish was presented this oil painting depicting a peloton and the iconic state capitol building. The painting rests on the bed of the team bus.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Staff prepare for the day inside the HTC-Columbia team bus.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Mark Cavendish’s Scott Addict carries the number 13 in this race. For this stage where winds and rain are expected, he also opted for a shallower-dish wheelset.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Bob Stapleton and Rolf Aldag (r) still enjoying the team’s success from stage 1.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Mark Renshaw gives an interview outside team bus.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
Tubular glue is applied to a carbon rim in a few applications over a couple days until the rim bed has the perfect coating to hold the tire.(Image credit: Wil Matthews)
For HTC-Columbia, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California began with the ideal start, as star sprinter Mark Cavendish claimed victory on stage one in Sacremento on Sunday afternoon. The day after that success, Cyclingnews photographer Wil Matthews was given unique access to the team and captured these images of the team's daily routine.
Cavendish was ultimately unable to defend the race leader's jersey over the wet and hilly 176.2km stage two from Davis to Santa Rosa. However, the team's riders and staff left nothing to chance as they prepared for the day's racing. From breakfast in Davis to massage in Santa Rosa, the efforts of the entire squad are focussed on acheiving the best result possible.
While Cavendish might have slipped out of the gold jersey, Michael Rogers finished 10th on stage two and sits eighth overall, 10 seconds from the lead. With the team's first objective already achieved through Cavendish's win, Rogers' golden ambition has shifted to the top of the list.
Click here to view the full gallery of images.
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