Cancellara leads Team CSC on GC (Image credit: Jon Devich)
The pre-race training camp of ProTour outfits like Team CSC is indicative of race's growing importance. Now, the Danish-registered super-squad is prepped and ready for glory at the Tour of California, reports Cyclingnews' Kirsten Robbins.
Team CSC has begun the 2007 Tour of California coming off a ten-day training camp in Gilory, California. The Prologue on Sunday in downtown San Francisco saw CSC's Fabian Cancellara get things going with a fifth place in the 3.1km opener to the Californian race. After a controversial finish to Stage 1, the Swiss rider continues to sit just six seconds behind Discovery Channel's American race leader Levi Leipheimer.
According to US national time trial champion, CSC's Dave Zabriskie, who admits he's not in his best form at this stage of the season, the squad that's been assembled for the Tour of California is up to the challenge of getting one of its riders into top spot on general classification by the time the peloton rolls into Long Beach.
"From what I have seen at the camp, most of the guys are pretty strong and Bobby Julich seems to be in the best shape as far as the people who are racing," said Zabriski, who fell. "If he rides himself into the leader's jersey we are going to support him this week."
