MOUNT BALDY, Calif. (AP) — Dutchman Robert Gesink won the difficult seventh stage of the Tour of California on Saturday to take a 46-second lead in the overall standings into the largely ceremonial final leg.
Gesink, the Rabobank rider who broke his right leg in a training accident last fall, pulled away from Colombia’s Jhon Atapuma in the final-half mile to win the 78.3-mile leg from Ontario to Mount Baldy in 3 hours, 37 minutes, 8 seconds. Gesink was fifth in the 2010 Tour de France.
Atapuma, riding for Colombia-Coldeportes, was second in the same time.
Colombia teammate Fabio Duarte was third, 14 seconds back in the stage.
Dave Zabriskie, the Garmin-Barracuda rider from Salt Lake City, was second in the overall standings entering the final 46.2-mile stage from Beverly Hills to Los Angeles.
Tom Danielson of Garmin-Barracuda and Lyme, Conn., was overall — 54 seconds behind.