In the TOC’s first mountain stage, we saw defending TOC champion Levi Leipheimer (Astana) working with Robert Gesink (Rabobank) to take the overall lead away from Tyler Farrar. Farrar, incidentally, dropped out of the race early in the stage due to trouble with a stomach virus.

Today’s stage rolled out in the new starting city of Modesto and made its way over 5 increasingly difficult climbs.

The first break of the day included Paul Martens (Rabobank), Cyril Lemoine (Credit Agricole) and Scott Nydam (BMC). The field let those three fight amongst themselves for the first intermediate sprint. Martens took the first place points and apparently won an iPhone as well. The break’s lead swelled to five minutes as the race approached the base of the first real climb.

Steven Cozza of Slipstream made a go and was able to bridge to the breakaway. Cozza and the other three riders led all of the way through the first 3 KOMs, with Nydam taking the majority of the points.

As the race neared Mt. Hamilton, the pace picked up and the peloton began to break up. Five kilometers from the top, only Martens was able to stay ahead. Things started to get serious as Chechu Rubiera of Astana set a blistering pace and dwindled the lead group down to under 20. Over the top of the Mt. Hamilton, it was Rubiera followed by Jurgen Vandewalle (Quick Step), Alexandre Moos (BMC), Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Rabobank), Iker Camano Ortuzar (Saunier Duval-Scott), Bobby Julich (CSC), Levi Leipheimer (Astana), Christopher Horner (Astana) and David Millar (Slipstream Chipotle).

On the descent, George Hincapie was able to catch, and then pass the lead group, making a very aggressive ride down. He was able to maintain his lead all the way to the base of the Sierra Road climb. By that time, Rubiera and Chris Horner were working hard to get Leipheimer into position, and the lead group caught and passed Hincapie. At the top of the climb, Gesink and Leipheimer were the first ones over, followed closely by Zabriskie, Horner, Cano, Vandewalle, and Thomas Peterson (Slipstream). Slipstream’s David Millar and former race leader Fabian Cancellara (CSC) joined in the chase on the descent.

Leipheimer and Gesink came off of the mountain with a 45 second lead and were able to work together to carry it all of the way to the finish. Leipheimer did not get the stage win, but he gained enough time to get the leader’s jersey.