Two days after earning the Most Aggressive Rider prize in the Tour of California, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's Jackson Stewart again spearheaded the team at the Amgen Tour of California, this time finishing 30th with a time of 38'27 in the 27.4 km individual time trial in San Jose, 2'29 behind stage winner and new overall leader Floyd Landis (Phonak).
A native of nearby Los Gatos, Stewart said, "I didn't expect to go that fast, but I know the course and I had Robin Zellner coaching me from the team car. I was planning just to use today's stage as a learning experience, but to get that kind of result is awesome for me."
Riding later in the day under windier conditions, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's Ben Jacques-Maynes finished 43rd in 38'55. "I've ridden this course at least once a week on my time trial bike for the last few months, and I've never gone this fast," the San Jose resident said. "I was able to hit my peak wattage and keep it there, so I can't complain about my ride."
With the race moving on to central California for tomorrow's 210 km stage from Monterey to San Luis Obispo, Jacques-Maynes reflected on his performance in today's time trial and in a 100 km breakaway during yesterday's stage from Martinez to San Jose.
"There were people all along the course cheering for me yesterday and today," he said. "To have that kind of personal support makes me ride that much harder. Everyone that I see out there that I know is one more person that I can't let down."
