FOLSOM, Calif. (AP) — Rohan Dennis delivered a blistering performance to win the Stage 6 time trial at the Tour of California on Friday, while Julian Alaphilippe did enough to retain his overall lead.
Dennis covered the 12.6-mile course in 24 minutes, 16 seconds. American rider Andrew Talansky was 17 seconds back in second, and Taylor Phinney was 20 seconds behind in third.
The big question was whether Alaphilippe, a strong climber but average time trialist, could minimize his losses. He wound up finishing eighth, just 45 seconds behind the winning time, to keep a 16-second lead over Dennis heading into the penultimate stage.