Peter Velits, after a solid time trial performance in Stage 5, took third in the 186km, Palmdale to Big Bear, Stage 6 on Friday. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) beat him to the line for 2nd place in the field sprint. Velits moved up to 4th in the GC, 45 seconds back.
"Tomorrow is going to be a different day," Velits said. "I know the climb, I did it last year so I know what it's like. I'm going to try my best, so we'll see what is going to happen tomorrow. The whole day is kind of hard. The finish is quite steep, also."
Sylvain Georges (AG2R La Mondiale) won the stage after attacking a breakaway — which escaped the peloton less than 2km into the race — at the final KOM. He soloed to victory for more than 50km. Velits, meanwhile, was doing his best on a challenging day. As a result of his effort, and support from the team, he will battle for the leader's jersey tomorrow in a race that will likely blow up on Mt. Baldy.
"I didn't feel good, but the stage was not so hard," Velits said. "I can't say how the other competitors are pedaling. For tomorrow, I can count on a great team. I'm really looking forward to it."