It’s a long way from the streets of Morgan Hill to the roads of Europe where the 92nd Tour de France got under way last week. But the town that plays host to the international headquarters of Specialized Bicycle Components had its link to the world-famous bicycling race bolstered through a couple of Tour cyclists competing in this year’s event.
Morgan Hill Grand Prix champion David Zabriskie advertised the quality of the local event’s competition by outlasting six-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong in the opening time trial stage of cycling’s most famous event on Saturday. Zabriskie, a 26-year-old American who rides for Denmark’s CSC team, beat Armstrong, riding for the Discovery Channel, by two full seconds in the 11.8-mile trial. Zabriskie, who recorded the fastest opening stage in Tour history, also kept the leader’s yellow jersey after Sunday’s second stage.
While Armstrong, who also finished second in last year’s opening time trial en route to his record-setting sixth straight Tour championship, still has to be considered the odds-on favorite, Zabriskie is a rising international star who is highly prized by CSC and its top rider Ivan Basso – a legitimate contender for the Tour title.
After riding for Armstrong and the U.S. Postal team for a few years, Zabriskie left his compatriot to chalk up a few stunning accomplishments of his own. He is only the second American, following Tyler Hamilton, to win a stage in all three of the world’s major multi-day races – including the Tour de France, the Giro D’Italia (May) and the Vuelta a Espana (September) – pulling off the feat in a 10-month span.
In early April, Zabriskie showed off his world-class sprinting ability before an enthusiastic crowd at the Morgan Hill Grand Prix, blowing away a talented field that included the well-regarded Webcor Builders and Sierra Nevada teams. He and his foes comprised exactly the kind of top-notch field Grand Prix organizers were hoping to attract to the South Valley area.
Also making the trek from Morgan Hill to the fan-choked Gallic byways for the Tour is Santa Rosa’s Levi Leipheimer. Riding with Germany’s Gerolstein team, whose bike sponsor is Specialized, Leipheimer is helping the local company launch a new bicycle at this year’s Tour. And Leipheimer also took the opportunity to join in with Specialized employees on their well-known lunchtime rides on the streets surrounding the company’s local hub.
Around the horn…
nWillow Glen’s Kevin Frandsen became the second player in the 18-year history of the San Jose Giants to hit for the cycle last weekend. The Bellarmine Prep and San Jose State University product turned the trick during a 9-5 loss to Modesto on Saturday. The first-year pro, who plays second base for the Giants, had an RBI double in the first inning, a solo home run in the third, a two-out triple in the fifth and a lead-off single in the eighth.
It wasn’t all good results for Frandsen, though – he struck out for just the fourth time in more than a month to end the game.
The smooth-swinging local prospect is hitting .574 (27-for-47) during an 11-game hitting streak that has raised his average to .353. He is fourth in the California League in batting, tied for sixth with 13 stolen bases and eighth with 22 doubles.
During spring training this year, Frandsen replaced an injured Ray Durham at second base for the big league club and hit .364 in 10 games, impressing the Giants brass.
Frandsen was chosen by the Giants in the 12th round of last year’s draft.
nSan Jose sent four players to the Carolina-California League All-Star Game at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, Md. last week. But Eddy Martinez-Esteve, Clay Timpner, Jesse Floyd and Joe Bateman couldn’t help the Cal Leaguers, who managed just four hits en route to an 8-0 loss to the Carolina League all-stars. Timpner did get one of the Cal Leaguers’ four hits, and Bateman pitched two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run. San Jose is currently on the road at Stockton, where the Giants will play a three-game series beginning today. The team returns to Municipal Stadium for a four-game series against the Bakersfield Blaze starting on Friday at 7pm.
nGilroy’s Chris Gimenez is hitting .211 but has put up good power numbers for the Lake County Captains of the South Atlantic League so far this season. In his first season with the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has smacked eight home runs and 12 doubles in 232 at-bats (67 games) for a .366 slugging percentage. He has also walked 27 times and been hit by a pitch – one of his specialties – an astounding total of 18 times, and has compiled a .337 on-base percentage.
