Irish cyclist David O'Loughlin lost time due to an unfortunate puncture on yesterday's second day of the Amgen Tour of California.
The Navigators Insurance rider had performed well in the prologue and started the 129.1 kilometre stage from Sausalito to Santa Rosa just 21 seconds off the race lead. However, although the stage ended in a bunch sprint, O'Loughlin lost 42 seconds due to a puncture near the end.
Argentinean Juan José Haedo won the gallop to take the first ever win for the new Toyota-United Pro team, beating Olaf Pollack (T-Mobile) and Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC), while prologue winner Levi Leipheimer maintained his overall lead over Bobby Julich (Team CSC) and George Hincapie (Discovery Channel).
Irish road race champion O'Loughlin's tire went flat in the second of three five-kilometer finishing circuits.
He had been setting up teammate Davidenko for the finishing sprint and with the mishap occurring so close to the line, had no chance of regaining the peloton before the finish. He consequently drops from 35th to 113th overall.
"I was just coming up to help the guys out in the sprint and I had just caught up to where Vassili and Valeriy (Kobzarenko) were when I punctured," he said.
"I spent the finishing circuits trying to get back on unsuccessfully. The race was pretty tame overall, everyone was content to let Gerolsteiner ride on the front. I tried putting on a few attacks but there wasn't much getting away."
The 2.1 ranked race continues today with a tough 152.7k leg from Martinez to San José.
