This race is super important for us. The Tour of California is one of the biggest races in the United States — this and (the Tour de) Georgia — and we’re racing against European teams....

It was a very difficult time trial, and it set the GC group (the top contenders) apart. There was not much time for other riders to fight back; it was almost impossible to get that...

He knows those roads like the back of his hand. Plus, he’s riding really strong right now.

A mountaintop finish would have helped the situation. I was real surprised that (many finishes) came down to a field sprint. … Although those kinds of races are exciting, a mountaintop finish is probably needed.

For us, it’s become our most important race. But it’s February. The European teams could see this as purely a training race because guys are gearing up for the Tour de France.