Liquigas-Cannondale's Peter Sagan has had his way with the 2012 Tour of California, winning all three stages up to this point. Will that continue in Wednesday's Stage 4, which is the longest of the race?
Tuesday's stage, which covers 130 miles, will take the riders from Sonora to Clovis.
As the riders head south towards Mariposa and Oakhurst (both Sprint cities), they will enjoy the incredible beauty and challenge of historic Highway 49. As they skirt Yosemite, they will encounter everything from numerous KOMs, twisty and technical descents, and raging rivers, but very few sections of flat roadway. Once through Mariposa, Highway 49 widens a bit, but two more KOMs will await the cyclists as they head to the final Sprint in Oakhurst. The riders will no doubt be fearless as they attack the final 40 miles into the return to Clovis, perhaps recalling the snow and ice along this same route in 2009.
Related: Tour of California Standings 2012: Peter Sagan Wins 3rd Straight Stage
Live television coverage of the race begins at 3:00 p.m. MT on the NBC Sports Network. Additional Stage 4 information, including a map of the route, can be found here.
Stick with this Tour of California StoryStream, cycling blog Podium Cafe and the Tour of California's official site for more race coverage as it happens.
