The New Zealand cyclist Hayden Roulston has been pipped for first in a nail-biting sprint finish to the seventh and penultimate stage of the Tour of California
Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini finished the 143 kilometre run from Santa Clarita to Pasadena in three hours, 24 minutes and 44 seconds with Roulston second and Pieter Weening of the Netherlands third in the same time.
The American Levi Leipheimer remains on course for a hat-trick of wins, coming home in the main bunch nearly three minutes back.
The seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is one minute, 46 seconds behind Leipheimer in sixth place in the general classification
