Tour of California 2014: Sir Bradley Wiggins extends lead over Rohan Dennis as Will Routley wins stage four in Cambria

Wiggins leads stage three winner Dennis by 28 seconds in the general classification

Sir Bradley Wiggins in the Tour of California yellow jersey on stage four (Getty Images)

Sir Bradley Wiggins extended his lead in the Tour of California after finishing four seconds ahead of nearest challenger Rohan Dennis in stage four, won by Will Routley.

The 2012 Tour de France champion joined fellow Great Britain Olympian Mark Cavendish in a group sharing seventh place at the end of the 165km from Monterey to Cambria, a minute and 17 seconds behind Canadian Routley of Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies.

Stage three winner Dennis, of Garmin-Sharp, was in the next group to finish and now trails Team Sky's Wiggins by 28 seconds in the general classification.

Third-placed Tiago Machado is a minute and nine seconds off the lead for NetApp-Endura, while Giant-Shimano's Lawson Craddock is the only other man within two minutes of Wiggins.

Routley won the stage in a group sprint, with Gregory Daniel second for the Bissell Development Team and Novo Nordisk's Kevin de Mesmaker third.

Americans Carter Jones (Optum) and Matt Cooke (Jamis-Hagens Berman) followed, with UnitedHealthcare's Jonathan Clarke dropped by the breakaway group and Manxman Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) leading home the peloton.

PA