May 15/16 19:27 pm - Tour of California: Stage 1, Sagan in Yellow
Posted by Editoress on 05/15/16
The 2016 Amgen Tour of California opened with World Champion and defending race champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) roaring to victory in a bunch sprint to the finish line in Mission Beach, San Diego. The win put Sagan back into the yellow leader jersey he wore at the race's conclusion last year. Sunday's stage kicked off the 11th annual 8-day stage race, which features some of the most accomplished riders in the sport competing across 782 miles before concluding in Sacramento next Sunday, May 22nd.
Peter Sagan takes the win
"I'm very happy to be here again, to catch a first victory here, in the first stage. Thank you to all my teammates. Today was a good day," said Sagan of his 14th Amgen Tour of California career victory (adding to his all-time record for stage wins). "I came here the first time in 2010...it was a very nice race, very good organization, very nice hotels, food... Also, the level of the race is very good, and it's also very good for preparation because it's good weather. Now it's the Giro and Tour of California. And I prefer to come here to train and prepare. And also I like California for the fans, and I've won a lot of stages here, and I'm very happy always to return here."
The break
Katusha at front
The 108-mile (175 km) stage began with a breakaway group of seven riders who sprang out to take a 4-plus minute lead over the peloton, which they held for much of the stage. Team KATUSHA rode at the front of the peloton for much of the stage, with Team Sky, Tinkoff and BMC Racing Team lending a hand to chase down the leaders in the final kilometres. For his part in the breakaway, Jacob Rathe (USA) of San Diego-based Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis, the 24 year-old rider who is coming back from artery surgery last season, was awarded the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey.
With about three kilomtres left in the stage, Team Lotto NL - Jumbo leapt to the front of the pack with Tinkoff jockeying for position to bring Sagan to the front. The last two kms saw a chaotic peloton fighting for control, with Lotto NL - Jumbo seeming to take over but Tinkoff still in the mix. Etixx - Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team's Tom Boonen (BEL) made a move toward the final metres which did not prove strong enough for the win, turning in an 8th place finish. Nothing could hold back the explosive power of the World Champion, with Sagan claiming the Amgen Race Leader Jersey as well as the Sprint Jersey.
"The fans are very nice. Every year it's more and more fans for me, and I'm very happy for that," said Sagan, who spoke of his love for California in the days leading to the race. The fans loved him right back, erupting into roars when he catapulted over the finish first by the length of his handlebars.
Cannondale's Wouter Wippert (NED) took second place (and will wear the Sprint Jersey in Stage 2) with fellow countrymen Team Lotto NL - Jumbo's 22 year-old Dylan Groenewegen (NED) earning third place on the stage as well as the Best Young Rider Jersey.
American rider Oscar Clark (USA) of Holowesko | Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Sportswear will ride in the King of the Mountain (KOM) jersey, which he earned in the one KOM climb during his time in the breakaway. Speaking of the level of competition at the Amgen Tour of California, he commented:
"It's great for us. It's the biggest race we do all year, so to have the world champion and past world champions, and all the big name riders, it's awesome for what we do," said Clark.
Courtesy ATOC
Results from the first stage in California
| Stage 1: San Diego to San Diego, 175 km | |
| 1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | 4:20:41 |
| 2 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 3 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 4 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 5 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 6 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 7 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 8 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 9 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
| 10 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 11 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 12 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky | |
| 13 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 14 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 15 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 16 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha | |
| 17 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 18 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 19 Jesse Anthony (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 20 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 21 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 22 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 23 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 24 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 25 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 26 Javier Megias (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 27 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 28 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 29 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| 30 Markel Irizar (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 31 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 32 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
| 33 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 34 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 35 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
| 36 Jake Kelly (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 37 Haimar Zubeldia (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 38 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 39 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 40 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | |
| 41 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 42 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 43 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 44 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 45 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 46 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
| 47 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 48 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 49 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 50 Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team | |
| 51 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha | |
| 52 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 53 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff | |
| 54 Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 55 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
| 56 Ben King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 57 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 58 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 59 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 60 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 61 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha | |
| 62 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 63 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 64 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 65 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 66 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 67 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 68 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data | |
| 69 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 70 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 71 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data | |
| 72 Alex Peters (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 73 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 74 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
| 75 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff | |
| 76 Sindre Skjostad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 77 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 78 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 79 Adam de Vos (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 80 Rob Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 81 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 82 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 83 William Barta (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 84 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 85 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 86 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 87 Mark Christian (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 88 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 89 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 90 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 91 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 92 Michael Schar (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 93 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | |
| 94 Lachlan Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 95 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 96 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 97 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie | |
| 98 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 99 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 100 Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 101 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 102 David Lozano Riba (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 103 Michael Thompson (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 104 Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 105 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 106 Chris Putt (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 107 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 108 Ben Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 109 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 110 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 111 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 112 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 113 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 114 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 115 Xabier Zandio (Esp) Team Sky | |
| 116 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 117 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 118 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha | all s.t. |
| 119 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff | 0:15 |
| 120 Michael Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff | 0:16 |
| 121 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 122 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:20 |
| 123 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 0:23 |
| 124 Daniel Patten (GBr) Team Wiggins | 0:30 |
| 125 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | s.t. |
| 126 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data | 0:34 |
| 127 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:39 |
| 128 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
| 129 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff | |
| 130 William Routley (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 131 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha | |
| 132 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 133 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | all s.t. |
| 134 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data | 0:53 |
| 135 Oscar Clark (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 0:56 |
| 136 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie | 1:12 |
| 137 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data | 1:14 |
| 138 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | 1:22 |
| 139 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | 1:41 |
| 140 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff | 1:51 |
| 141 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | 1:56 |
| 142 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie | s.t. |
| 143 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 2:12 |
| 144 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin | 3:57 |
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