May 16/16 19:54 pm - Tour of California: Stage 2
Posted by Editoress on 05/16/16
Stage Two of the 2016 Amgen Tour of California was expected to end with one of the epic sprinter shootouts the race has become known for as the peloton of 144 world-class riders took off from South Pasadena for a 148.5 km twisting, turning up - and downhill ride to Santa Clarita. But bearing down on the finish line, it was a battle of just two U.S. riders who had spent most of the day out ahead of the field with Cannondale Pro Cycling Team’s Benjamin King, a 2010 U.S. National Champion, just besting Rally Cycling’s Evan Huffman.
Ben King wins
GC podium with Ben King in yellow leaders jersey
“I knew Evan was a pretty quick sprinter. He smoked me in both of the King of the Mountain sprints, so I was hesitant to let it come down to a sprint,” said King. “I couldn’t drop him on the climb, so in the end we both fully committed to make the breakaway stick to the finish, and in the end, Evan let out the sprint, and I was able to come around him in the finish.”
After several attempts to get a breakaway going, finally a group of four that also contained Norway’s Sindre Skjoestad Lunke (Team Giant-Alpecin) and another U.S. rider Will Barta (Axeon Hagens Berman), the second youngest rider in the race at 20, made it clear from the field more than an hour into the race.
The breakaway group containing King, who is coming back from a broken fibula after a January fall, had racked up a 7.5-minute lead over peloton by mid-race. The peloton started reeling them back on the decent of the second of four KOMs in the Angeles National Forest, where speeds reached upwards of 50 mph.
With 10 miles left to ride, Team KATUSHA led the chase to catch the four leaders, angling to position their star sprinter Alexander Kristoff, and bringing the gap down to less than two minutes. Race leader and World Champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) rode in the main chase group wearing the yellow jersey he earned yesterday in San Diego, as did John Degenkolb (Team Giant-Alpecin) Santa Rosa-based rider Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo), both of whom are coming back from career-threatening injuries themselves.
However, the two remaining in the breakaway were able to hold their lead, which stood at 20 seconds on the chase group and one minute on the field with one mile left to ride. With the finish in sight, the Rally rider attacked first, only to be overtaken in the final meters. King, at age 27, is the first U.S. rider to win a stage at the Amgen Tour of California since Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team) took Stage 5 in 2014.
Still in the wings, Kristoff rode across the finish in third place for today’s stage. Huffman earned the Lexus King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey on the hilly route, a good warm-up for the cyclists who must face the infamous Gibraltar Road at the close of tomorrow’s stage.
Press release
Results from the second stage in California
| Stage 2: South Pasedena to Santa Clarita, 148.5 km | |
| 1 Ben King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | 3:52:09 |
| 2 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling | at s.t. |
| 3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha | 0:08 |
| 4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 5 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 6 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky | |
| 7 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 8 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data | |
| 9 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 10 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 11 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 12 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 13 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 14 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 15 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 16 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 17 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 18 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 19 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 20 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha | |
| 21 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 22 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 23 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 24 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 25 Alex Peters (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 26 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 27 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 28 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 29 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 30 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 31 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 32 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 33 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 34 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 35 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 36 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha | |
| 37 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
| 38 Javier Megias (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 39 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | |
| 40 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 41 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 42 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
| 43 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 44 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 45 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 46 Haimar Zubeldia (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 47 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff | |
| 48 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data | |
| 49 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 50 Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 51 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 52 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 53 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 54 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 55 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 56 Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team | |
| 57 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 58 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 59 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 60 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 61 Mark Christian (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 62 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 63 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 64 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 65 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 66 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 67 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 68 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | |
| 69 Lachlan Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 70 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 71 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 72 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 73 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 74 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 75 William Barta (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 76 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
| 77 Xabier Zandio (Esp) Team Sky | |
| 78 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 79 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 80 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 81 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha | |
| 82 Sindre Skjostad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 83 Michael Schar (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 84 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 85 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 86 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie | all s.t. |
| 87 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | 0:19 |
| 88 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:37 |
| 89 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | 0:47 |
| 90 Oscar Clark (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 0:54 |
| 91 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 1:55 |
| 92 Rob Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 0:08 |
| 93 Adam de Vos (Can) Rally Cycling | 6:09 |
| 94 Markel Irizar (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | s.t. |
| 95 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | 7:19 |
| 96 David Lozano Riba (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | s.t. |
| 97 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Wiggins | 10:16 |
| 98 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 99 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 100 William Routley (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 101 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie | |
| 102 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 103 Jesse Anthony (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 104 Michael Thompson (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 105 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 106 Chris Putt (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 107 Ben Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 108 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 109 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 110 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 111 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 112 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 113 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 114 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 115 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 116 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 117 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 118 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha | |
| 119 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
| 120 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team Wiggins | all s.t. |
| 121 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | 14:24 |
| 122 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky | s.t. |
| 123 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | 15:30 |
| 124 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 125 Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 126 Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 127 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
| 128 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 129 Daniel Patten (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 130 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 131 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
| 132 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data | |
| 133 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data | |
| 134 Jake Kelly (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 135 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| 136 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data | |
| 137 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 138 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | all s.t. |
| 139 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins | 18:03 |
| 140 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff | |
| 141 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff | |
| 142 Michael Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 143 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 144 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff | all s.t. |
| GC | |
| 1 Ben King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | 8:12:34 |
| 2 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling | at 0:08 |
| 3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | 0:14 |
| 4 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha | 0:20 |
| 5 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | 0:21 |
| 6 William Barta (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | s.t. |
| 7 Sindre Skjostad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-Alpecin | 0:23 |
| 8 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | 0:24 |
| 9 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 10 Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky | |
| 11 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 12 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 13 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 14 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 15 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 16 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 17 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 18 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 19 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 20 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 21 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 22 Javier Megias (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 23 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 24 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 25 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 26 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 27 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 28 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team | |
| 29 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 30 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 31 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff | |
| 32 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 33 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 34 Haimar Zubeldia (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 35 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 36 Jurgen Van den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha | |
| 37 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
| 38 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 39 Alex Peters (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 40 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 41 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 42 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 43 Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 44 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 45 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 46 Samuel Sanchez (Esp) BMC Racing Team | |
| 47 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | |
| 48 Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 49 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | |
| 50 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data | |
| 51 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 52 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 53 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 54 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff | |
| 55 Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 56 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 57 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 58 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 59 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | |
| 60 Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | |
| 61 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 62 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 63 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha | |
| 64 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 65 Mark Christian (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 66 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 67 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
| 68 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 69 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 70 Lachlan Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 71 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 72 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 73 Rob Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 74 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 75 Michael Schar (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 76 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Direct Energie | |
| 77 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 78 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 79 Xabier Zandio (Esp) Team Sky | all s.t. |
| 80 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman | 0:35 |
| 81 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:40 |
| 82 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 0:54 |
| 83 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data | 0:58 |
| 84 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 1:03 |
| 85 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 86 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha | both s.t. |
| 87 Oscar Clark (USA) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 2:06 |
| 88 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | 2:11 |
| 89 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | 2:19 |
| 90 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie | 2:20 |
| 91 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | 2:44 |
| 92 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin | 4:50 |
| 93 Markel Irizar (Esp) Trek-Segafredo | 6:25 |
| 94 Adam de Vos (Can) Rally Cycling | s.t. |
| 95 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | 7:35 |
| 96 David Lozano Riba (Esp) Team Novo Nordisk | s.t. |
| 97 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | 10:26 |
| 98 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | s.t. |
| 99 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 10:28 |
| 100 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | 10:30 |
| 101 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Wiggins | 10:32 |
| 102 Jesse Anthony (USA) Rally Cycling | |
| 103 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 104 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling | |
| 105 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha | |
| 106 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
| 107 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 108 Ryan Anderson (Can) Direct Energie | |
| 109 Michael Thompson (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 110 Chris Putt (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 111 Ben Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 112 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo | all s.t. |
| 113 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | 10:52 |
| 114 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 10:55 |
| 115 William Routley (Can) Rally Cycling | 11:11 |
| 116 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 117 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha | both s.t. |
| 118 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie | 11:44 |
| 119 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling Team | 11:54 |
| 120 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | 12:44 |
| 121 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky | 14:40 |
| 122 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | s.t. |
| 123 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | 15:46 |
| 124 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
| 125 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 126 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro | |
| 127 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
| 128 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| 129 Jake Kelly (GBr) Team Wiggins | |
| 130 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data | |
| 131 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 132 Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 133 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Holowesko-Citadel p/b Hincapie | |
| 134 Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 135 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Wiggins | all s.t. |
| 136 Daniel Patten (GBr) Team Wiggins | 16:16 |
| 137 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data | 16:39 |
| 138 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data | 17:00 |
| 139 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff | 18:19 |
| 140 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team Wiggins | s.t. |
| 141 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff | 18:34 |
| 142 Michael Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff | 18:35 |
| 143 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff | 18:58 |
| 144 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff | 20:10 |
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