Tour of California 2016 – Stage 8 [FULL STAGE + Ceremony Awards]

May 22, 2016

Tour of California 2016 – Sacramento – Sacramento – 136,5 km

The Tour of California (officially known as the Amgen Tour of California for sponsorship purposes) is an annual professional cycling stage race on the UCI America Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour. It was first held in 2006. The eight-day race covers 650–700 miles (1,045–1,126 km) through the U.S. state of California. A typical edition might begin in Nevada City, travel through the redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast, and finish in a southern California city such as Escondido. The 2009 race crossed the Central Valley from Merced to Fresno, with an excursion through the Sierra Nevada foothills, before crossing over to the coast. The tour is sponsored by Amgen, a large California-based biotech company.

After a week of falling short, Mark Cavendish and his Dimension Data teammates finally timed it right on the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California, taking out the bunch sprint in Sacramento over Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha).

Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quickstep) sealed the overall victory after a taxing week by 21 seconds over BMC’s Rohan Dennis and 43 seconds on Brent Bookwalter.

Sagan sealed the points classification, while Evan Huffman (Rally Cycling) held onto the mountains classification that he led from the second stage. Neilson Powless (Axeon Hagens Berman) held onto the best young rider’s classification, finishing ninth overall.

Cavendish had to freelance has way to the head of affairs after his Dimension Data teammates used themselves up to bring back a breakaway that made it onto the finishing circuits.

“The break got a second wind at the end,” he said. “They pulled away because they were really, really strong, and we had to use the guys up to bring them back.

“Tinkoff went to the front, and they weren’t going that fast, to be honest,” he said. “So we had to go up and catch the break. We either use up the lead out to catch the break or we don’t catch them. So it was just everyone committing to catch them, and then I had to freestyle. I knew I had to be on Peter’s wheel. He had [Adam] Blythe with him so I knew he’d be in the best position. And I just went from there really.”

Alaphilippe said the win was important to him because it is his first of the season and the first general classification win of his professional career.

“So it’s really something special to win this race, especially here in California,” he said of the race he lost by just three seconds last year. “I’m proud of my team all week, and especially today, because it was a really stressful day for the riders in the peloton. Everybody wanted to be in the front without losing time for the GC riders. It was a good day and I’m really, really happy.”

How it happened

The 138km final stage that started and finished in Sacramento was contested over almost perfectly flat roads in the agricultural areas that surround the state capitol. The race included no categorized climbs and two intermediate sprints, the first in Clarksburg 91km into the race and the second as the race entered the 3.5km finishing circuits that the riders covered three times.

After a bit of attacking and reshuffling, five riders peeled away and were soon joined by two more to form the seven-rider group that would provide the carrot for the chasing peloton. The day’s escapees included Jake Kelly (Team WIGGINS), Alan Marangoni (Cannondale), Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare), Krists Nielands (Axeon-Hagens Berman), Taylor Sheldon (Jelly Belly-Maxxis), Robin Carpenter (Holowesko-Citadel) and Emerson Oronte (Rally Cycling).

Despite winds that picked up as soon as the riders got out of the urban centre, the day’s parcours looked like an opportunity for Cavendish to take his first win of the week, and his Dimension Data team, along with Direct Energie and the Etixx-Quickstep team of race leader Julian Alaphilippe, took control of the peloton.

The gap got up over two minutes several times, but for the most part the peloton kept the leaders on a short leash and their gap small.

As the kilometres ticked off and the race began its return trip to Sacramento, the gap came down to exactly one minute as the leaders contested the intermediate sprint in Clarksburg, where Jones took the maximum points ahead of Marangoni and Nielands.

The peloton was breathing down the leaders necks as they hit Sacramento and started the three closing circuits, but a bunch sprint still wasn’t certain as the leaders still carried a 30-second gap.

A crash with two laps remaining of the finishing circuits cut out several riders, including Nielson Powless, the 19-year-old Axeon rider who as the revelation of the race, coming into the final day in fifth place. The delay caused him to lose time in the finale, and he dropped to ninth overall.

“A bunch of riders were on the ground, and I was on the outside and got pushed to the gutter,” he said. “It took me a little bit to get out of it, and by that time the teams already had their leadouts going and there was no way we were gong to get back.”

Up front, Carpenter and Nielands were the final riders to succumb to the chase, holding off the bunch until only 1km and two turns remained. Carpenter said he and Nielands had more than just the charging peloton to worry about as a TV moto cut them off with two corner to go.

“We still had 10 or 20 bikes lengths but we just had to sit up, because there was this moto that came on the inside and shoved us all the way to the fence, so that was pretty ridiculous,” Carpenter said. “We probably wouldn’t have made it anyway, but that’s pretty poor to see that.”

By the time the pair was caught, Cavendish had used up most of his lead-out riders to bring them back, and the Manxman had to freelance his way through the peloton, finding Sagan’s wheel and then jumping past the world champion to take his first stage win of the week.

Results :
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 3:01:12
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
3 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha
4 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
5 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin
6 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
7 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team
8 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx – Quick-Step
9 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
10 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
11 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step
12 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
13 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie
14 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie 0:00:03
15 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha
16 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
17 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:05
18 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
19 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team
20 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman
21 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
22 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
23 Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
24 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha
25 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team
26 Rob Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
27 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
28 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling
29 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
30 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
31 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling
32 Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
33 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Hagens Berman
34 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
35 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
36 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
37 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
38 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
39 Michael Schar (Swi) BMC Racing Team
40 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data
41 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
42 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:13
43 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha 0:00:17
44 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:21
45 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:25
46 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:00:31
47 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:00:35
48 Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
49 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team
50 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk 0:00:40
51 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha 0:00:44
52 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
53 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:00:49
54 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
55 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
56 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
57 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin
58 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling
59 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
60 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
61 Daniel Patten (GBr) Team WIGGINS
62 Ben King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:55
63 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
64 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie 0:00:57
65 Oscar Clark (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:01:00
66 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
67 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha
68 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:01:04
69 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
70 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:01:12
71 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
72 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:17
73 Jake Kelly (GBr) Team WIGGINS
74 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha
75 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:23
76 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:01:28
77 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie
78 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS
79 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
80 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
81 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha
82 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
83 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Team
84 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
85 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
86 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
87 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data 0:01:36
88 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
89 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:01:39
90 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team
91 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:01:44
92 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin
93 William Barta (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:01:46
94 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:51
95 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:01:54
96 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky 0:01:58
97 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:02:14
98 Chris Putt (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:02:16
99 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data 0:02:18
100 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data
101 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Team Sky
102 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
103 Michael Thompson (GBr) Team WIGGINS
104 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:02:25
105 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:02:32
106 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling 0:02:34
107 Michal Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:02:40
108 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 0:02:43
109 Owain Doull (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:03:01
110 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team WIGGINS
111 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS 0:03:03
112 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
113 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo
114 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk 0:03:28
115 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
116 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling
117 William Routley (Can) Rally Cycling
118 Sindre Skjostad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-Alpecin
119 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Direct Energie
120 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie
121 Ben Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
122 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:03:50
123 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling
124 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team
125 Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk
126 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
127 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff Team
128 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data 0:04:53
129 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:05:15
130 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team 0:05:36
131 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk 0:06:17

1 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step 31:47:50
2 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:21
3 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:43
4 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:00:52
5 Lawson Craddock (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:01:22
6 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) BMC Racing Team
7 George Bennett (NZl) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:50
8 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Team Katusha 0:01:53
9 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:01:57
10 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:02:13
11 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling 0:02:46
12 Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:03:00
13 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:03:22
14 Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk 0:03:53
15 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:05:03
16 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) Dimension Data 0:05:11
17 Rob Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:06:05
18 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:06:46
19 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:07:07
20 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:07:17
21 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:07:35
22 Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:08:22
23 Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha 0:09:59
24 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:11:10
25 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:12:12
26 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:12:46
27 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha 0:12:56
28 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:13:26
29 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:17:42
30 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky 0:18:21
31 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Direct Energie 0:19:05
32 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 0:19:39
33 Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:21:36
34 Michael Schar (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:22:01
35 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:22:21
36 Michael Gogl (Aut) Tinkoff Team 0:23:21
37 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:23:22
38 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:24:35
39 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:27:17
40 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:27:47
41 Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:28:42
42 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Direct Energie 0:30:19
43 Toms Skujins (Lat) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:30:28
44 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:32:24
45 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:33:50
46 John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:33:52
47 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha 0:36:42
48 Sindre Skjostad Lunke (Nor) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:37:46
49 Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:39:55
50 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:41:41
51 Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 0:42:53
52 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:43:22
53 Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:45:48
54 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha 0:46:26
55 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie 0:47:10
56 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:47:32
57 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:47:33
58 Geoffrey Curran (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:47:57
59 Ben King (USA) Cannondale Pro Cycling 0:48:19
60 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Direct Energie 0:48:54
61 Soren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin 0:50:24
62 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky 0:51:24
63 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:51:44
64 Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data 0:52:22
65 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:52:28
66 Xabier Zandio (Spa) Team Sky 0:52:31
67 Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:52:42
68 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:52:49
69 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling 0:53:58
70 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:54:17
71 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:57:29
72 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:58:28
73 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:59:27
74 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling 1:00:33
75 Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:00:52
76 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 1:01:19
77 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling 1:01:28
78 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk 1:02:25
79 Martin Velits (Svk) Etixx – Quick-Step 1:04:18
80 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 1:04:40
81 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling 1:05:05
82 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 1:06:25
83 Adrien Petit (Fra) Direct Energie 1:07:05
84 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling 1:07:40
85 Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha 1:09:22
86 Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo 1:09:37
87 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky 1:10:27
88 William Barta (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 1:10:52
89 Michael Sheehan (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 1:13:28
90 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha 1:13:39
91 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk 1:13:44
92 Owain Doull (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:14:12
93 Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 1:14:19
94 Caleb Fairly (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin 1:17:15
95 Bryan Nauleau (Fra) Direct Energie 1:17:34
96 Daniel Patten (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:18:13
97 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 1:18:29
98 Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 1:19:08
99 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 1:19:22
100 Robert Wagner (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 1:20:31
101 Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team 1:20:51
102 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk 1:22:34
103 Ben Wolfe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 1:22:57
104 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 1:23:09
105 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 1:23:24
106 Michael Thompson (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:23:52
107 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin 1:24:33
108 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo 1:25:43
109 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk 1:25:46
110 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling 1:26:12
111 William Routley (Can) Rally Cycling 1:26:18
112 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:26:51
113 Chris Putt (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
114 Oscar Clark (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 1:28:02
115 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff Team 1:28:05
116 Andrew Fenn (GBr) Team Sky 1:29:50
117 Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha 1:30:37
118 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data 1:31:38
119 Jake Kelly (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:32:48
120 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data 1:33:12
121 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:33:38
122 Tyler Farrar (USA) Dimension Data 1:34:00
123 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) Dimension Data 1:34:28
124 Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk 1:34:38
125 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 1:34:57
126 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team 1:35:43
127 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 1:36:40
128 Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk 1:38:22
129 Christopher Latham (GBr) Team WIGGINS 1:39:23
130 Michal Kolar (Svk) Tinkoff Team 1:40:26
131 Erik Baska (Svk) Tinkoff Team 1:44:56