Tour of California 2019 – Stage 7 [LAST 20 KM]

May 18, 2019

Tour of California 2019 – Stage 7 – Santa Clarita – Pasadena : 126 km

The 2019 Amgen Tour of California organisers have announced the 13 host cities for the 14th edition of America’s only WorldTour stage race. Throughout seven stages over seven days from May 12-18, the world’s elite cyclists will contest more than 1,200 kilometres of roadways, highways and coastlines from Sacramento to Pasadena. Other stops along the route include Rancho Cordova, South Lake Tahoe, Stockton, Morgan Hill, Laguna Seca Raceway, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Ventura, Ontario, Mt. Baldy and Santa Clarita. Thirteen WorldTour teams will compete alongside five Pro Continental teams and the USA Cycling National Team. The rebranded Team Ineos, formerly Team Sky, will lead the pack, although defending champion Egan Bernal will not be on the start line in Sacramento.

Cees Bol (Team Sunweb) sprinted to victory on the final stage of the Tour of California in Pasadena on Saturday. The Dutchman beat three-time road race world champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jasper Philipsen (UAE Team Emirates) to the line after an unexpectedly active day that saw big names going on the attack mid-stage.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished safely in the peloton to claim his first WorldTour stage-race victory ahead of Sergio Higuita (EF Education First) and Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep).

“This race was my main goal this year,” said the Slovenian in the post-race press conference. “I knew that I was well prepared, but I surprised myself a bit that I took the overall win. I’m really happy and looking forward to returning next year.”

Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe), who’s been active all week, was nevertheless a surprise face in the break of the day, with the ninth-placed man riding into the virtual lead at one point. With the German up front, a number of GC men, including Higuita, went on the offensive on the second, unclassified, climb of the day, creating a fractured situation midway through the stage.

It all came back together in the final 10 kilometres, however, setting up the expected sprint finish. A number of teams took to the front in the closing kilometres, but it was Dimension Data in control under the flamme rouge.

Sagan, a few places back behind Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Maximiliano Richeze, looked in prime position to take a second stage victory, but it was Bol who prevailed. The Dutchman didn’t even surf a lead-out train, instead hitting the wind before anyone else to open the sprint.

Nobody had an answer to the 23-year-old’s finish – not even Sagan, who would have to be content with staying on 17 Tour of California stage wins, at least until next year. Philipsen finished fast to nab third, while, further back, one of his teammates hit the deck in a nasty mid-peloton crash.

How it unfolded

The final stage of the 2019 Tour of California offered a 126km ride from Santa Clarita to Pasadena. The stage wasn’t a straightforward sprint stage, including one last classified climb over the Angeles Forest Hwy, 64km from the line, before another tough – albeit unclassified – test ahead of the descent into Pasadena for three finish circuits around the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Pogačar started the day in the leader’s jersey after his win atop Mt. Baldy on Friday. He led the race into the last stage with a 16-second gap over Higuita, and 20 seconds ahead of Asgreen.

The early breakaway included Schachmann, Diego Rosa (Team Ineos), Lawson Craddock (EF Education First), Lennard Hofstede and Neilson Powless (Team Jumbo-Visma), Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates), Peter Stetina (Trek-Segafredo), Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Davide Ballerini (Astana Pro Team), Michael Storer (Team Sunweb) and former KOM leader Alex Hoehn (USA National Team).

Oliveira’s presence in the move took some pressure off of UAE Team Emirates in the main field behind, but the young Portuguese rider would lose contact early on Angeles Forest Hwy, along with Rosa.

Back in the field, Jumbo-Visma’s George Bennett made a move on the climb, but was marked by Higuita and Lachlan Morton (both EF Education First). The high pace saw some riders splintering off the back and Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) called it a race and climbed into the team car.

Schachmann, riding into virtual yellow, took maximum points at the first intermediate sprint and the climb, while down the road the action was kicking off as GC riders fought between themselves.

Hofstede and Ballerini joined Schachmann out front on the descent into Pasadena, and the trio soon had Cavagna and his teammate Asgreen, who had attacked the chase group, for company.

Their advantage over Pogačar’s chase group was slim though, and it looked all set for a sprint finish when the riders reached the Rose Bowl Stadium for the closing circuits.

Asgreen, Hofstede and Ballerini lasted out front until the 10km mark, and the teams invested in a sprint soon brought Ballerini and Asgreen back into the fold, setting up a grand sprint finale in Pasadena.

The competing trains of Deceuninck-QuickStep (for Fabio Jakobsen), CCC Team (for Szymon Sajnok) and Team Ineos (for Kristoffer Halvorsen) took to the front with 5km to go. Meanwhile, Sagan freelanced further back.

Dimension Data led the way in the final kilometre, while Sagan had made his way onto the Deceuninck-QuickStep lead-out just behind. It was Bol, though, who had the last laugh, launching on his own and holding it to the line to beat out Sagan and a fast-finishing Philipsen to the final finish line of the race.

Results :
1 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb 2:53:16
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
3 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates
4 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Merida
5 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep
6 Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Ineos
7 Travis McCabe (USA) USA National Team
8 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk
9 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
10 Edwin Avila (Col) Israel Cycling Academy
11 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team
12 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data
13 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
14 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
15 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
16 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
17 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
18 Péter Kusztor (Hun) Team Novo Nordisk
19 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep
20 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
21 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
22 Sergio Andres Higuita (Col) EF Education First
23 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma
24 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Hagens Berman Axeon
25 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team
26 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
27 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin
28 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo
29 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
30 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-Merida
31 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team Sunweb
32 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo
33 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb
34 Rob Britton (Can) Rally UHC Cycling
35 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) CCC Team
36 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
37 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data
38 Jesper Hansen (Den) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
39 Lars Bak (Den) Dimension Data
40 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep
41 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk
42 Darwin Atapuma (Col) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
43 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
44 Alexander Cataford (Can) Israel Cycling Academy
45 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida
46 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin
47 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) EF Education First
48 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
49 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) CCC Team
50 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
51 Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Ineos
52 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos
53 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk
54 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
55 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
56 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team
57 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma
58 João Almeida (Por) Hagens Berman Axeon
59 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma
60 Edward Anderson (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
61 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
62 Floris De Tier (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma
63 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team
64 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Astana Pro Team
65 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
66 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida
67 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb
68 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
69 Keegan Swirbel (USA) USA National Team
70 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First
71 Alex Hoehn (USA) USA National Team
72 Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First
73 José Gonçalves (Por) Katusha-Alpecin
74 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain-Merida
75 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos
76 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
77 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin
78 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos 0:00:19
79 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep
80 Simon Geschke (Ger) CCC Team
81 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 0:00:30
82 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:44
83 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:45
84 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 0:00:47
85 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:13
86 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:01:49
87 Alex Howes (USA) EF Education First 0:01:55
88 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:02:28
89 Pawel Bernas (Pol) CCC Team 0:02:37
90 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:04:09
91 Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk 0:05:39
92 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally UHC Cycling
93 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:10:15
94 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
95 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin
96 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb
97 Filippo Fortin (Ita) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
98 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data
99 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data
100 Samuel Boardman (USA) USA National Team
101 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Israel Cycling Academy
102 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:15:11
103 Roy Goldstein (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy
104 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep
105 Michael Hernandez (USA) USA National Team
106 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
107 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
108 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
109 Michael Rice (Aus) Hagens Berman Axeon
110 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Ineos
111 Ian Garrison (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
112 Jonathan Brown (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
OTL Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
OTL Hamish Schreurs (NZl) Israel Cycling Academy
OTL Miguel Bryon (USA) USA National Team
DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
DNF Cole Davis (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon
DNS Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Astana Pro Team

Final General Classification :
1 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 32:55:12
2 Sergio Andres Higuita (Col) EF Education First 0:00:16
3 Kasper Asgreen (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:17
4 George Bennett (NZl) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:00:29
5 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:41
6 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin 0:01:03
7 Jesper Hansen (Den) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:01:18
8 Felix Großschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
9 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) EF Education First 0:01:22
10 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:01:23
11 Rohan Dennis (Aus) Bahrain-Merida
12 Rob Britton (Can) Rally UHC Cycling 0:01:38
13 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) CCC Team 0:01:50
14 Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First 0:01:58
15 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:02:17
16 Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Ineos 0:02:20
17 Lachlan Morton (Aus) EF Education First 0:02:26
18 Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana Pro Team 0:02:35
19 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain-Merida 0:02:41
20 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:02:42
21 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Astana Pro Team 0:02:58
22 Darwin Atapuma (Col) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:03:23
23 Alexander Cataford (Can) Israel Cycling Academy 0:03:44
24 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:05:41
25 Edwin Avila (Col) Israel Cycling Academy 0:06:42
26 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:07:05
27 Michael Schär (Swi) CCC Team 0:07:25
28 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo 0:07:31
29 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:08:14
30 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:09:53
31 Ben King (USA) Dimension Data 0:10:46
32 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:12:10
33 João Almeida (Por) Hagens Berman Axeon 0:12:33
34 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:14:27
35 Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team Emirates 0:14:30
36 Rémi Cavagna (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:16:10
37 Keegan Swirbel (USA) USA National Team 0:18:14
38 Péter Kusztor (Hun) Team Novo Nordisk 0:19:02
39 Simon Geschke (Ger) CCC Team 0:21:56
40 Hugo Houle (Can) Astana Pro Team 0:22:41
41 Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk 0:24:20
42 Lawson Craddock (USA) EF Education First 0:25:18
43 Diego Rosa (Ita) Team Ineos 0:26:11
44 Travis McCabe (USA) USA National Team 0:28:17
45 Edward Anderson (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon 0:29:19
46 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Astana Pro Team 0:32:33
47 David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk 0:32:36
48 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) CCC Team 0:32:38
49 Floris De Tier (Bel) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:34:27
50 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:34:40
51 Matteo Badilatti (Swi) Israel Cycling Academy 0:35:16
52 Daniil Fominykh (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:36:43
53 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:39:02
54 Alex Hoehn (USA) USA National Team 0:39:03
55 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb 0:39:33
56 Nathan Haas (Aus) Katusha-Alpecin 0:39:51
57 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 0:40:18
58 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Katusha-Alpecin 0:40:53
59 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 0:42:10
60 Mikkel Bjerg (Den) Hagens Berman Axeon 0:44:00
61 Jasper Philipsen (Bel) UAE Team Emirates 0:44:58
62 Owain Doull (GBr) Team Ineos 0:45:01
63 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 0:45:41
64 Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo 0:46:23
65 Lars Bak (Den) Dimension Data 0:47:04
66 José Gonçalves (Por) Katusha-Alpecin 0:47:08
67 Pawel Bernas (Pol) CCC Team 0:48:42
68 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Ineos 0:50:56
69 Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk 0:52:42
70 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 0:52:43
71 Tim Declercq (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:54:54
72 Daniel Oss (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:56:58
73 Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:59:50
74 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data 1:00:23
75 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:00:39
76 Kristoffer Halvorsen (Nor) Team Ineos 1:00:47
77 John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo 1:00:51
78 Cees Bol (Ned) Team Sunweb 1:03:27
79 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:04:14
80 Michael Mørkøv (Den) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:04:34
81 Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk 1:04:38
82 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally UHC Cycling 1:06:25
83 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Bahrain-Merida 1:06:39
84 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Bahrain-Merida 1:06:56
85 Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Sunweb 1:07:11
86 Michael Storer (Aus) Team Sunweb 1:08:38
87 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida 1:08:46
88 Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team 1:11:02
89 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) CCC Team 1:11:48
90 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin 1:13:11
91 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 1:14:48
92 Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 1:16:35
93 Sam Brand (GBr) Team Novo Nordisk 1:16:39
94 Alex Howes (USA) EF Education First 1:17:36
95 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Bahrain-Merida 1:18:30
96 Fabio Jakobsen (Ned) Deceuninck-QuickStep 1:20:52
97 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Ineos 1:21:15
98 Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-Alpecin 1:21:33
99 Jay Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data 1:22:25
100 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy 1:23:43
101 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Team Sunweb 1:24:01
102 Filippo Fortin (Ita) Cofidis, Solutions Credits 1:24:18
103 Samuel Boardman (USA) USA National Team 1:26:07
104 Michael Rice (Aus) Hagens Berman Axeon 1:27:16
105 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo 1:30:52
106 Michael Hernandez (USA) USA National Team 1:31:04
107 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:31:47
108 Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 1:39:25
109 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension Data 1:42:00
110 Roy Goldstein (Isr) Israel Cycling Academy 1:44:25
111 Jonathan Brown (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon 1:46:06
112 Ian Garrison (USA) Hagens Berman Axeon 1:50:34