Reactions from the final stage of the Tour of California

 

After seven days of waiting, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) finally got a chance to show his speed at the Tour of California and the Brit proved his class by taking a hugely dominant win in the bunch sprint on the final stage. Despite having used his lead-out to bring the break back, he easily came around Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Alexander Kristoff (Kristoff) to beat them by more than a bike length while Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) finished safely in the bunch to claim the overall victory.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Tom Boonen made final stage of the Tour of California a holiday for Julian Alaphilippe

How long is the timespan that lies between disappointment and happiness, between getting to know the sorrow taste of defeat and being on the top of your world? For Julian Alaphilippe, the new champion of the Tour of California, the answer is one year and 24 seconds. One year, because 12 months ago he came runner-up in the US race, despite a superb display on the grueling Mount Baldy, and 24 seconds because at the previous edition he lost the GC for just three seconds, while now he took home the yellow jersey for 21 seconds.

 

It was a victory forged on Gibraltar Road, a new addition to the race, where Alaphilippe attacked with 1500 meters to go and destroyed the opposition, notching his maiden win of the year in the process, but also in the 20-km long Folsom individual time trial, during which the Frenchman had the ride of his life in an ITT and went full gas on his way to defending the coveted yellow jersey. It also was a victory of a fantastic and hard-working squad, which protected Alaphilippe at all times and made sure of controlling its rivals, this impressive display coming as proof of the unique team spirit that is a defining characteristic of Etixx – Quick-Step.

 

Less than three weeks shy of his 24th birthday, Julian Alaphilippe put the regrets of last year's Tour of California to rest on Sunday, and sealed his first career GC triumph, one which comes as further evidence of his potential which seems to know no limits: "It's really incredible. I took the yellow jersey at the end of stage 3 and that acted as a morale booster; then, after the individual time trial, I was more and more confident.

 

”For sure, it's the most beautiful day of my career and I must thank my teammates for this special moment and for believing in me.

 

Coming into the last day of the event (Sacramento – Sacramento, 138 kilometers) with a 16-second cushion over his closest rival in the overall standings, Alaphilippe – the first Frenchman to win the GC in the 11 years since it was created – admitted of being nervous in the first part of the stage, before eventually relaxing once the race came into its final kilometers.

 

"It was stressful today, because everyone wanted to stay at the front and fought for a better position. Usually, I'm not nervous, but today things were different, as the victory was closer and closer. Thankfully, I had a powerful team around me, which was always in charge, and as soon as Tom Boonen hit the front with me safely tucked behind him, it was like being on a holiday. Now, we'll celebrate the win, but once we will return home, I'll be back on my bike, training and looking to further improve", said Alaphilippe the youngest ever winner in the history of the Tour of California.

 

"So it's really something special to win this race, especially here in California.  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."

 

Mark Cavendish: I knew that I should win this stage

The 2016 Amgen Tour of California ended with a bunch sprint finish in the streets of Sacramento. Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka’s Mark Cavendish had the fastest legs. He crossed the line ahead of Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha).

 

The final stage of this year’s race through the sunshine state began fast and saw an early break of 7 riders going up the road on their way out of Sacramento. The break pulled a gap of more than 3 minutes when the African team decided to set the pace in the peloton. Jacques Janse van Rensburg was the first to drive the pack, and was later joined by the rest of the riders.

 

The gap to the break began to come down on the way back to Sacramento. With less than 10 kilometers to go, the break only had a minute left, but it was only a matter of time until they were to be caught. In the finale Team Dimension Data was joined at the front of the race by Tinkoff and Katusha.

Inside the final kilometer Mark Cavendish took the wheel of Peter Sagan and then opened his sprint with only a hundred meters to go. He crossed the line in first position to finish this weeks racing in California on a high note, after Nathan Haas 3rd place finish on stage 4.

 

Cavendish said:

 

”It’s been a tough week, Nathan was third the other day, but we really wanted to get this stage win. It was a windy day, so we had to take on the race. The guys rode out of their skins, Jacques rode the whole day on the front, and then everyone was just really going for it.

 

”We had to use our whole lead-out to catch the break, so in the end it was a bit a case of free styling. I was on Sagan’s wheel and know this finish really well. I’ve won here before and knew that, if was in the right position I should win here.

 

"The break got a second wind at the end. 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. 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.

 

“I’ve been coming to the Amgen Tour of California for many years. There’s a reason all the top riders in the world come over to America to race here.  It’s always been a great race, and Kristin and AEG always put on a tremendous show, as well a great, relaxed race for the riders to come to….I’m happy to be here and I’m definitely coming back.”

 

Rohan Dennis back on track with second place in the Tour of California

Sacramento provided the backdrop to a thrilling finale of the Amgen Tour of California that saw BMC Racing Team secure two of the top three spots on the General Classification.

 

Jempy Drucker was the first BMC Racing Team rider across the line as he mixed it up in the sprint to finish seventh. 

 

Behind the sprinters, Rohan Dennis and Brent Bookwalter finished safely inside the main group to secure their podium spots. Dennis, who won the Stage 6 individual time trial on Friday, finished in second place, 21 second behind Julian Alaphilippe (Ettix-Quick-Step), while Brent Bookwalter took the final place on the rostrum, 43 seconds back.

 

Samuel Sánchez also finished inside the top ten on the General Classification. The Spaniard finished his week in California in sixth place, 1'22 behind Alaphilippe.

 

Rohan Dennis said: “The stage was a little bit stressful today with people worried about losing the GC or getting caught in the crosswinds and the peloton blowing up but we all got through fairly well. The breakaway was really strong today and I don’t think the guys that were riding at the front realised how strong they actually were because it took a lot of effort to get them back.

 

“I pleased with how I have performed this week. Obviously winning would have been better but it’s been a rough season for me so far and considering I haven’t done a whole lot of racing, I am happy with where I’m at and where I am going from here. This week has definitely given me a confidence boost going in to the next couple of races. It’s great that things are starting to come into place and that I am able to be at the pointy end as well as helping out the team when needed.”

 

Brent Bookwalter proud to deliver in rare chance to lead BMC

Brent Bookwalter said: “Today was not a parade by any means. I had one tense moment before we came into the final circuits, I got a flat which put a little panic into me but as they have been doing all week the guys were awesome, they kept me calm and brought be back no problem.

 

“Coming in to the race the goal was to win but seeing how the week unfolded and how we rode, I am really pleased with the third place that I got and the second over that Rohan got. I’ve had some other success in week long stages in the US but this was really the first time that the team have given me more responsibility and the chance to lead and prepare accordingly and have the team committed to me. I am really grateful for that opportunity and I’m humbled and inspired to have had such a world class group of guys riding for me all week and hopefully it’s not the last one.”

 

Sport director, Jackson Stewart said: "The breakaway came pretty close today. It was pretty windy out there and always changing direction and I think that, couple with the bad roads, made everyone a little nervous. There was a lot of people just trying to stay out of trouble and stay safe in the wind which meant the break was able to go out in front. Then, as we started to head towards town the peloton started to pick up the pace to catch them and our guys sat back a little and let Jempy [Drucker] try and go for the sprint. He ended up seventh and did what he could and then the guys stayed out of major trouble to keep their podium spots.

 

“Samu [Samuel Sánchez] moved up to sixth on GC as well today so, in the end, to come here and get three guys in top ten and two on podium is pretty successful. We were really competitive this week and even though everyone wanted that elusive GC win, I think we still delivered. We left everything out there and we did our best job.” 

 

Consistent Peter Sagan takes another second place and points jersey in California

The final stage of the Amgen Tour of California presented one more clear cut opportunity for the team to go for a third stage win of the week, and, like the day before, Peter Sagan just missed out on another victory finishing in second place in the bunch sprint.

 

Having already scored enough points the previous day to put his green jersey lead out of touch, Sagan secured this in crossing the line, ensuring he took home a jersey from the race again this year.

The stage got underway in Sacramento before heading out of town on a flat 138km route that tracked the Sacramento River before returning back into town for three finishing circuits to end the day. The situation 12 months ago was much different to this year with Sagan sprinting for bonus seconds to secure the overall victory – this year was all about getting a third stage win of the race, adding to his tally of 15 stage wins here already over the past seven seasons.

 

Tinkoff jerserys were often based around the front and into the final 15km the whole fluo train was leading the peloton around the finishing circuits to close the gap. At 10km to go the gap was down to 45”, and despite a hard fight, they were all swallowed up in the final 2km.

 

Into the final kilometre, Sagan was safely sat on the wheel of yesterday’s winner, Kristoff (Katusha), and as the finish line approached he jumped off this to open up his sprint in view of the line. For a moment it looked like no one would be able to come around Sagan, but Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) managed to get past in the final 100m to take the win, leaving Sagan in second.

 

“Another second place, we can be happy even if we wanted the win of course,” explained Sport Director Patxi Vila after the stage. “Peter said before that he wanted it to be hard coming into the finish and the guys did a good job of keeping the pace high and stringing out the bunch then at the end he did a good sprint and fought to the line.

 

“The stage itself was pretty straight forward, with an early break and the chase behind. Towards the end the boys did again a great job, all present at the front. I’m really proud of the team for what they’ve done this week – they’ve all been so committed and have fought everyday. We came here with the goal of a stage win, and we leave with two wins, two second places, a fourth and the green jersey. We’ve seen the young guys race well here and they can take a lot from this race going forward.”

 

The result rounds out a successful week for the team with Sagan winning the opening stage, spending a day in yellow, before holding the green jersey to the finish. Along the way, Sagan added another stage win, together with two second places and a fourth over the eight days of racing.

 

Alexander Kristoff: I missed something after having gone so deep yesterday

Sunday brought the final day of the 11th Amgen Tour of California and one more chance for Team KATUSHA’s Alexander Kristoff to take another stage victory after Saturday’s searing sprint win for stage 7. With the mostly flat stage over a short 138km course, many of the sprinters were in search for a win in the technical finish in the shadow of the stage capitol building. Kristoff’s lead out put him in position and he drove for the line, just missing a little to take the win behind Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and world champion Peter Sagan of Tinkoff.

 

”Things were very fast today. We had to work sooner than we expected but I have to say the team did an amazing job today and the lead out was the best yet. I think I was just missing a little something from going so deep yesterday, but in the end third is not bad. We can be happy with our results here: one stage win and two times more on the podium,” said a satisfied Alexander Kristoff.

 

“We started this race in San Diego and our goal prior to the start was to have one rider in the top ten on GC. We got this with Jurgen Van den Broeck and his eighth place finish here in Sacramento. I think we can be happy with this result and he can be proud also. Our second goal was to get a stage victory with Alexander Kristoff. We got that yesterday in Santa Rosa. In summary we had a fantastic two weeks here in the USA and now we travel back to Europe with fond memories of our time here,” said team director Torsten Schmidt.  

 

Team KATUSHA’s Jurgen Van den Broeck finished in 8-th place at +1:53 on the general classification. Teammate Jhonatan Restrepo was fifth overall in the young rider competition at +8:02 behind winner Neilson Powless of Axeon Hagens Berman.

 

Two stage wins make it a positive Tour of California for Cannondale

Cannondale won two stages and had both Andrew Talansky and Lawson Craddock in the top 5

 

"I think it’s been a really good week for us – two stage wins, a day in yellow and aggressive racing overall. We made the racing really hard and we were there when we needed to be. If luck was a little more on our side, the result would be a little bit better for the GC guys, but in the end two guys in the top six is a tremendous result,” stage 5 winner Toms Skujins said.

 

"We came here to win but it doesn’t always go to plan. With the teamwork we did this week it will be a confidence boost for both our team leaders and ourselves.”

 

Danny Van Poppel close to the podium in final sprint in California

Danny van Poppel rounded out the Tour of California with fourth place in the final stage sprint in Sacramento.

 

Team Sky stuck together in the bunch across the day's 138 kilometres, and in the final lap Gianni Moscon and Andy Fenn helped manoeuvre the Dutchman into his second top-five finish in as many days.

 

After a messy run-in Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) was able to regroup to claim victory on the eighth day of action, holding off Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) in a star-studded sprint. Van Poppel found himself on the wheel of Cavendish in the final metres, but the acceleration from the Manxman proved too strong for his rivals.

 

After the stage Sport Director Gabriel Rasch talked TeamSky.com through the finale, explaining: "We wanted to give it everything on the final day after all the bad luck we've had. Xabi (Zandio) and Kiry (Vasil Kiryienka) did a really good job today, keeping Andy, Gianni and Danny out of the wind the whole day. It was really windy out there.

 

"The plan was to enter the circuit and to go full gas there with Kiry and Xabi. The guys tried to do that and then Andy and Gianni did a good job in the final to keep Danny in a good position.

 

"The guys have enjoyed the racing out here but it's certainly been a tough event. The parcours has been hard this year so there are definitely some tired bodies. But it's been a great experience and thanks to the fans for all their support."

 

Another sign of progression for Degenkolb, costly time loss for Ten Dam

Team Giant-Alpecin sat steadily in the wheels, looking after John Degenkolb and Laurens Ten Dam, and waiting for their moment to move up. A crash in the middle of the bunch caught out Ten Dam who was behind the split and ended up chasing right the finish but lost enough time for him to drop to 10th overall.

 

It was then left to Ramon Sinkeldam to pilot Degenkolb into position, dropping him off amongst the front placings from which point he opened up his finishing effort in the final 200m. Tracking those in front of him, Degenkolb held his own and was gradually moving forward at the finish but it was to be fifth on the line, with the win going to Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data).

 

The stage rounds out a strong week for the team with an top ten on GC, a fourth in the Individual time trial as well as two top tens in the sprints for John Degenkolb.

 

After the final stage in Sacramento, coach Aike Visbeek said: “The leadout train is starting to get things dialed in more and more now and John is gaining also fitness and confidence from this race. He has made big steps over the week.

“Of course it’s a bit disappointing for us that Laurens was behind the crash after a week of hard work. All in all it has been a good week, one in which we’ve made progress in our teamwork and where the riders raised their level day by day.”

 

“The sprint train is working better and better now,” Degenkolb added. “We lost each in last 3km but managed to find each other again. The routines are coming back, as well as the confidence to go for a result in the sprint. I really enjoyed riding with the guys again here in California.”

 

Looking back over the race, Ten Dam said: “My shoulder was very painful today, and it was difficult on the last three laps with all the accelerations out of the corners. There was a crash with 5km to go and I was behind it, meaning I had to chase all the way to the finish. I lost some time and so I am a bit disappointed.”

 

Disastrous final stage for Trek captain in California

After seven stages jammed with climbs, the final stage eight was 138 kilometers of pancake flat roads – the easiest stage on paper - and there was little doubt it would end in fast, bunch sprint.

 

But flat stages are often some of the most harrowing. 

 

Trek’s misfortunes started with the crash of Haimar Zubeldia, who was caught in a crash with around 50 kilometers to go in the 138-kilometer stage. Zubeldia was able to remount and rejoin the peloton, but a cut in his arm requiring stitches forced him to stop soon afterwards.

 

Disaster struck again when Peter Stetina went down with a few others during the second of three ending circuits in Sacramento. He was able to continue, but there was no chance for him to catch back and he finished over five minutes behind, dropping him further in the overall classification to 20th.

 

It was a disappointing ending for Stetina after his fantastic first half of the eight-day race, where he proved he had some of his best form ever by just missing the win in the queen stage, and easily showed he was one of the strongest climbers in the race.

 

"It was just a crazy day," summed up Markel Irizar. "First, we had headwind, then crosswind and at the end it was tailwind. Then the roads were really bad and so there were a lot of crashes. You had to be super-concentrated everywhere. It was just stressful. Then at the end, we had the local circuits, which was very nervous and so more crashes. We can say it was not our best day."

 

The final sprint did not turn the tide in the team's favor when Niccolo Bonifazio finished in 6th place, far from his best in a fast finish.

 

"I am not happy with my sprint, and angry that I allowed myself to be boxed in," said Bonifazio. "It was chaotic because the GC contenders were getting mixed up in the sprint, and that made it more difficult – they were sprinting, then not sprinting anymore and it was crazy. Then I was boxed in, and could not make my sprint like normal. I am disappointed."

 

Dylan Groenewegen comes back from crash to sprint to 9th in California

LottoNL-Jumbo rider Dylan Groenewegen finished ninth in the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday despite a crash. Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) won the stage to Sacramento in a bunch sprint and Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx - Quick Step) won the general classification. George Bennett placed seventh.

 

The 138-kilometre final stage from Sacramento to Sacramento began badly for LottoNL-jumbo. The team was keen to ride for Groenewegen but he crashed hard after 20 kilometres.

 

Sports Director Frans Maassen said, "He was dizzy and suffered abrasions on his back and hips. His elbow was swollen. Clearly, he could not sprint as we had hoped. It’s a pity.“

 

Despite his injuries Groenewegen sprinted to ninth.

 

The main goal of Team LottoNL-Jumbo was to win one of the stages in California. It did not work out, but Maassen saw some good performances in what the organisation called the toughest edition of the Tour of California ever.

 

“I think we showed some good things. George Bennett’s third place in the queen stage was strong. Also, the third place by Groenewegen in the opening stage. Yesterday, Teunissen sprinted to fourth place and young Alexey Vermeulen rode a good time trial and showed progression. In addition to that, Bennett finished seventh in the standings."

 

The team enjoyed and followed the performance of Steven Kruijswijk in the Giro d’Italia via social media and live streams.

 

"It gave us extra motivation. Many colleagues approached us and complimented the superb ride by our team in the Giro. It’s pure enjoyment, whatever the outcome.”

 

Crash takes American sensation out of the top 5 on final day in California

Neilson Powless did not let a slide from fifth to ninth overall on Sunday's final stage of the Amgen Tour of California spoil an otherwise impressive performance by the youngest rider in the race. The 19-year-old Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team rider from nearby Roseville, California, earned SRAM "best young rider" honors despite the loss of nearly a minute due to a crash on the second of three laps of the finishing circuit. "Around the last corner, going into the finishing straight, I came around the corner and heard brakes screeching," Powless said. "I was on the outside, which was probably the worst spot to be on because people crashed in front of me all the way to the gutter. So I had to stop and get around them. By that time, everybody who was in front of the crash was long gone." Mark Cavendish (Team Dimension Data) won the 138-kilometer race in front of world road champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha). Axeon Hagens Berman's best finisher on the day was Logan Owen, three seconds back, in 16th. Powless finished 55th, 49 seconds back of the stage winner. "I had two teammates with me - Will Barta and Geoffrey Curran," Powless said. "We started chasing but there was no way we could match the lead outs. So we salvaged what we could and kept the jersey. I am super happy with that and still being in the top 10. I can't get too down and out about it because I came into the race just hoping to get some experience." In the final general classification, Powless placed 1:57 back of race winner Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick Step). A pair of BMC Racing teammates, Rohan Dennis and Brent Bookwalter, were second and third. Powless was in good company in the top 10. Dennis is a Tour de France stage winner and two-time member of BMC Racing Team's world team time trial squad. Bookwalter was runner-up at the USA Pro Challenge last fall and the Tour of Qatar in 2013. Lawson Craddock (Cannondale Pro Cycling), who slotted into fifth because of Powless's crash, is a past Axeon Cycling rider. The 2008 Olympic road champion, Samuel Sánchez (BMC Racing Team), was sixth. Also ahead of Powless, in eighth, was Jurgen Van den Broeck (Team Katusha), who has top 10 finishes in all three of cycling's grand tours. "Neilson was the real revelation of the Tour of California," Axeon Hagens Berman General Manager Axel Merckx said. "He has a shot at winning this race someday. But for now, he is growing and developing. We can't forget that he is only 19 and has a big future." Equally as impressive for Axeon Hagens Berman was its runner-up finish in the team standings. The program that is out to "Prove It" was sandwiched between three American WorldTour squads: BMC Racing Team in first and in front of Trek-Segafredo (third) and Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (fourth). "This result tells me the depth of the team we had here," Merckx said. "The team GC (general classification) is based on the top three from every stage and not from the overall. So three guys performed really solid every day of the tour. Only being second to BMC Racing Team is absolutely crazy to think about. If you would have told me before the race that we would finish that well, I would have never believed it. I thought even a top 10 of the team GC would be great." Joining Powless on the roster were riders from four different countries: Tao Geoghegan Hart of Great Britain, Ruben Guerreiro of Portugal, Latvian Under 23 national road champion Krists Neilands and Americans Barta, Curran, Greg Daniel and Owen. Geoghegan Hart finished 12th overall, 3:00 back, and improved on his 13th-place result from a year ago while placing runner-up in the best young rider category. Guerreiro was 13th, 3:22 back, and third in the best young rider category. Merckx said each rider played a key role in the eight-day race that started in San Diego. Among the highlights were Barta and Daniel earning the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider jersey on Stages 2 and 3. Guerreiro finished seventh on the opening stage, Powless was fifth on Stage 3, sixth on Stage 4 and 10th in Friday's individual time trial. Daniel and Neilands were part of breakaways on Stages 3 and 4 and Stages 7 and 8, respectively. "Everybody had an input on the team GC and Neilson's overall result," Merckx said. "Between pulling for him, protecting him, giving him wheels and bringing him back, it was really a team effort. The guys were willing to help each other and accomplish this result. We had a lot of bad luck - especially today - which cost us four spots overall. But more importantly, the guys never gave up. They worked well together all the way to the end."

Robin Carpenter nearly denies the sprinters on final day in California

Holowesko had Robin Carpenter in the break.

 

"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."

 

"Usually at these kind of races my M.O. is to get in a long break, and that's how I win stages, by sprinting from a smaller breakaway, and I really struggled to do that this week until today," he told Cyclingnews. "That's partly because I was trying to save a little bit for the time trial, because I knew I could do a good ride there. I was 13th. I wanted to be in the top 10, but I was happy doing that. And I guess I ended up 17th on GC, which is surprising for me, so I'm happy with it."

 

Best ever result for Novo Nordisk at the Tour of California

Team Novo Nordisk’s Javier Megias secured 14th overall at the Amgen Tour of California after jumping two spots following Stage 8. The strong finish is Team Novo Nordisk best result to date at the biggest American race. Megias’ previous best result at the Tour of California was 35th overall in 2014.

 

“Javi moved up to 14th overall, which is our best-ever result at the Tour of California,” Team Novo Nordisk Senior Vice President of Athletics Vassili Davidenko said. “We have been working hard all week to get into the top 10, but I still think 14 is great.”

 

In the final stage Joonas Henttala and Charles Planet crashed in the finish, but both were able to complete the race.

 

“It was a challenging and difficult day, especially in the finale,” Davidenko said. “In the finale, there was a big crash and several of our guys were involved. Unfortunately, we had no one in the sprint because of that crash but we are still pleased with how Javi finished.”

 

Other highlights of the eight-day race included Martijn Verschoor sprinting to fifth on Stage 1, Joonas Henttala starring in the breakaway on Stage 1 and Megias bridging up to the break on Stage 7 and earning vital time bonuses in the intermediate sprints.

 

Team Novo Nordisk returns to racing on Monday, May 30th for the Winston-Salem Road Race.