2015 Tour of California

the men's race the women's race 2015 Tour of California (women's race) January 2022 2015 Tour of California Peter Sagan en la tercera etapa del Tour de California 2015.jpg Peter Sagan won the general classification for the first time. 2015 UCI America Tour May 10–17, 2015 8 701.3 mi 28h 13' 12" Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 yellow Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 Daniel Oss ITA BMC 2015 polkadot Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 white Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 green SKY 2015 2014 2016 The 2015 Amgen Tour of California was the tenth edition of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 10–17, and rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour. It began in Sacramento and finished in Pasadena. The race's general classification was won by Slovakian Peter Sagan (TTS 2015) by three seconds over Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (EQS 2015), the closest winning margin in the race's history. Sagan also won two stages during the race, including the individual time trial. Colombian Sergio Henao (SKY 2015) completed the podium. The sprints competition was won by Briton Mark Cavendish (EQS 2015 yes), who also was the winner of four individual stages. The mountains classification jersey went to Italian Daniel Oss of BMC 2015, while Alaphilippe took the best young rider's jersey and the queen stage 7 and SKY 2015 yes was awarded the "best team" title. Latvian Toms Skujiņš of domestic team HSD 2015 also won a stage and wore the leader's jersey for three stages. Schedule thumb|Due to expected poor weather conditions, the stage six individual time trial was moved from Big Bear Lake to Santa Clarita, and held over a reduced distance. +List of stagesStageDateCourseDistanceTypeWinner 1 May 10 Sacramento to Sacramento 126.2 mi 1 on us 22px|alt=|link= Flat stage Mark Cavendish GBR 2 May 11 Nevada City to Lodi 120.4 mi 1 on us 22px|link=|alt= Hilly stage Mark Cavendish GBR 3 May 12 San Jose to San Jose 105.7 mi 1 on us 22px|link=|alt= Hilly stage Toms Skujiņš LAT 4 May 13 Pismo Beach to Avila Beach 106.9 mi 1 on us 22px|alt=|link= Flat stage Peter Sagan SVK 5 May 14 Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita 95.7 mi 1 on us 22px|link=|alt= Hilly stage Mark Cavendish GBR 6 May 15 Big Bear Lake to Big Bear LakeThe original host of the event, Big Bear Lake, was due to receive snow, so the stage was moved to Santa Clarita.Santa Clarita to Santa Clarita 15.1 mi 1 on us6.6 mi 1 on us File:Time Trial.svg Individual time trial Peter Sagan SVK 7 May 16 Ontario to Mount Baldy 80 mi 1 on us 22px|alt=|link= Mountain stage Julian Alaphilippe FRA 8 May 17 L.A. Live to Pasadena 59 mi 1 on us 22px|link=|alt= Flat stage Mark Cavendish GBR Total 701.3 mi 0 on us Teams Eighteen teams were selected to take part in the race. As a 2.HC event, the race organizers could invite UCI ProTeams to make up 70% of the line-up; however, only eight ProTeams were invited, along with four UCI Professional Continental teams and six UCI Continental teams. The maximum number of riders allowed per team was eight, so the field had a maximum of 144 cyclists. World Tour Teams BMC EQS SKY TCG TTS TFR TGA BEL 2015 Professional Continental teams DPC MTN UHC TNN 2015 Continental teams HBA HSD JBC JSH OPT SSC 2015 Preview and race favorites thumb|Mark Cavendish (pictured at the 2010 Tour of California), wanted to add stage wins to his tally. As in 2014, the race followed a North to South route through California, visiting thirteen host cities. The overall classification was to be determined late in the race, notably in the time trial at Santa Clarita on Stage 6 and on the subsequent stage to Mount Baldy. The crosswinds often had an effect on the flatter stages and formed echelons of riders on the road.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/preview Preview: Tour of California gears up for 10th year Cyclingnews.com May 9, 2015 May 9, 2015 Former multiple Tour of California stage winner Jens Voigt was a race ambassador, served as a television analyst and was an adviser to the organizers.http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/65/115/L-ETAPE-CALIFORNIA-2015-SET-FOR-MAY-16-OVER-STAGE-7-ROUTE JENS VOIGT NAMED AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA AMBASSADOR AMGEN Tour of California February 15, 2015 May 9, 2015 May 18, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150518074117/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/news/65/115/L-ETAPE-CALIFORNIA-2015-SET-FOR-MAY-16-OVER-STAGE-7-ROUTE dead Anti-doping tests were conducted in-and-out of the competition by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), in agreement with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). USADA's tests included researching for testosterone, CERA and human growth hormone (HGH).https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-allows-testing-by-usada-at-tour-of-california UCI allows testing by USADA at Tour of California Cyclingnews.com May 9, 2015 May 10, 2015 Subsequently, no positive tests were declared at the race nor after it. The winner of the 2014 edition, Bradley Wiggins, did not participate in 2015 as he was going back to track cycling.https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/wiggins-to-attempt-hour-record-on-june-7 Wiggins to attempt Hour Record on June 7 April 15, 2015 cyclingnews.com May 5, 2015 The only former winner at the race was Robert Gesink of BEL 2015, who won the race in 2012, which featured the same queen stage (Stage 7). American Andrew Talansky (TCG 2015) was designated as his team's leader, while other favorites included SKY 2015's Sergio Henao who was supported by a strong SKY 2015,http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/henao_leads_sky_in_california/ Henao leads Sky in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 6, 2015 May 6, 2015 Emil Axelgaard and Haimar Zubeldia of TFR 2015, who came in eighth at the 2014 Tour de France. There also was Warren Barguil, Lawson Craddock (both with TGA 2015) and Laurens ten Dam of BEL 2015 yes, in support of Gesink. Outsiders included Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN 2015), Janez Brajkovič (UHC 2015) – a former Tour de France top-10 finisher – as well as Matthew Busche (TFR 2015 yes), Rob Britton (SSC 2015) and Phil Gaimon (OPT 2015).http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=151270&c=3 10th Amgen Tour of California (2.HC) ProCyclingStats May 8, 2015https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/start-list Tour of California 2015 – Start List Cyclingnews.com May 6, 2015 Those who were chasing stage wins included Mark Cavendish of EQS 2015, who came to the race with a lead-out train to facilitate his sprints, including Mark Renshaw. Peter Sagan of TTS 2015, the record holder of most stage victories at the race with eleven and the winner of the sprints classification for the previous five years, was also a rider to watch in the sprints, especially on the hillier stages. American Tyler Farrar of MTN 2015 was accompanied by other capable sprinters in his team such as Gerald Ciolek, Theo Bos and Matthew Goss.https://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/mark-cavendish-faces-tough-sprint-opposition-in-tour-of-california-169820 Mark Cavendish faces tough sprint opposition in Tour of California Cycling Weekly IPC Media Sports & Leisure network May 6, 2015 May 6, 2015 Nigel Wynn Other contenders for stage honors included Lucas Sebastián Haedo of JSH 2015, Danny van Poppel (TFR 2015) and Guillaume Boivin (OPT 2015). Ben Jacques-Maynes, who had competed in all previous editions of the race, was also on the startlist but he had to abandon after Stage 2 because of a crash.https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/broken-nose-teeth-for-ben-jacques-maynes-after-tour-of-california-crash Broken nose, teeth for Ben Jacques-Maynes after Tour of California crash Cyclingnews.com May 12, 2015 May 13, 2015 Stages Stage 1 May 10, 2015 — Sacramento to Sacramento, 126.2 mi on ushttp://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage1 https://archive.today/20150506220049/http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage1 dead May 6, 2015 Stage 1 – Sacramento Overall Start AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 thumb|Sacramento welcomed the first stage of the race The first stage of the race was generally pan flat and included three intermediate sprints in Walnut Grove, Isleton and West Sacramento, and a section of dirt roads starting 50 mi 1 off us into the race and lasting 2 mi 1 off us. The stage featured an elevation gain of 1400 ft off us.http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage1_Profile_v3.pdf Stage 1 – Sacramento Circuit AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015September 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes A breakaway of four riders formed early on, consisting of Will Clarke of DPC 2015, Steve Fisher of JBC 2015, recent Tour of the Gila winner Rob Britton of SSC 2015 and his teammate Robert Sweeting; this quartet's gap grew to a maximum of around six-and-a-half minutes. Soon, EQS 2015 took the reins of the bunch, controlling for their sprinter Mark Cavendish. Clarke grabbed the first points on offer for the sprints classification in Walnut Grove, and also won the second intermediate sprint, accumulating six bonus seconds towards the general classification. With about 60 mi 1 off us to cover, one of the favorites, Andrew Talansky (TCG 2015) abandoned the race due to a combination of allergies and an upper respiratory infection.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-1/results Tour of California: Mark Cavendish wins stage 1 Cyclingnews.com May 10, 2015 May 10, 2015 Pat Malach At the front, the four riders in the break were forming a mini-echelon to shelter themselves from the winds, when Britton suffered a mechanical and decided to sit up and wait for the peloton. Mark Renshaw crashed as he hit a pothole, but was able to remount and return to the peloton.http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/mark-cavendish-waltzes-to-win-in-stage-1-of-the-amgen-tour_369579 Mark Cavendish waltzes to win in stage 1 of the Amgen Tour VeloNews Competitor Group, Inc. May 10, 2015 May 10, 2015 May 13, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205748/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/mark-cavendish-waltzes-to-win-in-stage-1-of-the-amgen-tour_369579 dead MTN 2015 and TTS 2015 started helping EQS 2015 yes at the front of the pack with 35 mi 1 off us to go, as the gap to the three breakaway riders was down to two-and-a-half minutes. With 15 mi 1 off us to race, JBC 2015' Johnathan Freter crashed on the left side of the road, but was also able to return to the peloton. The break resisted to make it to the last intermediate sprint in West Sacramento, again won by Clarke. TTS 2015 yes marshaled the peloton after the breakaway was caught, then Kiel Reijnen (UHC 2015) attempted to attack solo, but was caught shortly after. EQS 2015 yes took to the front of the field with 2 mi 1 off us to cover, with Renshaw leading out Mark Cavendish for his tenth victory of the season, ahead of Peter Sagan and Jempy Drucker; no overall classification contenders lost time on the fast run-in.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/cavendish_crushes_the_opposition_in_california_opener/ Cavendish crushes the opposition in California opener Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 10, 2015 May 10, 2015 Emil Axelgaard Stage 1 result 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 4h 43' 27" 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 3 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 0" 4 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 0" 5 Guillaume Boivin CAN OPT 2015 + 0" 6 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 + 0" 7 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 0" 8 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 0" 9 Koen de Kort NED TGA 2015 + 0" 10 Danny van Poppel NED TFR 2015 + 0"General classification after stage 1 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 4h 43' 17" yellow General classificationgreen Points classification 2 Will Clarke AUS DPC 2015 + 1" 3 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 4" 4 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 6" 5 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 6" 6 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 10" 7 Guillaume Boivin CAN OPT 2015 + 10" 8 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 + 10" white Young rider classification 9 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 10" 10 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 10" Stage 2 May 11, 2015 — Nevada City to Lodi, 120.4 mi 1 on ushttp://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage2 https://archive.today/20150506220048/http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage2 dead May 6, 2015 Stage 2 – Nevada City to Lodi AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 thumb|Mark Cavendish (pictured at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne) won his second consecutive stage in Lodi, to extend his general classification lead. The second stage of the race again contained three intermediate sprints which were included in the first half of the parcours. There was also one categorized climb which summited after 40 mi 1 off us of racing, a category 4 climb situated on State Route 49 to determine the first leader of the mountains classification. There was a finishing circuit in Lodi, which the riders completed twice. The elevation gain of the whole stage was 6000 ft off us.http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage2_Profile_v3.pdf Stage 2 – Nevada City to Lodi AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003931/http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage2_Profile_v3.pdf May 5, 2015 dead A flurry of attacks occurred from kilometer zero, and after numerous failed attempts, Daniel Oss (BMC 2015) and Markel Irizar (TFR 2015) succeeded in getting from the peloton. They were soon joined by Luis Amarán of JSH 2015 and Robin Carpenter of HSD 2015, and after 17 mi 1 off us of racing, the four escapees held a three-minute advantage. Carpenter took the first sprint points in Meadow Vista, and also led over the categorized climb, to take the polka-dot jersey for the third stage.https://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/mark-cavendish-makes-it-two-out-of-two-in-tour-of-california-170739 Mark Cavendish makes it two out of two in Tour of California Cycling Weekly IPC Media Sports & Leisure network May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 Nigel Wynn 3 mi 1 off us later, an intermediate sprint was contested in Cool, and was also won by Carpenter, who completed a sweep of the sprints in El Dorado. The breakaway enjoyed a maximum advantage of just over five minutes in the flat, open terrain,https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-2/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 2 Cyclingnews.com May 12, 2015 May 12, 2015 Laura Weislo with EQS 2015 yes controlling the pace for race leader Mark Cavendish. With 15 mi 1 off us to go, the breakaway quartet held a 2' 40" lead over the peloton, but this gap decreased on the run-in to Lodi. A crash occurred before a bend with 5 mi 1 off us to go implicating Ben Jacques-Maynes (JSH 2015) and one of the race favorites Warren Barguil of TGA 2015; Jacques-Maynes did not finish the stage.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-2/results Tour of California: Cavendish makes it two in Lodi Cyclingnews.com May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 The breakaway was absorbed shortly afterwards and no one tried to escape the bunch from that point on. In a very fast finish, Wouter Wippert (DPC 2015) launched a long sprint and Sagan jumped onto his wheel. Cavendish opened his own sprint on the right side of the road and Sagan popped out of Wippert's wheel on the left, with Cavendish prevailing to take his second stage in a row, with Wippert rounding-up the podium.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/cavendish_beats_sagan_in_close_sprint_in_california/ Cavendish beats Sagan in close sprint in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 11, 2015 May 11, 2015 Emil Axelgaard Stage 2 result 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 4h 47' 02" yellow General classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 3 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 0" 4 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 0" 5 Danny van Poppel NED TFR 2015 + 0" 6 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 0" 7 Lucas Sebastián Haedo ARG JSH 2015 + 0" 8 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 0" 9 Jure Kocjan SLO SSC 2015 + 0" 10 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 + 0" white Young rider classificationGeneral classification after stage 2 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 9h 30' 09" yellow General classificationgreen Points classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 8" 3 Robin Carpenter USA HSD 2015 + 11" polkadot Mountains classificationwhite Young rider classification 4 Will Clarke AUS DPC 2015 + 11" 5 Markel Irizar SPA TFR 2015 + 14" 6 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 16" 7 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 16" 8 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 16" 9 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 20" 10 Danny van Poppel NED TFR 2015 + 20" Stage 3 May 12, 2015 — San Jose to San Jose, 105.7 mi 1 on ushttp://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage3 https://archive.today/20150506220046/http://cloudweb101.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage3 dead May 6, 2015 Stage 3 – San Jose AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 The third stage of the race featured only one intermediate sprint, contested in Livermore, then the climbing began. There were six King of the Mountains prizes (four were category 4 and one was category 2), with the major one being the climb to Mount Hamilton, an "hors-category" climb of 6.5 mi 1 off us at an average 7% gradient.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-3/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 3 Cyclingnews.com May 12, 2015 May 13, 2015 Laura Weislo One of the category 4 climbs was situated at the end of the stage in San Jose, where the finale featured 250 m off us at an average gradient of 10%. The elevation gain for the stage was 10200 ft off us.http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage3_Profile_v3.pdf Stage 3 – San Jose to San Jose AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150512210007/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage3_Profile_v3.pdf May 12, 2015 dead thumb|left|Toms Skujiņš (HSD 2015) won the stage, following a 34 mi on off us solo attack, which gave him the lead in the general classification. As the riders rolled out of the neutral zone, the temperatures were around 60 F 1 on and sunny. Two riders did not take the start of the stage: Warren Barguil of TGA 2015 and Tyler Magner of HSD 2015, both due to a crash that occurred on the second stage.https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/barguil-out-of-california-after-stage-2-crash Barguil out of California after stage 2 crash Cyclingnews.com May 12, 2015 May 13, 2015 The start of the stage was very fast since a lot of riders wanted a chance to get the mountain points on offer during the stage. After 15 mi 1 off us of racing and numerous attempts at forming a breakaway, riders were being dropped due to the rapid pace. Travis Meyer (DPC 2015) was first through the intermediate sprint as the composition of the leading group was still changing by the minute. Soon, Roy Curvers (TGA 2015 yes), Daniel Oss (BMC 2015), Jonathan Clarke (UHC 2015), Evan Huffman (SSC 2015), Oscar Clark and Toms Skujiņš (both of HSD 2015 yes) joined Meyer and formed the break.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/fantastic_skujins_denies_sagan_the_victory_in_california/ Fantastic Skujins denies Sagan the victory in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 12, 2015 May 12, 2015 Emil Axelgaard Oss swept the three fourth-category climbs prior to Mount Hamilton, as the gap to the escapees was hovering around three-and-a-quarter minutes. At the foot of the climb, Skujiņš accelerated away from his companions and took maximum points,http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/mark-cavendish-loses-tour-of-california-overall-lead-to-surprise-stage-winner-170979 Mark Cavendish loses Tour of California overall lead to surprise stage winner Cycling Weekly IPC Media Sports & Leisure network May 12, 2015 May 12, 2015 Nigel Wynn May 15, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150515030437/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/mark-cavendish-loses-tour-of-california-overall-lead-to-surprise-stage-winner-170979 dead while behind him, the peloton split into several groups as they tackled the climb. Following the descent, Peter Sagan suffered a mechanical incident, but was able to rejoin the peloton. Skujiņš won the second-category climb at Quimby, but crashed on the descent as he made contact with a protective hay stack. After remounting, Skujiņš held a lead of two-and-a-half minutes over Oss with 12 mi 1 off us to cover, with a further minute-and-a-half to the next main group. Skujiņš remained clear to the end of the stage, completing a 34 mi on off us solo victory to take the lead of both the general and mountains classifications.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-3/results Tour of California stage 3: Skujins wins in San Jose Cyclingnews.com May 12, 2015 May 12, 2015 Sagan, Julian Alaphilippe and Daniel Jaramillo were 1' 06" back, with a further 20 riders coming across the line 3 seconds later. Stage 3 result 1 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 4h 33' 10" 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 1' 06" 3 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 1' 06" 4 Daniel Jaramillo COL JSH 2015 + 1' 06" 5 Danilo Wyss SWI BMC 2015 + 1' 09" 6 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 1' 09" 7 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 1' 09" 8 Michael Woods CAN OPT 2015 + 1' 09" 9 Lawson Craddock USA TGA 2015 + 1' 09" 10 Joe Dombrowski USA TCG 2015 + 1' 09"General classification after stage 3 1 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 14h 04' 01" yellow General classificationpolkadot Mountains classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 32" 3 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 43" 4 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 44" white Young rider classification 5 Daniel Jaramillo COL JSH 2015 + 44" 6 Dion Smith NZL HSD 2015 + 47" 7 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 47" 8 Ben Hermans BEL BMC 2015 + 47" 9 Lawson Craddock USA TGA 2015 + 47" 10 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 47" Stage 4 May 13, 2015 — Pismo Beach to Avila Beach, 106.9 mi 1 on ushttp://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/stage4 Stage 4 – Pismo Beach to Avila Beach AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150505062307/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/stage4 May 5, 2015 dead thumb|Peter Sagan (pictured at the Scheldeprijs) took his second win of the season, ahead of Wouter Wippert and sprints classification leader Mark Cavendish. The fourth stage featured three intermediate sprints once again, contested in Guadalupe, Orcutt and Arroyo Grande respectively. Between the final two sprints, the peloton had to ascend a 4.7 mi off on us third-category climb on Tepusquet Road. The altitude gained in the parcours was 5200 ft off us.http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage4_Profile_v3.pdf Stage 4 – Pismo Beach to Avila Beach AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150505040606/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage4_Profile_v3.pdf May 5, 2015 dead Despite the stiff crosswinds, the peloton rode at speeds approaching 30 mph on us early on. The first sprint was won by Gregory Daniel (HBA 2015) while the race was still in "breakaway formation mode". Daniel was one of five riders that would eventually be part of the day's breakaway, along with Jesse Anthony (OPT 2015), Kiel Reijnen (UHC 2015), Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN 2015) and Will Clarke (DPC 2015) – who had featured in the break on stage one.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-4/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 4 Cyclingnews.com May 13, 2015 May 13, 2015 Laura Weislo Daniel was the highest-placed rider in the breakaway, trailing race leader Toms Skujiņš of HSD 2015 yes by exactly eight minutes; he also took the honors in the second intermediate sprint at Orcutt. On the run-in to the climb of Tepusquet Road, the peloton was being marshaled by HSD 2015 yes and EQS 2015 as the gap hovered at three-and-a-half minutes. The 4.7 mi on off us ascent of Tepusquet Road averaged 5% until the final kilometer, which was steeper at nearly 7%. The gap to the leaders reduced on the climb, with Anthony taking maximum points at the front. After descending from the climb, the riders had to deal with a change of wind direction on the flatter roads, and BEL 2015 unsuccessfully tried to create echelons.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/sagan_breaks_his_drought_in_uphill_sprint_in_california/ Sagan breaks his drought in uphill sprint in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 13, 2015 May 13, 2015 Emil Axelgaard As the riders reached the last intermediate sprint in Arroyo Grande – again won by Daniel – with 20 mi 1 off us to go, the break held a 35-second lead. The escapees started a flurry of attacks, with Daniel the last to be caught with 10 mi 1 off us to cover. With 5 mi 1 off us left, the peloton was spread across the road, trying to sort out their lead-out trains ahead of a technical finish, with three 90-degree corners in the last kilometer and a short, steep rise right before the line. Daniel Oss (BMC 2015) tried his luck under the red kite, but was joined with about 100 m off us remaining as Sagan powered his way past him to claim his second victory of the season, followed by Wouter Wippert (DPC 2015) and Mark Cavendish.https://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/peter-sagan-beats-mark-cavendish-to-win-tour-of-california-stage-four-171227 Peter Sagan beats Mark Cavendish to win Tour of California stage four Cycling Weekly IPC Media Sports & Leisure network May 13, 2015 May 13, 2015 Nigel Wynn With a 10-second bonus for his victory, Sagan reduced Skujiņš' overall classification lead to 22 seconds.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-4/results Tour of California: Sagan finally gets his win in Avila Beach Cyclingnews.com May 13, 2015 May 13, 2015 Stage 4 result 1 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 4h 06' 56" 2 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 0" 3 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 + 0" green Points classification 4 Lucas Sebastián Haedo ARG JSH 2015 + 0" 5 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 0" 6 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 0" 7 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 0" 8 Daniel Oss ITA BMC 2015 + 0" 9 Jure Kocjan SLO SSC 2015 + 0" 10 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 0"General classification after stage 4 1 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 18h 10' 57" yellow General classificationpolkadot Mountains classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 22" 3 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 43" 4 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 44" white Young rider classification 5 Daniel Jaramillo COL JSH 2015 + 44" 6 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 47" 7 Ben Hermans BEL BMC 2015 + 47" 8 Dion Smith NZL HSD 2015 + 47" 9 Lawson Craddock USA TGA 2015 + 47" 10 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 47" Stage 5 May 14, 2015 — Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita, 95.7 mi 1 on ushttp://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/stage5 Stage 5 – Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150505003737/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/stage5 May 5, 2015 dead thumb|The route of the fifth stage The stage had two intermediate sprint contests held in Ojai and Santa Paula. Four categorized climbs were on the itinerary, two of them (both fourth-category) being situated on State Route 150, along with the third-category Dennison Grade and the fourth-category Balcom Canyon. The last 25 mi 1 off us of the stage to Santa Clarita was mainly flat, with the listed official elevation gain for the stage given as 7600 ft off us.http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage5_Profile_v3.pdf Stage 5 – Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150505040523/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage5_Profile_v3.pdf May 5, 2015 dead thumb|left|Danilo Wyss (pictured at the 2011 Tour de Romandie) was the last of the breakaway riders to be caught, 2 mi 1 off us from the finish. From the start, Daniel Oss (BMC 2015) tried to get clear from the peloton since he was in second place in the Mountains competition, one point behind Toms Skujiņš (HSD 2015), who led this classification as well as the general classification. Oss was unsuccessful in his attempt, but his teammate Danilo Wyss also tried to get clear, despite being only 47 seconds down on the general classification. This move sparked some chasing by the peloton, but after around 10 mi 1 off us of racing, the gap had extended to one-and-a-half minutes.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-5/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 5 Cyclingnews.com May 14, 2015 May 15, 2015 Laura Weislo Wyss was joined the breakway by Alex Howes (TCG 2015), Javier Mejías (TNN 2015), Lachlan Morton (JBC 2015) and Geoffrey Curran of HBA 2015. The responsibility for the chase fell upon HSD 2015 yes's riders, whose task it was to manage the gap. The break soon hit the first two short, steep categorized climbs near Lake Casitas, with Wyss leading the quintet over on both occasions. After the descent of the latter climb, there was about 10 mi 1 off us of flat roads to the first intermediate sprint in Ojai, which was won by Howes. Immediately after that, the riders ascended the Dennison Grade climb, won by Morton. With 60 mi 1 off us to go, rain started falling and some riders opted to put rain jackets on as the temperatures dipped to 56 F 1 on. The leaders passed Santa Paula where Wyss won the last intermediate sprint of the day. The very steep climb of Balcom Canyon was won by Morton, while behind Chris Butler of SSC 2015 attacked from the main field and tried to bridge to the escapees. After chasing for 8 mi 1 off us, Butler was able to bridge the gap to make the lead group a sextet. With the rain making the roads slippery, the lead group split in two with only Howes, Curran and Wyss remaining clear with a gap of 1' 50" with 25 mi 1 off us to race. HSD 2015 yes and EQS 2015 marshaled the peloton, but they were unable to make ground in the rain, with the leaders continuing to lead by 1' 50" with 14 mi 1 off us to the finish. Danny Pate of SKY 2015 and some DPC 2015 riders came to the fore to help out with the chase, but Wyss attacked the break after a crash occurred in the field. He was finally caught with 2 mi 1 off us remaining.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-5/results Tour of California: Mark Cavendish wins stage 5 Cyclingnews.com May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015 A bunch sprint ensued on drier roads in Santa Clarita, with Mark Cavendish taking his third stage victory,http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/race-report/cavendish-three-peat-at-amgen-tour-of-california_370275 Cavendish three-peat at Amgen Tour of California VeloNews Competitor Group, Inc. May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015 Spencer Powlison May 16, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150516010534/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/race-report/cavendish-three-peat-at-amgen-tour-of-california_370275 dead beating Zico Waeytens (TGA 2015) by a bike length.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/cavendish_makes_the_hattrick_on_wet_day_in_california/ Cavendish makes the hattrick on wet day in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015 Emil Axelgaard With third place, Peter Sagan reduced Skujiņš' overall lead for a second consecutive day, with the lead standing at 18 seconds. Stage 5 result 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 3h 51' 37" green Points classification 2 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 + 0" 3 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 4 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 + 0" 5 Danny van Poppel NED TFR 2015 + 0" 6 Guillaume Boivin CAN OPT 2015 + 0" 7 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 + 0" 8 Matthew Goss AUS MTN 2015 + 0" 9 Mike Teunissen NED BEL 2015 + 0" 10 Justin Oien USA HBA 2015 + 0"General classification after stage 5 1 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 22h 02' 34" yellow General classificationpolkadot Mountains classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 18" 3 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 44" white Young rider classification 4 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 47" 5 Dion Smith NZL HSD 2015 + 47" 6 Ben Hermans BEL BMC 2015 + 47" 7 Lawson Craddock USA TGA 2015 + 47" 8 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 47" 9 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 47" 10 Janez Brajkovič SLO UHC 2015 + 47" Stage 6 May 15, 2015 — Santa Clarita to Santa Clarita, 6.6 mi 1 on us, individual time trial (ITT)https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/short-course-for-revised-tour-of-california-time-trial Short course for revised Tour of California time trial Cyclingnews.com May 14, 2015 May 14, 2015 thumb|The revised itinerary of the sixth stage, a 6.6 mi on off us course starting and finishing at the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park in Santa Clarita. Big Bear Lake, situated at an altitude of 6000 ft 1 off us, was supposed to welcome the event but was forecast to receive 2 - 5 in off us of snow.https://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/article/2015/05/15/snow-forces-relocation-tour-california-time-trial Snow forces relocation of Tour of California time trial Cycling Central Special Broadcasting Service May 15, 2015 May 15, 2015 As a result, race organizers opted to move the event 100 mi off us east to Santa Clarita, with the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park serving as both the start and finish location of the stage. The course was mainly flat and did not feature many corners, but there was a 180 degree turnaround. Race director Jim Birrell stated that "the result is really anyone's guess" ahead of the stage.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/bad_weather_shortens_california_time_trial/ Bad weather shortens California time trial Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 14, 2015 May 15, 2015 Emil Axelgaard thumb|left|Jos van Emden (pictured at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne) spent almost two hours with the best time, before being usurped by Peter Sagan As was customary of time trial stages, cyclists set off in reverse order from where they were ranked in the general classification at the end of the previous stage. Therefore, Carson Miller of JSH 2015, who, in 133rd place trailed overall leader Toms Skujiņš (HSD 2015) by forty-two minutes and eighteen seconds, was the first rider to set off on the final stage. Riders went on the course at one-minute intervals until the last twenty competitors, who left at two-minute intervals. There was a tailwind coming out of the start gates and a headwind coming back with temperatures hovering around 62 F 1 on.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-6/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 6 Cyclingnews.com May 15, 2015 May 15, 2015 Laura Weislo 45 minutes into the event, the erstwhile stage leader was Jos van Emden (BEL 2015) with a time of 12' 46". An hour into the stage and with 36 riders having completed the course, van Emden still led the timesheets. Many of the cyclists in the early wave were out on the course on their usual road machine, with no aero bars to gain an aerodynamic advantage. Mark Cavendish – standing 62nd in the general classification – overtook the rider in front of him, sprinter Zico Waeytens (TGA 2015), as he finished thirty seconds down on van Emden's time. Daniele Bennati (TTS 2015) then set the second-fastest time, seven seconds down on van Emden. Shortly afterwards, Daniel Oss (BMC 2015), wearing the polka dot jersey as he was second to Skujiņš in the mountains classification, set a time of 12' 59", which was the fourth-best time to that point. Overall classification favorite Sergio Henao (SKY 2015) completed the course in a time of 12' 57", with BEL 2015's Robert Gesink a second slower.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-6/results Tour of California: Peter Sagan wins time trial Cyclingnews.com May 15, 2015 May 15, 2015 Van Emden had to wait until the penultimate rider Peter Sagan got on the course for his time to be beaten. Sagan negotiated the corners aggressively and registered a time of 12' 32", besting van Emden by fourteen seconds. With Skujiņš finishing 46 seconds behind in 34th position, Sagan moved into the race lead by 28 seconds.http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/race-report/sagan-wears-amgen-tour-of-california-yellow-after-winning-tt_370429 Sagan wears Amgen Tour of California yellow after winning TT VeloNews Competitor Group, Inc. May 15, 2015 May 15, 2015 Spencer Powlison June 12, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160612053222/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/race-report/sagan-wears-amgen-tour-of-california-yellow-after-winning-tt_370429 deadhttp://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/sagan_crushes_the_opposition_in_californian_time_trial/ Sagan crushes the opposition in Californian time trial Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 15, 2015 May 15, 2015 Emil Axelgaard Stage 6 result 1 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 12' 31" 2 Jos van Emden NED BEL 2015 + 15" 3 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 19" white Young rider classification 4 Joey Rosskopf USA BMC 2015 + 20" 5 Daniele Bennati ITA TTS 2015 + 22" 6 Tom Zirbel USA OPT 2015 + 26" 7 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 26" 8 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 27" 9 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 27" 10 Daniel Oss ITA BMC 2015 + 28"General classification after stage 6 1 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 22h 15' 23" yellow General classification 2 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 + 28" polkadot Mountains classification 3 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 45" white Young rider classification 4 Joey Rosskopf USA BMC 2015 + 49" 5 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 55" 6 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 56" 7 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 56" 8 Ben King USA TCG 2015 + 58" 9 Dion Smith NZL HSD 2015 + 1' 03" 10 Haimar Zubeldia ESP TFR 2015 + 1' 04" Stage 7 May 16, 2015 — Ontario to Mount Baldy, 80 mi 1 on ushttp://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage7 Stage 7 – Ontario to Mt. Baldy AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://archive.today/20150506220047/http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage7 May 6, 2015 dead thumb|The route of the seventh stage The queen stage of the 2015 Tour of California, the riders contended with the first King of the Mountains climb, the second-category ascent of Glendora Ridge Road. After descending into Glendora for an intermediate sprint, the climbing resumed with another second-category climb, the Glendora Mountain Road, before an hors-category climb to the stage finish at Mount Baldy Ski Lifts. This ascent, with 15 hairpins, took the competitors from an altitude of about 1000 ft off us to approximately 6800 ft off us, and reached a maximum gradient of 17%. The stage had the biggest elevation gain of the race, with 11600 ft off us of climbing and featured hardly any flat terrain.http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage7_Profile_v3.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20150505040532/http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage7_Profile_v3.pdf dead May 5, 2015 Stage 7 – Ontario to Mt. Baldy AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 left|thumb|22-year-old Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (pictured at Brabantse Pijl) won the queen stage of the race, and moved into the race lead by two seconds ahead of Peter Sagan, prior to the final stage. As the race got underway, reports indicated that the temperatures at the finish line were as low as 42 F on. The race start saw a flurry of attacks which were quickly brought back. On the climb to Glendora Ridge Road, a break tried to get clear including the first two riders in the mountains classification, Toms Skujiņš (HSD 2015) and Daniel Oss (BMC 2015), who were separated by one point. The other breakaway riders were Gregory Brenes (JSH 2015), Lasse Norman Hansen (TCG 2015), Chris Butler (SSC 2015), Daniele Ratto (UHC 2015) and Johann van Zyl of MTN 2015. Before the end of the climb, Skujiņš – who was second in the general classification – returned to the peloton; Lachlan Morton of JBC 2015 joined the break as Ratto and Norman Hansen were distanced. Oss took maximum points on the climb, with the peloton around two minutes behind at that point – of the breakaway riders, Oss was best placed in the general classification at 9' 29" behind race leader Peter Sagan.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-7/live-report Live coverage - Tour of California 2015: Stage 7 Cyclingnews.com May 16, 2015 May 17, 2015 Laura Weislo The breakaway was splitting up on the twisting, narrow descent with Oss, Butler and Morton going clear for a period, but they were chased by the rest of the former breakaway group (with the exception of Butler), who made contact on the run-in to Glendora. Meanwhile, the peloton – led by SKY 2015, TTS 2015 and BEL 2015 – containing the favorites and Sagan were almost four minutes in arrears. Norman Hansen led the breakaway group through the intermediate sprint, prior to a mostly uphill section for 25 mi 1 off us until the finish line. Van Zyl attacked and Oss, now in the lead of the mountains classification, made contact with him. With 20 mi 1 off us to race, the gap from the peloton to the front of the race was two minutes and SKY 2015 yes upped the pace in an effort to drop Sagan. After Oss won maximum points at the Glendora Mountain Road climb, he dropped back to the peloton, leaving van Zyl on his own out front.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/alaphilippe_wins_dramatic_queen_stage_in_california/ Alaphilippe wins dramatic queen stage in California Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 16, 2015 May 16, 2015 Emil Axelgaard Skujiņš was distanced with 15 mi 1 off us remaining, ensuring that he was fall down the order from second overall. Once van Zyl was caught, all the favorites were still in the leading group along with Sagan, with 12 mi 1 off us remaining. 2012 Mount Baldy stage winner Robert Gesink of BEL 2015 yes was dropped with 3.5 mi 1 off us to cover, while young rider classification leader Julian Alaphilippe (EQS 2015 yes) took the lead of the very depleted group. SKY 2015 yes's Sergio Henao attacked, which caused Sagan to be dropped as he attempted to hold onto the race lead. Alaphilippe responded to Henao's attack, and ultimately dropped him on the snow-lined roads. He soloed through the twisting final kilometres featuring bad tarmac, and held on to take his first win of the season after numerous podium placings.http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/road/alaphilippe-takes-stage-7-win-gc-lead-in-amgen-tour_370515 Alaphilippe takes stage 7 win, GC lead in Amgen Tour VeloNews Competitor Group, Inc. May 16, 2015 May 16, 2015 May 17, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150517195303/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/road/alaphilippe-takes-stage-7-win-gc-lead-in-amgen-tour_370515 deadhttp://www.foxsports.com/cycling/story/frances-alaphilippe-wins-to-take-tour-of-california-lead-051615 France's Alaphilippe wins to take Tour of California lead AP Fox Sports 2015 Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. May 16, 2015 May 16, 2015 Henao finished second, 23 seconds in arrears, alongside teammate Ian Boswell, while Sagan finished in sixth place some 47 seconds behind, meaning that Alaphilippe held a two-second lead in the general classification ahead of the final stage.https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-7/results Tour of California: Alaphilippe wins on Mt. Baldy Cyclingnews.com May 16, 2015 May 16, 2015 Stage 7 result 1 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 3h 42' 13" white Young rider classification 2 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 23" 3 Ian Boswell USA SKY 2015 + 23" 4 Joe Dombrowski USA TCG 2015 + 36" 5 Riccardo Zoidl AUT TFR 2015 + 45" 6 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 47" yellow General classification 7 Haimar Zubeldia ESP TFR 2015 + 53" 8 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 1' 00" 9 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 1' 17" 10 Laurens ten Dam NED BEL 2015 + 1' 26"General classification after stage 7 1 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 25h 58' 21" yellow General classificationwhite Young rider classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 2" 3 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 33" 4 Joe Dombrowski USA TCG 2015 + 1' 10" 5 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 1' 11" 6 Haimar Zubeldia ESP TFR 2015 + 1' 12" 7 Ian Boswell USA SKY 2015 + 1' 19" 8 Riccardo Zoidl AUT TFR 2015 + 1' 20" 9 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 1' 40" 10 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 2' 06" Stage 8 May 17, 2015 — L.A. Live to Pasadena, 59 mi 1 on ushttp://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage8 Stage 8 – L.A. LIVE to Pasadena AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 https://archive.today/20150506220048/http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/stage8 May 6, 2015 dead thumb|The route of the final stage. The last stage of the race was also its shortest road stage at 59 mi 1 off us. There was one intermediate sprint point at the first crossing of the finish line near the Rose Bowl, before the riders completed nine laps of a circuit in Pasadena. The total elevation gain was 2000 ft off us, with no categorized climbs.http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage8_Profile_v3.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20150505040827/http://cloudweb107.atoc.smartycloud.com/uploads/images/2015stages/2015_AmgenTOC_Stage8_Profile_v3.pdf dead May 5, 2015 Stage 8 – LA LIVE to Pasadena/Rose Bowl Stadium AMGEN Tour of California May 4, 2015 thumb|left|Peter Sagan (pictured later in the season at the Tour de France) won the general classification on the final stage, ahead of Julian Alaphilippe. His three-second winning margin was the smallest in the race's history. This stage was supposed to have no consequences on the general classification due to its flat terrain, but the two-second difference separating Julian Alaphilippe and Peter Sagan meant that the Tour was not yet decided. A maximum of thirteen bonus seconds were on offer in the stage – the first three riders at both the intermediate sprint (3, 2 and 1 seconds) and the stage finish (10, 6 and 4 seconds) were able to gain time on the general classification.https://pedalmag.com/amgen-tour-of-california-stage-8-final-report-results-gc-and-photos-sagan-wins-overall-britton-10th/ Amgen Tour of California Stage 8 Final Report, Results, GC and PHOTOS – Sagan Wins Overall, Britton 10th Pedal Pedal Magazine May 17, 2015 May 18, 2015 The race got underway in sunny weather, with temperatures around 70 F 1 on. A breakaway was formed, consisting of two EQS 2015 riders, Matteo Trentin and Yves Lampaert, Danny Pate (SKY 2015), Jacques Janse van Rensburg (MTN 2015) and Ruben Zepuntke (TCG 2015). TTS 2015 pulled at the front since they wanted to bring back the break so Sagan could have a chance to sprint for bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint. The team was down two riders since Maciej Bodnar and Michael Kolář had to abandon earlier in the race. Mark Cavendish stated that he would work for Alaphilippe and forget his own ambitions for a fourth stage victory.http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/peter-sagan-comes-from-behind-to-win-the-amgen-tour-of-california_370623 Peter Sagan comes from behind to win the Amgen Tour of California VeloNews Competitor Group, Inc. May 17, 2015 May 17, 2015 May 20, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150520002449/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/05/news/peter-sagan-comes-from-behind-to-win-the-amgen-tour-of-california_370623 dead 10 mi 1 off us prior to the intermediate sprint, the breakaway was reeled in. Subsequent attacks came from several EQS 2015 yes riders but on each occasion were reabsorbed to the peloton. At the intermediate sprint, Cavendish won ahead of Sagan and Alaphilippe, meaning that Alaphilippe held a virtual lead of one second. Immediately after the sprint, two HSD 2015 riders went clear, Joseph Lewis and Oscar Clark. They were soon joined by BMC 2015's Manuel Senni and Jesse Anthony (OPT 2015). I'm very happy to win the Tour of California, also because this year I lost the green jersey, so I had to do something here to get on the podium. Peter Sagan, following his overall race victory Cyclingnews.comhttps://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sagan-wins-california-crown-by-a-whisker Sagan wins California crown by a whisker Cyclingnews.com May 17, 2015 May 18, 2015 Pat Malach 33.33% right The sprinters' teams came to the fore, and with 20 mi 1 off us to go, the average speed of the race had been 28 mph 1 on us. Cavendish ultimately did take his fourth stage win of the race, ahead of Wouter Wippert. Third place went to a photo finish between Sagan and Tyler Farrar, with Sagan's bike throw on the line giving him the decision, the four-second resultant time bonus and the overall race victory by three seconds – the closest race-winning margin in its history – over Alaphilippe.http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/sagan_wins_california_thriller_cavendish_takes_final_stage/ Sagan wins California thriller, Cavendish takes final stage Cycling Quotes CyclingQuotes.com May 17, 2015 May 17, 2015 Emil Axelgaardhttps://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-california-2015/stage-8/results Sagan wins Tour of California on time bonus Cyclingnews.com May 17, 2015 May 17, 2015 Stage 8 result 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 2h 14' 55" green Points classification 2 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 + 0" 3 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 + 0" 4 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 + 0" 5 Tom Van Asbroeck BEL BEL 2015 + 0" 6 Lucas Sebastián Haedo ARG JSH 2015 + 0" 7 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 + 0" 8 Andrea Peron ITA TNN 2015 + 0" 9 Logan Owen USA HBA 2015 + 0" 10 Martijn Verschoor NED TNN 2015 + 0"Final general classification 1 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 28h 13' 12" yellow General classification 2 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 3" white Young rider classification 3 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 37" 4 Joe Dombrowski USA TCG 2015 + 1' 14" 5 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 1' 15" 6 Haimar Zubeldia ESP TFR 2015 + 1' 16" 7 Ian Boswell USA SKY 2015 + 1' 23" 8 Riccardo Zoidl AUT TFR 2015 + 1' 24" 9 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 1' 44" 10 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 2' 10" Classification leadership In the 2015 Tour of California, five jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding the finishing times of the stages per cyclist, the leader received a yellow jersey sponsored by biopharmaceutical company Amgen, the title sponsor of the race as a whole. Time bonuses were awarded for the first three finishers on mass-start stages (10, 6 and 4 seconds respectively) and on intermediate sprints (3, 2 and 1 seconds respectively). This classification was considered the most important of the Tour of California, and the winner of the general classification was considered the winner of the Tour of California. Additionally, there was also a sprints classification, akin to what is called the points classification in other races, which awarded a green and neon yellow jersey sponsored by nonprofit organization Visit California. In the sprints classification, cyclists received points for finishing in the top 15 in a stage. In addition, some points could be won in intermediate sprints as well as bonus seconds in the overall classification. The first across the line got 3 seconds, the second two and the third rider, one. There was also a mountains classification, which awarded a white jersey with red polka dots, sponsored by automobile manufacturer Nissan. In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb was categorized, with more points available for the harder climbs. There was also a young rider classification, which was calculated the same way as the general classification, but only cyclists under the age of 23 were included. The leader of the young rider classification received a white and red jersey, sponsored by bicycle component manufacturer SRAM Corporation. The last jersey was awarded to the most combative rider of a stage for him to wear on the next stage. It was generally awarded to a rider who attacked constantly or spent a lot of time in the breakaways. This jersey was white, blue and yellow, and was also sponsored by Amgen and their Breakaway from Cancer collaboration with four nonprofit organizations. There was also a classification for teams. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per stage were added, and the team with the lowest time was the leader.http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/competition/jerseys https://web.archive.org/web/20140305151048/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/competition/jerseys dead March 5, 2014 Official 2015 Jerseys AMGEN Tour Of California 2009, AEG May 10, 2013 Stage Winner General classification25px Young rider classification25px Mountains classification25px Sprints classification25px Most courageous rider25px Teams classification 1 Mark Cavendish Mark Cavendish Zico Waeytens not awardedOn Stage 2, Peter Sagan wore the jersey, although no points were awarded on the first stage. Mark CavendishOn Stage 2, Will Clarke (second in the sprints classification) wore the green jersey as Mark Cavendish (first in the sprints classification) wore the yellow jersey of race leader. Peter Sagan (second in the sprints classification) wore the green jersey on Stage 3, as Cavendish maintained the race lead. Will ClarkeClarke did not wear this jersey on Stage 2, as he wore the green jersey instead of sprints classification leader Mark Cavendish. The jersey was worn by Robert Sweeting. BMC 2015 2 Mark Cavendish Robin CarpenterOn Stage 3, Danny van Poppel (second in the young rider classification) wore the white jersey as Robin Carpenter (first in the young rider classification) wore the polka dot jersey of mountains classification leader.Robin Carpenter Markel Irizar TTS 2015 3 Toms Skujiņš Toms Skujiņš Julian AlaphilippeOn Stage 8, Tao Geoghegan Hart (second in the young rider classification) wore the white jersey as Julian Alaphilippe (first in the young rider classification) wore the yellow jersey of race leader. Toms SkujiņšOn Stages 4 to 6, Daniel Oss (second in the mountains classification) wore the polka dot jersey as Toms Skujiņš (first in the mountains classification) wore the yellow jersey of race leader. Daniel OssOss did not wear this jersey on Stage 4, as he wore the polka dot jersey instead of mountains classification leader Toms Skujiņš. The jersey was worn by Danilo Wyss. BMC 2015 4 Peter Sagan Gregory Daniel 5 Mark Cavendish Danilo Wyss 6 Peter Sagan Peter Sagan not awarded 7 Julian Alaphilippe Julian Alaphilippe Daniel Oss Lachlan Morton SKY 2015 8 Mark Cavendish Peter Sagan Oscar Clark Final Peter Sagan Julian Alaphilippe Daniel Oss Mark Cavendish not awarded SKY 2015 Classification standings Legend   20px|alt=Yellow jersey   Denotes the leader of the General classification   20px|alt=Polka dot jersey   Denotes the leader of the Mountains classification   20px|alt=Green jersey   Denotes the leader of the Sprints classification   20px|alt=White jersey   Denotes the leader of the Young rider classification General classification Final general classification 1 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 28h 13' 12" yellow General classification 2 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 + 3" white Young rider classification 3 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 + 37" 4 Joe Dombrowski USA TCG 2015 + 1' 14" 5 Robert Gesink NED BEL 2015 + 1' 15" 6 Haimar Zubeldia ESP TFR 2015 + 1' 16" 7 Ian Boswell USA SKY 2015 + 1' 23" 8 Riccardo Zoidl AUT TFR 2015 + 1' 24" 9 Peter Kennaugh GBR SKY 2015 + 1' 44" 10 Rob Britton CAN SSC 2015 + 2' 10" Sprints classification Final sprints classification yes 1 Mark Cavendish GBR EQS 2015 75 green Points classification 2 Peter Sagan SVK TTS 2015 62 yellow General classification 3 Wouter Wippert NED DPC 2015 38 4 Jempy Drucker LUX BMC 2015 26 5 Zico Waeytens BEL TGA 2015 22 6 Will Clarke AUS DPC 2015 20 7 John Murphy USA UHC 2015 19 8 Tyler Farrar USA MTN 2015 19 9 Lucas Sebastián Haedo ARG JSH 2015 16 10 Robin Carpenter USA HSD 2015 15 Young rider classification Final young rider classification 1 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 28h 13' 15" white Young rider classification 2 Tao Geoghegan Hart GBR HBA 2015 + 2' 33" 3 Jay McCarthy AUS TTS 2015 + 3' 13" 4 Manuel Senni ITA BMC 2015 + 4' 43" 5 Dion Smith NZL HSD 2015 + 4' 52" 6 Lawson Craddock USA TGA 2015 + 9' 35" 7 Ruben Guerreiro POR HBA 2015 + 12' 47" 8 James Oram NZL HBA 2015 + 20' 38" 9 Jasper Stuyven BEL TFR 2015 + 22' 59" 10 Robin Carpenter USA HSD 2015 + 25' 43" Mountains classification Final mountains classification yes 1 Daniel Oss ITA BMC 2015 48 polkadot Mountains classification 2 Toms Skujiņš LAT HSD 2015 33 3 Lachlan Morton AUS JBC 2015 20 4 Julian Alaphilippe FRA EQS 2015 14 white Young rider classification 5 Johann van Zyl RSA MTN 2015 14 6 Evan Huffman USA SSC 2015 13 7 Jonathan Clarke AUS UHC 2015 13 8 Sergio Henao COL SKY 2015 11 9 Ian Boswell USA SKY 2015 11 10 Danilo Wyss SWI BMC 2015 10 Teams classification Final teams classification no 1 SKY 2015 84h 43' 10" 2 TFR 2015 + 4' 06" 3 BMC 2015 + 5' 35" 4 TTS 2015 + 8' 40" 5 TCG 2015 + 22' 01" 6 HBA 2015 + 23' 37" 7 BEL 2015 + 38' 24" 8 HSD 2015 + 42' 52" 9 TGA 2015 + 45' 22" 10 SSC 2015 + 46' 28" Notes References External links https://web.archive.org/web/20150605105845/http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/ June 5, 2015 Official website Category:Tour of California Tour of California Tour of California Tour of California