Video: On-the-bike footage of Degenkolb's stage 1 sprint at the Tour of California

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On-board cameras have been commonplace in motorsports for years, but are only now finding their way into the professional cycling peloton, thanks to recent innovations in lightweight, small high-definition video cameras. The Giant-Shimano team has equipped their bikes with Shimano's new sport camera for the Tour of California, and what better way to see the utility of the device than by watching the mayhem of a massive bunch sprint unfold.

John Degenkolb, the team's main sprinter, weaves his way up to his lead-out man, then blasts off the front of the peloton in the final 200 meters of stage 1 in Sacramento. Unfortunately for him, he is narrowly defeated by Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep), whose wheel appears at the very end on Degenkolb's right.

Cyclingnews will also be bringing on-board video footage from the Belkin team from the Tour of California this week.

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Hi-Res Footage of John Degenkolb's sprint in the Amgen Tour of California Stage 1 from Ride Shimano on Vimeo.