Tour of California: Cavendish wins opening stage
Degenkolb in second
Mark Cavendish won the blazing fast opening stage of the 2014 Tour of California by a razor-thin margin over Gent-Wevelgem winner John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) in Sacramento. The Omega Pharma-Quickstep rider took the win and first race lead after race officials reviewed the photo finish, winning by mere millimeters.
Moreno Hofland (Belkin) got past Tour of California stage win record-holder Peter Sagan (Cannondale) to take third. Cavendish now leads the general classification over Degenkolb heading into Monday's 20km individual time trial in Folsom.
"I won Milan-San Remo by 10cm and I knew I won," Cavendish said, recalling some of the other close finishes in his career. "I lost a stage of the Giro by three centimeters and I knew I had lost. Today was the first time in my career that I didn't know the result until it was confirmed to me. John was strong in the finale, but my team did the perfect job to keep me in good position. I'm very happy with the win today."
Cavendish and his Omega Pharma teammates were not simply waiting for a bunch sprint on the 198km stage. Just before the day's breakaway of six - Tom Leezer (Belkin), Isaac Bolivar (UnitedHealthcare), Charles Planet (Novo Nordisk), Will Routley (Optum), Matt Cooke (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Bissell Development Team) - were caught, Omega Pharma conspired with Team Sky to split the bunch in the crosswinds and try to shatter the field. The move succeeded, and a small lead group of about 22 riders that peeled away caught the breakaway with 54.6km remaining.
With the original breakaway riders and others falling back, the lead group consisted of 18 riders, including Sky's Bradley Wiggins, sprinters Matt Goss (Orica), Hofland and BMC's Greg Van Avermaet. Cannondale, which missed the group, waited patiently before putting in an effort to close down the gap.
Despite the best efforts of Omega Pharma's Tom Boonen, Wiggins and Taylor Phinney (BMC), the winds did not favor the split, and by 22km to go the peloton was back together.
"I figured it would come back, but it was a good group," Phinney said. "It was too bad for us because we didn't have [Peter] Stetina in that group, otherwise Greg and I would have given it full gas. The Omega Pharma guys were pulling hard, and obviously Sky was with Wiggins. If Wiggins hadn't been there we could have gone faster, but we all knew it was a headwind run into the finish, and there are a lot of teams here that want to do a sprint."
Attacks flew over the next 10km, but only one: Jacob Rathe (Jelly Belly-Maxxis), Keil Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) and Gregory Daniel (Bissell) was non-threatening enough to stick. Reijnen was the last man caught with 4km to go as the peloton flew around the three finishing circuits in downtown Sacramento.
Cannondale took control of the sprint, but Sagan's team left it too late, and it was Degenkolb and Cavendish who rocketed to the line, side by side. Degenkolb had an early advantage, but he couldn't hold off the final charge to the line from Cavendish.
"My team did a great job to do a perfect lead out for me, and I had to do a good sprint in the end," Degenkolb said. "Sometimes it's just one or two centimeters, but you can feel it straight away. It was very close today. I knew that [Cavendish] was right behind me, but I also new that I was going to do a long sprint. I planned it well; I didn't go too early or too late.
In the end, I saw him on the right side coming. Slowly but surely he was there. I knew at the line he won, that I was too slow."
Optum's Routley won the sole mountain sprint to take that jersey for the next two stages, finishing off the team's plan heading into Monday's time trial.
"There was no shortage of wind today," Routely said of the day's major challenge. "We wanted to go for the KOM because we could have the jersey for two stages with no KOM tomorrow."
Cavendish took the lead in the points classification along with the overall race lead. Bissell's Geoghegan Hart now leads the young rider classification thanks to the time bonuses taken out on the road. Novo Nordisk's Planet earned the jersey for most courageous rider.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 4:44:17 |
2 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | |
3 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
4 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale | |
5 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | |
6 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale | |
7 | Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
8 | Matthew Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
9 | Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
10 | John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
11 | Nicolai Brochner (Den) Bissell Development Team | |
12 | Tanner Putt (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
13 | Ken Hanson (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
14 | Ryan Eastman (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
15 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
16 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
17 | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Team NetApp-Endura | |
18 | Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
19 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | |
20 | Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
21 | Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
22 | George Bennett (NZl) Cannondale | |
23 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
24 | Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
25 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team NetApp-Endura | |
26 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek Factory Racing | |
27 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
28 | Carter Jones (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
29 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
30 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky | |
31 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cannondale | |
32 | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | |
33 | Eloy Teruel Rovira (Spa) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
34 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge | |
35 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
36 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
37 | Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
38 | Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
39 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale | |
40 | Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica GreenEdge | |
41 | Michael Schar (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
42 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
43 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
44 | Ted King (USA) Cannondale | |
45 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
46 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
47 | Leopold König (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | |
48 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
49 | Fred Rodriguez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
50 | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
51 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | |
52 | Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | |
53 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) Bissell Development Team | |
54 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
55 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
56 | Scott Zwizanski (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
57 | Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
58 | David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team NetApp-Endura | |
59 | Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
60 | Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing | |
61 | Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing | |
62 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
63 | Kirk Carlsen (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
64 | Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
65 | Serghei Tvetcov (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
66 | Tom Zirbel (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
67 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing | |
68 | Danny Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
69 | Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
70 | Ben King (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
71 | Gregory Obando Brenes (CRc) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
72 | Ian Boswell (USA) Team Sky | |
73 | Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Bissell Development Team | |
74 | Janier Acevedo Colle (Col) Garmin Sharp | |
75 | Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team NetApp-Endura | |
76 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky | |
77 | Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
78 | Bradley Huff (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
79 | James Oram (NZl) Bissell Development Team | |
80 | Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky | |
81 | Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
82 | Alexander Candelario (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
83 | Joshua Edmondson (GBr) Team Sky | |
84 | Daniel Alexander Jaramillo Diez (Col) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
85 | Lachlan Morton (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
86 | Andreas Schillinger (Ger) Team NetApp-Endura | |
87 | Joe Dombrowski (USA) Team Sky | |
88 | Nicolas Lefrancois (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
89 | Nick Van Der Lijke (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
90 | Maarten Wynants (Bel) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
91 | Jens Voigt (Ger) Trek Factory Racing | |
92 | Thomas Damuseau (Fra) Team Giant-Shimano | |
93 | Damien Howson (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
94 | Rohan Dennis (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
95 | Dennis Van Winden (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:19 |
96 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | 0:00:22 |
97 | Paul Voss (Ger) Team NetApp-Endura | |
98 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:00:35 |
99 | Gregory Daniel (USA) Bissell Development Team | 0:00:38 |
100 | Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk | |
101 | Jack Bobridge (Aus) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
102 | Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
103 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
104 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale | 0:00:41 |
105 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | 0:00:54 |
106 | Isaac Bolivar Hernandez (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
107 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 0:00:58 |
108 | Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
109 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | |
110 | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
111 | Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:01:11 |
112 | Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | 0:01:18 |
113 | Jens Mouris (Ned) Orica GreenEdge | 0:02:48 |
114 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:03:40 |
115 | Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | 0:04:37 |
116 | Jose Joao Pimenta Costa Mendes (Por) Team NetApp-Endura | |
117 | Will Routley (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 0:12:13 |
118 | Matt Cooke (USA) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
119 | Alex Howes (USA) Garmin Sharp | 0:13:58 |
120 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | |
121 | Cameron Wurf (Aus) Cannondale | 0:13:58 |
122 | David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
123 | Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
124 | Luis Davila (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
125 | Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
126 | Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
127 | Sean Mazich (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
128 | Robbie Squire (USA) Jamis - Hagens Berman |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 5 | pts |
2 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | 3 | |
3 | Will Routley (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 5 | pts |
2 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | 3 | |
3 | Isaac Bolivar Hernandez (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Gregory Daniel (USA) Bissell Development Team | 5 | pts |
2 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 3 | |
3 | Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 15 | pts |
2 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 12 | |
3 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 10 | |
4 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale | 7 | |
5 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | 6 | |
6 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale | 5 | |
7 | Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 4 | |
8 | Matthew Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | 3 | |
9 | Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | 2 | |
10 | John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Will Routley (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 6 | pts |
2 | Matt Cooke (USA) Jamis - Hagens Berman | 5 | |
3 | Isaac Bolivar Hernandez (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 4 | |
4 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | 3 | |
5 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | 4:44:17 |
2 | Nicolai Brochner (Den) Bissell Development Team | |
3 | Tanner Putt (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
4 | Ryan Eastman (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
5 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
6 | Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
7 | Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
8 | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | |
9 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | |
10 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) Bissell Development Team | |
11 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
12 | Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Bissell Development Team | |
13 | James Oram (NZl) Bissell Development Team | |
14 | Joshua Edmondson (GBr) Team Sky | |
15 | Damien Howson (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
16 | Gregory Daniel (USA) Bissell Development Team | 0:00:38 |
17 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | 0:00:54 |
18 | Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | 0:13:58 |
19 | Luis Davila (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Cannondale | 14:12:51 |
2 | Bissell Development Team | |
3 | Team Giant-Shimano | |
4 | Trek Factory Racing | |
5 | Omega Pharma-QuickStep | |
6 | UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
7 | BMC Racing Team | |
8 | Orica GreenEDGE | |
9 | Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
10 | Team NetApp-Endura | |
11 | Team Optum By Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
12 | Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
13 | Team Novo Nordisk | |
14 | Jelly Belly P/B Maxxis | |
15 | Team Sky | |
16 | Garmin-Sharp |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | 4:44:07 |
2 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:00:04 |
3 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:06 |
4 | Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Bissell Development Team | |
5 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale | 0:00:10 |
6 | Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Trek Factory Racing | |
7 | Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale | |
8 | Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
9 | Matthew Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
10 | Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
11 | John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
12 | Nicolai Brochner (Den) Bissell Development Team | |
13 | Tanner Putt (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
14 | Ken Hanson (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
15 | Ryan Eastman (USA) Bissell Development Team | |
16 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek Factory Racing | |
17 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
18 | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Team NetApp-Endura | |
19 | Juan Jose Haedo (Arg) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
20 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | |
21 | Daan Olivier (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
22 | Chad Haga (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
23 | George Bennett (NZl) Cannondale | |
24 | Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
25 | Lawson Craddock (USA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
26 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team NetApp-Endura | |
27 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek Factory Racing | |
28 | Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
29 | Carter Jones (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
30 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
31 | Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Team Sky | |
32 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cannondale | |
33 | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica GreenEdge | |
34 | Eloy Teruel Rovira (Spa) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
35 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge | |
36 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
37 | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
38 | Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
39 | Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
40 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale | |
41 | Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica GreenEdge | |
42 | Michael Schar (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
43 | Caleb Fairly (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
44 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
45 | Ted King (USA) Cannondale | |
46 | Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
47 | Martin Kohler (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
48 | Leopold König (Cze) Team NetApp-Endura | |
49 | Javier Megias Leal (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
50 | Fred Rodriguez (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
51 | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
52 | Amael Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team | |
53 | Clement Chevrier (Fra) Bissell Development Team | |
54 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
55 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
56 | Scott Zwizanski (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
57 | David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team NetApp-Endura | |
58 | Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team | |
59 | Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing | |
60 | Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing | |
61 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
62 | Kirk Carlsen (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
63 | Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
64 | Serghei Tvetcov (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
65 | Tom Zirbel (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
66 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) Trek Factory Racing | |
67 | Danny Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
68 | Tom Danielson (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
69 | Ben King (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
70 | Ian Boswell (USA) Team Sky | |
71 | Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Bissell Development Team | |
72 | Janier Acevedo Colle (Col) Garmin Sharp | |
73 | Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team NetApp-Endura | |
74 | Nathan Earle (Aus) Team Sky | |
75 | Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA) Jamis - Hagens Berman | |
76 | Bradley Huff (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
77 | James Oram (NZl) Bissell Development Team | |
78 | Danny Pate (USA) Team Sky | |
79 | Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin Sharp | |
80 | Alexander Candelario (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
81 |