SACRAMENTO — It took Julian Alaphilippe just a bit longer than he hoped to top the podium at the Tour of California.
The French cyclist, who lost his lead on the final stage a year ago and finished second overall, managed to hang onto it Sunday. Alaphilippe finished safely in the main field in Stage 8 to hold off Rohan Dennis of Australia and American veteran Brent Bookwalter for one of the biggest wins of his career.
Mark Cavendish won the flat, fast stage over Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff in a sprint finish.
In the women’s race, Dutch star Kirsten Wild beat Lisa Brennauer of Germany and compatriot Marianne Vos at the finish of a 43-mile criterium, while Megan Guarnier held off Kristin Armstrong to win the overall.
The men’s race ultimately was decided when Alaphilippe won the climb up Gibraltar Road, then minimized his losses in the time trial in Folsom. Dennis finished 21 seconds back in second place for the second time in three years, while Bookwalter was another 22 seconds adrift for his BMC Racing team.
The final stage covered 86 miles before finishing on the flat streets of the California capital, and for a bit it looked like a breakaway just might stay clear. Their gap was 35 seconds with about 3 miles left.
The Tinkoff squad of Sagan and the Katusha team of Kristoff began to give chase, trying to set up their fast finishers for a group finish. They managed to reel in the break with about a mile remaining in the race, and then it was up to their lead-out trains to set them up for the race to the line.
Kristoff was the first to begin his sprint, and Sagan swung out from behind him. Cavendish showed his veteran patience by waiting until the last possible second and swinging out from behind Sagan.
He sped ahead of both his rivals and threw his arms up in victory as he crossed the line. It was his first stage win of the year and 10th of his career in California, the second-most in race history.
While the men’s race meandered out of Sacramento before returning for the finish, the final stage of the women’s race was a 20-lap circuit of the wide, fast roads near the downtown area.
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Amgen Tour of California winner Julian Alaphilippe (yellow jersey) celebrates on the podium with runner-up Rohan Dennis, left, and third-placer Brent Bookwalter on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Julian Alaphilippe, left, is congratulated by Etixx/Quick-Step teammate Tom Boonen after clinching the overall title for the Amgen Tour of California on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Mark Cavendish celebrates after winning the eighth and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Amgen Tour of California women’s winner Megan Guarnier is congratulated by men’s competitor Taylor Phinney after the final stage Sunday.
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Peter Sagan of Slovokia rides past a vineyard near Santa Rosa during the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21.
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Cattle cross the road in front of a group of riders in open range during the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21.
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Julian Alaphilippe of France retained the overall lead in the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 during the seventh stage.
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Norway’s Alexander Kristoff, right, overtakes of Peter Sagan of Slovakia in the final sprint of the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 in Santa Rosa.
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Alexander Kristoff reacts after winning the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 in Santa Rosa.
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American Brent Bookwalter starts the individual time trial during the sixth stagte of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20 in Folsom.
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Britain’s Bradley Wiggins competes alongside a motorcyle with a cameraman during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20.
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Julian Alaphilippe of France takes part in the individual time trial during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20.
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Rohan Dennis of Australia won the individual time trail during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20 in Folsom.
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Riders in the peleton cycle along Caples Lake during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19.
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France’s Julian Alaphilippe, the overall race leader, crosses the finish line during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19.
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Cyclists climb along Carson Pass Highway during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19, as racers made their way from Lodi to South Lake Tahoe.
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Toms Skujins of Latvia celebrates after winning the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California, a race from Lodi to South Lake Tahoe, on May 19.
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Riders in the peloton makes their way up a hill along Route 1 during the fourth stage of the Tour of California on May 18.
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Riders in the Tour of California’s fourth stage cross the Bixby Bridge on their way from Morro Bay to Monterey on May 18.
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Riders in the peleton make their way along the coast during the fourth stage of the Tour of California on May 18.
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Riders in the peleton pass through San Simeon on the ride from Morro Bay to Monterey during fourth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 18.
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Peter Sagan of Slovakia is kissed by the podium girls after being awarded the green jersey for the points leader following the third stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 17.
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Britain’s Peter Kennaugh, left, and France’s Bryan Coquard were involved in a crash during the third stage of the Tour of California on May 17.
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The peloton makes the climb along Casitas Pass Road during stage three of the Amgen Tour of California on May 17.
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A fan with a Union Jack runs on the road as Britain’s Andrew Tennant leads a breakaway along Westlake Boulevard in Thousand Oaks during the third stage of the Tour of California on May 17.
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Ben King raises his hand in the air after edging out Evan Huffman to win stage 2 of the Tour of California in Santa Clarita on May 16.
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Peter Sagan (yellow jersey) rides in the peloton not far from a fan running down the road during the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 16.
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Racers start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Fans in South Pasadena cheer as racers start the 92-mile second stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 16.
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Racers start the stage 2 ride of the Amgen Tour of California, from the first-time host city of South Pasadena to the veteran host city of Santa Clarita, on May 16.
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A fan takes photos as racers start the stage 2 ride of the Amgen Tour of California, from South Pasadena to Santa Clarita, on May 16.
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Reigning race champion Peter Sagan, center in yellow jersey, waves to fans as racers prepare to start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Racers are poised to start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Ben King celebrates after winning stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California in Santa Clarita on May 16.
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Ben King, Amgen Tour of California stage 2 winner, stands between second-place finisher Evan Huffman, left, and third-place finisher Alexander Kristoff during the podium presentation in Santa Clarita on May 16.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) The UnitedHealthcare squad of Olympic hopeful Coryn Rivera took to the front with two laps remaining, and four riders still controlled the race as the field began to position itself for the sprint.
Wild was able to hold off Brennauer and Vos, who had won the previous stage, to capture her first of this year’s race. Rivera finished behind them in fourth and Amy Pieters was fifth.
Guarnier, the world bronze medalist, finished 17 seconds ahead of Armstrong in the overall race, while her Boels-Dolmans teammate Evelyn Stevens made it an American podium sweep with her third-place finish.
