The first stage of the tour of California is in the books, and Peter Sagan was able to overcome a punctured tire to win the first stage as part of the Liquigas-Cannondale. Sagan lost about 20 seconds due tot he mechanical issue late in the race, but he was able to storm back for the victory in Santa Rosa, California:
Sagan never panicked when his rear tire punctured with about 5 miles left and a pack of sprinters already in pursuit. In the end, the misfortune might've actually helped.
A crash swept up about a dozen riders - including one of the world's top sprinters, Michael Matthews - with about 3 miles remaining. Sagan shifted down and pedaled furiously, overtaking Haussler and Rodriguez in the final mile.
The 22-year-old nicknamed "Terminator'' pointed to the adoring crowd at the finish line and hoisted both hands in the air in triumph. Such a frantic, final sprint is unlikely.
For more on the Tour of California, check out this SB Nation Minnesota story stream.
There are 0 Comments. Add Yours.
Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.
C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read
R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next
Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read
Comment Settings
Live comment alert: Hide it!
Comments for this post are closed.