Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) sealed the overall win in the 2013 Tour of California on Sunday.
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) won the final stage bunch sprint in Santa Rosa, edging out Daniel Schorn (NetApp-Endura) and third-placed Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp).
Van Garderen blitzed Friday’s individual time trial to take the stage win and move well ahead of rival Michael Rogers (Saxo-Tinkoff) in the overall classification. It was then a matter of the American marking the other contenders’ moves on Sunday in a tough day to Mount Diablo – which he did with ruthless ease, placing third behind stage winner Leopold Konig (NetApp-Endura).
The 24-year-old BMC leader then kept safely tucked away in the peloton on Sunday to take the overall victory. Rogers finished in second place overall at one minute and 24 seconds with 2013 ToC revelation Janier Acevedo (Jamis) in third at 3-26.
Van Garderen has been widely touted as a front runner for BMC’s Tour de France leadership – but team-mate Cadel Evans’ resurgent performance in the Giro d’Italia, where he’s currently placed second behind Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), means that the squad will have two solid GC options in July.
Results
Tour of California 2013, stage eight: San Francisco to Santa Rosa, 130.4km
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale in 3-04-07
2. Daniel Schorn (Aut) NetApp-Endura
3. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp
4. Gianni Meersman (Bel) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
5. Ken Hanson (USA) Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies
6. Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing
7. Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
8. Jacobe Keough (USA) UnitedHealthcare
9. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-QuickStep
10. Matt Brammeier (Irl) Champion System all same time
Final overall classification
1. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing in 29-43-00
2. Michael Rogers (Aus) Saxo-Tinkoff in 1-47
3. Janier Acevedo Col) Jamis-Ha
4. Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing in 3-32
5. Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge in 3-33
6. Matthew Busche (USA) RadioShack-Leopard at 3-50
7. Francisco Mancebo (Spa) 5-hour Energy at 4-52
8. Lawson Craddock (USA) Bontrager at 5-24
9. Philip Deignan (Irl) UnitedHealthcare at 5-33
10. Chad Haga (USA) Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies at 5-52
