Amgen Tour of California

We pick our favorite five performances by domestic U.S. teams from the 2016 Amgen Tour of California.

Alexey Vermeulen, 21, is a neo-pro with hopes of being a GC contender someday — and his team supports that goal.

Mark Cavendish collects his 10th career Tour of California win as the race wraps up in Sacramento with overall victory for Alaphilippe.

Mark Cavendish wins the Tour of California's closing stage in Sacramento, out-sprinting Peter Sagan.

Cavendish outsprints Sagan and Kristoff in the eighth and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California as Alaphilippe secures the overall victory

Kirsten Wild takes a sprint victory in the fourth and final stage of the Women's Amgen Tour of California as Megan Guarnier wraps up the overall win

Marianne Vos is finally finding herself winning races again after a frustrating 2015

John Degenkolb is trying to get used to shifting and breaking without using his left index finger — quite an adjustment in a hectic sprint

Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California spent some time along the Pacific Coast Highway before concluding with a photo finish in Santa Rosa

Alexander Kristoff sprints to victory in Santa Rosa ahead of Peter Sagan, who was off the front all day long.

Alexander Kristoff just pips Peter Sagan to the line in Santa Rosa to take his first ever Amgen Tour of California stage victory

Marianne Vos takes her first victory on the new Women's WorldTour ahead of Coryn Rivera and Emma Johansson

Despite impressing at the Tour of California, Alaphilippe isn't so sure he wants to be France's next great hope for grand tours.

Scenes from the Amgen Tour of California's stage 6 time trial in Folsom

Once a BMX racer, Allie Dragoo is in the midst of the best season of her blossoming pro road career.

Rohan Dennis masters the Tour of California's Folsom time trial while Alaphilippe hangs onto yellow jersey.

Rohan Dennis wins Folsom time trial, but he isn't fast enough to seize the Amgen Tour of California overall lead from Julian Alaphilippe

Twenty16 – Ridebiker upsets top European teams in Women's Amgen Tour of California team time trial; Guarnier keeps overall lead.

The Tour of California peloton climbed to South Lake Tahoe in the fifth stage.

Stage 1 of the Women's Amgen Tour of California faced windy conditions around Lake Tahoe and ended with a tough sprint finish.

Toms Skujins scores another big win at Amgen Tour of California, and Julian Alaphilippe defends the overall lead.

Much like he did last year, Toms Skujins wins stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California, attacking out of a long-range breakaway.

Megan Guarnier wins a windswept first stage at the Women's Tour of California, attacking late to claim the overall race lead.

American Katie Hall has spent her entire pro career, which started in 2014, juggling school and racing. Now, racing is her focus.

A motorcycle driver on the Amgen Tour of California suffers a medical emergency and dies Wednesday during stage 4.

American Megan Guarnier spends much of her year in France and away from her family, but the sacrifices allow her to live out her dream.

Stage 4 at the Tour of California featured a coastal route and majestic views as the peloton made its way along Highway 1.

A year after finishing 3 seconds out of first, Julian Alaphilippe is leading the Tour of California by 22 seconds with four stages left.

Julian Alaphilippe survived a tough succession of final climbs to hold the overall while Peter Sagan won his second stage of the week.

Peter Sagan guts out a tough, hilly finish at Laguna Seca to win a gritty sprint in stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Peter Stetina wonders about what could have been on the slopes of Gibraltar but grateful to be back racing after traumatic 2015 injury.

The third stage at the Amgen Tour of California ended after a punishing ascent of Gibraltar Road.

Julian Alaphilippe stuns the Amgen Tour peloton with a brilliant attack on the Gibraltar Road climb to claim the race's overall lead.

19-year-old Neilson Powless is taking on the biggest race of his young career this week in California

Julian Alaphilippe catches Peter Stetina just before the finish on Gibraltar Road to win stage 3 and claim the overall lead in Amgen Tour.

Ben King's Strava file shows how hard he worked to win his first career Amgen Tour of California stage and take the yellow jersey.

Ben King and his early breakaway move miraculously succeeds and he takes the overall race lead after stage 2.

Tuesday's stage 3 at the Tour of California will test the riders vying for the overall win — and it will demonstrate who is really on form.

Tyler Farrar likes his role as road captain for Dimension Data, even if it means his days as a top sprinter are behind him.

Ben King rules Amgen Tour stage 2, winning out of the breakaway and claiming the overall race lead.

Breakaway surprises the sprinters as Ben King wins a two-up sprint to claim stage 2 as well as the overall lead at the Amgen Tour of California.

The Australian member of Jelly Belly – Maxxis said the Tour of California is his main goal of the season — and he thinks he can win.

The 2016 edition of the annual race in the Golden State started with a 171km stage in and around San Diego.

Peter Sagan sprints to victory in the opening stage at the Amgen Tour of California to take the race lead.

Defending overall champion Peter Sagan sprints to victory in the first stage of the Amgen Tour of California

John Degenkolb is gearing up for the Amgen Tour of California, his first stage race appearance of the year

Here is the full roster of riders for the 2016 edition of the Amgen Tour of California men's race.

Who will win the Amgen Tour of California? Our expert panel of editors picks favorites for the men's and women's races.

Peter Sagan is the Amgen Tour of California's most successful racer, but the Gibraltar queen stage will challenge the defending champ.

The 2016 Amgen Tour of California will feature former winners Sagan and Wiggins, as well as Cavendish, Kristoff, and Dennis.

The 2016 Amgen Tour of California route includes 65,000 feet of climbing and will travel from south to north.

The Amgen Tour announces its host cities for 2016 and also confirms that 2014 champ Bradley Wiggins will return to California.

The Amgen Tour of California Women's Race grows by one day for 2016, adding a fourth stage as it will be part of the UCI Women's WorldTour.

The Cannondale-Garmin team founder discusses a variety of issues with VeloNews as his team gears up for another Tour de France

Medalist Sports' contract to produce the Tour of California may be taken over by Tour de France organizer ASO

Gaimon keeps track of everything he eats during one day of racing at the Amgen Tour of California. Spoiler alert: There are cookies

The Cannondale-Garmin climber rates his California performance as "Okay. Not bad. Not great.”

The tall Italian, a 176-pound sprinter and classics star, joked that it was the first KOM jersey of his career, and “maybe the last one”

The Amgen Tour rides up Mount Hamilton, where a prominent area cyclist died 10 years ago; his legacy continues to inspire and empower

In only 10 hours, a Go Fund Me page raises over $10,000 to help Ben Jacques-Maynes pay for dental bills after Amgen Tour crash

Gesink rode to fifth place overall at the Amgen Tour of California aboard this celeste green Bianchi race bike

Global Cycling Network polls the Amgen Tour of California peloton to see what they would do if they weren't professional cyclists

Sagan surprises everyone by staying close to the climbers on Mt. Baldy and then delivering the GC win on the final stage

The eight-day race concluded with a stage from Los Angeles to Pasadena that ended in a bunch sprint

Peter Sagan foils Etixx-Quick-Step's bid to deny him crucial bonus seconds and edges Julian Alaphilippe for the Amgen Tour title

Peter Sagan takes enough bonus seconds in the final stage to reclaim the overall title in the Amgen Tour of California

Casey B. Gibson had his Nikons at the ready as Peter Sagan tried to defend his jersey at the Amgen Tour

Results from the queen stage of the 2015 Amgen Tour of California

Peter Sagan will stand on the overall podium of the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday in Pasadena. But which step will he stand upon — first, or second?

Alaphilippe attacks on Mt. Baldy to take Amgen Tour's stage 7 and race lead, but Sagan's strong ride leaves him just two seconds back on GC

Evelyn Stevens delivers the ride of the day on a short, fast course, besting Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong

Peter Sagan impresses in short time trial in Santa Clarita, moving into the overall race lead

Images from the individual time trial at the 2015 Amgen Tour of California

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-Quick-Step) is sitting in good position among the main GC protagonists in California

Peter Sagan wins a short time trial in Santa Clarita to vault into the overall race lead with two stages remaining

Stevens rides to victory on short, fast course in Santa Clarita ahead of Lauren Stephens and 2012 Olympic TT champ Kristin Armstrong

A huge bike for a rider that puts out huge watts. Zirbel will ride this Serios TT bike in the Amgen Tour's stage 6, which should suit him

Global Cycling Network takes a ride on the Amgen Tour of California's decisive Mount Baldy stage, which is set to run on Saturday