Sagan wins Tour of California finale as Gesink takes overall title
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) won the 2012 Tour of California overall classification on Sunday in Los Angeles, celebrating his remarkable rehabilitaton from crash injury last year.
Gesink won the penultimate 'queen' stage to Mount Baldy on Saturday, putting significant time into his rivals. Sunday's stage around Los Angeles was merely a formality for the Dutchman, who becomes only the second non-American to win the race in its seven-year history.
Gesink broke his leg in four places as a result of a training accident last September, and was still struggling to walk in January this year. His comeback to top form bodes well for his performance at the Tour de France this July.
David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) placed second overall, with his team-mate Tom Danielson taking the final step on the podium.
It was deja vu on the finish line as Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) took his fifth stage win of the race, out-pacing Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) to take the victory. Boonen's team-mate Gerald Ciolek placed third after leading out Boonen.
The final stage of the Tour of California also marked the final professional outing forAustralian sprinter Robbie McEwen. Triple Tour de France green jersey winner McEwen will now take up a management role in the Australian Orica-GreenEdge squad.
Tour of California 2012: Related links
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Stage seven: Gesink wins Tour of California's big mountain stage
Stage six: Georges takes solo win in California
Stage five: Zabriskie wins California time trial to take lead
Stage three: Sagan's California hat-trick
Stage two: Sagan makes it two out of two
Stage one: Sagan wins California opener
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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