Photo by Angela Truong.

Spectators of the Amgen Tour of California Stage 1 in Long Beach were treated on Mother’s Day to a world-class competition, with riders from both American and international teams vying for a spot on the coveted podium.

Cycling fans crowded popular segments of the course, including the start/finish in downtown, Bluff Park and 4th Street’s Retro Row to watch as the 17 teams made the most of the 7-mile circuit, racing 12 laps total with an early breakaway created by Holowesko|Citadel p/b Arapahoe Resources’ Andrei Krasilnikau (BLR) and United Healthcare Pro Cycling’s Tanner Putt (Boulder, CO).

The two riders created a 2-minute lead about half way through the stage and were caught by the peloton for a mad sprint to the finish, with Quick-Step Floors’ Fernando Gaviria (COL) beating World Champion BORA-hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan (SVK), Team KATUSHA ALPECIN’s Marcel Kittel (GER) and Team Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish (GBR). Mitchelton-SCOTT’s Caleb Ewan took second, with Sagan finishing out the stage with third.

Photos by Angela Truong.

 

Photos by Allan Crawford.