Kristoff Wins Agmen Tour Stage, Alaphippe Holds Overall Lead

SANTA ROSA (CBS13) -- The 2016 Agmen Tour of California is approaching its conclusion as today's stage ended with a first stage win for Alexander Kristoff.

With thousands of fans lining the streets of Santa Rosa, Team KATUSHA's star sprinter Alexander Kristoff (NOR) catapulted to a stage win, his eighth of the season, by a rim over all-time Amgen Tour of California stage win record holder Peter Sagan (SVK) of Tinkoff, who had spent much of the 109.1-mile day in a breakaway. 

The Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease™ Women's Race Empowered with SRAM also spent the day in Santa Rosa, with cycling's winning-est woman Marianne Vos (NED) cinching the victory for Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team.

"It was a hard stage…I was really struggling on the climbs… at the end, Peter [Sagan] was in front alone, and he had two minutes, and we had to chase hard. And at the end he almost beat me also, so it was an impressive ride by him but I just managed to hold him off, and I'm really happy to win here in California," said Kristoff who earned a bronze road race medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
With the men's main peloton heading together into three downtown Santa Rosa circuits after 8,600 feet of climbing around the veteran Host City, no one gained time over race leader Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) of Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team, putting the 23 year-old in good position to defend his Amgen Race Leader Jersey earned on the Gibraltar Road Queen Stage (3), with hopes of becoming the race's youngest champion when the race concludes tomorrow in Sacramento.