Alaphilippe, of Etixx-Quick Step, finished 11th in the stage on the same time to complete the general classification triumph in the U.S. cycling showpiece.
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The breakaway had 35 seconds on the flat, fast stage with about 2 miles left on the 86-mile route, but it was caught by a main field powered by Peter Sagan’s Tinkoff team and Alexander Kristoff’s Katusha squad.
The men’s race ultimately was decided when Alaphilippe won the climb up Gibraltar Road, then minimized his losses in the time trial in Folsom.
American champion Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) won the race overall after taking the win on the races first stage. Kristoff had edged Sagan for the penultimate stage on Saturday.
Even Alaphilippe joined the final flurry to the finish where Cavendish delivered his tenth Amgen Tour of California stage win (second only to Sagan), followed over the line by Sagan himself then Kristoff.
In the third stage of the women’s race, reigning Olympic champion Marianne Vos outsprinted Coryn Rivera and Emma Johansson to capture their 69-mile stage through Sonoma County wine country. Dennis finished 21 seconds back in second place for the second time in three years, while Bookwalter was another 22 seconds adrift for his BMC Racing team. “It’s really something special to win this race, especially here in California, and I’m really proud of my team all week, especially today because it was a really stressful day for a lot of riders in the peloton”.
Cavendish was one of 14 Brits on the startline in California but it was a race to forget for fellow Manxman Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) who crashed heavily on stage three and could now miss the Tour de France.
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The final stage for the women Sunday is a 20-lap circuit of Capitol Park in downtown Sacramento. Today marks Cavendish’s fourth stage win in Sacramento (2010, 2014, 2015, 2016) including another close finish over Degenkolb in 2014.
