Sir Bradley Wiggins Wins Santa Clarita, 2014 Amgen Tour Of California

Posted by: KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 in Santa Clarita News May 19, 2014 - 9:00 pm 0 226 Views

Wiggins Holds Lead Through Stage 6 and Stage 7 in Santa Clarita, Goes on to Win Overall Race

By Stephen K. Peeples

After leading the field most of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California cycle race including Stage 6 and Stage 7 both starting in Santa Clarita Friday and Saturday, Sir Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain’s Team Sky was the race’s overall winner at the end of Stage 8 in Thousand Oaks Sunday afternoon.

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Wiggins’ total time of 28 hours, 22 minutes and 5 seconds for the gruelling eight-stage 720-plus-mile race in temperatures from the 80s to the low 100s put him ahead of the field of 115 riders representing 28 countries on 16 teams.

Wiggins, a British Olympic gold medalist and winner of the 2012 Tour de France, led the 2014 Tour of California field since the Stage 2 time trial in Folsom, and wore the yellow leader’s jersey the rest of the race. He was the first British racer to win the California competition, as he was the Tour de France two years ago.

Amgen Tour of California 2014 Final Jersey Winners

Joining Wiggins and his two children, Bernard and Isabel, in the final Amgen Tour of California jersey lineup were Canadian Will Routley of the USA’s Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies team, who wore the Michelob Ultra King of the Mountain (KOM) jersey every stage of the race.

Related Photos: See Images from the Tour of California Stage 6 Start in Newhall

Sagan won the Visit California Sprint jersey four times since Stage 1 and kept it at the end of the race. Craddock, 22, won the Crunchies Best Young Rider jersey seven times since the first stage. The Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider jersey went to Australian Jack Bobridge of The Netherlands’ Belkin-Pro Cycling Team.

Amgen Tour of California Created to Boost Awareness of Cancer Treatment

Modeled after the Tour de France, the Amgen Tour of California was initially considered by competitors and aficionados a warm-up for the world-famous French race. But in its nine-year history, the Tour of California has also become one of the top international cycle competitions.

The 2014 Amgen Tour of California stage race started in Sacramento Sunday, May 11. Over the next eight days, its north-to-south route included stretches along the Pacific coast, through deserts and forests, up and down steep mountains, and along narrow city streets.

A Thousand Oaks-based biotech company that makes cancer-fighting drugs, Amgen founded the Tour of California in conjunction with AEG, and has been the race’s title sponsor. Through the race, which is broadcast internationally, Amgen’s mission is to boost awareness of resources available to people affected by cancer.

“We are proud that the Amgen Tour of California has become synonymous with celebrating cancer survivors, thanks to Amgen’s ‘Breakaway from Cancer’ initiative,” said Amgen executive Ray Jordan.