After eight epic days of racing along some of California’s most iconic roadways, highways and coastlines, the 2012 Amgen Tour of California concluded  at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, with Rabobank’s Robert Gesink of the Netherlands winning the overall race.

Sunday’s Stage 8 route, the final stage of the eight-day, nearly 750-mile race, took cyclists from Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles where massive crowds lined the streets. In one of the fastest races ever on American soil, rising superstar Peter Sagan (SVK) of Liquigas-Cannondale won Stage 8, claiming his fifth win of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, a historic first for an American race. Tom Boonen (BEL) and Gerald Ciolek (GER), both of Omega Pharma-QuickStep, came in second and third in the stage.

For Gesink, the win marked a both a remarkable comeback and bittersweet win in remembrance of his father, who passed away after a cycling accident in October 2010.
“I dedicate this win for my father,” said Gesink, who said his father attended the 2009 Amgen Tour of California to see his son place 8th overall and win the race’s Best Young Rider jersey that year. “For me emotionally it is something really big to be back at this high level and to win a stage here, the toughest stage of all. It’s a good thing to be back in California and to be winning again.”

American teammates David Zabriskie and Tom Danielson of the Garmin-Barracuda team took second and third place overall. It was Zabriskie’s fourth second-place finish in America’s Greatest Race, having finished second in 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

“Sure, I’d like to win, doesn’t anyone?,” said Zabriskie. “But it was a good tour for the Garmin-Barracuda team. Emotionally, the time trial was the high point,” continued Zabriskie. “I came through with a win there and it was really, really good; really strong. I knew what I had to do yesterday at Mt. Baldy. I didn’t quite have it because this guy [Sagan] is really, really strong.”

Meanwhile, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek took the overall team competition; Sagan won the Visit California Sprint Jersey; Canada’s Sebastian Salas of team Optum Powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies won the Nissan King of the Mountain Jersey; the Netherlands’ Wilco Kelderman of Rabobank won the Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey; New Zealand’s Jeremy Vennell of Bissell Pro Cycling won the Exergy Most Aggressive Jersey; while Australian Robbie McEwen, who announced earlier this year that the 2012 Amgen Tour of California would be his last professional race, won the Amgen Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider Jersey.

 “I’ve had a fantastic run; pain and suffering too,” said McEwen. “I had a terrific send-off in Australia and a fantastic send-off here in California, so I really appreciate it. This was a good race to pick as my last because I suffered so much this week I won’t miss it. “I was really pleased to be included in the final presentation on the podium and receive the beautiful work of art that signifies my career. And, to have so many people thank me for riding my bike was really amazing.”

Founded by Amgen in 2005 as a complementary component to its title sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California, Breakaway from Cancer continues to raise awareness of the important resources available to people impacted by cancer – from prevention to survivorship.

As part of the today’s race activities, Los Angeles resident professional vocalist and cancer survivor Julie Delgado sang the National Anthem and fired the official start gun. And, Santa Monica cancer survivor Danielle McLaughlin was honored and celebrated today at the final Breakaway Mile, a special one-mile walk that crosses the finish line to honor the millions of cancer survivors worldwide. McLaughlin was selected for her work advocating for young adults with cancer and her extraordinary accomplishments as a paratriathlete. McLaughlin is currently the National and World Paratriathlon Champion for Female Below-Knee Amputees.

During the Breakaway Mile, McLaughlin was joined by approximately 150 community members – cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and advocates – and Joseph  Miletich, senior vice president of Research & Development, Amgen, who plays a crucial role in developing innovative medicines to treat cancer and other serious illnesses.

 “The 17,000 staff members at Amgen come to work every day motivated by the chance to make a dramatically improve people’s lives,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology. “As a company dedicated to helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, bone disease and other serious illnesses, Amgen is proud to sponsor the Amgen Tour of California and pleased to have the opportunity to help increase awareness of the important resources available to people affected by cancer through our Breakaway from Cancer initiative.”

Tony Hooper, executive vice president, Global Commercial Operations, Amgen, today presented the overall race leader jersey to 2012 Amgen Tour of California winner Gesink.

           Before the start of yesterday’s stage, which routed cyclists from Ontario to the top of Mt. Baldy, the race was anyone’s game. After a climactic finish atop Mt. Baldy, in which Gesink outclimbed Colombian Jhon Atapuma of Colombia-Coldeportes with less than one kilometer to the finish, Gesink had all but wrapped up his place as overall race leader.

            Signaling from the start that this would not be a typical “parade stage,” Michael Creed (USA) from Optum Powered by Kelley Benefits Strategies attacked off the front early in the stage. But it was a break including the following seven riders that stuck and gained a 45-second lead: American Ben Jacques-Maynes; Rory Sutherland (AUS) of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team; Thomas Dumoulin (NED) of Team Argos-Shimano; Scott Zwizanski (USA) of Optum Powered by Kelley Benefit Strategies; Morgan Schmitt (USA) of Team Exergy; Jasper Stuyven (BEL) of Bontrager Livestrong; and Nathan Haas (AUS) of Garmin-Barracuda. It was Gesink’s Rabobank Cycling Team that worked hard at the front of the peloton.

            With the gap holding at 35 seconds, the riders entered the finishing circuits in downtown Los Angeles. Sutherland, Schmitt and Jacques-Maynes swept the intermediate sprint points as the gap was reduced to 25 seconds. With four laps to go, GreenEDGE moved to the front of the peloton. The breakaway group stayed steady with the seven initial riders, but the gap was closed to 15 seconds.

            With two laps to go, Garmin worked up to the front, and Omega Pharma-QuickStep began working Boonen, the world’s No. 1-ranked cyclist, up as well. As the riders neared the finish, the attacks started flying, but it was only Haas’ that stuck, gaining a 17-second advantage on the pack. However, Liquigas-Cannondale and Rabobank moved to the front the peloton, and Hass was eventually caught.

            Sagan’s team began pushing him to the front, and although Boonen had a great lead, it was Sagan who, once again, outsprinted everyone to capture the Stage 8 win.

“First, I’d like to congratulate all the riders, especially Robert [Gesink] from Rabobank who showed tremendous courage to come back from his injury last year to be a worthy winner of the Amgen yellow jersey” said Kristin Bachochin, executive director of the race and senior vice president of AEG Sports. “What a fantastic week of racing we have had. We witnessed the blossoming of a future cycling superstar in Peter [Sagan], who was unstoppable in the sprints. I don’t think anyone is as fast as him. We couldn’t have asked for a better week to showcase professional cycling in America, all against the beautiful scenery of the state of California.”

            In addition to the professional race, for the first time in race history, fans lined up at the race’s official Stage 8 finish to ride a portion of the route on a 5-mile, closed-circuit course just before the pros raced on the very same roads. The ‘Nissan Ride Before the Pros’ drew 10,000 participants, including families, cycling fans and cycle club teams to L.A. LIVE for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which was led off by Los Angeles Kings Hall of Famer and current president of business operations Luc Robitaille. Robitaille was joined by former Los Angeles Galaxy soccer superstars Cobi Jones and Chris Klein.
  

RESULTS:
   Stage:
   1. Peter Sagan (SVK) (Liquigas)  1hr, 27mins, 36secs
   2. Tom Boonen (BEL)                        same time
   3. Gerald Ciolek (GER)                          s.t.
   4. Roger Kluge (GER)                            s.t.
   5. Heinrich Haussler (AUS)                      s.t.
   6. Lloyd Mondory (FRA)                          s.t.
   7. Ken Hanson (USA)                             s.t.
   8. Daniel Oss (ITA)                             s.t.
   9. Michael Matthews (AUS)                       s.t.
   10. Guillaume Boivin (CAN)                      s.t.
   
   Final overall standings:
   1. Robert Gesink (NED)       30:42:32
   2. David Zabriskie (USA)       at :46
   3. Thomas Danielson (USA)         :54
   4. Tejay Van Garderen (USA)      1:17
   5. Fabio Andres Duarte (COL)     1:36
   6. Levi Leipheimer (USA)         2:13
   7. Wilco Kelderman (NED)         2:30
   8. Chris Horner (USA)            2:49
   9. Tiago Machado (POR)           2:54
   10. Pieter Weening (NED)         3:05

Jersey Winners
•    Amgen Leader Jersey – Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team (NED)
•    Nissan King of the Mountain Jersey – Sébastian Salas (USA), Optum Powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)
•    Visit California Sprint Jersey – Peter Sagan (SVK), Liquigas-Cannondale (ITA)  
•    Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey – Wilco Kelderman (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team (NED)
•    Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider Jersey – Robbie McEwen (AUS), Orica-GreenEDGE (AUS)
•    Exergy Most Aggressive Rider Jersey – Jeremy Vennell (NZL), Bissell Pro Cycling (USA)


Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team
2012 Amgen Tour of California Champion                                
On what it means to win the Amgen Tour of California
“Especially for me of course, it’s really great to be back on top. In October of 2010 I was in the best shape of my life; I won three really big races that year. The day after I won Giro dell’Emilia my dad had a bad crash with his bike, and two weeks later died in the hospital…terrible months and years after. I was doing a lot on the bike, of course, and started last season pretty good because of that. Then, a bad period came again because I crashed in the Tour de France and then the end of last year I broke my leg in a training crash. So again, I got set back. Coming back from a leg injury is a big thing. For me, emotionally, is something really big to be back at this high level and to win a stage here, the toughest stage of all. It’s a good thing to be back in California and to be winning again.”

On his father
“I grew up on a farm; my dad was a farmer. He started cycling a few years before I did, and he got me into cycling also. We’d rode mountain bikes together. That’s how I got into cycling. And it’s a good background to be from a family of famers because they always had to work hard which is one of those things you have to do on a bike; especially in training but also, of course, in the races. He was always my biggest fan. He was here once, invited by Rabobank, and he had the best time of his life. It was three years ago and he enjoyed looking around and visiting the big farms over here compared to the small farms we have in Holland. He was a great guy.”

On his thoughts on being a contender in the upcoming Tour de France“It’s difficult to say. I don’t think the Amgen Tour of California changes a lot about my prep or feel about the Tour de France. It’s a special race and a lot of things can happen, especially in the first week. It’s also three weeks and not eight days like here. I was fifth in 2010, and I think that a lot more is possible. I’ll continue to do my preparation as I planned.”

On his upcoming training
“I went to California to do a really high intensity block, which is why I did this race. Of course, if you do a race as difficult at this one then you get your high intensity. Then after this I will do an altitude training camp, a little bit more high intensity and then use Tour de Switzerland as the next race to do the last part of training and be in top shape for July.”

On the difficulty of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California course
“I think, of course, you can make the race even more difficult. But, in the end, it’s the riders who make the race. We saw the stage in the Redwoods over Bonnie Doone Road and down into Santa Cruz could have been a stage where only 10 – 15 guys of the general classification would have been in front, but it’s the riders who make the race and if they decide not to attack yet or not to do anything and still it will be a big sprint and [Peter] Sagan will win. I think the [Amgen Tour of California] is a perfect race for preparation as much as anything. You have to do a good time trial; you have to do good and be good up hill. You do want to win here so it’s a perfect race. The European riders love to come out here and see the fans who are much more enthusiastic, even more so than in Europe.”

Peter Sagan (SVK), Liquigas-Cannondale
Stage 8 Winner & Visit California Sprint Jersey Winner                        
On what it is like to win so many stages
“I’m very happy to win the Amgen Tour of California. I’m feeling good. Also, I’m happy for the sponsor Cannondale because it’s a very important race. After this race I have a more important race, the Tour de France. I want to win some stages at the Tour de France, or after I have Olympic games and championships.”

If he sees the green jersey as something he can take home at the end of July
“For the Tour de France, I think Mark Cavendish has come up very strong. I think for sprint, when we have a stage on the flat, it’s very hard to beat Mark Cavendish. But maybe some stages will be good for me with the climbs after he’s [Mark] finished on the flat, it will be good for me. We will see on the Tour de France.”

Dave Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Barracuda
Second Place, General Classification of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California                
On his emotion during this year’s Amgen Tour of California
“Emotionally, the time trial was the high point. I came through with a win there and it was really, really good; really strong. I knew what I had to do yesterday at Mt. Baldy. I didn’t quite have it because this guy [Sagan] is really, really strong.”

If he can still win an Amgen Tour of California
“Last year when they put Mt. Baldy in I felt the chance of me doing well here was pretty slim. Then, this year I was able to get second with Mt. Baldy and Big Bear. The course was probably harder compared to last year. I can probably win this race if I continue with this sport.”

Tom Danielson (USA), Garmin-Barracuda
Third Place, General Classification of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California                
Thoughts on yesterday’s stage and the 2012 Amgen Tour of California overall
“Overall, the team rode a phenomenal race from start to finish. We really wanted to win the race, and we controlled the race from beginning to end. We had a very young team and it was difficult as well with three leaders. The young team had to support three guys and they did a phenomenal job; rode above themselves and I think you guys can definitely take note of all the young guys for the future. Guys like Alex Howes, Jacob Rathe…all of them were phenomenal.”

“We owe our appearance on the podium to those guys. As for yesterday, we were definitely in a tough, tough spot. We didn’t really know Robert [Gesink] was going to be as strong as he was. We knew he and Tejay [van Garderen] were the guys we had to beat and Dave [Zabriskie] had to stay close to them. We did the best we could to try to put me up there to go for the stage win and then if there was an opportunity for the overall, go for that. It put pressure on those two [van Garderen and Gesink] to chase me and that gave Dave the opportunity to ride a steady pace all the way to the top using his strength and fitness. I think we came close to pulling it off. The team should be very proud of the job everyone did.”

On his form heading into this year’s Tour de France
“Last year was a really special experience. It has given me a phenomenal opportunity. Garmin-Barracuda has given me a great opportunity to focus on that race. I had a month and a half off from racing and I was just able to do a good block of training mainly for July. [The Amgen Tour of California] was a very good test with quite unique courses. I think the Tour de France is a bit harder, but my time trialing and my climbing is improving and I feel that I am on the right track. July is a month and a half away and there is a lot of work to be done. I’m very fortunate to have the form that I have now.”

Jeremy Vennell (NZL), Bissell Pro Cycling
Exergy Most Aggressive Rider Jersey Winner                                
On winning multiple jerseys throughout the 2012 Amgen Tour of California“It feels really awesome. Team Bissell came here hoping to be in the breakaway every day and we did; every day we were there. It was really, really, awesome and I was just the one lucky enough to be there the most.”

His thoughts on being on the podium so often and with winning multiple jerseys
“It’s awesome. Sitting up here with these guys makes you think you’re doing alright.”

Sebastian Salas (USA), Optum Powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies
Nissan King of the Mountain Jersey Winner                                
On Optum having the KOM Jersey in a race of this caliber
“The team was amazing. All my teammates helped me throughout the week. After the first day in the break, day two, I didn’t think I was going to make it until the end and the legs just kept coming back. My teammates helped me through the rough spots. It is an amazing accomplishment.”

His thoughts on being on the podium so often and with winning multiple jerseys
“Being at the continental level and being able to be up here with the Pro Tour guys is just a dream. It shows that we as a team deserve to be here racing against the big guys.”

On getting a flat tire today
“I had a flat pretty early on, but a couple of my teammate came back and brought me back on. There definitely was a moment of panic but my teammates took care of me.”

Wilco Kelderman (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey Winner                            
On his future motivation, knowing that Robert Gesink has won three Best Young Rider Jersey’s
“Yes of course. Robert [Gesink] won a lot of times. When we came here and they said it’s a goal for me to go for the Young Riders jersey it was fun to have it happen. I’m very happy, and for Robert [Gesink] to have the yellow Jersey, it’s a perfect race for us.”

Robbie McEwen (AUS), Orica-GreenEDGE
Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer® Most Courageous Rider Jersey Winner                
On winning Amgen’s Most Courageous Rider Jersey and Retiring “It’s a little bit surreal. Sort of like crossing a line – while the race is over I’m still here doing my job at this press conference so I’m still going. Maybe after I get to my room and have a cold beer it will sink in. Or maybe when I don’t have to pack a suitcase to go to the next race, it will settle in.”

“Last week was my son’s birthday and I bought him a fishing rod. He said, ‘Dad, let’s go fishing now!,’ and I had to say, ‘Sorry, Dad’s got to go to the airport for my next race.’ So that’ll all change and something I’m honestly looking forward to.”

“I’ve had a great career and a lot of people to thank. Anyone who’s ever been involved in my career – fans on the side of the road, organizers, teammates, competitors, enemies on the road…I thank them all. I’ve had a fantastic run and have enjoyed it all - the pain and suffering too. I had a fantastic send-off in Australia, the Tour Down Under and I had a fantastic race. And I’ve had an equally fantastic send-off here in California. I really appreciate everyone who is here and made is possible. It was probably a good race to pick as my last race because I suffered so badly this week so think I will miss it for quite a while.”

“I was really pleased to be included in the final celebrations on the podium and the beautiful work of art that signifies my career. And have so many people thank ME for riding my bike. It started as my hobby and turned into my profession. These guys would probably agree it’s the biggest scam going because we get paid for riding our bikes and that’s what we love to do. It doesn’t get much better.”

Describing his top-three moments after 16-and-a-half seasons
“I’ve been asked this question quite a lot and if I put it down to the top-three moments of wins on the bike, I’d say my first stage win in the Tour de France on the Champs de Elysee in 1999. And the one in 2007 when I crashed and got back up and managed to sprint and win. The holy grail for a sprinter is winning on the Champs de Elysee in the green jersey. But apart from the winning, I think it’s the coming through the hard times; the really hard times. For instance, I had a bad injury and you come back, you work through it and you rejoin the peloton, you find a good level again, you win a race and the dream continues. That’s not a moment but it’s part of the whole cyclist lifestyle. It’s not a hobby anymore. It’s not a job. It’s a passion. You’re doing it 24/7 and when you feel that it’s going to be ripped away from you and you make it back and win again, that is something special to me.”

On Peter Sagan’s ability as an all-rounder
“Someone asked me the other day, what type of rider is Peter Sagan? For one, damn strong and damn fast. He can climb and he can sprint. He’s the first Peter Sagan but he could be the next Laurent Jalbert or, the next Sean Kelly. He’s that type of rider who can do it all. He’s a really young kid. He’s already done a lot but he’s got a lot ahead of him, too. You talked about the green jersey before. He’s definitely a favorite for green. If you look at the way the completion is structured now with one intermediate sprint per day, I think last year Philippe Gilbert could have gotten a lot closer to wining it had he put his mind to it last year. Because of the nature of the course and the type of rider he is, I think a guy like Peter as well as Nathan Haas are very well suited to win the green suit competition. But, Peter’s still the dominant sprinter on the flat stages.”

Dave Zabriskie (USA) and Tom Danielson (USA) of Garmin-Barracuda
Second Place and Third Place, General Classification of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California        
On making a case to the Olympic selection committee
Dave: “Take who you think the best. It’s pretty simple”
Tom: “I think Dave’s the best time trialist in the world and I think it’s a no brainer to take him for the time trial. I think he earned his spot twice this year. Obviously, his first win in Lancaster not many people saw because he was on a road bike and not very many people follow that race. I saw it and he was phenomenal the first stage of the race. And then obviously here he dominated during a very difficult course.”