Amgen Tour riders power through La Cañada
The beginning of a few hundred cyclists, riding in a large high-speed pack, descend a hill as the 2016 Amgen Tour of California passes through La Cañada Flintridge on Commonwealth Avenue near Berkshire Avenue on Monday, May 16, 2016.
Stage 2 of the eight-day 2016 Amgen Tour of California kicked off Monday in South Pasadena and took riders on a 92.3-mile journey to Santa Clarita that included a steep climb through La Cañada Flintridge’s hilly streets.
City officials temporarily shut down city select thoroughfares to accommodate 144 riders who wound their way from Berkshire Avenue north to Commonwealth Avenue on their way to Angeles Crest Highway shortly before 1 p.m.
By the end of the second day, two riders were in a dead heat for first as they pulled far ahead of the pack, according an Amgen release issued Monday.
U.S. cyclist Ben King, a Virginia resident and 2010 U.S. Champion rider with the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, ultimately pulled ahead of Californian Evan Huffman of the team Rally Cycling, netting a time of 8:12.34 (eight hours, 12 minutes, 34 seconds) and leading the day’s contest by just eight seconds.
King was awarded an Amgen Leader Jersey for the day’s feat, which came just months after a January fall caused a broken fibula. Huffman was awarded with the event’s Lexus King of the Mountain Jersey, awarded to the cyclist who’d earned the most points during mountain climbs.
The race, modeled after the Tour de France, began Sunday in San Diego as riders cruised through Mission Bay headed toward the state Capitol in Sacramento and a May 22 finish.
--
Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
