A long strip of yellow caution tape held back dozens of people crowded around a nondescript recreational vehicle parked on Mission Street in South Pasadena not long before the Amgen Tour of California’s second stage started Monday.
When Peter Sagan, the world’s top-ranked cyclist and the race’s defending champion, emerged from the vehicle, even the three helicopters clattering overhead couldn’t drown out of the cries of “Peter!”
Camera phones flashed. One person held up a giant picture of Sagan’s head. Others thrust their arms toward him. Staffers from the Tinkoff team tried to clear a path through the fans — some jangled bells, others wielded Sharpies or pictures in hopes of an autograph — to the starting line for the man nicknamed “Terminator.”
Down the street jammed with amateur cyclists and team vehicles and competitors warming up, Ben King left the Cannondale team’s green RV in relative anonymity. He didn’t boast an intimidating nickname. No fans carried pictures of his head. The public address announcer didn’t deliver an ear-piercing introduction — or any at all — for the rider with all of two professional wins.
But about four hours later, King darted across the finish line in downtown Santa Clarita to win the stage, take the overall lead from Sagan and end the anonymity.
“Everything about it is as good as it gets,” King said.
Even a half-hour after edging Rally Cycling’s Evan Huffman at the finish in a furious sprint, King’s wide grin didn’t wane.
“Ben gave me a really good run for my money,” Huffman said.
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Amgen Tour of California winner Julian Alaphilippe (yellow jersey) celebrates on the podium with runner-up Rohan Dennis, left, and third-placer Brent Bookwalter on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Julian Alaphilippe, left, is congratulated by Etixx/Quick-Step teammate Tom Boonen after clinching the overall title for the Amgen Tour of California on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Mark Cavendish celebrates after winning the eighth and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 22 in Sacramento.
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Amgen Tour of California women’s winner Megan Guarnier is congratulated by men’s competitor Taylor Phinney after the final stage Sunday.
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Peter Sagan of Slovokia rides past a vineyard near Santa Rosa during the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21.
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Cattle cross the road in front of a group of riders in open range during the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21.
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Julian Alaphilippe of France retained the overall lead in the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 during the seventh stage.
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Norway’s Alexander Kristoff, right, overtakes of Peter Sagan of Slovakia in the final sprint of the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 in Santa Rosa.
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Alexander Kristoff reacts after winning the seventh stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 21 in Santa Rosa.
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American Brent Bookwalter starts the individual time trial during the sixth stagte of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20 in Folsom.
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Britain’s Bradley Wiggins competes alongside a motorcyle with a cameraman during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20.
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Julian Alaphilippe of France takes part in the individual time trial during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20.
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Rohan Dennis of Australia won the individual time trail during the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 20 in Folsom.
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Riders in the peleton cycle along Caples Lake during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19.
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France’s Julian Alaphilippe, the overall race leader, crosses the finish line during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19.
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Cyclists climb along Carson Pass Highway during the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 19, as racers made their way from Lodi to South Lake Tahoe.
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Toms Skujins of Latvia celebrates after winning the fifth stage of the Amgen Tour of California, a race from Lodi to South Lake Tahoe, on May 19.
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Riders in the peloton makes their way up a hill along Route 1 during the fourth stage of the Tour of California on May 18.
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Riders in the Tour of California’s fourth stage cross the Bixby Bridge on their way from Morro Bay to Monterey on May 18.
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Riders in the peleton make their way along the coast during the fourth stage of the Tour of California on May 18.
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Riders in the peleton pass through San Simeon on the ride from Morro Bay to Monterey during fourth stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 18.
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Peter Sagan of Slovakia is kissed by the podium girls after being awarded the green jersey for the points leader following the third stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 17.
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Britain’s Peter Kennaugh, left, and France’s Bryan Coquard were involved in a crash during the third stage of the Tour of California on May 17.
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The peloton makes the climb along Casitas Pass Road during stage three of the Amgen Tour of California on May 17.
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A fan with a Union Jack runs on the road as Britain’s Andrew Tennant leads a breakaway along Westlake Boulevard in Thousand Oaks during the third stage of the Tour of California on May 17.
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Ben King raises his hand in the air after edging out Evan Huffman to win stage 2 of the Tour of California in Santa Clarita on May 16.
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Peter Sagan (yellow jersey) rides in the peloton not far from a fan running down the road during the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 16.
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Racers start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Fans in South Pasadena cheer as racers start the 92-mile second stage of the Amgen Tour of California on May 16.
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Racers start the stage 2 ride of the Amgen Tour of California, from the first-time host city of South Pasadena to the veteran host city of Santa Clarita, on May 16.
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A fan takes photos as racers start the stage 2 ride of the Amgen Tour of California, from South Pasadena to Santa Clarita, on May 16.
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Reigning race champion Peter Sagan, center in yellow jersey, waves to fans as racers prepare to start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Racers are poised to start the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California in South Pasadena on May 16.
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Ben King celebrates after winning stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California in Santa Clarita on May 16.
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Ben King, Amgen Tour of California stage 2 winner, stands between second-place finisher Evan Huffman, left, and third-place finisher Alexander Kristoff during the podium presentation in Santa Clarita on May 16.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) King’s path to the podium involved more than the 92-mile stage that climbed into Angeles National Forest, wound past Big Tujunga and Little Tujunga Canyon before the course dropped into the relatively flat final stretch into Santa Clarita. The leg-burning elevation gains may have been a relief after what he endured earlier this year.
During a training ride near his home in Charlottesville, Va., in January, the 27-year-old hit a patch of ice and suffered a broken right fibula in the ensuing crash. He had to call his parents to pick him up. Surgery repaired the injury, but he didn’t return to racing until late March.
King, however, showed no ill effects Monday as the overcast in South Pasadena gave way to blue skies in Santa Clarita while he pumped his arms in the air after finishing.
King, Huffman and Axeon Hagens Berman’s Will Barta broke away early in the day. A mechanical problem with about five miles remaining dropped Barta. But the main group — including Sagan, who finished fourth — wasn’t able to close the gap.
For King, at least, the breakaway had been planned more than a week ago. It worked to perfection.
“Every [positive] result in my career has come from a breakaway like this,” he said.
Team Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff finished third.
Sagan won the opening stage of the eight-day race in San Diego on Sunday with a last-second sprint. After finishing in Pasadena last year, this year’s edition of the competition includes Morro Bay, South Lake Tahoe and Folsom before finishing in Sacramento on May 22.
Tuesday’s third stage — from Thousand Oaks into Santa Barbara County — includes a climb up an 8% grade on Gibraltar Road in the final several miles.
For now, the lead belongs to King, even as he spoke of turning his focus to supporting team leader Lawson Craddock in the coming days. The best-case scenario from King’s perspective is a transfer of the lead to his teammate.
But as King emerged from the post-race news conference at the Repertory East Playhouse on Main Street, excited murmurs rippled through the crowd clustered around the rosemary bushes next to the entrance. Fans wanted autographs and pictures and a glimpse of the winner.
They were waiting for him.
nathan.fenno@latimes.com
Twitter: @nathanfenno
