Stage 1 begins and ends in Sacramento, where the mighty American and Sacramento Rivers converge.
This will be the race’s 10th year in Sacramento. It’s virtually a flat course, with elevation gain, so the day will go to the sprinters.
The final three loops will be on the Capital Circuit , and will be technical and fast.
Mark Cavendish (winner of 30 stages of the Tour de France, second of all time), will be there from Team Dimension Data, but so is Peter Sagan, from Bora Hansgrohe who excels on the flats and the mountains.
Then there is also the sprinters Cofidis Solutions Crédits’ Nacer Bouhanni (FRA), Trek-Segafredo’s John Degenkolb (GER) and Team Jumbo-Visma’s Danny van Poppel (NED).
Expect some challenges from the likes of young riders like UAE Team Emirates’ Jasper Philipsen (BEL), Astana’s 2018 Tour de France stage winner Magnus Cort Nielsen (DEN), and development team talent from the Israel Cycling Academy’s debut, the U.S. National Team and other top Pro Continental teams in the race.
For the rest of the Tour, which lasts through May 18, look at all-arounders and climbers like Jumbo-Visma’s 2017 race champion George Bennett (AUS), Trek-Segafredo’s Richie Porte (AUS) and Tom Skujins (LAT), EF Education First Pro Cycling’s U.S. trio of Tejay van Garderen, Lawson Craddock and Taylor Phinney and BAHRAIN-MERIDA’s Rohan Dennis (AUS).
