Gallery: Young riders and Colombians dominate 2018 Tour of California

The top stars of the 2018 edition gathered for a press conference pre-race. Photo: Oran Kelly

Peter Sagan was getting back up to race speed after a break since the Classics. Photo: Oran Kelly

Photo: Oran Kelly

Stage 7 gets underway. Photo: Oran Kelly

Nobody could match Egan Bernal in the mountains. He won on Gibraltar and again in Lake Tahoe. Photo: Oran Kelly

Adam de Vos animated the race on two stages riding in the breakaway on Stage 2 and 7. Photo: Oran Kelly

The California weather was warm and the scenery was varied. Photo: Oran Kelly

Fernando Gaviria was the king of the sprints winning his third stage on the final day in Sacremento. Photo: Oran Kelly

The 2018 Tour of California was an exciting affair with the next generation of talented riders coming to the fore. Colombians Fernando Gaviria, 23-years-old, won three stages and the points classification while Egan Berna, 21-years-old, won two stages, the overall and the youth classification. Daniel Martinez, 22-years-old also had a strong race finishing third overall. Tejay van Garderen had a strong race finishing second and winning the time trial to Morgan Hill while Toms Skujins won a stage and the king of the mountains classification.

Canadians Adam de Vos and Rob Britton both of Rally Cycling flew the maple leaf at the race. Britton finished 16th overall while de Vos rode in the breakaway on Stage 2 and 7.

While the Giro has been producing thrilling racing, many of the top riders in California were gearing up for the 2018 Tour de France which starts on July 7.