World champion Peter Sagan will return to defend his title in the Amgen Tour of California with his Tinkoff team, race organisers AEG announced today. Tinkoff will be one of 10 WorldTour squads to compete in the 2016 edition of the race. Other top teams include BMC, Cannondale, Etixx-Quickstep, Dimension Data, Giant-Alpecin, LottoNl-Jumbo, Team Sky, Trek-Segafredo and newcomers Katusha.
Other teams invited include Direct Energie, UnitedHealthcare and Team Novo Nordisk from the Pro Continental ranks, and Continental teams Axeon-Hagens Berman, Holowesko-Citadel, Jelly Belly-Maxxis, Rally Cycling and as previously announced, Team WIGGINS.
Sagan won the 2015 race thanks to a commanding time trial victory in Santa Clarita followed by an inspired ride on Mt. Baldy to keep the yellow jersey by a mere three seconds, the closest margin of victory in the 11-year history of the race.
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"Last season was an incredible one for me," Sagan said. "The Amgen Tour of California is one of my favourite races of the season; I've done well and had the honor of wearing yellow, and it's important to me to build upon where I left off last year."
2015 runner-up Julian Alaphilippe will have a chance at revenge as he returns with the Etixx-Quickstep team. Mark Cavendish will try to build on last year's four stage wins with his new Dimension Data team, while BMC Racing will bring time trial specialist Rohan Dennis, who will be a sure favourite for the Folsom time trial stage. Dennis will have to face off against 2014 overall winner Bradley Wiggins, who will compete with his eponymous Team WIGGINS.
"It will be a special return to the Amgen Tour of California… the last edition I raced, I ended the week atop the podium. This time, I'm bringing my own team as part of our prep for the Rio Games," Wiggins said. "It's one of the best races in the world, we have some great young talent in the team, and so I'm excited to see what we can do."
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