The first stage of the Tour of California ended in a bunch sprint with Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s cyclists safely in the top 20. In the streets of Sacramento, German Marcel Kittel won.

"It was ultimately a quiet stage," said Robert Gesink. "The wind was not strong enough for echelons."

The stage covered 167 kilometres through various open parts of the country and allowed fro a chance of echelons. Eventually, the sprinter teams made sure everything came together in the final. The opening stage closed with three laps of 4.9 kilometres through downtown Sacramento.

"We managed to keep ourselves in the final as a team," added Gesink, who was with co-leader George Bennett.

"It was a nervous day because of the wind," said Sports Director Grischa Niermann. "Those open road sections in the stage created echelons occasionally.

“The men rode attentively, and Robert and George were kept well up in the bunch sprint, although there was a small gap. We are good and we look forward to the first climbs in the next stage.”