After a flat opening stage in Sacramento, stage 2 travelled 214.5km from Rancho Cordova to South Lake Tahoe, taking in four categorised climbs, including Carson pass at an altitude of 2,627 metres.
The terrain was too hilly for stage 1 winner and race leader Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe), who finished nearly 18 minutes down, while Mark Cavendish struggled to make the time cut at 36 minutes. Meanwhile Asgreen, who shone at the spring classics, rode an aggressive race as the peloton thinned down before dispatching Van Garderen and Gianni Moscon (Team Ineos) on the final drag to the line.
Watch how it all unfolded in the highlights video above.
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