Tour of California Women's Race 2019

Balsamo wins final stage of Tour of California while Van der Breggen takes overall title

Italy's Elisa Balsamo (Valcar-Cylance Cycling) sprinted to victory on the third and final stage of the Tour of California Women's Race, which was won overall by world road race champion Anna van der Breggen ahead of her Boels Dolmans teammate and 2018 race winner Katie Hall, with CCC-Liv's Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio in third place.

Balsamo had finished second on the race's opening stage in Ventura, almost 20 seconds behind lone stage winner Van der Breggen, and was therefore thrilled to sprint home to the win on stage 3, getting the better of Astana's Arlenis Sierra and Leigh Ann Ganzar (Hagens Berman-Supermint).

Van der Breggen dominated the race to take her second overall title in California, having also won the race in 2017. The Dutchwoman won stage 1, and then was happy to see her teammate Hall win the second stage on to Mount Baldy, where Van der Breggen took second place, just behind the American, putting significant time into their rivals.

The third and final stage from Santa Clarita to Pasadena was still tough enough not to be considered a formality, and Van der Breggen was active throughout the day before it all came down to the bunch sprint that went in Balsamo's favour. 

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