Peter Sagan is now nearly 50 victories into a still-young career that began in his native Slovakia as a pre-teen in club races wearing T-shirts and tennis shoes and pedaling his sister's bicycle.
But at age 23, Sagan is now a dominating cyclist, winning both as a traditional sprinter and as a power rider on courses including climbs.
The latest example occurred late Sunday morning when the Cannondale rider powered to the front in the final stretch to claim the eighth and concluding stage of the Amgen Tour of California.
With nary a challenge from the race's other sprinters, Sagan won his second stage of the event's eighth edition and a claimed race record 10th career Tour of California stage win.
"The last kilometer was pretty hectic, but my team did a great job bringing me to the front," said Sagan, speaking in a still thick-accented but vastly improved English from when he first participated in the event four years ago. "They dropped me off with 200 meters to go."
With Tejay van Garderen (BMC) claiming the overall title as predicted with a pack finish, the final-day drama was all focused on the race's fast arrival and circuits around Santa Rosa.
And like all pack sprints, Sagan crossed the line in a blur of speed and brightly colored jerseys in 3 hours, 4 minutes and 7 seconds.
The average speed of the final stage was 26.03 mph, increasing the speed of the race, often held in strong cross winds and headwinds to 24.49 mph.
Sagan's victory was so effortless and without a threat, he had ample time for four uppercut right fist thrusts and a concluding over-the- shoulder thrust as he crossed he line.
"It felt good to get my 10th win," said Sagan. "After we went through the circuit, I knew what the finish was like, and it was pretty easy to get in the right position."
Daniel Schorn (NetApp) of Austria finished second in the sprint.
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) of Wenatchee, Wa., winner of stage 4, was third. The main field of 54 among the 111 finishers was all credited with the same time as Sagan.
Like he did last year when he won five Tour of California stages, Sagan hopes his success in this year's event will catapult him to success in the Tour de France. He won three stages last year in cycling's biggest and the green jersey points competition as the best sprinter.
The final stage began in San Francisco at 8:15 a.m., a cycling race anomaly. Thus, the eighth edition ended before noon - around the time many races begin.
The neutralized start took the field off through the Presidio with temperatures in the mid-50s, half the temperature of the mountaintop stage 2 finish riders suffered in the desert on the outskirts of Palm Springs.
After a quick crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge, the route progressed through iconic locales such as Mt. Tampalpais, Muir Woods, Point Reyes and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Just north of Tomales, the course moved inland into the heart of Sonoma County through Fallon and Valley Ford and then past Freestone, intersecting Sebastopol and Graton and then into Santa Rosa.
American Jason McCartney (Bissell), Antoine Duchesne (Bontrager) of Canada and Belgian Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil-DCM) moved to the front early. The trio built a 4?-minute cushion after about 35 miles.
But the largely flat profile of the course determined the inevitable.
The field came together as the main pack arrived in Santa Rosa for the two 2.5-mile finishing circuits.
Four of Sagan's teammates moved to the front first, but Farrar's lead-out contingent then took control, but only briefly.
As the field passed through the darkness under the 3rd Street underpass and into the sunshine of the late morning, Sagan launched his early sprint.
Farrar briefly challenged, but Sagan, as is his signature in winning, was unapproachable.
The trio of early stage leaders were eventually absorbed into field and finished at the back of the field more than 2 minutes behind.
McCartney, 39, who finished third overall in 2007, became the only rider to finish the race for the eighth time.
"We knew the finish would be a field sprint," said McCartney. "But it was important for us to give it a go."
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: