While the overall classification of the Amgen Tour of California was pretty much wrapped up yesterday, the points competition, with Peter Sagan (Cannondale) in the lead, was very much in doubt.

Sagan was leading Garmin-Sharp's Tyler Farrar as they started in San Francisco, but the lead was a single, slender point. And Farrar proved himself a tough competitor this week, winning in Santa Barbara and beating Sagan in Avila Beach. Sagan had to finish in front of Farrar to take home the Green Jersey. The 130.4km race to Santa Rosa favoured a sprint finish, something proven by the several times this basic stage has been run. The last time, Sagan himself won in Santa Rosa.

The race headed out of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. And when the flag dropped in Marin County, Vacansoleil's Thomas de Gendt started attacking. Bissell's Jason McCartney and Bontrager's Antoine Duchesne quickly joined him. Cannondale, along with Garmin-Sharp, and Omega Pharma-Quick Step kept the break on a short leash as all three had fast men who were likely candidates for stage honours. And the three rode together until the outskirts of Santa Rosa, with Duchesne being the last holdout as the peloton bore down on the finishing circuit in town.

The racers flew downtown to face two four-km finishing circuits, giving a crowd-pleasing criterium-style finale to the race. Cannondale raced to the front en mass at the start of the first lap, Sagan in their draft, as they ramped up the pace to discourage attacks and keep their man out of trouble. As the bell was rung for the final lap, Garmin-Sharp blasted past Cannondale, with Farrar in tow. Cannondale regrouped, and as they blazed under the flamme rouge, Cannondale made a final rush, putting Sagan in second position as the final metres came up.

Sagan launched with a little more than 200 metres remaining. Nobody could match the Slovak's jump and he won with a bike’s length to spare in the final metres. NetApp's Daniel Schorn scooted by Farrar to take second.

The win in Santa Rosa clinched the Points competition for Sagan. Tenth victory of the season, tenth victory at the Tour of California, his fourth Green Jersey in California, and the only double-stage winner at this year's race. A crowd-pleaser, Sagan rolled back and wheelied across the finish line.

After the stage Sagan, inevitably, was very much in demand at the finish line. When he had a moment, he spoke about the stage. "I'm happy that I won today. Thanks to all my teammates. They did good work from the start of the stage. They did great work on the circuit. After the last turn, then Bodnar got past Garmin to the front and I started doing my sprint in the last 200 metres and I won. I'm very happy. I'm happy with my fourth Points Jersey here in California; I hope to take this form to Switzerland and then the Tour de France."