Rabobank rider Lars Boom sprinted to a podium finish in Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California in rainy Santa Rosa on Monday, May 17. 

Boom put in a savvy performance on the cold, wet 177km race from Davis to Santa Rosa. The 24-year-old Dutchman made it into a break of 26 riders that gained a lead of more than a minute over the rest of the field, then powered his Giant TCR Advanced SL to a third-place finish on the wet streets of Santa Rosa.

Boom now sits fourth overall in General Classification, just 6 seconds behind Stage 2 winner and overall race leader Brett Lancaster of Australia.

The Rabobank team has had a major impact in the opening two stages of this year’s Tour of California. In addition to Boom’s podium finish, Martin Tjallingi joined a four-man break that stayed clear for much of Sunday’s first stage from Nevada City to Sacramento. Tjallingi’s aggressive riding earned him the “Most Courageous Rider” jersey after the first stage.

The Tour of California continues with Stage 3 on Tuesday, when riders face steep climbs on a 183km route from San Francisco to Santa Cruz.