Slovak Peter Sagan crossed the finish line in Santa Clarita a few moments ahead of an army of professional cyclists marking the end of Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California.

The tour is one of the largest sporting events in the nation and one of the most competitive in the country as athletes endure a 1,200-kilometer trek through California, from San Diego to Santa Rosa.

The event is a qualifier for the 2013 Tour de France, which begins June 29 and ends July 21.

Riders began Stage 3 in Palmdale, Calif. Tuesday morning, climbing to a peak elevation of 3,520 feet above sea level on their 177-kilometer journey to Santa Clarita.

“The team rode perfectly all day,” said Australian Michael Matthews, who finished second. “I couldn’t have gotten the result without them.”

Temperatures reached 101 degrees Monday afternoon, but weather was noticeably cooler Tuesday, with a slight headwind for a majority of the trek.

“It was a completely different day,” Matthews said. “The heat was obviously a lot less today and the climbs weren’t as hard.”

The route moved from Palmdale through the Antelope Valley to San Francisquito Canyon Road, 40 miles north of Santa Clarita city limits.

From there, the peloton progressed into Saugus and continued down Rye Canyon Road into the Valencia Industrial Center.

The pack turned north into Castaic and raced toward Lakes Hughes and Elizabeth before passing through Leona Valley.

The last leg of the race involved a downhill decline through Bouquet Canyon as cyclists edged toward the finish.

Sagan crossed at 4:20:31, followed by Matthews and American Tyler Farrar.

The Amgen Tour continues Wednesday with Stage 4, beginning in Santa Clarita and concluding in Santa Barbara, Calif.