The 2013 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah came to a close yesterday in its third year as a UCI classified event. Showcasing some of the world’s most prestigious teams for six days in August, the race crosses the state, from Utah’s lush forests and red rock spires in the south to the urban corridor and beautiful peaks along Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains in the north. It’s best known for its mountain biking, but as you can see, the area is prime for roadies as well.
The race started off with a bang when BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet won the first stage in a similar manner to his teammate Taylor Phinney’s breakaway win at stage 4 of the Tour of Poland. But Van Avermaet was unable to hold onto the leader’s jersey even though he was right behind Michael Matthews (Orica-GreenEDGE) stage 2 win in a bunch sprint.
But Lachlan Morton, the 21-year-old from Sydney, threw the race upside down with his impressive 40km solo breakaway to win over Mt. Nebo on stage 3 which put him in the leaders jersey with van Avermaet holding his second place. Van Avermaet was nothing if not consistent coming in second place again in a bunch kick behind Matthews in stage 4 — Morton still hanging onto the lead.
In the mean time Chris Horner (Radioshack-Leopard) had been sitting back quietly in seventh position. This was his first race back since a knee injury took him out in March during the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. However, he had no trouble training his way back into form and took stage 5 as an opportunity to pounce.
Horner won the Queen stage (5) on the slopes of the Snowbird Ski Area ahead of Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) and took over the race lead from Lachlan Morton. Morton finished more than three minutes down, losing yellow but hanging onto the jersey for best young rider. Morton said he realised early on he might not have the legs to keep with the front group and gave Danielson the go-ahead to ride for himself.
On stage 6, the final stage, it was Francisco Mancebo (5-hour Energy/Kenda) who took the win in Park City after spending most of the day in a breakaway of 15 riders. Mancebo beat Berman’s Acevedo in man-on-man sprint, followed by Tom Danielson, who dropped yellow jersey holder Chris Horner on the final climb up Empire Pass to take the general classification win.
Top 10 Overall Results
1 DANIELSON Thomas Garmin - Sharp 23:05:45
2 HORNER Chris RadioShack - Leopard 1:29
3 ACEVEDO COLLE Janier Alexis Jamis - Hagens Berman 1:37
4 EUSER Lucas UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis 2:02
5 BUSCHE Matthew RadioShack - Leopard 2:06
6 DEIGNAN Philip UnitedHealthcare Presented by Maxxis 2:27
7 SCHAR Michael BMC Racing Team 3:11
8 JONES Carter Bissell Pro Cycling 3:49
9 MANCEBO PEREZ Francisco 5-hour Energy 3:50
10 MACHADO Tiago RadioShack - Leopard ,,
- Stage one of the Larry H Miller Tour of Utah began with a climb out of Btrian Head culminating at an elevation over 10000 feet.
- BMC led the first of the three finishing circuits to set up Greg Van Avermaet.
- Top Left: Tyler Magner, wearing the Best Young Rider jersey, finishes sign-in as a teammate and a stormtrooper await their turn. Bottom Left: After a standout domestic season with Optum p/b Kelly Benefits, twentyfour year-old Chad Haga will join a World Tour Division 1 team next year. Bottom right: Their work helping teammate Lachlan Morton win stage three done, Rohan Dennis and Peter Stetina prepare for the hour-long transfer to Salt Lake City. Top right: Greg Van Avermaet will continue to wear number one, but lost the yellow jersey in stage two.
- Martin Wesemann of MTN Qhubeka looks back to find the peloton charging, and his breakaway doomed.
- Race leader Greg Van Avermaet tries in vain to get around stage two winner Michael Matthews in order to save his yellow jersey.
- Michael Matthews celebrates following his second stage win at the Tour of Utah.
- Jelly Belly bikes are readied for riders before the start of stage two.
- The field was still largely intact on the ascent to the third KOM outside Boulder.
- The broom wagon bears down on Francisco Chamorro, the last rider up the Mount Nebo climb at the end of stage three.
- Lachlan Morton solos in for the win at the end of stage three.
- Lachlan Morton, left, and Rohan Dennis, following Morton’s solo stage win on the 120-mile stage three of the Tour of Utah.
- Before stage four, all traces of a lighthearted Jens Voigt were gone, replaced by seriousness and determination, saying that racing was about to get real
- Following the presentation of the yellow jersey Lachan Morton was presented a Stetson cowboy hat.
- In a short distance from the capitol building, the stage four course wound through undeveloped canyon land.
- Jens Voigt leads the field up the hill toward the capitol building at the end of the first lap. Voigt would remain aggressive in the five-lap circuit race.
- Nate English earned a helicopter ride following a horrific crash at the end of stage two, leaving him with a long list of injuries including two broken vertebrae. English is already preparing to get back on the bike in eight weeks.
- Michel Koch gasps for air following the stage four sprint finish in Salt Lake City, a fast-paced 34-mile circuit race around the city and state capitol.
- Ethiopian Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay of the MTN-Qhubeka team wore the best young rider jersey (awarded to race leader Lachlan Morton.)
- Stage five featured red rock escarpments, along with pastoral valleys and alpine climbs.
- Jens Voigt launched a monster attack down Big Cottonwood Canyon to get teammate George Bennett into a position for the stage win.
- Garmin-Sharp leads the peloton protecting Lachlan Morton in yellow.
- The peloton cross East Canyon Dam early in stage five.
- Danielson leading Morton
- Tom Danielson talks with Lachlan Morton following Morton’s loss of the yellow jersey on the slopes of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
- Exiting Park City.
- Downtown Park City once again served as the host for the final stage of the Tour of Utah.
- The yellow jersey group stays at the front of the peloton while climbing toward Wolf Creek Ranch and the day’s first KOM.
- The peloton traces Provo River through Heber Valley en route to the day’s final and decisive climb.
- The peloton crests a hill outside of Tropic during the 130-mile stage two en route to Torrey.
- Chris Horner attacked the yellow jersey group on the steep section of the Guardsman Pass KOM, then rejoined, a move seemingly more for checking his form for the big climb to come than to escape the select group.
- Esclante Canyon begins as vast stretches of slickrock before following the Escalante River.
- Michael Torkler, Tour of Utah KOM leader, is first over the Guardsman’s Pass KOM with Yannick Eijssen close behind.
- With three kilometers to go the race was down to Tom Danielson and Chris Horner.
- Horner in yellow to start stage 6 after winning the queen stage on the previous day.
- Chris Horner and teammates cruise through Heber Valley halfway through the 78-mile stage.
- Tom Danielson rode away from race leader Chris Horner on the early slopes of the Empire Grade KOM.
- Sprinter Michael Matthews surprised many with his tenacity on the Empire Grade KOM, where he rode with the strongest climbers from the breakaway.
- Tom Danielson following the yellow jersey presentation for his overall victory in the Tour of Utah.