In the first edition of the Pro Challenge back in 2011, Tejay van Garderen finished third overall behind Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde. Returning to the race in 2012 van Garderen went one step higher on the podium, finishing in second place, 21 seconds behind Christian Vande Velde. In 2013 he went one better again, winning the race by a convincing margin of 1:30 over Matthias Frank.
The race was effectively won on stage 4 when van Garderen finished second behind Janier Acevedo on the short climb to the finish at Beaver Creek . Van Garderen appeared not to contest the finale, knowing the gap he and Acevedo had opened up on the rest of the field would be enough for him to lead the race overall.
He went into the stage 5 uphill individual time trial 4 seconds ahead of Frank and promptly won the stage ahead of compatriots Andrew Talansky and Tom Danielson. The win made van Garderen’s hold on the race virtually unassailable with just two stages remaining. Indeed the gap of 1:30 between van Garderen and Frank would remain until the end of the stage 7 criterium in Denver.
The win adds to a terrific season for van Garderen who also won the Tour of California, came second at the Tour of San Luis, was third at the Criterium International, fourth at Paris-Nice and seventh in the Tour de Suisse.
While van Garderen was the deserving winner of the race overall, Peter Sagan was equally impressive, winning four stages of the seven-stage race. He won the opening stage into Aspen/Snowmass and wore the leader’s jersey on stage 2. He picked up third place on the mountainous second stage, ahead of the main field, before getting back on the top step the following day.
After the uphill finish on stage 4 and the uphill time trial the next day Sagan finished off the USA Pro Challenge in style, winning the final two stages and taking his season tally to 18 pro wins. His dominance in the fast-finishes saw him take home the points jersey with nearly double the points of his nearest rival, Greg van Avermaet.
Follow the link for the final results in the 2013 USA Pro Challenge.
- Colorado local Tejay van Garderen signs on for stage 1 of the 2013 USA Pro Challenge.
- No team busses for the European based teams.
- On the last lap through Aspen on stage 1, the Cannondale team, decked out in new black livery, was assuming the duty of bringing back the break.
- After winning the bunch sprint on stage 1 Peter Sagan went into stage 2 wearing the leader’s jersey.
- The race leaves Aspen on stage 2 for higher climes, with the Roaring Fork River below.
- Soon after Lachlan Morton dropped his breakaway companions on the upper slopes of the 3,500m Hoosier Pass on stage 2, he was joined by the omnipresent antler dude.
- The peloton ascends the 3,600m-high Independence Pass on stage 2, high above the Roaring Fork River Valley. Independence Pass is the highest point reached in any UCI race.
- Matthias Frank drags Lawson Craddock through the Hoosier Pass KOM and its resident menagerie on stage 2.
- With stage 2′s highest KOM done, the peloton cruises through the Twin Lakes Valley. Stage 2 not only marked the highest KOM, but the longest distance of the seven-day race.
- Lawson Craddock was unhappy after losing contact with the leaders on the Boreas Pass KOM, which came shortly before the finish of stage 2.
- Lachlan Morton’s race leadership going into stage 3 was achieved in similar fashion as his yellow jersey in the Tour of Utah two weeks prior. A bold attack on a tough KOM and a lightning-fast descent into town worked in both occasions, even if he didn’t win the Colorado stage as he did in Utah.
- Stage 3′s first KOM came less than 19km from the Breckenridge start, a rude start to the day following stage 2′s 203km climb fest.
- Bruce Burns, race fan from Modesto, finds a lonely stretch of road to view the race on stage 3.
- Race-long KOM leader Matt Cooke is paced by his Jamis teammates in stage 3. Cooke had a lock on the jersey by stage 5.
- Jens Voigt launched another savage attack from the breakaway and summited the final KOM of stage 3 solo. He was caught in heartbreaking fashion with less than 2km to the finish.
- After his team buried themselves to catch lone leader Jens Voigt on stage 3, Peter Sagan claimed another sprint win in Steamboat Springs.
- The USA Pro Challenge marks Christian Vande Velde’s final race in the United States.
- Despite being outnumbered on the final KOM of the decisive stage 4, Tom Danielson chose to try to ride Tejay van Garderen and Janier Acevedo off his wheel. Unfortunately the climb was not long enough and all three crested the summit together.
- The third of four KOM climbs in the Queen Stage (stage 4) found the peloton cruising cooperatively, as all knew the hardest test would come in the last 20km.
- After dropping Tom Danielson on the descent and working together on the climb into Beaver Creek, Tejay van Garderen did not contest the stage 4 win against Janier Acevedo.
- Tom Danielson is assisted following his finish, where he ceded 40 seconds to the new race leader Tejay van Garderen. Many riders finished the stage barely able to stay upright.
- A spectator gropes the World Chimp affixed to the front of one of the marshall vans on the Vail TT climb. Marshall vans were decorated in schemes such as this and vintage 7-11 team van colors, among others.
- Andrew Talansky set the fastest time in the TT, and was only bested by four seconds following Tejay Van Garderen’s ride. Talansky was mistakenly reported as the winner by the TV announcers following the last rider, sending the young Garmin rider into a display of frustrating emotions.
- Course marshals on the stage 5 TT course were severely outnumbered by revelers.
- Colorado state troopers were in good spirits throughout the seven-day race.
- Tejay van Garderen made the 2013 USA Pro Challenge his own by way of a dominating time trial up Vail Pass, setting the fastest time of the stage, and a course record.
- David Millar hacks up a lung following the brutal Vail TT. The unusual mountain-top finish meant riders had to wait to be shuttled back down to Vail Village, a 15-minute drive.
- The field gets underway in downtown Denver for stage 7, a circuit race around the city.
- The Denver Museum of Art gives the peloton a brief respite from the sun during stage seven, which started in temperatures of nearly 40 degrees celsius.
- The stage seven breakaway drills through the Laramie Street district during the circuit race.
- Peter Sagan again leaves all others in his wake to win stage 7.
- Tejay van Garderen and teammates following stage 7, where they clinched the overall team classification as well as the GC.
- The podium presentation brought the streets to complete capacity with spectators.
- The Denver skyline as a backdrop for the final presentations.
- Tejay van Garderen has enjoyed a stellar year, winning the USA Pro Challenge and the Tour of California, as well as picking up top-10s in a number of other big races.