Tour of Utah 2016 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

August 01, 2016
Tour of Utah 2016 – Stage 1 – Zion Canyon Village – Cedar City – 135 km

The Tour of Utah, officially the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, is an annual multiday road cycling race; traversing the states of Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Since the 2011 edition, the tour holds UCI classification (2.1). Between five and six UCI ProTeams compete annually. Due to its altitude, distance, and weather conditions, the tour is nicknamed: “America’s Toughest Stage Race”. In 2010, only 71 of the initial 140 riders finished. After receiving 2.1 status in 2011, a stronger field participated; 88 of the initial 120 competitors finished. In September 2014, it was announced that the race was promoted to 2.HC status.

Silber Pro Cycling’s Kristofer Dahl won the opening stage of the 2016 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah on Monday, taking the bunch sprint victory in Cedar City ahead of Colin Joyce (Axeon Hagens Berman) and BMC Racing’s Rick Zabel.

Dahl now leads Joyce in the overall by four seconds and Zabel by six.

The 24-year-old Canadian relied on a long wind up after his team protected him over the final climb and then moved him to the front during the short finishing circuits in town.

“It was a little bit of a gong show in the sprint,” Dahl told Cyclingnews in the finishing straight. “There were a lot of guys trying for it and I went early, just put my head down and pedalled as hard as I could.

“I was back a little bit, so I pretty much went from 1km. I went up the side and then punched it with like 300 or 400 metres to go. It was early. It was a long sprint, but somehow nobody came around me and I kept going. That was that.”

Joyce admitted in the post-race press conference that he left it to late to overcome Dahl at the finish.

“With one kilometer to go, I was fighting for fifth wheel as we swung into that last left-hand turn,” Joyce said. “It is a long straight to the finish so there was a little bit of swarming. I knew with how fast of a sprint it was, you definitely wanted to leave it a little late. Unfortunately, I left it a little too late. At the same time, I am stoked to get second.”

UnitedHealthcare’s Daniel Jaramillo spent the day in the breakaway and earned the race’s first mountain jersey for his efforts, while IAM Cycling’s Simon Pellaud won the only intermediate sprint of the day, although Dahl’s win put him at the top of that competition.

Silber’s Matteo Dal-Cin was the last rider from the day’s breakaway to be caught, along with Pellaud, and so earned the jersey for most aggressive rider. Dahl credited his teammate Dal-Cin’s escape with helping set up his stage win.

“That was awesome. It was perfect that he was up the road,” Dahl said. “Matteo being in the break – you get a lot of TV time out of it, but he’s the type of guy who can sprint, time trial, climb, do everything – so we knew with him up the road that he was the strongest guy there for the win. If it went, that was perfect, if it didn’t go then that’s fine, we have the sprint set up well.”

How it unfolded

The 135km opening stage from Zion Canyon Village to Cedar City included one intermediate sprint and two KOMs: the category 4 climb at Duck Creek and the category 3 climb of Bristlecone, which crested with 40km to go. From there it was all downhill to three finishing circuits in Cedar City.

The day started with a 20km neutral rollout through Zion National Park, a feat that required three years of effort on the part of the race organisers to make happen.

Once the peloton exited the park the attacks flew furiously, with Taylor Sheldon (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis), Adrien Costa (Axeon Hagens Berman), Pellaud and Chris Jones (UnitedHealthcare) making up the first breakaway that was soon caught and reshuffled. The peloton was obviously happy to see a breakaway go early rather than fighting it out for the first hour, and within a few kilometres a group of five escaped. In the group were Pellaud, Jaramillo, Dal-Cin, Adrien Costa (Axeon Hagens Berman), and Kyle Murphy (Team Jamis).

The peloton was pleased with the makeup and the escapee’s gap started to go up rapidly, increasing over a minute almost immediately and going over four minutes just 15km into the day.

The gap was up to 4:40 by the team the leaders hit the sprint in Orderville 26km, where Pellaud took maximum points head of Dal-Cin and Murphy to claim the first sprint jersey of the race.

Murphy’s time in the breakaway was about to end, however, as the Jamis rider dropped out of the group around kilometre 40 and slowly faded back into the bunch.

The four remaining breakaway riders soldiered on, accumulating a gap of 5:10 as they made the left turn toward Duck Creek at 56km. The peloton, led by the Cannondale-Drapac team of 2015 winner Joe Dombrowski, must have sensed the danger, as the team sent Phil Gaimon and several riders to the front along with BMC to start whittling away at the advantage.

The gap was down to 4:10 as the riders approached the first KOM, where Jaramillo took top honours ahead of Costa, Dal-Cin and Pellaud. Following the mountain sprint, the gap continued to come down, and by the time the breakaway was approaching the second KOM at 94km it was at 2:45.

Jaramillo again took maximum KOM points over Bristlecone ahead of Costa, Dal-Cin and Pellaud to claim the first mountains jersey of the race. The effort up Bristlecone cost Jaramillo and Costa, however, as Dal-Cin and Pellaud jumped away on the descent, leaving Jaramillo and Costa to chase ahead of the bunch, which BMC was now leading.

“Matteo Dal-Cin got in the super tuck and I was doing everything I could to go down as fast as I could,” Costa said. “But Jaramillo and I – the two lighter guys – meter by meter fell back. On the slight downhill, the three or four percent stuff, it favours the big and more powerful guys. So those two pulled away pretty quickly.”

The peloton eventually absorbed the two chasers, leaving Dal-Cin and Pellaud alone off the front. They entered the finishing circuits with 1:30, but their margin was down to just 24 seconds with 2 laps remaining and the bunch reeled them in on the penultimate lap, setting up the sprint finish.

Results :
1 Kristofer Dahl (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 3:07:19
2 Colin Joyce (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
3 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team
4 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
5 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
6 Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
7 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
8 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
9 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling
10 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
11 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman
12 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
13 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
14 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
15 Stephen Bassett (USA) Team Jamis
16 Robbie Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
17 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
18 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
19 Chad Beyer (USA) Lupus Racing Team
20 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
21 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team
22 Ruben Companioni (Cub) Team Jamis
23 Julien Loubet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
24 Adrien Costa (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
25 Christopher Horner (USA) Lupus Racing Team
26 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
27 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac
28 Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
29 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
30 Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Team Jamis
31 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman
32 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling
33 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Axeon Hagens Berman
34 Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
35 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
36 Joseph Chavarria (CRc) Lupus Racing Team
37 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Lupus Racing Team
38 David Drouin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
39 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team
40 Matthew Busche (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
41 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
42 Nicola Bagioli (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
43 Brayan Stiven Sanchez Vergara (Col) Team Jamis
44 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
45 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
46 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
47 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo
48 Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling
49 Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
50 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
51 Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
52 Frederic Brun (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
53 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
54 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling
55 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
56 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
57 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
58 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Team Jamis
59 Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
60 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
61 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
62 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
63 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
64 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
65 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
66 Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
67 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
68 James Oram (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
69 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
70 Francis Mourey (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
71 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
72 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
73 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling
74 Bryan Lewis (USA) Lupus Racing Team
75 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
76 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo
77 Benjamin Perry (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
78 Nicolas Masbourian (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
79 Barry Miller (USA) Lupus Racing Team
80 Simon Pellaud (Swi) IAM Cycling
81 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
82 Nigel Ellsay (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
83 Richard Handley (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
84 Ryan Roth (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
85 Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Lupus Racing Team
86 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
87 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Cannondale-Drapac
88 Taylor Eisenhart (USA) BMC Racing Team
89 David Gaona Vazquez (Mex) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:00:30
90 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:00:45
91 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:13
92 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team
93 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:01:20
94 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
95 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
96 Matthieu Jeannes (Fra) Lupus Racing Team 0:01:48
97 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:02:32
98 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Jamis 0:04:38
99 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
100 Steven Tronet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
101 Eric Marcotte (USA) Team Jamis
102 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
103 Miguel Bryon (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
104 Justin Mottier (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
105 Joshua Berry (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
106 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
107 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
108 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
109 Tom Zirbel (USA) Rally Cycling 0:09:11
110 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
111 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
112 Yuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
113 Rik Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk 0:11:16
114 George Harper (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
115 Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk 0:14:49
116 Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
117 Kyle Murphy (USA) Team Jamis
118 Keijzer Gerd De (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
DNF Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
DNF Corentin Cherhal (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk

General classification after stage 1 :
1 Kristofer Dahl (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 3:07:09
2 Colin Joyce (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:00:04
3 Rick Zabel (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:00:06
4 Simon Pellaud (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:00:07
5 Matteo Dal-Cin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling 0:00:08
6 Travis McCabe (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team 0:00:10
7 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
8 Ulises Alfredo Castillo Soto (Mex) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
9 David Tanner (Aus) IAM Cycling
10 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
11 Pierrick Naud (Can) Rally Cycling
12 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
13 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Hagens Berman
14 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
15 Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
16 Dion Smith (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
17 Stephen Bassett (USA) Team Jamis
18 Robbie Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
19 Neilson Powless (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
20 Hayden McCormick (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
21 Chad Beyer (USA) Lupus Racing Team
22 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team
23 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team
24 Ruben Companioni (Cub) Team Jamis
25 Julien Loubet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
26 Adrien Costa (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
27 Christopher Horner (USA) Lupus Racing Team
28 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
29 Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Drapac
30 Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk
31 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
32 Janier Alexis Acevedo Colle (Col) Team Jamis
33 Krists Neilands (Lat) Axeon Hagens Berman
34 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) IAM Cycling
35 Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Axeon Hagens Berman
36 Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
37 Robin Carpenter (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
38 Joseph Chavarria (CRc) Lupus Racing Team
39 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Lupus Racing Team
40 David Drouin (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
41 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team
42 Matthew Busche (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
43 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
44 Nicola Bagioli (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
45 Brayan Stiven Sanchez Vergara (Col) Team Jamis
46 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman
47 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
48 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
49 Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Trek-Segafredo
50 Jonathan Fumeaux (Swi) IAM Cycling
51 Alexander Cataford (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
52 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
53 Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
54 Frederic Brun (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
55 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
56 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling
57 Peter Stetina (USA) Trek-Segafredo
58 Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing Team
59 Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
60 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Team Jamis
61 Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
62 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
63 John Hornbeck (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
64 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
65 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
66 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
67 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Cannondale-Drapac
68 Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
69 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
70 James Oram (NZl) ONE Pro Cycling
71 Jacob Rathe (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
72 Francis Mourey (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
73 Alessandro Bisolti (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
74 Andrei Krasilnikau (Blr) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
75 Evan Huffman (USA) Rally Cycling
76 Bryan Lewis (USA) Lupus Racing Team
77 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek-Segafredo
78 Benjamin Perry (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
79 Nicolas Masbourian (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
80 Barry Miller (USA) Lupus Racing Team
81 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
82 Nigel Ellsay (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
83 Richard Handley (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
84 Ryan Roth (Can) Silber Pro Cycling
85 Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Lupus Racing Team
86 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
87 Jonathan Dibben (GBr) Cannondale-Drapac
88 Taylor Eisenhart (USA) BMC Racing Team
89 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo
90 David Gaona Vazquez (Mex) Nippo – Vini Fantini 0:00:40
91 Marcel Aregger (Swi) IAM Cycling 0:00:55
92 Fabian Lienhard (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:23
93 Tom Bohli (Swi) BMC Racing Team
94 Samuel Williams (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling 0:01:30
95 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
96 Matthieu Jeannes (Fra) Lupus Racing Team 0:01:58
97 Daniel Eaton (USA) UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team 0:02:42
98 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Jamis 0:04:48
99 Andzs Flaksis (Lat) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
100 Steven Tronet (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
101 Eric Marcotte (USA) Team Jamis
102 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo – Vini Fantini
103 Miguel Bryon (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
104 Justin Mottier (Fra) Fortuneo – Vital Concept
105 Joshua Berry (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
106 Jordan Cheyne (Can) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis
107 Eric Young (USA) Rally Cycling
108 Danny Pate (USA) Rally Cycling
109 Tom Zirbel (USA) Rally Cycling 0:09:21
110 Joseph Lewis (Aus) Holowesko-Citadel Racing Team
111 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
112 Yuma Koishi (Jpn) Nippo – Vini Fantini
113 Rik Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk 0:11:26
114 George Harper (GBr) ONE Pro Cycling
115 Kyle Murphy (USA) Team Jamis 0:14:58
116 Stephen Clancy (Irl) Team Novo Nordisk 0:14:59
117 Brian Kamstra (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk
118 Keijzer Gerd De (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk