With a wildfire raging nearby and 134 miles of desert sagebrush and sand to cross, today’s race from Lehi to Salt Lake City could have been the most brutal day yet in this year’s Tour of Utah. But Mother Nature gave the boys a bit of a break. Light winds and overcast conditions brought temperatures (barely) below the triple-digit mark for the first time all week, and smoke from the nearby fire was hardly noticeable. All in all, Director Sportif Tad Hamilton declared today a fantastic day for racing.
A six-man break got away early and eventually built a gap of more than 10 minutes. But with limited climbing and a long, flat run into the downtown Salt Lake City finish line, the sprinters were itching to have their chance at a field sprint. It was all but guaranteed that the break would be reeled in. Team Exergy, working to give Freddie Rodriguez a shot at that sprint finish, joined United Healthcare and Garmin on the front to bring down the gap. The boys continued to show excellent teamwork this week, pulling hard all day on the front and finally catching the six-man break just 850 meters from the finish.
At that point the sprinters took over. UHC’s Jake Keough took the stage win, followed by Marco Benfatto of Liquigas and Tyler Farrar of Garmin. Freddie finished sixth on the day.
Tomorrow the tough stages continue as the boys move to the mountains for more than 100 miles of racing and 10,000 feet of climbing. It’s just the kind of day Exergy’s Matt Cooke has been waiting for. Live coverage is available on the web attourtracker.tourofutah.com, or watch live on Fox Sports Network beginning at 2 p.m. MDT.
Don't think talking about what to focus on doesn't make a difference! Fast Freddie and I spent some time talking what best to focus on before his race today! He had a better day! Ask any of the racer's we work with, and they will tell you the same. Every stroke counts and how you focus makes a difference!
Stage results
- 1. Jacobe Keough, UnitedHealthcare, in 4:47:06
- 2. Marco Benfatto, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0
- 3. Tyler Farrar, Garmin-Sharp, at 0
- 4. Matthews Michael, Rabobank, at 0
- 5. Alexander Candelario, Optum, at 0
- 6. Fred Rodriguez, Exergy/WN at 0
- 7. Francisco Mancebo Perez, Competitive Cyclist, at 0
- 8. Brent Bookwalter, BMC/WN Racing, at 0
- 9. Martin Velits, Omega Pharma-Quick Step, at 0
- 10. Robigzon Leandro Oyola Oyola, EPM-UNE, at 0
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