- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Jure Kocjan (Team SmartShop) has taken out Stage 2 in the 2015 Tour of Utah, leading home Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Racing) and Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing).
The riders left Tremonton for 160 kilometres on flat roads, except for a difficult, three-kilometre climb with 30 kilometres to go.
Five broke away after 30 kilometres – Daniel Eaton (Axeon Cycling), Pierrick Naud (Optum Kelly Benefits), Mackenzie Brennan (Hindcapie Racing), Ben Jacques Maynes (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and Jay Thomson (MTN Qhubecka).
The most time they held over the peloton was around four minutes, with the gap being well marshalled by United Healthcare. After the poorly managed breakaway gap on yesterday’s stage, UHC wanted a much easier and less stressful day in defending the leaders jersey of their sprinter Kiel Reijnen.
At the first intermediate sprint, after 35 kilometres in the start town of Tremonton, Thomson crossed the line first, with Eaton in second, and Naud in third.
At the second and final intermediate sprint, after 61 kilometres in the town of Brighton City, it was again Thomson who took the three points, only being challenged by Eaton who was in second, with Jacques-Maynes collecting the final point. As the peloton went through the sprint point, the gap was just over three minutes.
With 55 kilometres to go, the gap was down to 2 minutes and 20 seconds, as the riders started to climb the false flat heading up to the climb of the North Ogden Divide.
The climb is 3 kilometres at 9 per cent, so it was always going to be decisive whether a team or individual riders decided to attack.
As the riders hit the early slopes of the climb, the gap between the break and the peloton was around a minute. Surprisingly, there were no real attacks from the main peloton, except for the final hundred metres.
Eaton was the best of the breakaway on the climb, and was able to gap the group and take the points. Brent Bookwalter from BMC was one of the riders to attack, and he managed to catch Eaton on the descent.
However, the peloton kept them on a tight leash, in particular Smartstop, and with 15 kilometres to go the two attackers were caught.
As the riders hit the final circuits there were many attacks, especially from Ben King from Cannondale Garmin, but finished as a sprint that Smartstop dominated.
With 400 metres to go the riders took the final, 90-degree bend, with Kojcan’s leadout man, Travis McCabe, on the front. Bookwalter went too early, as Kojcan came around the American to take the win ahead of Robin Carpenter.
Stage 2 of the Tour of Utah offers a little bit of everything for all types of riders, so it should be an exciting stage. Join The Roar for live race updates and coverage from 4:30am (AEST).
After a late stage breakaway from Kiel Reijnen claimed a wet and windy win yesterday, today’s 162 kilometres (or 100 miles for American folk) between Tremonton and Ogden are predominantly flat, with only one major difficulty.
As the riders leave from Tremonton, the peloton face a 30-kilometre circuit before the first sprint of the day, back in Tremonton. The sprinters will want to keep the peloton together to gain sprint points, or time in general classification.
The next sprint comes at 62 kilometres. By this stage, the breakaway should get away, but there is the potential that the sprinters may get another opportunity to show their talent.
The next 60 kilometres are flat, until the riders start the only climb of the day, the category three test of North Ogden Divide. The climb itself is a brute, averaging over 9 per cent for 3.2 kilometres.
I do not expect all of the key sprinters to get over the top of this climb, but depending on how fast the leading general classification riders go up the climb, the sprinters may claw back to the leading group on the descent. However, the climb is completed with only 30 kilometres on the stage, so I doubt the sprinters will be able to do so.
The official race website gave a description of the final events on today’s stage:
“This part of Stage 2 features a 10 per cent average gradient as riders circle around Pineview Reservoir and tackle North Ogden Divide. Then comes the rapid descent back toward downtown Ogden. Fans will witness three laps around a two-mile circuit with a thrilling finish on historic 25th Street, a fitting cap for a day that challenges every rider’s skill.”
The conclusion is likely to either see the breakaway fight for the stage, or a small group of punchy sprinters contest it.
Obviously yellow jersey wearer Kiel Reijnen looks on form, and he is one of the better climbers from this race’s group of sprinters. However, my favourite is Sonny Colbrelli, who finished yesterday second in the bunch sprint back in the peloton.
Yesterday, Bardiani did a lot of work over the final climb to reduce the gap, and with a steeper climb on offer today, they will again be looking to split the field to reduce the amount of sprinters in the bunch.
Other names to look out for include Alex Howes, Wouter Wippert (if he can get over the final climb), Eric Young, Jure Kojcan and Juan Sebastian Molano.
Also, GC contenders may attack on the climb and hold off the peloton on the 30 kilometre descent to the finish.
Join The Roar for live coverage of the second stage of the 2015 Tour of Utah from 4:30am (AEST) and don’t forget to comment if you’re following along.
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.