Tour of Utah - Stage 1
America's Toughest Stage Race started Wednesday in Nephi: The Larry Miller Tour of Utah. Garmin/Chipotles Jason was the first to draw blood after 101 miles after joining the all day break.  Photos

A perfect Utah day for a bike race... a small herd of horses bolts through a field as the peloton rides by. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

Garmin/Chipotle's Jason Donald won the first stage of the Tour of Utah a 101.8 mile road race that started and finished in Nephi. Sheldon Deny (Fan Sports Network) finished second in the three up sprint with Bradley White of SuccessfulLiving.com third.

Jason Donald takes the victory in a three up sprint with the peloton a distant shadow in the background. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

The race was animated by a escape of three riders after ten miles with Deny, Brad White, and Jesse Gordon. The stage which featured the typical Utah desert saw Garmin/Chipotles Donald escape the bunch and bridge up to the trio ahead on the road. Other attempts to bridge to the 4 were chased down. The quartet opened a gap that went up to 7 minutes before the chase was organized bringing the group within one minute near the finish. By this time the unity in the quartet suffered with the peloton at its heels.

During the race the early break of three took a wrong turn when officials were late getting to a turn and the break wandered off course. The group was caught and returned to the turn and restarted with the peloton waiting to restart. Jason Donald crossed the finish in first place,  Sheldon Deny finished in second place, followed by Brad White in third.

Ricardo Escuela leads  the peloton to the finish, followed by Jonnie Clarke, Frank Pipp. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

Ricardo Escuela of SuccessfulLiving.com led the peloton home with Toyota United's Jonnie Clarke filling out the top 5.

Health Net Comments on the Tour:
The seven-member squad from the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis is in for an uphill battle when it opens the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah today: five stages, 336 miles and more than 30,000 feet of climbing. And that's with the two flat, sprint stages and a mostly flat 12-mile time trial. The team will be led by climbing and time trial specialist Phil Zajicek, as well as reigning NRC individual points champion and current points leader Rory Sutherland.

Rock Racing's Oscar Sevilla leads the chase. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

The race will be decided over three decisive stages: Stage 2 on Thursday, which features over 10,500 feet of climbing over 85 miles, Stage 4, with nearly 14,800 feet of climbing in 98 miles, and the final-stage 12-mile ITT on the Miller Motorsports Park race track. The two team leaders will have strong support from climbing specialist Matt Cooke, all-arounders Corey Collier, Matt Crane and Roman Kilun, with Frank Pipp there to contest the sprint finishes.

Tour of Utah Plays To Strengths Of Team Type 1
Team Type 1 has been targeting the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah since the National Race Calendar (NRC) was unveiled. "It is certainly the most demanding American stage race and I expect it to be one of the most competitive," Team Type 1 Sport Director Ed Beamon said. "But I think it is the type of race that really suits Team Type 1."

Health Net leads the chase. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

The five-day, five-stage race begins Wednesday and is 342 miles (550 km) long and includes 30,000 feet of climbing – nearly all of it taking place at more than 5,000 feet. That figures to favor Ian MacGregor and Fabio Calabria, who live and train at altitude in Colorado, as well as Glen Chadwick, who competed in the Olympic road race in Beijing last week.

Calabria is the only rider in the race with Type 1 diabetes. His solid performances this season – including fifth in the best young rider competition at the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T – have drawn attention to the Australian who will only turn 21 later this month. "This may be the biggest mountain event he's done with the team this year, but he is so on top of his diabetes management that I'm sure he is going to play a big part in our attack," Beamon said.

The peloton under a cloudless sky and 90 degree temps. Photo © 2008 Vero Image

But Team Type 1 will be without the services of Moises Aldape, who was unable to schedule a flight to Salt Lake City from Beijing in time for the start. He represented Mexico in the Olympic road race. "With Moises and Glen both making their Olympic team selection and in Beijing, we are going to be at a bit of a disadvantage," Beamon said. "Glen arrived early Tuesday morning after a brutally long trip.

"Moises really would have been a dangerous GC (general classification) rider here and we will certainly miss him, but Chadwick and Valeriy Kobzarenko are both very good on this terrain and they both time trial well." Chadwick, who represented New Zealand in the men's road race, finished second in the 2006 edition of the Tour of Utah. Last year's race did not occur due to financial constraints. This year, promoters have restructured financial operations, downsized the race (from a proposed seven to five) and focused on attracting domestic teams with its spot on the NRC.

Tour of Utah Stages:
Wednesday, Aug. 13, Stage 1: Nephi to Nephi
Beginning and ending in Nephi, racers will travel 101 miles (162 km) through neighboring towns of Fountain Green, Wales, Spring City, Fairview, Moroni and Mount Pleasant, and include a total of 4,851 feet of climbing.

Thursday, Aug. 14, Stage 2: Salt Lake to Ogden
On the menu are four climbs and a flat finish - after 9,960 feet of climbing. Only 84 miles from Salt Lake City to Ogden, home of Weber State University.

Friday, Aug. 15, Stage 3: Downtown Salt Lake City Criterium
This 90-minute race will be run in the heart of Downtown Salt Lake City around a flat, four-corner course that stretches one mile.

Saturday, Aug. 16, Stage Four: Deer Valley to Snowbird
A mountaintop finish following four fierce climbs for a total of 14,778 vertical feet. From Deer Valley Resort in Park City, through the outskirts of Salt Lake to Snowbird Ski Resort: a road race of 99 mountainous miles.

Sunday, Aug. 17, Stage Five: Miller MotorSports Park Individual Time Trial
Originally announced for 18 miles, this race was shortened to 12 miles and now will only be a 7.5-mile individual test at the Miller Motor Sportspark in Tooele, Utah. Though it is a short distance, the time trial includes 650 feet of climbing.

2008 Tour of Utah
Stage 1 Results and General Classification
1 Jason Donald Garmin/Chipotle 04:07:09 - :10
2 Sheldon Deeny The Fan Sports Network 04:07:10 - :06
3 Bradley White  SuccessfulLiving.com P/B Parkpre 04:07:11- :04

4 Ricardo Escuela SuccessfulLiving.com P/B Parkpre 04:07:29 - 00:17
5 Jonnie Clarke Toyota-United 04:07:29
6 Frank Pipp Team Health Net p/by Maxxis 04:07:29
7 Ryan Anderson USA Land Rover/ORBEA 04:07:29
8 Alessandro Bazzana SuccessfulLiving.com P/BParkpre 4:07:29
9 Bryson Perry  R.A.D.D. p/b Agel 04:07:29.600
10 Michael Grabinger SuccessfulLiving.com P/B Parkpre 04:07:29
11 Cesar Grajales  Rock Racing 04:07:29
12 Fabio Calabria* Team Type 1 04:07:29
13 Garrett PELTONEN  Bissell Pro 04:07:29.800
14 Fred Rodriguez  Rock Racing 04:07:29
15 Jared Barrilleaux  Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team 04:07:29.
16 Brent Brookwalter BMC Pro  4:07:29
17 Matt Wilson  Team Type 1 04:07
18 Will Frischkorn Garmin/Chipotle  04:07:30.
19 Calvin Allan  Team Bobs-Bicycles.Com  4:07:30.300
20 Kiel Reijnen  RIDECLEAN/PatentIt.com 04:07:30
Logan Hunn* Land Rover - ORBEA DidNotFinish
Kevin Rowe Team Bobs-Bicycles.Com DidNotFinish

Current Jersey Leaders:
Race Leader: Jason Donald, Garmin/Chipotle (Yellow Jersey)
Best Utah Rider: Bryson Perry, American R.A.D.D. (Red Jersey)
Sprint Leader: Bradley White, SuccessfulLiving.com p/b Parkpre (Green Jersey)
King of the Mountain: Jason Donald, Garmin/Chipotle (Red/white)
Best Young Rider: Ryan Anderson, Land Rover - Orbea (Blue)

Team Classification
1 Garmin/Chipotle p/b H3O
2 Successful Living.com P/B Parkpre
3 Team Type 1
4 BMC Pro Cycling Team
5 Team Bobs-Bicycles.Com
6 Bissell Pro Cycling Team
7 California Giant/ Specialized
8 Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team
9 Toyota-United
10 Team Health Net p/b Maxxis
11 Canyon Bicycles Utah All-Stars
12 RIDECLEAN / PatentIt.com
13 Hagens Berman LLP
14 American R.A.D.D.
15 Land Rover - ORBEA
16 Rock Racing

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