Tour of Utah Achieves UCI Rank 2.1
The 7th Edition of the Tour of Utah Joins the UCI AmericaTour Professional
Status - 15 International Professional teams to compete in "America's Toughest
Stage Race"
"America's Toughest Stage Race"
August 9-14, 2011
Entering its seventh year in 2011, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah cycling
race has been elevated by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to one of the
top three professional stage races for road cycling in North America.
Organizers will invite 15 domestic and international professional cycling
teams to participate and increase prize money from $45,000 to $150,000, as part
of the UCI sanctioning rules. The six-day event, known as “America’s Toughest
Stage Race”, will be held August 9-14, 2011,
featuring a prologue and five stages for an estimated 400 miles of racing across
traditionally diverse and mountainous terrain.
Medalist Sports Chosen for Race Operations
Steve Miller, president of the Utah Cycling
Partnership which owns the Tour of Utah, announced that the event has hired
Medalist Sports to manage race operations and logistics for the 2011 race.
Medalist Sports will oversee the competition and technical production of the
Tour, as well as the development of the local organizing committees in each
start and finish venue. Medalist Sports specializes in the production of
professional cycling events and mass-participation, fundraising events around
the country. The company also is the event management arm for the Amgen Tour of
California (May 15-22), USA Cycling Professional Championships (May 28-30) and
the Quiznos Pro Challenge (Aug 22-28).
The Tour of Utah is one of only three UCI-sanctioned stage races with a 2.1
or higher designation in 2011. As part of the UCI America Tour, there will be 34
sanctioned events for professionals in 2011. Tour of Utah and the Quiznos Pro
Challenge are the only 2.1-class events in North America. The 2.HC (hors
categorie) Amgen Tour of California received the highest rating of the America
Tour road calendar.
“It’s really quite an honor to be able to organize and host a race of this
caliber and level. This is really big for Utah. Professional cycling provides a
unique setting from which we can showcase our beautiful State. It’s great for
spectators. It’s great for athletes and it’s particularly great for tourism,”
said Miller, who first became involved with the event in 2005 as a sponsor.
“We’re very grateful to the fans and sponsors, without whom, this race simply
would not be possible. Whereas in years past we’ve been able to attract a
handful of the world’s best racers, this year the entire field will be the who’s
who of professional cyclists.”
The Tour of Utah is now sanctioned by both USA Cycling, Inc. and the UCI, the
international governing body for the sport of cycling. The Tour began in 2004 as
a three-day race and was upgraded to a National Racing Calendar event by USA
Cycling in 2008. For 2011, the Tour of Utah will be part of the UCI America
Tour, covering professional cycling events on both the continents of North
America and South America.
“Thanks to the support and dedication of the Miller family, local sponsors
and staff, The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah has very quickly grown into one of
America’s top stage races,” said USA Cycling CEO Steve
Johnson. “Now, with its placement on the UCI calendar as a category
2.1 stage race, the Tour of Utah will join the ranks of the world’s top cycling
events and feature an international field with some of the best professional
teams in cycling.”
One of the distinguishing elements in the elevated status of the 2011 Tour of
Utah is that organizers are not allowed to include amateur teams and athletes,
but are permitted to invite teams and athletes from the sport’s highest level,
UCI World Tour, including UCI ProTeams, UCI Professional Continental and
domestic Continental Teams. Amateur teams and athletes can only take part in NRC
events and lower- rated UCI events, where they are eligible for domestic racing
points.
15 UCI Teams of 8 Riders - $150,000 Purse
A total of 15 professional teams will be invited to race the Tour of Utah, with
organizers extending initial invitations to select UCI ProTeams later this
month. Each team is expected to field a team of eight riders, for a total of 120
of some of the world’s best competing across the mountains, buttes and plateaus
of Utah, vying for UCI points, award jerseys and cash prizes totaling $150,000.
Last year’s race was won by Levi Leipheimer, a member of Team RadioShack (a UCI
ProTeam) but racing as an individual with Mellow Johnny’s.
Announcements about confirmed teams and the host venues for each start and
finish line will be made in February. The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah continues
to be free to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique
pro sports in the world today. Official information will be posted at
www.tourofutah.com, and race fans are encouraged to follow updates on Facebook
and Twitter.
About the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah -
Deemed "America's Toughest Tour," the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah presented
by Zions Bank, is a six-day, six-stage, professional bicycle road race along the
Rocky Mountain's Wasatch Range. It traditionally covers more than 400 total
miles of racing through some of Utah's most beautiful and challenging terrain.
Now in its 7th year, the 2011 Tour of Utah is scheduled to take place August
9-14 as a UCI 2.1 sanctioned road race for the best pro cyclists in the world.
The event is owned and operated by the Utah Cycling Partnership. The 2011 Tour
of Utah will be accompanied by a colorful, rolling festival celebration that
will take place at each day’s finish line host venue.
www.tourofutah.com
Tour of Utah Facebook -
Twitter
About the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies -
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies began with a single automotive
dealership, Larry H. Miller Toyota, in Murray, Utah in 1979. Since that time,
the Group has amassed more than 80 businesses and properties in the western
United States. Most notable are the Utah Jazz NBA professional basketball
franchise, EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Bees Class-AAA
professional baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,
state-of-the-art Miller Motorsports Park, Megaplex Theatres across Utah and 40
automobile dealerships representing 23 different automotive brands in seven
Western states.
bout Medalist Sports - Medalist
Sports, LLC is an international, full-service, sports management and production
company. An industry leader, Medalist Sports specializes in the successful
planning, promotion and management of special events, ranging from professional
competitions to amateur experiences, to cause-related/fundraising events.
Members of the Medalist team are proud to have been involved with and helped
manage such events and properties as Tour DuPont, Tour of China, Amgen Tour of
California, Quiznos Pro Challenge, Tour de Georgia, Tour of Missouri, the Lance
Armstrong Foundation (Livestrong Challenge), USA Cycling Professional
Championships, the Tour of Hope, The Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen and
more. Medalist Sports’ headquarters are located south of metro Atlanta at P.O.
Box 415, Tyrone, GA 30290. The company website is
www.medalistsports.com
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