The prologue which began this year’s Tour of Utah is complete, with full results to be found here. Floyd Landis finds himself in 50th place only 24 seconds off the lead. The prologue top three were:
| Place | Number | Cyclist | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | BOOKWALTER Brent | BMC | 06’12” |
| 2 | 19 | ZABRISKIE David | GRM | +2″ |
| 3 | 5 | MCKISSICK Ian | BMC | +2″ |
The real race begins today with a stage which will take the riders from Ogden to Salt Lake City:
The real racing starts today near the mouth of Ogden Canyon, with this deceptively difficult mountain route. Facing two steep climbs, riders will find keeping their attention on the race will be especially challenging given the stunning canyon scenery.
Looping through the high mountain valley that surrounds Pineview reservoir, the route ascends a steep, winding two-lane road to Snowbasin Ski Resort, site of the 2002 Olympic downhill ski events. The course then rolls along through the emerald ranches and farms of Morgan Valley, climbing to East Canyon Dam and reservoir. At this point, slightly more than halfway through the stage, riders now face the toughest climb of the day and one of the most difficult of the entire race, Big Mountain.
Rising almost 2,000 feet in just over six miles, this climb is guaranteed to separate the climbers from the pack, breaking the peloton apart in time for a final fifteen-mile downhill dash to the line in Research Park.
Check back tomorrow, or even perhpas late tonight, for details on how the stage progressed plus a preview of tomorrow’s Stage 2. By the way, if you have an iphone, or ipod touch go to the apps store at itunes and download the free ToU app. It’s great!!
