August 4/15 22:20 pm - Tour of Utah: Stage 2
Posted by Editoress on 08/4/15
Team SmartStop’s Jure Kocjan timed his sprint perfectly to win Stage 2 presented by Workers Compensation Fund at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. Emerging from a reduced peloton, Kocjan, who wore the leader's jersey for two stages in last year's race, finished the stage in a time of three hours, 37 minutes and 27 seconds at the finish line on historic 25th Street in Ogden.
A bike length separated Kocjan from second-place Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Racing Team) and Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team) in third.
“We were really disappointed yesterday. After dinner I just went to my room and stayed there and just thought about today. I was super-motivated and angry and I knew that I had to make it over this climb,” said Kocjan, who was the last rider in the breakaway to make it over the North Ogden Divide with less than 20 miles to go in the stage.
“But I made it over and once we came down, I looked back and saw that we had a big gap like 50 seconds. So I just told the guys, my teammates, go as hard as you can. I knew that there were not a lot of good sprinters in the front. I knew that if we made it to the end, I was probably the fastest one,” added Kocjan, who finished second on three stages last year in Utah.
Carpenter agreed that the climb was the decisive point of Tuesday's stage. “If you can make it over that, then the race is yours to play with. It’s a short climb. It’s steep so if you can hold on to the power and make sure you’re in good position, then it’s not too hard to go over it.”
Overall race leader Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) retained his Larry H. Miller Dealerships Leader’s yellow jersey by finishing fourth on the 100.3-mile stage. Alex Howes (Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling) remained second overall by finishing with the same time as Kocjan, who sits in third place overall. Carpenter vaulted to fourth in the General Classification and takes over the Subaru Best Young Rider jersey.
Blue skies and warm weather greeted the 121 racers at the start of Stage 2 presented by Workers Compensation Fund in the first-time host city of Tremonton. After a flurry of attacks at the front early in the stage, Jay Robert Thomson (MTN-Qhubeka presented by Samsung) managed to escape solo on a flag-lined road in Thatcher with a chase group bridging up to him 10 miles later. Joining Thomson at the front were Dan Eaton (Axeon Cycling Team), Pierrick Naud (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Jamis-Hagens Berman presented by Sutter Home), and Mackenzie Brennan (Hincapie Racing Team).
The five-rider break worked together to expand the gap on the wide, rural roads of Box Elder County, including the famous Fruit Highway (Hwy 89) before rolling along the Wasatch Front through Honeyville, Brigham City, Perry and Willard.
The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team controlled the pace at the front of the peloton, holding the gap around the three-minute mark. Thomson took the two Utah Sports Commission Sprint Lines and moved up to fifth place in the general classification with the bonus time.
The lone Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain climb brought a quickening of the pace, reducing the gap to under two minutes on the lower slopes of the North Ogden Divide. The tough 10 percent average gradient proved too much for most of the riders on the break except for Eaton who crested first. Joined by Bookwalter, they sped down toward Ogden, averaging close to 60 miles per hour. The field also split on the climb, with most of the sprinters not able to follow the punishing pace.
The duo was reeled back by the 46-rider field as they approached the first of three 2.28-mile finishing laps in front of enthusiastic crowds in downtown Ogden. Attacks flew as no team was able to organize its leadout train until the bell lap, which brought Kocjan's teammate Travis McCabe to the front. In the final straightway to the finish, McCabe swung out to force Bookwalter to open his sprint early, giving Kocjan a perfect trajectory to the line.
Eaton was awarded the Vivint Most Aggressive Rider jersey and fans have chosen Chris Horner (Airgas Safeway Cycling Team) as the America First Credit Union Fan Favorite.
Tour of Utah press release
Results from Stage 2 in Utah
| Stage 2: Tremonton to Logan, 160.93 km | |
| 1 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team SmartStop | 3:37:27 |
| 2 Robin Carpenter (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 3 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 4 Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 5 Edwin Avila (Col) Colombia | |
| 6 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 7 Alex Howes (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 8 Dion Smith (NZl) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 9 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 10 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 11 Travis McCabe (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 12 Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 13 Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 14 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 15 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 16 Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 17 Christopher Horner (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 18 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 19 Michael Woods (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 20 Benjamin King (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 21 Gregory Brenes Obando (CRc) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 22 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 23 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 24 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 25 Flavio De Luna (Mex) Team SmartStop | |
| 26 Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 27 John Hornbeck (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 28 Connor McCutcheon (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 29 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 30 Robbie Squire (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 31 Jorge Castiblanco (Col) Colombia | |
| 32 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 33 James Oram (NZl) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 34 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 35 Daniel Martínez (Col) Colombia | |
| 36 Alex Cano (Col) Colombia | |
| 37 Chris Butler (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 38 Walter Pedraza (Col) Colombia | |
| 39 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 40 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 41 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 42 Lachlan Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 43 Ben Jacques- Maynes (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 44 Daniel Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 45 Carson Miller (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 46 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop | |
| 47 Kilian Frankiny (Irl) BMC Racing Team | all s.t. |
| 48 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 1:20 |
| 49 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | 1:22 |
| 50 Griffin Easter (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 1:48 |
| 51 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 2:16 |
| 52 Manuel Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 53 Emerson Oronte (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 54 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 55 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 56 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 57 Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 58 Brendan Canty (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 59 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 60 Luis Lemus (Mex) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 61 Jasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 62 Carlos Mario Ramirez (Col) Colombia | |
| 63 Adam Phelan (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 64 Edward King (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 65 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 66 Cayetano Sarmiento (Col) Colombia | |
| 67 Cullen Easter (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 68 Timothy Roe (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 69 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 70 Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 71 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 72 Songezo Jim (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 73 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 74 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| 75 Gerardo Medina (Mex) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 76 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 77 Julian Bernard (Fra) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 78 Mackenzie Brennan (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 79 Kevin Gottlieb (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 80 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 81 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 82 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 83 Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 84 Tyler Magner (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 85 Pierrick Naud (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 86 Luca Chirico (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 87 Julian Kyer (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 88 Erik Slack (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 89 Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | all s.t. |
| 90 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 5:10 |
| 91 Chris Putt (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 92 Stephen Leece (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | both s.t. |
| 93 David Williams (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | 5:27 |
| 94 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN - Qhubeka | 5:46 |
| 95 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 96 Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 97 Andrea Manfredi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 98 Brodie Talbot (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 99 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 100 Samuel Spokes (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 101 Thomas Soladay (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 102 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 103 Glenn O'Shea (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 104 Jack Anderson (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 105 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 106 Michael Torckler (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 107 Walter Gaston Trillini (Arg) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 108 Sebastián Molano (Col) Colombia | all s.t. |
| 109 Justin Mauch (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 7:41 |
| 110 Malcom Rudolph (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 111 Graeme Brown (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | both s.t. |
| 112 Brad Huff (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 8:20 |
| 113 Jesse Anthony (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 114 Zach Bell (Can) Team SmartStop | |
| 115 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 116 Josh Berry (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 117 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 118 Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 119 Oscar Clark (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 120 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 121 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | all s.t. |
| GC | |
| 1 Kiel Reijnen (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 8:46:19 |
| 2 Alex Howes (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | at 0:04 |
| 3 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team SmartStop | s.t. |
| 4 Robin Carpenter (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | 0:08 |
| 5 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | s.t. |
| 6 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team | 0:10 |
| 7 Daniel Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | s.t. |
| 8 Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:11 |
| 9 Ben Jacques- Maynes (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | 0:13 |
| 10 Edwin Avila (Col) Colombia | 0:14 |
| 11 Logan Owen (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 12 Ruben Zepuntke (Ger) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 13 Dion Smith (NZl) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 14 Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 15 Travis McCabe (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 16 Benjamin King (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 17 Michael Schär (Sui) BMC Racing Team | |
| 18 Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 19 Connor McCutcheon (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 20 Christopher Horner (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 21 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 22 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
| 23 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 24 Gregory Brenes Obando (CRc) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 25 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 26 Frank Schleck (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 27 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 28 Jorge Castiblanco (Col) Colombia | |
| 29 Taylor Sheldon (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 30 Matthew Busche (USA) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 31 Michael Woods (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 32 Robbie Squire (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 33 John Hornbeck (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 34 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 35 Joseph Lloyd Dombrowski (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 36 Leonardo Basso (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 37 Flavio De Luna (Mex) Team SmartStop | |
| 38 James Oram (NZl) Axeon Cycling Team | |
| 39 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop | |
| 40 Alex Cano (Col) Colombia | |
| 41 Daniel Martínez (Col) Colombia | |
| 42 Chris Butler (USA) Team SmartStop | |
| 43 Carson Miller (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 44 Lachlan Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 45 Walter Pedraza (Col) Colombia | |
| 46 Kilian Frankiny (Irl) BMC Racing Team | |
| 47 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | all s.t. |
| 48 Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 1:34 |
| 49 Jordan Kerby (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | 1:36 |
| 50 Griffin Easter (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 2:02 |
| 51 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | 2:22 |
| 52 Gregory Daniel (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | 2:23 |
| 53 Pierrick Naud (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 2:29 |
| 54 Carlos Mario Ramirez (Col) Colombia | s.t. |
| 55 Eric Young (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 2:30 |
| 56 Youcef Reguigui (Alg) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 57 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 58 Manuel Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 59 Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 60 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 61 Nicolae Tanovitchii (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 62 Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 63 John Murphy (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | |
| 64 Brendan Canty (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 65 Adam Phelan (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 66 Manuel Senni (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| 67 Timothy Roe (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 68 Tyler Magner (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 69 Jasper Bovenhuis (Ned) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 70 Alexandr Braico (Mda) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 71 Gerardo Medina (Mex) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 72 Mackenzie Brennan (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 73 Cayetano Sarmiento (Col) Colombia | |
| 74 Luis Lemus (Mex) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | |
| 75 Edward King (USA) Team Cannondale-Garmin | |
| 76 Luca Chirico (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 77 Julian Bernard (Fra) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 78 Angus Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 79 Daniel Summerhill (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | all s.t. |
| 80 Cullen Easter (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 3:17 |
| 81 Scott Zwizanski (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | |
| 82 Steve Fisher (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | |
| 83 Erik Slack (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis | all s.t. |
| 84 Emerson Oronte (USA) Team SmartStop | 3:31 |
| 85 Tanner Putt (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | 5:24 |
| 86 Stephen Leece (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | |
| 87 Chris Putt (USA) Axeon Cycling Team | both s.t. |
| 88 Wouter Wippert (Ned) Drapac Professional Cycling | 6:00 |
| 89 Fabio Silvestre (Por) Trek Factory Racing | |
| 90 Sebastián Molano (Col) Colombia | |
| 91 Matthew Brammeier (Irl) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 92 Samuel Spokes (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | |
| 93 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | |
| 94 Brodie Talbot (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | all s.t. |
| 95 Joseph Schmalz (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | 6:32 |
| 96 Adrien Niyonshuti (Rwa) MTN - Qhubeka | 6:34 |
| 97 Songezo Jim (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
| 98 Julian Kyer (USA) Team SmartStop | both s.t. |
| 99 Jack Anderson (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | 6:35 |
| 100 Walter Gaston Trillini (Arg) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | 6:47 |
| 101 Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 7:33 |
| 102 Zach Bell (Can) Team SmartStop | 8:34 |
| 103 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) MTN - Qhubeka | s.t. |
| 104 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing Team | 8:51 |
| 105 Calvin Watson (Aus) Trek Factory Racing | 9:03 |
| 106 Jesse Anthony (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 9:21 |
| 107 Oscar Clark (USA) Hincapie Racing Team | |
| 108 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | both s.t. |
| 109 David Williams (USA) Jamis-Hagens Berman p/b Sutter Home | 9:42 |
| 110 Josh Berry (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts | 12:38 |
| 111 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling | s.t. |
| 112 Kevin Gottlieb (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 16:27 |
| 113 Andrea Manfredi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 19:57 |
| 114 Malcom Rudolph (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | 21:52 |
| 115 Graeme Brown (Aus) Drapac Professional Cycling | s.t. |
| 116 Glenn O'Shea (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | 23:50 |
| 117 Michael Torckler (NZl) Team Budget Forklifts | s.t. |
| 118 Thomas Soladay (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 24:10 |
| 119 Justin Mauch (USA) Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team | 25:45 |
| 120 Brad Huff (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies | 26:24 |
| 121 Tommy Nankervis (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts | s.t. |
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