Tour of Utah: America's Toughest Stage Race
2017 Tour of Utah features nearly 37,000 feet of climbing, gravel roads and an individual time trial
The 2017 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is taking place July 31 - August 6. For its 13th year, the Tour of Utah will feature some of the biggest and highest climbs anywhere in North America.
Past winners include Lachlan Morton, Scott Moninger, Francisco Mancebo, Levi Leipheimer, Johann Tschopp, Tom Danielson and Joe Dombrowski.
The route covers 600 miles and approx 36,500 feet (11,132m) of climbing over seven stages starting in Logan and finishing with the brutal Salt Lake City Circuit on August 6th.
The individual time-trial has been reintroduced a five year hiatus on a new, 5.5 mile uphill course. The Queen stage is from Heber City to the Snowbird Ski Resort and has always had a big impact on who wins the overall classification of the Tour. At 61 miles, the course is much shorter than previous editions, but don’t be fooled! -- this means riders need to handle a much harder, more dynamic race with less room for error.
During stage four, riders will tackle 10 miles of dirt and gravel on Faust Road for the first time in the race’s history!
Gran Fondo fans can get involved! The Ultimate Challenge is a Gran Fondo taking place on August 5th and hosted by the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. The ride follows the same Queen Stage route of the Tour of Utah, with approximately 64 miles and 7,600 feet of climbing. This year, the ride will also feature timing on the final climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon. This unique opportunity allows participants to ride the exact Stage 6 route as the pros, as well as offering riders a great spot to watch the finishing sprints of Stage 6 at Snowbird Resort. So, what are you waiting for? Don’t miss your opportunity to experience the high-adrenaline, incredibly challenging Queen Stage route exactly like the pros.
The 2017 Tour of Utah is most obviously built for climbers acclimated to high elevation and preparing for races like the Vuelta a Espana starting August 19.
“We are proud to design and orchestrate new race courses each year,” Jenn Andrs, executive director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, said in a press release. “This year’s Tour of Utah brings back the individual time trial and the circuit race at the Capitol, which will both challenge the professional athletes and energize our fans.”
Known as “America’s Toughest Stage Race”, the field will be composed of WorldTour outfits like BMC Racing as well as a mix of pro continental squads from the North America and around the world.
Top US riders will look to reclaim the title, after Australian Lachlan Morton (Dimension Data) took the overall victory on the final stage from Andrew Talansky!
Jelly Belly Cycling returns to Utah for a sixth time. While the team has lost last year’s Tour of Utah champion Lachlan Morton, it rides into the 2017 season with an 11-rider roster representing five countries. One of its youngest American riders, 21-year-old Sean Bennett, won the Mountains classification in April at the Le Tour de Bretagne Cycliste.
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah continues to be FREE to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique professional sports in the world today. The Tour of Utah attracted more than 400,000 spectators and contributed a new high of $23 million in direct economic impact for Utah last year.
“The lineup of teams for the 2017 Tour of Utah brings impressive cycling resumes and international flavor,” said Jenn Andrs, executive director of the Tour of Utah. “With six international teams and four newcomers, the peloton will treat fans to world-class racing with a depth of talent. The scenic byways and mountain roads in Utah always prove challenging and I expect a tremendous week of racing in August.”
2017 Tour of Utah Confirmed Teams
Amore & Vita-Selle SMP p/b Fondriest (Albania)
Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team (USA)
Bardiani CSF (Italy)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Caja Rural-Seguros RGA (Spain)
Cylance Cycling (USA)
Holowesko l Citadel Racing Team p/b Hincapie Sportswear (USA)
Israel Cycling Academy (Israel)
Jelly Belly Cycling p/b Maxxis (USA)
Nippo-Vini Fantini (Italy)
Team Novo Nordisk (USA)
Rally Cycling (USA)
Silber Pro Cycling (Canada)
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA)
2016 Tour of Utah General Classification Top Ten
1 Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly-Maxxis 27:12:49
2 Adrien Costa (USA) Axeon Hagens Berman 0:01:09
3 Andrew Talansky (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:39
4 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing Team 0:01:57
5 Rob Britton (Can) Rally Cycling 0:04:00
6 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:05:59
7 Taylor Eisenhart (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:06:52
8 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Drapac 0:07:16
9 Robbie Squire (USA) Holowesko-Citadel Racing 0:08:38
10 Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek-Segafredo