Tour of Utah: Stage 4 Photographs

Yes, the Tour of Utah is over and yes, defending champion Levi Leipheimer won again. The results of Stage 4 link here.

Stage 4 of the Tour of Utah consisted of a loop throughout the downtown area with climbs and descents with varying degrees of difficulty. Some of these photographs were taken at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Virgina Street and others were taken at President's Circle on the University of Utah campus, they will be marked accordingly. The photographs show the lead group followed by the chase group for a few of the laps, stragglers are not shown. Although the quality of the photographs are limited due to an archaic digital camera shutter speed, they are shown as a part of the historical record, and serve to document the changing composition of the pack during a criterium style race.

The Stage 4 temperature was around 98 degrees Fahrenheit. The pavement was dissolving in some places on the Virgina Street descent with an oily, slick, shiny sheen. I can verify this fact from personal race time experimentation, because after watching a couple of laps on 11th Avenue, I told a race marshal that I was going to ride down to President's Circle via Virgina Street. Happily, I hopped on my trusty steed and loosened the reigns, zoom! On the descent I felt just like Joseba Beloki moments before a momentous crash. Very lightly feathering the breaks, my cycling computer instantly hit 34.5 miles per hour, vortices's and eddies of air streamed off my body into space. Exhilarating! No time for riding in the drops, no time for an aerodynamic tuck. Suddenly, I spied a policeman frantically waving an orange flag and blowing a whistle, at me! The police ordered me instantly to exit the course at 5th Avenue thus ending the experiment, but unimpeded, I could have rode down Virginia Street, up University Street, and in triumph around President's Circle like one of my heroes without interfering with the race in any way, shape, or form.

Imagine the riders drafting in the sweet spot down that hill on 53x11 carbon fiber steeds. Whee!

For general information: Ski Utah had some of the men's team riding the course handing out long red plastic horns. I shook my head "no." I didn't want to be any part of the girl who kicked the hornets' nest.

Steve Miller would do every radio race fan a favor and fire 1320 KFNZ. It is obvious to every professional bicycle racing fan that the local KFNZ sport jocks know nothing of bicycle racing and it seems too much of an effort for the Tour of Utah to either hire or provide a professional racer to explain stage racing tactics to them. KFNZ has an idiot who can croon out refrains of Queen, [Bi-screech-cycle!] and then giggle uncontrollably for fifteen minutes, but KFNZ does not have five minutes to spare during a local show to include an exclusive Tour of Utah segment that contains an intelligent discussion of the daily stage, the general overall classification, the teams, and other rudimentary points of the race. Unfortunately, in addition, the Tour of Utah real time race updates were so rare that it did not seem worth the time to listen to the third rate rants and obscene shouting arguments over every trivial point of the local Brigham Young University versus University of Utah rivalry that seems to obsess these people.

All in all, the Tour of Utah seemed to pass like a thief in the night, but one stage was better than nothing at all, since unlike years past, the prologue and most of the stages no longer funnel into Salt Lake City. Maybe the expanded stages to include more of the state was an improvement, it is probably a matter of perspective.

Lap 1. 11th Avenue and Virgina Street. Here comes the pack!




The team cars. Lap 1. 11th Avenue and Virgina Street. At the turn pandemonium ensued with screaming breaks and several near collisions as riders and team cars fought for position.



President's circle. University of Utah Campus. The lead group riding hard, the gap board read 2:20.



Team Radio Shack setting the chase tempo.



The breakaway group: "Paco" Mancebo attacks out of the saddle!



The pack descends from President's circle, across University Street, and down 200 South.



Stage 4 had 7.4 laps around the loop, I think this is the end of the chase group.



Team Radioshack on the front. Yes, that is Levi Leipheimer in yellow, and yes alumni, that is the Park Building.



Thanks to all the teams and riders who participated in the 2011 Tour of Utah. See you all next year!