The 2014 Tour of Utah will be a scenic spectacle; it is impossible to describe the breathtaking beauty of Utah's southern climes; you have to see it for yourself or see photographs; descriptions are inadequate and meaningless. Nevertheless: the climbs this year far exceed anything in the past; the race reminds me of six days of racing in the Alps or Pyrenees during the Tour de France! Tough hard beyond category climbs; long difficult climbs, and dizzying descents. Stage 6 of the Tour of Utah features a leg-breaking climb over Guardsman Pass, followed by a 14-mile descent down Big Cottonwood Canyon then a six-mile climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Oh! A friend of mine and me rode up to Big Cottonwood Canyon to Guardsman Pass one fine day, but we were turned back at the gate; the road was closed buried by four feet of snow! In May! Whew! We were forced to turn around and descend the fourteen miles; quickly you run out of pedals; you could spin at full speed frictionless and never gain an ounce of speed. Damn! The peloton screaming down that pass, especially near the base of the hill where some nasty hairpin turns are located fills me with dread and expectation. Of course, there is a short interval before you enter Little Cottonwood Canyon, a little flat section, to get you warmed up a bit before the torture starts again. Little Cottonwood Canyon is about the same length as L'Alpe d'Huez, about seven point five percent grade, no joke, even for the professional riders.
There is no circuit stage in Salt Lake this year.
There is a feminine addition this year. The women will field 12 teams, the women will ride a 2.2-mile circuit at Miller Motorsports Park on Wednesday, August 6, 2014, in Tooele, Utah. Admission is free to the public. I love the fact that women will be included this year. A circuit race is a start, but I hope that the girls will have a chance to compete on the road in the future; let's see how well the ladies climb!
The men. Who are the favorites?
BMC
Cadel Evans
Brent Bookwalter
Cadel Evans won the Tour de France! Brent Bookwalter has competed in several Tour of Utah races and will prove a dangerous lieutenant.
Cannondale
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is a world-class climber and a tough competitor. Good enough to be in the top ten in the general classification, if not win the entire race outright.
Garmin Sharp
Thomas Danielson
Defending champion. I am sure Mr. Danielson is a champion motivated to repeat his 2013 feat. And let's face it, Garmin Sharp looks to have the best team.
Lampere-Merida
Christopher Horner
Tough journeyman pro-tour rider. Christopher Horner has been known in the past to break away from the peloton, and succeed in not being reeled in by the peloton. Christopher Horner could provide an unpredictability factor and shake things up.
Trek Factory Racing
Jens Voight.
Another old-time journeyman pro-tour rider. Tough as nails and ready to win.
Jelly Belly
Freddy Rodriquez
"Fast" Freddy Rodriquez, more of a sprinter than a climber. Everybody loves "Fast" Freddy, including me. But he does seem a little out of place in this race.
Then there are the unpredictable. Some of these team rosters show an amazingly large number of Colombian riders, and Colombian riders can climb like "angels of the mountains." I imagine that some of these Colombian riders will take stage wins, and don't be surprised if they finish high in the general classification.
Past Winners Missing in Action
Levi Leipheimer
Francisco Mancebo Perez
Jeff Louder (who by the way was introduced to the crowd at stage 6 depart. I did not see his name on the rider list, however. Sorry about that.)
Anyway, come on out, you can see great scenery and great racing all at the same time!
