Three Grand Tour Winners Part of 128 Riders Announced for Tour of
Utah Professional Cycling Stage Race
Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (July 23, 2014) – A stellar cast of 128 professional cyclists representing 26 countries will race 753 miles across Utah and Wyoming for the 2014 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. As the first internationally-sanctioned cycling competition in North America after July’s Tour de France, organizers for the 2014 Tour of Utah released the preliminary rosters for all 16 professional teams for the seven-day stage race, August 4-10. Teams are confirmed to bring 25 riders with racing experience from the three most recent Grand Tours of Europe (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España). Eight of these riders are currently competing at this month’s Tour de France.
For the first time in Utah, the peloton will showcase three Grand Tour champions. American Chris Horner of the Italian-based Lampre-Merida squad returns to the Tour of Utah as the reigning Vuelta a España champion. Following his second place finish at the Tour of Utah last year, Horner became the first American to win the three-week “Tour of Spain.” Inaugural appearances at the Tour of Utah will be made by the two-time (2006, 2010) Giro d’Italia champion Ivan Basso, riding for the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, and 2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, riding for BMC Racing Team. Basso, a 36- year-old Italian climber, has more than 23 wins as a professional, and has ridden in 18 Grand Tours. Evans, a world champion in 2009, became the first Australian to win the Tour de France three years ago. This year he wore the leader’s jersey for four days at the Giro d’Italia.
2013 Tour of Utah champion Tom Danielson (USA) of Team Garmin-Sharp has confirmed he will return to defend his title. He will be joined by Lachlan Morton (Australia), who won Stage 3 of the 2013 Tour of Utah, and three teammates who started this year’s Tour de France – Colombian Janier Acevedo and Americans Alex Howes and Ben King. Acevedo finished third overall at last year’s Tour of Utah and Howes finished 4th in the General Classification (G.C.) in 2009.
Other top athletes expected to race with ProTeams in the field are Jens Voigt (Germany) and Matthew Busche (USA) of Trek Factory Racing, Michael Schär (Switzerland) of BMC Racing Team, Ted King (USA) of Cannondale Pro Cycling, and Wilco Kelderman (The Netherlands) of Belkin Pro Cycling.
“An impressive group of riders, led by three Grand Tour champions and our own reigning Tour of Utah champion, are headlining the list of entries. We are pleased to attract and host such accomplished cyclists who will be challenged by this difficult yet stunning race route,” said Steve Miller, president of Miller Sports Properties, which oversees the Tour of Utah. “Spectators will be sure to enjoy world-class competition from southern Utah to the Wasatch Front for our 10th anniversary edition.”
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