We rode on this stage a year ago, only in reverse direction so I knew if I could just stay with the main field I would have a chance. There weren’t very many great sprinters left by the time we started ascending so I thought I would have a shot. – Jure Kocjan

After finishing second in two previous Tour of Utah stages, Smartstop rider Jure Kocjan was more than elated to win Stage 2 of the Tour of Utah and claim his first stage victory over Robin Carpenter and Brent Bookwalter.

But, oh did the Yugoslavian rider have to suffer to earn it.

About one kilometer from the summit of the King of the Mountain stage, Kocjan was withering in the heat of the day and on the steepest part of the climb. Barely hanging on during the ascent, Kocjan was the last of about 30 riders to crest the summit.

“We rode on this stage a year ago, only in reverse direction so I knew if I could just stay with the main field I would have a chance,” Kocjan said. “There weren’t very many great sprinters left by the time we started ascending so I thought I would have a shot.”

Axeon rider Daniel Eaton was first over the Ogden Canyon summit, but BMC rider Brent Bookwalter made an aggressive charge, a few hundred feet from the summit with the intent of reeling anyone in front of him down.

“There was a little lull about 300 meters from the summit and I felt good,” Bookwalter said. “I figured if I went then I would take four or five other really good riders with me.”

Bookwalter was the best descender on day two of the Tour of Utah. He eventually bridged the gap to Eaton, and the two traded pulls before eventually relenting and allowing the peloton to join the leaders.

That peloton had been paired to about 25 riders heading into the final three, 2.3-mile stages through the center of downtown Ogden.

As the group rounded the final turn, Kocjan laid down the hammer to narrowly edge Hincapie Racing’s Robin Carpenter by just a few feet.

There were no changes in the overall race leader competition after Stage 2.

UnitedHealthcare rider Kiel Reijnen, who earned Monday’s sprint finish in Logan, finished a strong fourth in Stage 2, and maintains his overall yellow jersey lead of four seconds over Kocjan and Cannondale-Garmin rider Alex Howes.

The two-day woman’s race showcased a dominant effort from the UnitedHealthcare squad.

View Comments

UHC rider Hannah Barnes helped teammate Coryn Rivera to the line to earn the Stage 2 victory after finishing 10th and eighth, respectively, on Monday. Barnes was the overall champion after earning time bonuses in Tuesday's sprints.

Rivera said she’s thrilled to be part of an explosion in women’s cycling.

“It’s cool to be part of this era of women’s cycling and being part of this push into more equality for women in racing,” Rivera said. “It has to start from somewhere, we'll take what we can get for the moment, but I think there is room for plenty of growth in this sport in the very near future.”

Stage 3 of the Tour of Utah starts at Antelope Island State Park on Wednesday morning, covering 109 miles before finishing in Bountiful.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.