We thought about different tactics, launching from Guardsman’s Pass, but at the end of the day we just decided to set it up as best as we could, basically go head to head with Lachlan, and whoever was better would win. – Andrew Talansky
LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — When the 2016 Tour of Utah began Cannondale-Drapac rider Andrew Talansky figured to be the lieutenant for teammate and defending champion Joe Dombrowski. When the defending champ fell back on the Mount Nebo climb in Stage 3, the lieutenant duties switched hands.
Dombrowski and team escorted Talansky up most of Big Cottonwood before Talansky responded to an attack from BMC rider Darwin Atapuma near Tanners Flat. With the race leaders’ yellow jersey and a stage win on the line, Talansky held off Atapuma despite a delicate dance down the rain-soaked pavement at Snowbird.
When Lachlan Morton crossed the line 31 second later, Talansky took the yellow jersey and owns a 22-second lead over the Jelly Belly rider from Australia.
“This morning, and even after yesterday, I felt good on the circuits,” Talansky said. “We thought about different tactics, launching from Guardsman’s Pass, but at the end of the day we just decided to set it up as best as we could, basically go head to head with Lachlan, and whoever was better would win.”
While Talansky earned the win, his team did the work. Teammate Ben King jumped in the break early, and as the Cannondale-Drapec guys entered Big Cottonwood Canyon, a stiff headwind greeted the climbers on an already challenging road.
“Almost every day you can count on a tailwind up Snowbird, except when a storm blows through,” Talansky said.
With four kilometers remaining in the stage, Lehi’s TJ Eisenhart threw caution to the wind and attacked.
“We came to a part in the climb, and I’d had enough of it and sometimes you just have to go,” Eisenhart said. “We wanted to put pressure on everyone else, and I was kind of hoping the wind might change, but I did as much as I could to let Darwin (Atapuma) hang on.”
Atapuma attacked at the Tanners Flat area, unleashing a wicked acceleration that even Talansky had trouble following for a moment. Eventually Talansky caught and passed the Colombian rider and led every moment of the race’s final kilometer.
Despite their battle on the mountain, Talansky translated for Atapuma at Saturday’s press conference.
“Today was a tough stage but he’s thankful for everything. All the hard work the team did setting up the stage. Tomorrow is a hard stage, and he hopes for good legs,” Talansky translated for Atapuma.
With a difficult climb up Empire Pass Sunday, three riders remain in contention for the overall. Morton is now 22 seconds from the yellow jersey, while 18-year-old Axeon Hagens Berman’s Adrien Costa is the current King of the Mountain jersey holder. Costa would need something special on Sunday to reel in the 56-second deficit to the yellow jersey.
“I got the KOM jersey on Guardsman because it was there,” Costa said. “It’s not my priority but it’s nice to have. It’s been a really good race so far, and hopefully the legs are good tomorrow,” Costa said.
Tour talk this week was if Jelly Belly had the horses to keep Morton in the lead as the tour switched gears to mountain stages on the final two days.
While Talansky has a lead, he’s fully aware of how dangerous Morton could be.
“I’ve been very, very impressed with Jelly Belly. They’ve taken on the race and they haven’t asked for help, they’ve done an incredible job,” Talansky said. “Lachlan wanted the break at three minutes at Guardsman, and his team gave him that. Nothing but class those guys have shown this week with Lachlan on top of it. Anyone who knows Lachlan knows how good he is, this week he’s showing it again.”
Will the Empire (Pass) strike back? Few climbs in the world match the 10 percent average grade which at times reaches 20 percent, all while traveling over rough pavement. Empire Pass is quite simply the toughest climb race in the United States.