Watching on TV is one thing, which is cool in its own right, but witnessing the race in person is totally different. Mountains look big on TV, but when my friends drive up Little Cottonwood, they can really appreciate the feat of racing up it. – Robbie Squire
SALT LAKE CITY — As 126 cyclists from 23 countries get ready to ride in the 2017 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah stage race, cycling fans from across the state should buckle up for what appears to be a 605-mile thriller as world class athletes do battle in the rugged Wasatch mountains.
With 2016 winner Lachlan Morton parlaying his epic climb up Guardsman's Pass in 2016 to jump to the pro tour with the UCI World Tour Team, the field looks wide open with several Utah athletes looking to make an impact on their home turf.
Bountiful's Cortlan Brown and Salt Lake City resident Robbie Squire ride for the Hangar 15 team, the only team in this years tour based out of Utah. Squire says he's ready to do battle in his own backyard.
"My favorite part of Tour of Utah is getting to race in front of my friends and family," said Squire. "Watching on TV is one thing, which is cool in its own right, but witnessing the race in person is totally different. Mountains look big on TV, but when my friends drive up Little Cottonwood, they can really appreciate the feat of racing up it."
While cyclists will have fewer miles to travel, tour organizers have added several new routes, including an individual time trial where cyclists compete against the clock without the aid of teammates who regularly escort the team leader up the steepest of climbs.
The race begins Monday with a 132-mile Logan to Logan stage. Tuesday's stage features a 94-mile race from Brigham City that finishes with a brutal ascent to Snowbasin ski resort.
On Wednesday, it's the individual time trial, a 5.6-mile assault up Big Cottonwood Canyon from the Donut Falls Trailhead to Brighton Ski Resort. With a vertical climb of over 1,700 feet over those 5.6 miles, the time trial will likely produce some early race fireworks.
Tour of Utah director Jenn Andrs is excited to see the time trial return to the event.
“We haven’t had a time trial in a long time and Salt Lake County has really been engaged and stepped up to make it happen for us,” Andrs said. “It will be a grueling five miles for these guys.”
In the Tour's stages 4-6, riders will bike in South Jordan, and from Layton to Bountiful before enduring a 61-mile scorcher from the Heber Valley, with nearly 8,000 feet of vertical gain, to the finish at Snowbird.
While Utah is famous for its Wasatch Mountains, Brown says he hopes to use his home field to an advantage after training on the steep east bench of Bountiful.
"I do train in Bountiful, and although there are no long canyon climbs, the city on the hill makes for plenty of steep climbs,” Brown said. “I think that there are some great places along 400 North to watch the race, right above Davis Boulevard will show you the steepest part of the climb or a little higher the views are great and the climb doesn't let up.”
Sunday's final stage should have Salt Lake City cycling fans lathered up during an 11-lap circuit-race with a start and finish at the Utah State Capitol.
Squire says the final stage in Salt Lake City gives all fans, from casual to die-hard, a front-row seat to experience world-class cycling.
“State Street is an excellent viewing spot because it is right next to the finish and is likely where most of the racing action will be,” Squire said. “That being said, the speeds at which we will come out of the Avenues and approach the finish is always impressive and worth checking out.”
Another Utahn, Taylor “T.J.” Eisenhart, a Lehi resident who rides for Holowesko-Citadel team, finished seventh in the overall classification in 2016 and showed he's capable of hanging with the big boys on the steep mountain climbs.
While the Tour of Utah showcases the scenery of Utah to a worldwide audience, Andrs said every year the Tour runs like clockwork thanks to the individual cities and volunteers that are the backbone of the midsummer spectacular.
“We have tremendous host communities who every year step up to host a stage in their community. They all work very hard throughout the year to promote the race and plan events, which complement the Tour’s efforts,” Andrs said. “Each year, the cities collectively recruit almost 2,000 volunteers. It is very impressive.”
While the event continues to grow, Andrs said it's the continuing support of the founding partners — Utah Sports Commission, Zions Bank and LHM Dealerships, along with other major partners — that continue to provide a free race for an enormous fan base that just keeps growing.
“We have over 90 companies who partner with us. Since there is not a gate fee associated with the event — it is free and open to the public — we really rely on our partner support. And we are so appreciative of their commitment to showcasing Utah through cycling,” Andrs said.
Tour of Utah notes
Stage 4 in South Jordan starts on Redwood Road next to South Jordan City Park, the race will head to the West Desert using State Roads 36 and 73 to connect to the old Pony Express Trail in Tooele County. ... Team Novo Nordisk continues as the first professional cycling team comprised of all riders living with diabetes. ... Sam Brand of Great Britain, a former triathlete from the Isle of Man, joined Team Novo Nordisk’s development team in 2016 after switching exclusively to cycling.