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2015 Tour of Utah Stage 4: Optum’s Eric Young powers to victory, Kocjan seizes yellow

Eric Young (USA/Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) showed his strength in triumphing on the uphill finish of Thursday's stage of the 2015 Tour of Utah.

August 6, 2015
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Eric Young (USA/Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) showed his strength in triumphing on the uphill finish of Thursday’s stage of the 2015 Tour of Utah. Jure Kocjan (Slovenia/SmartStop) ripped the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Kiel Reijnen (USA/UnitedHealthcare).

Early breakaways were neutralized, but seven riders stole away on the long gradual ascent leading to the first categorized climb of the day. Robin Carpenter (USA/Hincapie), second in last year’s KOM competition, nudged over the Cat. 4 Daniels Summit in the lead. UnitedHealthcare did most of the early pace-making in the peloton.

The major climb of the day was Cat. 2 Wolf Creek Pass, 16-km of 4%. The gap stayed steady at 2:20 from Daniels Summit to the foot of Wolf Creek Pass. Along the way, Carpenter picked up bonus seconds at the first intermediate sprint. One of the escapees, Songezo Jim (South Africa/MTN-Qhubeka), lost contact halfway up the pass. Back in the peloton Team Colombia took over and drove the pain train, shrinking the gap.

Greg Daniel (USA/Axeon) bridged over from the peloton before the fugitives crested and took the maximum KOM points. Back to a septet, the lead group flowed down the gradual downhill, with Carpenter once more crossing the intermediate sprint in Woodland first. Daniel then nabbed the KOM lead by summitting the last climb in the lead.

The break had 55-seconds with 15-km to go. The remaining kilometres consisted of more gradual downhill and then a slight uphill haul to the line in Heber Valley, the start town. As UnitedHealthcare recruited MTN-Qhubeka to help with the chase, the escapees started to attack one another. The race came together with 3-km to go.

BMC mobbed the front of the peloton as it wound its way to Soldier Hollow in Heber Valley. Optum came forward to make their claim on the stage. The road kicked up and Joey Rosskopf laboured for his BMC teammate Brent Bookwalter. But Young attacked from far out and held off the field to take a fine win.

Top Canadian again was Michael Woods, Young’s Optum teammate.

Kocjan and Reijnen are tied on time, but the Slovenian will wear the yellow jersey on Friday, when the race negotiates 88.5-km in seven laps of Salt Lake City.

2015 Tour of Utah Stage 4
1) Eric Young (USA/Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) 4:47:57
2) Dion Smith (New Zealand/Hincapie) s.t.
3) Jure Kocjan (Slovenia/SmartStop) s.t.

2015 Tour of Utah GC
1) Jure Kocjan (Slovenia/SmartStop) 17:46:56
2) Kiel Reijnen (USA/UnitedHealthcare) s.t.
3) Robin Carpenter (USA/Hincapie) +0:02