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2015 Tour of Utah Stage 7: Joe Dombrowski fends off rivals to win

Lachlan Norris (Australia/Drapac) beat Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) at the line to win Sunday's final stage of the 2015 Tour of Utah.

August 9, 2015
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Lachlan Norris (Australia/Drapac) beat Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) at the line to win Sunday’s final stage of the 2015 Tour of Utah. Joe Dombrowski held on to claim Cannondale-Garmin’s third consecutive Tour of Utah title. Michael Woods (Optum) came runner-up, the highest-ever placing of a Canadian in the race.

The riders faced 125.5-km containing two climbs, the medium-length but steep Cat. 2 ascent to Wolf Creek Ranch peaking at the 59-km point, and the grueling Empire Pass climb. An HC slog, Empire Pass is 16-km of 10% average. Its crest comes 6.5-km from the finish line down in Park City.

A dozen riders provided the day’s breakaway. Among the fugitives was Canadian Rob Britton (SmartStop), on the hunt for the second consecutive day. Aussie Angus Morton of Jelly Belly took the first intermediate sprint of the day in Kamas. The escape took a maximum of 3:45 over the peloton. First Cannondale-Garmin drove the pace for Dombrowski, and then Optum came forward to work for Woods.

The Wolf Creek Ranch climb is as steep as the Empire Pass, but a quarter of the length. Once the peloton hit “the Wolf” Janez Brajkovic (Slovenia/UnitedHealthcare) surged away. The climbing didn’t cease past the crest, but carried on over a long false flat. Finally, the road tilted down, and while Brajkovic went back to the bunch, the twelve escapees free-wheeled with a 2:00 gap.

Out of the break, Tanner Putt (USA/UnitedHealthcare) pushed away and Taylor Phinney (USA/BMC) followed. Putt crossed the second intermediate in sprint Midway a minute ahead of his former breakmates and dreamed about entering his home town of Park City for the victory.

It was time for the great reckoning of Empire Pass. Britton and two others began to pull Putt back. In the peloton, Woods set the pace. Britton steamed by Putt and carried on solo, struggling to keep his gap over a small, elite yellow jersey group. The Canadian couldn’t crest alone and, in fact, it was Morton who took the max KOM points.

The drop was steep and technical. Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) tucked his way to a lead, with Lachlan Norris (Australia/Drapac) making the connection. Bookwalter couldn’t deal with the power of Norris, the Aussie blowing by the American just before the line. Bookwalter’s consolation was jumping onto the final podium and taking the points jersey. Woods crashed on the final corner, but was given the same time as the Dombrowski bunch.

2015 Tour of Utah Stage 7
1) Lachlan Norris (Australia/Drapac)
2) Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) s.t.
3) Natnael Berhane (Eritrea/MTN-Qhubeka)

2015 Tour of Utah Final GC
1) Joe Dombrowski (USA/Cannondale-Garmin) 28:08:47
2) Michael Woods (Canada/Optum) +0:50
3) Brent Bookwalter (USA/BMC) +1:05