USA Pro Challenge 2014: Tejay van Garderen conquers Monarch Mountain
On the third day of the USA Pro Challenge, Tejay van Garderen staged a coup, dominating the competition on Monarch Mountain to seize stage victory and control of the overall race.
The win for the BMC rider and defending champion came after a difficult day of racing that saw the peloton climb the 3,450-m Monarch Pass twice during the 155-km stage with the finish at the top of the second ascent.
After the start in Gunnison, it took more than 50 km of hectic racing for the first significant move to break clear. Garmin-Sharp’s Janier Acevedo lead that charge, attacking the first time up Monarch Pass with a group of GC favourites dragging behind him.
At the summit, eight riders remained in front: Acevedo and his Garmin-Sharp teammate Tom Danielson, BMC’s van Garderen and Ben Hermans, Rafal Majka, Michael Rogers, and Pavel Poljanski of Tinkoff-Saxo, and Carter Jones of Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies.
After the descent, a chasing group managed to make the catch as the race entered the first of two 14-km circuits around the town of Salida. Race-leader Alex Howes of Garmin-Sharp was included in the mix.
As the chasers arrived, Michael Rogers struck out solo, gaining a minute and a half’s advantage on the lower slopes of the  climb to the finish.
The battle behind for GC honours did him in however as the favourites’ pace quickly abolished his lead.
In the finale, Garmin-Sharp’s Acevedo and Danielson took turns attacking, dropping Howes, but van Garderen’s BMC team proved too strong. Others tried, with Bruno Pires of Tinkoff-Saxo, Trek’s Matthew Busche and Carter Jones of Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies all having goes, but their attempts were for nought.
Then, inside the final kilometre, van Garderen pounced. Majka followed but van Garderen proved superb, leading the whole way up to the finish to claim the win. Majka held on for second. Serghei Tvetcov of Jelly Belly presented by Maxxis came in third.
Van Garderen now leads the GC by 20 seconds over Majka, with four stages remaining. Van Garderen’s BMC teammate, Ben Hermans sits in third, 23 seconds back.
