SALT LAKE CITY, May 16, 2019 (TOU) – Want to easily spot the overall race leader in this year’s Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah? Look for the one-of-a-kind yellow jersey emblazoned with the skyline of Salt Lake City. The six Tour of Utah award jerseys have been redesigned to recognize classification leaders and fan favorites during race week on Aug. 12-18.
Five jerseys will be presented daily for top performers in the peloton, which include the General Classification (G.C.) leader, sprint leader, best climber, most aggressive and best young rising star. The America First Credit Union Fan Favorite jersey will be awarded daily in special categories using online voting by fans.
The updated designs showcase classic landscapes of the state of Utah from the Bonneville Salt Flats to Arches National Park. A distinct color is paired with the featured design to identify each unique jersey. It is the ninth year that Tour organizers have partnered with Utah-based DNACYCLING for design and production of all award jerseys.
Here are the award jerseys with presenting sponsor and scenic image:
- General Classification Leader — Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and Salt Lake City skyline
- Sprint Leader — Utah Sports Commission and Bonneville Salt Flats with land speed record race car
- King of the Mountain — Utah Office of Tourism and Wasatch Mountain Range and snowflakes
- Best Young Rider — WCF Insurance and Mount Nebo
- Most Aggressive Rider — Larry H. Miller Dealerships and Arches National Park
- Fan Favorite — America First Credit Union and herd of buffalo on Antelope Island State Park
“The Tour of Utah has been proud to pass many of these iconic locations during the race in the past several years, and for our 15th edition we wanted to pay tribute to many of these scenic sites. DNA Cycling has done a great job with award jersey designs to commemorate what makes Utah special,” said John Kimball, managing director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.
All award jerseys will feature branding for three Tour Partners — Larry H. Miller Dealerships, Utah Sports Commission and the Utah Office of Tourism, an agency of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development — on the collar, sleeves and side panels.
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies General Classification (G.C.) jersey is worn by the overall race leader, determined by the lowest accumulated time. The yellow color replicates the same type of G.C. jersey used by the Tour de France, which began this tradition in 1913. Last year, American Sepp Kuss of Team LottoNL-Jumbo secured the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies G.C. jersey after winning three individual stages.
The Utah Sports Commission Sprint jersey is awarded to the rider who specializes in speed. Each day, riders can accumulate points for this classification along the route at designated points, as well as bonuses at select finish lines. The top sprinter from the 2018 race was American Travis McCabe of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, who captured the Utah Sports Commission Sprint jersey for a second consecutive year.
The Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain (KOM) jersey will return with its popular motif of blue snowflakes and the Ski Utah brand. Designated KOM climbs along the route will provide points for this classification. The rider with the most accumulated points is awarded the KOM jersey each day as the best climber. Overall winner Kuss proved to be the best climber in the peloton and earned the Utah Office of Tourism KOM title last year.
The WCF Insurance Best Young Rider jersey goes to the foremost up-and-coming rider under the age of 24. This light blue jersey recognizes the qualified rider with the lowest accumulated time in the G.C. standings each day. Mexican Luis Villalobos of Aevolo Cycling won this jersey in 2018.
The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider jersey is awarded to one rider each day who is judged by a panel of race officials to have exhibited a courageous or decisive performance. There is no overall champion for this award jersey since the selection is based on voting rather than G.C. standings. There were seven different riders to wear this award jersey last year, including American Nathan Brown of EF Education First-Drapac presented by Cannondale on the final stage in Park City.
The America First Credit Union Fan Favorite jersey returns for a sixth year as fans choose to recognize rising stars, past champions and inspirational riders. Each day a different category is named online at TourofUtah.com, with a winner tabulated by popular votes. Last year, American Taylor “TJ” Eisenhart of Holowesko-Citadel presented by Arapahoe Resources received the most votes to capture the Overall Fan Favorite prize. Voting for the daily America First Credit Union Fan Favorite award will be begin on the opening day of racing on Aug. 12.
The Tour of Utah is one of the premier events in North America for men’s professional cycling teams, ranked 2.HC by the Union Cycliste Internationale and positioned on USA Cycling’s Pro Road Tour. The Tour of Utah will begin on Aug. 12 with a prologue (short time trial) at Snowbird Resort, one of four ski resorts that is part of the event. The Tour will conclude on Aug. 18 in Park City. Additional host venues are North Logan City, Brigham City, Powder Mountain Resort, Antelope Island State Park, North Salt Lake, Salt Lake City, and Canyons Village at Park City Mountain.
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is free to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique professional sports in the world today. It remains a 2.HC-rated stage race on the UCI America Tour, making it one of the premier events for professional cycling teams in North America. The Tour is also part of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour. More information about the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com, as well as social channels Facebook (tourofutah), Twitter (@tourofutah), Instagram (@thetourofutah) and YouTube (Tour of Utah).
