PRESS RELEASE – SALT LAKE CITY (June 5, 2019) – Organizers of the 2019 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah revealed details today for the 477-mile (767.8-kilometer) race route, taking place across northern Utah on Aug. 12-18. Thirteen Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain climbs will be contested across the grandeur and grind of alpine terrain, including 37,882 feet (11,546 meters) of elevation gain. A total of 15 Utah Sports Commission Sprint competitions will be held during the week — the most since 2015.
2019 is the 15th year for the men’s cycling stage race, known as “America’s Toughest Stage Race,” which will challenge the professional athletes with seven heart-pounding days of racing. It is the sixth year for the Tour to be sanctioned as a 2.HC-rated (hors categorie) stage race by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), making it one of the premier events for professional cycling teams in North America.
Corporate partners also have been announced for the opening Prologue and each stage of the Tour of Utah. Detailed maps and videos for race week are now available at the official web site at www.tourofutah.com.
New territory will be covered on four days of racing, beginning with the mountain Prologue at Snowbird Resort that is perched at 8,000 feet above sea level. A few firsts also include circuits in North Logan City and North Salt Lake, and a challenging climb up and over the Olympic Parkway at Utah Olympic Park. Returning to the Tour are the summits of two legendary climbs — Powder Mountain and Empire Pass — both rated as HC, or beyond classification. Back by popular demand is the downtown Salt Lake City circuit race, held in the evening with eight laps past the Utah State Capitol and City Creek Canyon.
“This year’s Tour of Utah has a number of exciting route highlights from a new overall start at Snowbird Resort to the popular circuit race at the Capitol on a Friday evening. The return to Powder Mountain Resort this year will certainly be an epic stage. A true champion among the 120-plus athletes will be crowned at the end of race week in Park City,” said John Kimball, managing director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.
Route Highlights for the 2019 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
- 477 miles/ 767.8 kilometers
- 37,882 feet/ 11,546 meters of elevation gain
- 13 Utah Office of Tourism KOM climbs
- 15 Utah Sports Commission Sprint lines
- First overall start at Snowbird Resort
- Second time for mountaintop finish at Powder Mountain Resort since 2015
- Third Prologue since 2011
- First full weekend of racing in Park City area, with seventh time as overall finish
The first four race days and the final day on Sunday will feature early afternoon start times, between 12:20-12:30 p.m. MT, allowing for race finishes between 3:30-4 p.m. Stage 4 on Aug. 16 will take place from 6-8 p.m. for a Friday twilight performance. The next day, Saturday, Aug. 17, will begin with staggered start times for The Ultimate Challenge and the Tour of Utah. Two ride options for the amateur event will depart from Canyons Village at Park City Mountain between 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The pros will depart on Stage 5 at 2:30 p.m., with an estimated finish time at 6 p.m.
National television broadcasts for the Tour of Utah will be available across the U.S. on FOX Sports Network (FSN), followed by one-hour highlight shows each evening; check local listings for air times. TourTracker presented by Adobe will provide live start-to-finish race coverage via web cast and mobile applications all week. More details regarding Tour Tracker coverage and FSN regional programming will be made available in August.
For just a third time since the Tour joined the UCI America Tour in 2011, a Prologue presented by Zions Bank will lead off race week. Snowbird Resort will host this short time trial for the first time on Monday, Aug. 12. This 3.3-mile (5.3 km) race against the clock will go vertical in Little Cottonwood Canyon as it will follow Bypass Road to snake around The Cliff Lodge. Once back on Little Cottonwood Creek Road, each cyclist will put on the afterburners for the 1.5-mile descent to the finish line, located at Entry 2 behind The Lodge at Snowbird. Spectators will have excellent viewing opportunities around Snowbird Resort to see the riders pass in both directions.
On the weekend prior to the race, Snowbird Resort will host the Team Presentation on Saturday, Aug. 10. A full schedule of fan festivities will be offered Saturday and Sunday to be announced this summer.
Stage 1 will return to the Cache Valley in northern Utah for a third time, and an inaugural visit to North Logan City. The Tuesday, Aug. 13 contest features a completely new 86.9-mile (139.9-km) course that traverses the western slopes of the Bear River Mountains for 4,310 feet of elevation gain. The first Utah Sports Commission Sprint line of the week will be contested in downtown Newton. Then the peloton will make two circuits around Little Mountain, passing less than 10 miles south of the Idaho state line. On each circuit outside Trenton, the first two Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain (KOM) points will be awarded.
After the final pass through Newton, the race will follow Sam Fellow Road to Airport Road and re-enter North Logan City for five fast and furious finishing laps. Rolling in a clockwise direction, the cyclists will pass the finish line area at Meadow View Park on each lap, which is 7.2 miles (11.6 km) in length. Notable on this first of five laps will be the final Sprint and KOM points of the stage. Each swoop around the circuit should take 15-18 minutes to complete, providing spectators with a full hour of action in downtown North Logan City.
Stage 2 presented by Monster Hydro brings a wild west showdown to the 8,900-foot summit of Powder Mountain on Wednesday, Aug. 14. It has been five years since the Tour introduced the massive ascent on one of the steepest roads in Utah. State Route 158 connects the town of Eden to Powder Mountain Resort with gradients rising to 16 percent. The 8.6-mile scale will pack a punch to the legs and lungs of the best climbers in the world for the Stage 2 finish.
The 84.4-mile (135.8-km) Stage 2 begins for a second time in Brigham City, with festivities in front of the stately Box Elder County Courthouse. After 1.5 ceremonial miles along Main Street, the race officially starts on Promontory Road (State Route 13) and will make a 34-mile loop through the northern section of the county. About 40-50 minutes later, the race will pass through Brigham City again, moving southbound on Main Street. A Utah Sports Commission Sprint line will be contested at the West Forest Street intersection.
The race will then proceed south on Highway 89 to access Weber County. A second Sprint line will be held along W. 2700 North in North Ogden, setting up a Category 2 Utah Office of Tourism KOM on the North Ogden Divide. Once through the narrow, winding pass, the race will circle the Pineview Reservoir twice, rolling in a counter-clockwise direction. Sprint points will be awarded on both laps through Huntsville, using State Route 39. From there it is the final push to complete 7,310 feet of elevation gain for the day to Hidden Lake Lodge on the summit of Powder Mountain. This new section is an extra 1.4 miles above the tree line than was raced in 2015.
Stage 3 on Thursday, Aug. 15 begins for a fourth time at Antelope Island State Park. From the drop of the flag at Field Garr Ranch, the race surges northbound on the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. After crossing the 7- mile causeway, the race will wind through the communities of West Point, Layton, Kaysville, Fruit Heights and Farmington. Riders will vie for two Utah Sports Commission Sprint lines in northern Davis County in Layton and Fruit Heights.
Most of the 5,895 feet of climbing on this 85.9-mile (138.3-km) stage will be collected when the route skirts the Wasatch Mountains south of Layton, with three Category 3 climbs in the final 29 miles. Following a punchy KOM up the Bountiful Bench, the route follows a new southbound stretch of Bountiful Boulevard for finishing circuits in first-time host city North Salt Lake. The riders won’t have long to admire the stunning view across the valley to the Great Salt Lake, with a right turn on Indian Springs Road for 3.75 laps of a 6-mile circuit in North Salt Lake. Two laps will award more KOM points. Before a fourth full lap is completed, the stage winner will be decided in front of Eaglewood Golf Course.
Stage 4 presented by America First Credit Union returns to downtown Salt Lake City for the 12th time in Tour history. The traditional circuit course is back for a third time, with the high-speed descent of N. Virginia Avenue, severe incline on N. State Street, and start/finish line on East Capitol Boulevard next to the Utah State Capitol campus. This 6.7-mile (10.8-km) circuit is the same course that was first introduced in 2013 and used again in 2017. There will be eight total laps this year, for 53.8 miles (86.5 km) of racing. Intermediate sprints will provide bonus points on laps 3, 5 and 7. The after-hours workday affair will take place 6-8 p.m. Stage 4 will offer a number of viewing areas for residents and visitors, including City Creek Canyon and Reservoir Park. There are no Utah Office of Tourism KOM points on Friday; however Stage 4 packs a punch with 4,460 feet of elevation gain.
For the first time in race history, Canyons Village at Park City Mountain will host both the start and finish on Saturday, Aug. 17 for Stage 5 presented by University of Utah Health. A winding trail across Summit County will take the race past Jordanelle and Rockport reservoirs for a total 85.1 miles (137 km) and 5,236 feet of climbing. Sprint lines in the meadowlands of Kamas and Hoytsville are bookended with KOM lines along the mountainous terrain near the Jordanelle Reservoir and up the often-traversed Browns Canyon.
The route will twist around Kimball Junction for a possible General Classification shakeup in the final six miles. Riders will cross the top of Utah Olympic Park for the first time and face a blazing downhill on Bear Hollow Drive. The final push is vertical along Canyons Resort Drive and High Mountain Road to the finish line in the heart of Canyons Village at Park City Mountain. The professional teams start the course from Canyons Village at Park City Mountain at 2:30 p.m., with an expected finish at 6 p.m. Following the award ceremonies, the after- party for Stage 5 includes a free concert as part of the annual Summer Concert Series.
Earlier on Saturday, two gran fondo-style bicycle rides will roll out from the same start area. The Ultimate Challenge presented by University of Utah Health, now in its ninth year, offers a unique cycling event for amateurs to ride one of the demanding mountain courses used by the pros. This year Sunday’s Stage 6 route will be used by The Ultimate Challenge participants and include a shorter 44-mile option. There will be timed sections on the 94-mile route at Wolf Creek Ranches and over Empire Pass. The longer route begins at 10:30 a.m. and the shorter route begins at 12:30 p.m. For registration ($95-$140) and more information, visitwww.tourofutah.com/experience/ultimate-challenge.
Stage 6 presented by Utah Sports Commission brings back the overall finish to Park City on Sunday, Aug. 18. It is the 10th year Park City has served as a host city, and seventh time it will host the final stage of the Tour. No need to make changes to a proven course first introduced in 2012, which features 78.2 miles (125.9 km) and 10,000 feet of climbing.
The route will pass down Browns Canyon and encounter a Sprint line in the town of Kamas. Then an aspen tree-lined, 2.1-mile KOM follows in the private community of Wolf Creek Ranch, a Category 2 climb that reaches a maximum pitch of 22 percent. A technical descent into Wasatch County will allow the riders to regroup through Heber City before the final sprint line in Midway. Then an all-out assault for the climbers will take place on the six- mile climb along Pine Canyon Road, with pitches from 10-20 percent gradient. The H.C. summit of Empire Pass is the final KOM and the highest point of the race for the week at 9,700 feet above sea level. A blistering descent down Mine Road leads to the finish in front of historically massive crowds along Upper Main Street in Park City.
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).
Maps and Elevation Profiles:
