By Lyne Lamoureux – SNOWBIRD, Utah (August 12, 2019) – Canadian James Piccoli of Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling was the fastest man at Snowbird Resort in Monday’s opening day for the 2019 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. Piccoli won the 3.2-mile (5.3-kilometer) Prologue presented by Zions Bank in a time of 8 minutes, 37 seconds.
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“We’re really happy that we came away with the first stage of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. It’s a great confidence boost going into the week. For sure, seven seconds is not going to be the difference this week between winning and losing with some of the climbs coming up, which are quite beautiful, but also quite hard. But it’s a great way to start the week,” said Piccoli. He will wear the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall Leader’s jersey on Tuesday.
The Tour of Utah was instrumental in Piccoli’s cycling career, after all, he wouldn’t still be racing if it wasn’t for his results at the 2017 event.
“I’d like to personally thank everyone from Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment for putting their faith in us two years ago. What they don’t know is that they saved my cycling career,” added Piccoli, who finished 10th overall at the 2017 Tour of Utah. “I was probably going to stop cycling and then the team, Elevate-KHS, got an invite here (in Utah), and they signed me for this race specifically. If Elevate-KHS wasn’t invited to this race, I probably wouldn’t be a cyclist right now.”
American Lawson Craddock of EF Education First finished six seconds back in second place. Romanian time trial champion Serghei Tvetcov of Worthy Pro Cycling, who was third overall in 2017, finished in third, half a second behind Craddock.
The 27th rider out of the gate, Kyle Murphy (Rally Cycling) set the early fast time of 8.49.50 which put him in the hot seat for over 50 minutes, as he watched 53 riders finish slower than his time. Craddock, the 80th rider to start set the new fast time until Piccoli flew around the course, averaging a speed of 22.9 mph.
Pacing was key on the out-and-back course, half of it climbing on the steep pitches in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The course followed Bypass Road to snake around The Cliff Lodge. Once back on Little Cottonwood Creek Road, racers put on the afterburners for the 1.5-mile descent to the finish line, located at Entry 2 behind The Lodge at Snowbird.
“It was a really tough prologue. I came to see it with our team Elevate-KHS a couple of days ago and since then I’ve ridden it a couple of times, trying to refine my pacing strategy,” Piccoli explained. “It was quite complicated with the altitude here at Snowbird and the corners, and the tricky up and down pacing strategy so I rode it a couple of times, a couple of times hard, and every time I got closer to what I wanted to do and today it ended up working out.”
Tvetcov noted that the final sharp left turn on the downhill stretch to the finish was tricky. “You come from really steep downhill and you need to brake all the way to zero miles per hour and then start again. That’s what happened, I tried to keep as fast as possible,” he said. “It’s a great course.”
Craddock agreed that it was a “tough course” and that altitude also made it even more difficult.
“You have to really take that into account when you’re preparing for a race like this, preparing your equipment and your pacing strategy,” Craddock said of the altitude. “For me, I knew that it was better to be a little bit conservative on the first little climb, then really lay down over the last kilometer and a half of climbing and that’s what I did. I think I paced it pretty well, it took me about an hour and a half to not feel like I wanted to vomit. Unfortunately it just wasn’t enough to win but congrats to James.”
On a picture-perfect day with a backdrop of Mount Superior in the Wasatch Mountains, Piccoli bested 112 other riders on the opening day of racing for the weeklong stage race. He had no idea he was on his way to victory.
“I was just riding really hard,” Piccoli stated. “You don’t have too much time to think of stuff like that, it’s such a short prologue. I mean if it’s longer then you can do splits to pace yourself. Today was really short and intense so I wasn’t really aiming for splits with people and I didn’t have a radio today. I just wanted to ride and execute our strategy and we did.”
A total of 25 riders are now separated by 30 seconds at the top of the standings, making for an exciting opening to the 15th edition of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.
Joe Dombrowski of EF Education First, the overall winner of the 2015 Tour of Utah, is 15 seconds back in seventh place. The 2017 Tour of Utah champion, Canadian time trial champion Rob Britton of Rally Cycling, is in 14th place, 18 seconds down. Lachlan Morton of EF Education First, the 2016 winner, sits in 16th place, 21 seconds back.
Finishing fourth, Portugal under-23 national champion João Almeida of Hagens Berman Axeon claimed the WCF Insurance Best Young Rider jersey, and the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider jersey. 303 Project’s Antonio Baca of Mexico was voted the America First Credit Union Fan Favorite, in the category of International Rider. Tvetcov claimed the Utah Sports Commission Sprint jersey and Craddock was awarded the Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain jersey.
True to its nickname as “America’s Toughest Stage Race,” the 2019 Tour of Utah will provide 37,882 feet of elevation gain over 477 miles of racing on Aug. 12-18. Racing continues Tuesday with Stage 1 presented by Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, taking place in North Logan City. Stage 1 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 peloton will make two circuits around Little Mountain, passing less than 10 miles south of the Idaho state line before returning to North Logan City for five fast and furious finishing laps.
RESULTS AND STANDINGS
Prologue presented by Zions Bank – Top 10
- PICCOLI James (CAN) ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING 0:08:37.590
- CRADDOCK Lawson (USA) EF EDUCATION FIRST 0:08:43.140 +0:00:06
- TVETCOV Serghei (ROU) WORTHY PRO CYCLING 0:08:43.590
- ALMEIDA João (POR) HAGENS BERMAN AXEON 0:08:43.860
- MURPHY Kyle (USA) RALLY UHC CYCLING 0:08:49.500 +0:00:12
- MANNION Gavin (USA) RALLY UHC CYCLING 0:08:52.130 +0:00:15
- DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd (USA) EF EDUCATION FIRST 0:08:52.200
- BOIVIN Guillaume (CAN) ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY 0:08:53.060 +0:00:16
- SWIRBUL Keegan (USA) WORTHY PRO CYCLING 0:08:54.260 +0:00:17
- MCCABE Travis (USA) WORTHY PRO CYCLING 0:08:54.980 +0:00:17
AWARD JERSEYS
- Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall leader – James Piccoli (CAN), Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling
- Utah Sports Commission Sprint leader – Serghei Tvetcov (ROM), Worthy Pro Cycling
- Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain – Lawson Craddock (USA), EF Education First
- WCF Insurance Best Young Rider – João Almeida (POR), Hagens Berman Axeon
- Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider – João Almeida (POR), Hagens Berman Axeon
- America First Credit Union Fan Favorite – Antonio Baca (MEX), 303 Project
2019 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah Prologue presented by Zions Bank at Snowbird Resort
| Position | Bib No. | Rider | Team | Country | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 81 | PICCOLI James | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | CAN | 0:08:37 | 0:00:00 |
| 2 | 2 | CRADDOCK Lawson | EF EDUCATION FIRST | USA | 0:08:43 | 0:00:06 |
| 3 | 77 | TVETCOV Serghei | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | ROU | 0:08:43 | 0:00:06 |
| 4 | 51 | * ALMEIDA João | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | POR | 0:08:43 | 0:00:06 |
| 5 | 26 | MURPHY Kyle | RALLY UHC CYCLING | USA | 0:08:49 | 0:00:12 |
| 6 | 25 | MANNION Gavin | RALLY UHC CYCLING | USA | 0:08:52 | 0:00:15 |
| 7 | 3 | DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd | EF EDUCATION FIRST | USA | 0:08:52 | 0:00:15 |
| 8 | 33 | BOIVIN Guillaume | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | CAN | 0:08:53 | 0:00:16 |
| 9 | 76 | SWIRBUL Keegan | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:08:54 | 0:00:17 |
| 10 | 75 | MCCABE Travis | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:08:54 | 0:00:17 |
| 11 | 35 | HERMANS Ben | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | BEL | 0:08:55 | 0:00:18 |
| 12 | 101 | * HOEHN Alex | AEVOLO | USA | 0:08:55 | 0:00:18 |
| 13 | 112 | BASSETT Stephen | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:08:55 | 0:00:18 |
| 14 | 21 | BRITTON Robert | RALLY UHC CYCLING | CAN | 0:08:56 | 0:00:19 |
| 15 | 16 | STETINA Peter | TREK-SEGAFREDO | USA | 0:08:57 | 0:00:20 |
| 16 | 1 | MORTON Lachlan | EF EDUCATION FIRST | AUS | 0:08:58 | 0:00:21 |
| 17 | 57 | * VERMAERKE Kevin | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | USA | 0:08:59 | 0:00:22 |
| 18 | 4 | HOWES Alex | EF EDUCATION FIRST | USA | 0:09:00 | 0:00:23 |
| 19 | 135 | BOWDEN Scott | TEAM BRIDGELANE | AUS | 0:09:01 | 0:00:24 |
| 20 | 123 | RHIM Brendan | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:09:04 | 0:00:27 |
| 21 | 146 | EASTER Griffin | 303 PROJECT | USA | 0:09:04 | 0:00:27 |
| 22 | 22 | HUFFMAN Evan | RALLY UHC CYCLING | USA | 0:09:05 | 0:00:28 |
| 23 | 13 | EG Niklas | TREK-SEGAFREDO | DEN | 0:09:06 | 0:00:29 |
| 24 | 32 | BADILATTI Matteo | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | SUI | 0:09:06 | 0:00:29 |
| 25 | 133 | MCCORMICK Hayden | TEAM BRIDGELANE | NZL | 0:09:07 | 0:00:30 |
| 26 | 132 | SUNDERLAND Dylan | TEAM BRIDGELANE | AUS | 0:09:08 | 0:00:31 |
| 27 | 155 | SAMUEL Travis | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | CAN | 0:09:09 | 0:00:32 |
| 28 | 24 | ELLSAY Nigel | RALLY UHC CYCLING | CAN | 0:09:10 | 0:00:33 |
| 29 | 82 | BASSETTI Samuel | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:09:11 | 0:00:34 |
| 30 | 72 | COWAN Alexander | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | CAN | 0:09:11 | 0:00:34 |
| 31 | 137 | COOPER Joseph | TEAM BRIDGELANE | NZL | 0:09:11 | 0:00:34 |
| 32 | 31 | AVILA VANEGAS Edwin Alcibiades | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | COL | 0:09:11 | 0:00:34 |
| 33 | 41 | QUINTANA Dayer | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | COL | 0:09:12 | 0:00:35 |
| 34 | 52 | * ANDERSON Edward | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | USA | 0:09:13 | 0:00:36 |
| 35 | 151 | DANIEL Gregory | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | USA | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 36 | 84 | CHEYNE Jordan | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | CAN | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 37 | 106 | * ROJAS CAMPOS Gabriel Francisco | AEVOLO | CRC | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 38 | 105 | * BRUNNER Eric | AEVOLO | USA | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 39 | 124 | PUTT Tanner | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 40 | 14 | * LOPEZ Juan Pedro | TREK-SEGAFREDO | ESP | 0:09:14 | 0:00:37 |
| 41 | 86 | SIMPSON George | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:09:15 | 0:00:38 |
| 42 | 44 | SCHÖNBERGER Sebastian | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | AUT | 0:09:16 | 0:00:39 |
| 43 | 125 | WOLFE Benjamin | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:09:17 | 0:00:40 |
| 44 | 111 | BOARDMAN Samuel | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:09:18 | 0:00:41 |
| 45 | 34 | EARLE Nathan | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | AUS | 0:09:18 | 0:00:41 |
| 46 | 136 | * LINDORFF Tyler | TEAM BRIDGELANE | AUS | 0:09:18 | 0:00:41 |
| 47 | 152 | FRAYRE Eder | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | MEX | 0:09:18 | 0:00:41 |
| 48 | 55 | * REVARD Thomas | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | USA | 0:09:19 | 0:00:42 |
| 49 | 147 | EASTER Cullen | 303 PROJECT | USA | 0:09:20 | 0:00:43 |
| 50 | 23 | MAGNER Tyler | RALLY UHC CYCLING | USA | 0:09:21 | 0:00:44 |
| 51 | 27 | ORONTE Emerson | RALLY UHC CYCLING | USA | 0:09:21 | 0:00:44 |
| 52 | 95 | ALARCÓN CARES Pablo Andrés | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | CHI | 0:09:22 | 0:00:45 |
| 53 | 47 | MARENGO Umberto | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | ITA | 0:09:22 | 0:00:45 |
| 54 | 45 | BONGIORNO Francesco Manuel | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | ITA | 0:09:23 | 0:00:46 |
| 55 | 63 | ZACCANTI Filippo | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | ITA | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 56 | 87 | YOUNG Eric | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 57 | 71 | CLARKE Jonathan | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | AUS | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 58 | 15 | REIJNEN Kiel | TREK-SEGAFREDO | USA | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 59 | 83 | CASTILLO SOTO Ulises Alfredo | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | MEX | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 60 | 42 | VELASCO Simone | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | ITA | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 61 | 131 | HARPER Chris | TEAM BRIDGELANE | AUS | 0:09:24 | 0:00:47 |
| 62 | 164 | * BAUER Dominik | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | GER | 0:09:25 | 0:00:48 |
| 63 | 73 | GRANIGAN Noah | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | USA | 0:09:26 | 0:00:49 |
| 64 | 122 | FLAKSIS Andzs | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | LAT | 0:09:26 | 0:00:49 |
| 65 | 103 | * VOLLMER Andrew | AEVOLO | USA | 0:09:26 | 0:00:49 |
| 66 | 6 | WHELAN James | EF EDUCATION FIRST | AUS | 0:09:27 | 0:00:50 |
| 67 | 53 | * DAVIS Cole | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | USA | 0:09:27 | 0:00:50 |
| 68 | 144 | BACA Antonio | 303 PROJECT | MEX | 0:09:27 | 0:00:50 |
| 69 | 61 | CANOLA Marco | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | ITA | 0:09:27 | 0:00:50 |
| 70 | 74 | JEAN Emile | WORTHY PRO CYCLING | CAN | 0:09:28 | 0:00:51 |
| 71 | 43 | ZARDINI Edoardo | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | ITA | 0:09:28 | 0:00:51 |
| 72 | 157 | ZIMMER Matthew | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | USA | 0:09:29 | 0:00:52 |
| 73 | 56 | RICE Michael | HAGENS BERMAN AXEON | AUS | 0:09:30 | 0:00:53 |
| 74 | 62 | SANTAROMITA Ivan | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | ITA | 0:09:30 | 0:00:53 |
| 75 | 143 | STEPHENS Austin | 303 PROJECT | USA | 0:09:30 | 0:00:53 |
| 76 | 127 | OIEN Justin Alexander | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:09:31 | 0:00:54 |
| 77 | 134 | TOOVEY Ayden | TEAM BRIDGELANE | AUS | 0:09:32 | 0:00:55 |
| 78 | 11 | MOSCA Jacopo | TREK-SEGAFREDO | ITA | 0:09:33 | 0:00:56 |
| 79 | 66 | FIORELLI Filippo | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | ITA | 0:09:34 | 0:00:57 |
| 80 | 121 | EISENHART Taylor (T.J.) | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:09:34 | 0:00:57 |
| 81 | 156 | * THIBAULT Jean-Denis | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | CAN | 0:09:35 | 0:00:58 |
| 82 | 65 | LONARDI Giovanni | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | ITA | 0:09:36 | 0:00:59 |
| 83 | 107 | * MCGILL Scott | AEVOLO | USA | 0:09:40 | 0:01:03 |
| 84 | 12 | * DEBEAUMARCHÉ Nicolas | TREK-SEGAFREDO | FRA | 0:09:40 | 0:01:03 |
| 85 | 141 | NEWKIRK Isaiah | 303 PROJECT | USA | 0:09:41 | 0:01:04 |
| 86 | 154 | PAVLIC Marko | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | SLO | 0:09:41 | 0:01:04 |
| 87 | 46 | FORTUNATO Lorenzo | NERI SOTTOLI SELLE ITALIA KTM | ITA | 0:09:41 | 0:01:04 |
| 88 | 92 | SANTOS MORENO Efren | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | MEX | 0:09:42 | 0:01:05 |
| 89 | 104 | * BICKMORE Cade | AEVOLO | USA | 0:09:42 | 0:01:05 |
| 90 | 162 | FLAUTT Oliver | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | USA | 0:09:42 | 0:01:05 |
| 91 | 102 | * SCHUNK Conor | AEVOLO | USA | 0:09:43 | 0:01:06 |
| 92 | 145 | DE LUNA Flavio Alejandro | 303 PROJECT | MEX | 0:09:43 | 0:01:06 |
| 93 | 93 | CORTE CORDERO Eduardo | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | MEX | 0:09:43 | 0:01:06 |
| 94 | 94 | PRADO JUAREZ Ignacio | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | MEX | 0:09:52 | 0:01:15 |
| 95 | 165 | THURAU Sven | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | GER | 0:09:53 | 0:01:16 |
| 96 | 117 | ROSS Kent | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:09:53 | 0:01:16 |
| 97 | 142 | FONT MAS Bernat | 303 PROJECT | ESP | 0:09:53 | 0:01:16 |
| 98 | 64 | HATSUYAMA Sho | NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ | JPN | 0:09:54 | 0:01:17 |
| 99 | 115 | CHANCE Maxx | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:09:56 | 0:01:19 |
| 100 | 161 | MAMOS Philipp | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | GER | 0:09:56 | 0:01:19 |
| 101 | 97 | LARA CARBAJAL Francisco | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | MEX | 0:09:57 | 0:01:20 |
| 102 | 116 | * GULLICKSON Finn | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:09:57 | 0:01:20 |
| 103 | 163 | HEIDER Christopher | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | GER | 0:09:58 | 0:01:21 |
| 104 | 37 | SCHREURS Hamish | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | NZL | 0:09:59 | 0:01:22 |
| 105 | 91 | SANCHEZ GUARIN Oscar Eduardo | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | COL | 0:10:00 | 0:01:23 |
| 106 | 114 | * VODICKA Camden | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:10:01 | 0:01:24 |
| 107 | 126 | BRYON Miguel | ARAPAHOE|HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC | USA | 0:10:02 | 0:01:25 |
| 108 | 113 | KIRBY Quinten | WILDLIFE GENERATION PRO CYCLING P/B MAXXIS | USA | 0:10:03 | 0:01:26 |
| 109 | 153 | LEPLINGARD Antoine | DC BANK PRO CYCLING TEAM | FRA | 0:10:05 | 0:01:28 |
| 110 | 36 | NIV Guy | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | ISR | 0:10:05 | 0:01:28 |
| 111 | 85 | * RODRIGUEZ VICTORIA Jose Alfredo | ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING | MEX | 0:10:12 | 0:01:35 |
| 112 | 166 | * HEMING Miká | TEAM DAUNER|AKKON | GER | 0:10:13 | 0:01:36 |
| 113 | 96 | * PALMA DAJUI Leonel | CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED | MEX | 0:10:13 | 0:01:36 |
* Riders eligible for Best Young Rider Competition
