Canola Edges McCabe for Stage 4; Hermans Keeps Tour of Utah Lead

By Lyne Lamoureux – SALT LAKE CITY (AUGUST 16, 2019) – Marco Canola of NIPPO-Vini Fantini-Faizanè surged to victory in a thrilling Stage 4 presented by America First Credit Union at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah on Friday. In a fast and furious circuit race, the Italian claimed his second victory in downtown Salt Lake City in three years, in a time of 1 hour and 56 seconds.

“The director said we have to win today. We have one more chance and we have to take it. We have to ride like a strong team, and we wanted to bring it all together on the last climb. I felt again this great feeling to win here in Salt Lake. It’s really fantastic for me. I like this city. It’s really perfect for me,” said Canola, who had one leg entirely wrapped from a crash on Stage 1 presented Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. “Three days ago, I couldn’t think to win again, because I had a big crash, so I’m really, really happy. It was really hard today to beat Travis (McCabe).”

In a hard-fought sprint, second place went to four-time Tour of Utah stage winner Travis McCabe (Worthy Pro Cycling). Brendan Rhim (Arapahoe l Hincapie powered by BMC) rolled across the line in third. With points at the line and top points in two of three intermediate sprints, McCabe took over the Utah Sports Commission Sprint leader jersey.

Photo Galleries:

• 2019 Tour of Utah Stage 4 Gallery by Dave Richards
• 2019 Tour of Utah Stage 4 Photo Essay by Cathy Fegan-Kim

Interview:

• Interview with Tanner Putt after Stage 4 of the 2019 Tour of Utah

“That was a big goal coming into this week. I won it in 2017 and 2018 so we’re going to try to take it again for the third time,” said McCabe about the Sprint classification jersey. “A win would have been fantastic, but Canola knows this course better than I do. It’s his second time winning it. I’m happy that he took it and glad that I was able to come away with second after spending two hours in a miserable break.”

Video of the finishing sprint by Lisa Hazel:

“The goal of the race today for us was to have representation in the break, and then for me to sit back and sprint at the end,” said Rhim about his Arapahoe Hincapie powered by BMC team strategy. Two of his teammates are from Utah, TJ Eisenhart and Tanner Putt. “TJ (Eisenhart) got into the break. We had some good representation. He would have been a good guy if the break had made it. I sat back, waited, waited, waited and then sprinted with 300 meters to go. It was a good day.”

Overall race leader Ben Hermans (Israel Cycling Academy) finished ninth and retained the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall Leader jersey. With little change in the overall standings, Hermans continued to hold a 44-second advantage over James Piccoli (Elevate-KHS Pro Cycling), and 1 minute, 6 seconds lead over Nilkas Eg (Trek-Segafredo).

Huge crowds turned out along the 6.7-mile (10.8-kilometer) course, including on the steep ascent of State Street that extends from the iconic Eagle Gate to the Utah State Capitol. After eight laps, the 102 riders completed 53.7 miles (86.5 kilometers) and a total of 4,460 feet of elevation gain.

Attacks started immediately from the start of the shortest stage of the week. Breakaways formed and re-formed with small groups off the front swelling to unmanageable sizes.

“The race has been pretty chaotic. I think that after Powder Mountain, everybody was expecting that the break would roll, and people would let it go but so far that’s not been the case. Everyone wants to be in the break and everyone’s willing to race for the break as long as it takes,” Rhim explained.

Time and time again, riders went off the front, establishing a small gap before re-absorbed and going on the attack once again.  By the end of the second lap, a massive group of 20 riders split off the front. The group included McCabe and his team mate Serghei Tvetcov, who took advantage of the situation to jump away and go for the sprint points at the end of the third lap.  Another chase and re-shuffle and the 16-rider break of the day was established. Joining McCabe and Tvetcov in the front group were Alex Hoehn (Aevolo), Efren Santos (Canel’s-Specialized), Eder Frayre (DC Bank Pro Cycling Team), Kevin Vermaerke (Hagens Berman Axeon), Jacopo Mosca (Trek-Segafredo), Umberto Marengo (Neri Sottoli-Selle Italia-KTM), TJ Eisenhart (Arapahoe Hincapie), Ty Magner (Rally UHC Cycling) , TonyBaca (303 Project), and Edwin Avila (Israel Cycling Academy). The move also included EF Education duo of Alex Howes and Jimmy Whelan, and Ulises Castilloand Stephen Bassett of Elevate – KHS Pro Cycling.

“The team plan was to have people in the break, preferably not me but it worked out that way,” McCabe explained. “It got established pretty quickly, everyone was working well together, and we had Serghei up there. It looked like a promising break, we thought that it would stick to the line. NIPPO-Vini Fantini wasn’t happy with it, brought it back to the point where Canola could bridge across.”

Behind NIPPO-Vini Fantini-Faizanè were all in for Canola. The whole team set the pace at the front of the field, keeping the gap at 1:20 halfway through the stage. With three laps to go, and the gap under the minute mark, all cooperation ceased in the breakaway. Vermaerke & Bassett attacked, Whelan countered and then Avila & Castillo took a flyer.

“The break was really hard to catch because there were many strong riders in front. But we stayed together, we know that were strong enough to bring it all back together on the last climb and then, in the last two laps, I had to try to go alone but really I felt really good today. I know that I had at full gas only on the last lap so I managed really good the race,” Canola said.

With two laps to go, Canola bridged up to the break where attacks continued to fly. On his wheel was Hayden McCormick (Team Bridgelane). Confused about laps, McCormick continued solo at the front, to put his hands up at one lap to go thinking he had won the race. The field came back together on the final lap.

Almeida & Fiorelli jumped from the decimated peloton with 7 kilometers with Tvetcov and Wolfe giving chase. Almeida was all in, head down but it was all back together at the bottom of the climb. Piccoli accelerated at the front with McCabe on his wheel and Canola sitting in fifth position.

“It was really hard the last kilometer, because we took the last kilometer, there was a team mate of Travis in front and he went so fast. I was thinking about no I cannot make it because it was too much and then at 400 meters to go, fortunately he slowed down so I could breathe,” Canola said.

With 200 meters to go, McCabe and Pablo Andrés Alarcon Cares (Canel’s Specialized) started their sprint.

Canola continued, “I pushed everything out [of my mind], when I saw my front wheel was the first one, I could understand that it could be my day. Until that moment I wasn’t thinking about the win, only to push hard and in the last 20 meters.”

Finishing in the main group, João Almeida (POR) of Hagens Berman Axeon remained in seventh overall and retained the WCF Insurance Best Young Rider jersey. Very dynamic in the breakaway, Hayden McCormick (NZL) of Team BridgeLane was awarded the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider jersey. Bernat Font Mas (ESP) of 303 Project was voted the America First Credit Union Fan Favorite, in the category of Most Inspiring Comeback.

For the first time in race history, Canyons Village at Park City Mountain will host both the start and finish on Saturday, Aug. 17 forStage 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 kilometers) and 5,236 feet of climbing. The route will twist around Kimball Junction for a possible General Classification shakeup in the final KOM through Utah Olympic Park.

RESULTS AND STANDINGS

Stage 4 presented by America First Credit Union – Top 10

1. CANOLA Marco (ITA) NIPPO-VINI FANTINI-FAIZANE’ 1:56:54
2. MCCABE Travis (USA) WORTHY PRO CYCLING 1:56:54
3. RHIM Brendan (USA) ARAPAHOE-HINCAPIE POWERED BY BMC 1:56:54
4. ALARCÓN CARES Pablo Andrés (CHI) CANEL’S – SPECIALIZED 1:56:54
5. BOIVIN Guillaume (CAN) ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY 1:56:54
6. STETINA Peter (USA) TREK-SEGAFREDO 1:56:54
7. PICCOLI James (CAN) ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING 1:56:54
8. DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd (USA) EF EDUCATION FIRST 1:56:54
9. HERMANS Ben (BEL) ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY 1:56:54
10. EASTER Griffin (USA) 3O3 PROJECT 1:56:54

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION (After Stage 4)

1. HERMANS Ben (BEL) ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY 12:27:18
2. PICCOLI James (CAN) ELEVATE-KHS PRO CYCLING 12:28:02 +0:00:44
3. EG Niklas (DEN) TREK-SEGAFREDO 12:28:24 +0:01:06
4. MURPHY Kyle (USA) RALLY UHC CYCLING 12:29:04 +0:01:46
5. STETINA Peter (USA) TREK-SEGAFREDO 12:29:20 +0:02:02
6. DOMBROWSKI Joseph Lloyd (USA) EF EDUCATION FIRST 12:29:22 +0:02:04
7. ALMEIDA João (POR) HAGENS BERMAN AXEON 12:30:06 +0:02:48
8. CRADDOCK Lawson (USA) EF EDUCATION FIRST 12:30:35 +0:03:17
9. BRITTON Robert (CAN) RALLY UHC CYCLING 12:30:40 +0:03:22
10. BADILATTI Matteo (SUI) ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY 12:31:12 +0:03:54

AWARD JERSEYS

• Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall leader – Ben Hermans (BEL) of Israel Cycling Academy
• Utah Sports Commission Sprint leader – Travis McCabe (USA) of Worthy Pro Cycling
• Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain – Alex Howes (USA) of EF Education First
• WCF Insurance Best Young Rider – João Almeida (POR) of Hagens Berman Axeon
• Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider – Hayden McCormick (NZL) of Team BridgeLane
• America First Credit Union Fan Favorite – Bernat Font Mas (ESP) of 303 Project

FULL RESULTS
2019 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah Stage 4 – Salt Lake City Circuit – presented by America First Credit Union