Matthew Busche had gone into the Tour of Utah with hopes of fighting for the best positions in the overall standings but all race he has been a bit off the mark. Having finished the race in 11th, he admits that he needs to improve before the USA Pro Challenge which kicks off in a week.

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah threw in one last punishing mountain for the final 125.5-kilometer stage seven. Empire Pass had been used in four previous editions, thus the peloton was no stranger to the steep, narrow climb. 

Knowing the climb, however, did not make it easier.  With an average gradient of 10 percent, and many sections reaching a cruel 20 percent, the Empire Pass crested 10 downhill kilometers from the finish: the general classification battle was not a done deal.

Sure enough, only five riders flew into the final corners where BMC’s Cadel Evans easily sprinted to his second straight stage win. However, the yellow jersey of Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) was part of the leading group contesting the finale and he raised his arms in overall victory as he crossed the line in 5th.

Chris Horner (Lampre-Merida) also secured second overall, while his teammate Winner Anacona – finishing third on the stage  – leapfrogged onto the final podium step. 

Matthew Busche crossed the line in 15th place with Clément Chevrier right behind in 16th, two minutes in arrears.

It was not Busche’s best day in the weeklong race that culminated on such a nasty climb that he resorted to a 34-tooth chain ring and a 28-tooth cog for his smallest gear.

“Today we tried to get in the early moves, we had a plan to try and attack the race, but it just didn’t work out for us," he said. "On the last climb it was just too much for me today, and once I rest up I will be ready for Colorado.”

Chevrier was crushed to learn he narrowly lost his grip on the Best Young Rider’s jersey by a mere 14 seconds after showing great climbing prowess in the previous stages. It was devastating to the young French rider, but it certainly won’t be the last we hear from the talented climber.

The team fought hard all week, but in the end fell short of its targeted goals. They narrowly missed the win on the queen stage with Riccardo Zoidl finishing a close third; Jens Voigt played antagonist over and over, animating the race as only he can do; and stagiaire Clément Chevrier wore the Best Young Rider’s jersey for three days, only losing it on the final stage.

“Obviously it was a hard race, and coming off the Tour [de France] and straight to altitude was not easy," Busche said. "The quality of the field here is high and the racing was hard. The team was good all week, but we missed a little in the end. It was not for lack of trying. We had a great fighting spirit.”