Tom Danielson got safely through a scary first day as race leader in the Tour of Utah when he survived yesterday's stage 5. The American praises his young teammates who controlled the race for much of the day and set him well up for a big weekend in the mountains.

In stage 4 Tom Danielson proved that he is the best climber in the Tour of Utah but yesterday he faced a challenge that could potentially threaten his lead. The fifth stage of the race were mostly flat but included strong crosswinds, gravel roads and lots of crashes.

Danielson safely retained his 57-second lead over Chris Horner and Ben Hermans and was impressed by his young teammates who controlled the racing in the windy conditions until the sprint teams took over.

“It's been a lot different (than last year) from day one. Having the number one on your back and having good form really puts a responsibility on the team. My Garmin-Sharp teammates have been really awesome from day one. We have a young team. Two of the young guys just finished their first Tour de France, so that's pretty impressive that they were able to come from there to here,” Danielson said, referring to American teammates Alex Howes and Ben King.

"I've learned from experience that you never rest on your laurels. Today, as we saw people were hitting wooden blocks in the gutter five minutes into the race, I thought that could be me. Bike racing is a humbling experience, all of us can attest to that."