The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team had a remarkable final day in Colorado, where they took victory in the final stage of the USA Pro Challenge, sealing the lead in the sprinter’s green jersey competition.

The 7th and final stage started woth a neutral lap in front of teeming crowds, before climbing up and over the regionally famous Lookout Mountain then racing into downtown Denver for finishing circuits in the center of the city. With Kiel Reijnen leading the sprinter’s green jersey competition by 12 points going into the final stage, the goal of the day was to position either Reijnen or John Murphy to contest the stage win.

A six-rider breakaway spent the majority of the final stage in front of the peloton, but with Team UnitedHealthcare and Team BMC patrolling the time gap and dictating the pace, the group was caught upon entering the final circuit in Denver. The overall race leader Rohan Dennis launched a solo attack in the final two kilometers, looking to apply pressure to the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train and position Team BMC sprinter Taylor Phinney for the finish. Amidst the attack, the Blue Train stayed calm, collected, and organized, lifting the pace gradually to reel the rider back in.

In the final turns, Team UnitedHealthcare rider Marco Canola stepped up to lead John Murphy out for the finish. Taylor Phinney of Team BMC made the first move, but a determined Murphy jumped from Canola’s wheel onto the sprinting rider just in time, and was then able to accelerate past for the victory.

Reijnen was just behind, finishing in 6th position and solidifying his lead in the sprinter’s points competition for the second year in a row. 

"Coming in with 500 metres to go, when Brent [Bookwalter] wasn’t able to follow Marco’s acceleration, there was a little gap between me and Taylor," Murphy said. "I kind of used all the road to close it, so as soon as we came into the corner I was just on the wheel. As soon as I came out of the corner I was able to start off his wheel. It wasn’t easy to come around him, but in the end I was able to do it by a few centimetres."