Just hours after Coryn Rivera had won a women's race at the same venue, UnitedHealthCare got close to make it two for the American team when they dominated the finale of the third stage of the Tour of Utah. In the end, Ken Hanson managed fourth in the bunch sprint.
The men’s stage 3 of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah was another long and hot day, covering 190 kilometers and ascending over 1,200 meters. Danny Summerhill raced his way into the early breakaway, earning intermediate sprint points along the way. When the majority of breakaway was captured with 12 kilometers remaining, Summerhill returned to the peloton to recover for the sprint effort at the end of the stage.
The last breakaway rider was caught after the race entered the Miller Motorsports Park for 3 laps on the 3.5-kilometer course, where the women’s team claimed victory just hours before. Inspired by the news of their teammates’ earlier success, the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train took position at the front of the peloton, setting a blistering pace for the first two laps. Even hardworking Danny Summerhill took pulls for the team after riding the majority of the race in the breakaway.
The other sprint teams began to fight for position throughout the last lap, creating an exciting and chaotic conclusion to the day. In the bunch sprint for the line, the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team landed two riders in the top ten, with Ken Hanson just missing the podium in 4th place and Kiel Reijnen in 8th place on the day.
Danny Summerhill was awarded the most aggressive rider jersey for his contribution to the breakaway and returning to the front of the race to pull for his teammates after what must have been an exhausting effort throughout the stage. Lucas Euser was awarded the title of “most inspiring comeback from adversity,” for returning to the top of the sport after a serious crash and injury threatened to end his racing career in 2009.
Euser commented, “Comebacks are never easy but they build character and personality in the face of adversity. I’ve never once taken for granted the path I’ve been on and have always been grateful for those who stood by my side. Today’s jersey is a lot more than a popularity contest. It means I’ve done my job in this sport and shared my journey enough to inspire others. Thank you to all those who cast your vote.”
General manager Mike Tamayo concluded, “The entire team rode very well today. It was especially motivating for the guys to come into the finishing circuits and hear that their teammates won there earlier today. Looking back over the team’s accomplishments today; we took two jerseys in the Tour of Denmark, two jerseys in the men’s stage 3 of the Tour of Utah, and of course, the victory in the first-ever Tour of Utah Women’s Edition. It was a great day for the fans, sponsors, and staff of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team.”
Tomorrow’s stage 4 will cover 168.5 kilometers from Ogden to Powder Mountain, climbing over 2,700 meters along the way.
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