18 Women’s Teams Including 3 from Utah Tapped for Two-Day USA Cycling
National Criterium Calendar Event
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (June 29, 2015) –Three new men’s teams and seven women’s teams have accepted invitations to compete in Tour of Utah races this August. For the 2015 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, Aug. 3-9, the final field of 16 teams has been filled for the internationally-sanctioned 2.HC men’s stage race. It will mark inaugural appearances in Utah for Airgas-Safeway Cycling of the United States, Bardiani-CSF of Italy and Australia’s Team Budget Forklifts. On the women’s side, a final field of 18 professional and elite teams has been confirmed for the two-day Women’s Edition: Criterium Classic on Aug. 3-4.
The men’s peloton will include five teams with experience in the top three global stage races sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), considered the Grand Tours — Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España. This year four of these teams will compete July 4-26 at the Tour de France — BMC Racing Team, Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling, Team MTN-Qhubeka, and Trek Factory Racing. The 16 teams competing in August are registered in five different countries, representing five continents.
For the Women’s Edition: Criterium Classic, three Utah based teams are racing: Rooster’s Biker’s Edge, DNA Cycling p/b K4 Racing, and Canyon Bicycles Shimano Composite Team. Other teams include a UCI team from Argentina, Itaú Shimano Ladies Power Team, which has bolstered the final field to include five Women’s Elite UCI teams. In addition, the women’s field will include nine teams currently rated in the Top 10 of the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC) rankings. The omnium-style competition, sanctioned by USA Cycling as part of the NCC, will take place in Logan, Utah, on Aug. 3 and Ogden, Utah, on Aug. 4.
Rider rosters have not yet been announced, but potential Utah Pro Men include Tanner Putt, Chris Putt, and TJ Eisenhart. On the women’s side, look for Anne Perry, Breanne Nalder, and Mindy McCutcheon, among others.
“We have so many great teams at this year’s Tour of Utah, and at the Criterium Classic. With the World Championships for road cycling being held in Richmond, Virginia, just a month after Utah, we expect these teams to bring top contenders for race week. Spectators will be treated to compelling attacks and race action across northern Utah at all seven stages,”said Jenn Andrs, executive director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, a division of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment.
Final Field of Teams — 2015 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah ^ denotes new team added
UCI ProTeams (*world rankings as of June 21, 2015)
•BMC Racing Team (USA), No.7 on UCI WorldTour
•Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling (USA), No. 15 on UCI WorldTour
•Trek Factory Racing (USA), No. 14 on UCI WorldTour
UCI Professional Continental Teams (rankings as of June 25, 2015)
•^Bardiani-CSF (Italy), No. 25 on UCI Asia Tour
•Drapac Professional Cycling (Australia), No. 2 on UCI Oceania Tour
•Team Colombia (Colombia), No. 12 on UCI America Tour
•Team MTN-Qhubeka presented by Samsung (South Africa), No. 4 on UCI Asia Tour
•UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA), No. 10 on UCI AmericaTour
UCI Continental Teams, America Tour (UCI ranking as of June 25, 2015; NRC ranking as of June 5, 2015)
•^Airgas-Safeway Cycling Team (USA), No. 7 on USAC NRC
•Axeon Cycling Team (USA), No. 4 on UCI Oceania Tour
•^Team Budget Forklifts (Australia), No. 3 on UCI Oceania Tour
•Hincapie Racing Team (USA), No. 1 on USAC NRC
•Jamis-Hagens Berman presented by Sutter Home (USA), No. 3 on USAC NRC
•Jelly Belly presented by Maxxis (USA), No. 6 on USAC NRC
•Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA), No. 2 on USAC NRC
•Team SmartStop (USA), No. 4 on USAC NRC
Final Field of Teams — Women’s Edition: Criterium Classic^ denotes new team added
Women’s Elite UCI Teams
•BMW presented by Happy Tooth Dental, No. 7 on USAC NCC
•^Itaú Shimano Ladies Power Team
•Pepper Palace Pro Cycling presented by The Happy Tooth, No. 5 on USAC NCC
•Team TIBCO-SVB, No. 4 on USAC NCC
•UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling, No. 2 on USAC NCC
Domestic Elite and Composite Teams: (NCC ranking as of June 5, 2015)
•^Canyon Bicycles-Shimano Composite (Utah)
•Colavita/Bianchi presented by Fine Cooking (DE), No, 3 on USAC NCC
•DNA Cycling presented by K4 (DE), No. 10 on USAC NCC (Utah)
•Fearless Femme presented by Haute Wheels Racing (DE), No. 6 on USAC NCC
•ISCorp Cycling presented by Smart Choice MRI (DE), No. 1 on USAC NCC
•JetCycling U25 Women’s Devo Team (DE)
•^LA Sweat (DE)
•Monster Media Elite Women’s Team (DE)
•^Roosters Bikers Edge (DE) (Utah)
•^SKINourishment presented by Paceline Projects
•^Sun & Ski Women’s Elite Team
•Visit Dallas Cycling presented by Noise4Good (DE), No. 8 on USAC NCC
•^Zoca-Colnago presented by Novatec
Among the three new teams announced for the men’s field, Airgas-Safeway features American strongman Chris Horner. The 43-year-old has participated in all three Grand Tours, including the Tour de France six times, and won the 2013 Vuelta a España. He is a two-time runner-up on G.C. at the Tour of Utah, finishing behind two-time champion Tom Danielson of Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling in 2013 and 2014. Team Budget Forklifts features New Zealand climber Michael Torckler, who captured the Ski Utah KOM jersey for Bissell Pro Cycling at the 2013 Tour of Utah. Bardiani-CSF features Italian Stefano Pirazzi, who captured the KOM title at the 2013 Giro d’Italia and won a stage in the 2014 Giro.
This year’s Tour of Utah will continue as the first internationally-sanctioned cycling competition in North America for men following the Tour de France. The men’s field of 16 professional teams will compete over 712 miles and 51,442 feet of elevation gain, solidifying “America’s Toughest Stage Race”as the most challenging UCI 2.HC race in North America.
The final rosters for both men’s and women’s teams will be announced Aug. 1, prior to race week.
For more information, check back on cyclingwest.com and tourofutah.com.
