Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) claimed victory in the first-ever Tour of Utah Women’s Edition in Tooele, Utah today. Rivera’s win follows her recently claimed 6th place at the inaugural La Course on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, earning the jersey for best young rider in the groundbreaking event. Today’s race involved 15 laps around a 3.5-kilometer circuit course at Miller Motorsports Park. The race saw many attacks and counterattacks on the exposed course, as the riders fought through strong and shifting winds. With 3 laps remaining, the women of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team moved to the front of the race to control the pace and position Rivera for the sprint. An attack from a rival team forced the women of the UnitedHealthcare Blue Train to launch their lead out early, then fight to maintain control until the finish line. The team was successful in setting up their sprinter, with Rivera taking the victory by a margin of half a bike’s length. This is the second win of week for the women of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, following national champion Alison Powers’ sprint victory on Monday in Utah’s Cedar City Grand Prix.
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.
Photo Courtesy UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team
