BMC's run of stage wins in various races continued when Taylor Phinney took the opening stage of the US Pro Tour Challenge.
An opening stage of 156kms which started and finished in Steamboat Springs but was without last year's winner Tejay Van Garderen who will be competing in the Vuelta a España rather than on his local roads.
Manuel Senni (BMC Racing Team), Eduard Beltran Suarez (Tinkoff-Saxo), Calvin Watson (Trek), Antonio Molina (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Daniel Summerhill (UnitedHealthcare), Martin Kohler (Drapac), Andzs Flaksis (Hincapie), David Williams (Jamis - Hagens Berman), Steve Fisher (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis), Brodie Talbot (Team Budget Forklifts) went straight on the attack as soon as the flag dropped and they were 25 seconds ahead after three kilometres.
That break was soon caught as was another before Guillaume Boivin (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies), Emerson Oronte (Team SmartStop), Carson Miller (Jamis - Hagens Berman), James Oram (Axeon Cycling Team), and Michael Torckler (Team Budget Forklifts) were joined by Jordan Kerby (Drapac) and Jonny Clarke (UnitedHealthcare) formed a break after twenty eight kilometres.
They had a lead of 4.30 as Michael Torckler of Team Budget Forklifts took the first climb of the race and Guillaume Boivin of Optum who took the first sprint.
With 66.5kms left, the gap stood at 3.45 but after a crash in the back of the peloton affecting a dozen or so riders, the peloton started to up the pace and the gap was down to 2.20 as Clarke took the second sprint.
Another surge by the peloton and the gap was down to 55 seconds with just over thirty kilometres left. Carson Miller saw that as his opportunity to go for a solo ride and stayed away until he was caught eight kilometres later.
Bovin and Rohan Dennis of BMC were now on the front and they had a lead of twenty five seconds with seven kilometres remaining.
United Healthcare piled the pressure on and Dennis, the last man up front, was caught with 1.3kms left.
Drapac sent a rider up the road but up came Taylor Phinney of BMC and he rode away to win in 3:39:07 ahead of Kiel Reijnen of UnitedHealthcare, Brent Bookwalter of BMC, Ryan Anderson of Optum and Gavin Mannion of Jelly Belly, followed by Logan Owen, Julian Arredondo, Ivan Rovny, Toms Skujins and Damiano Caruso of BMC.
Source: DSG
