The Tour of Utah races start Monday, but tonight it kicked off with the women's and men's team presentation at the Logan Golf and Country Club. What a beautiful venue to highlight the 11th edition of the men's stage race and 2nd year of the women's edition. For just over an hour, the crowds were entertained by Dave Towle as he introduced each team and then did individual interviews. It was great to see all the locals in attendance, especially the kids that wore team jerseys and walked the teams to the stage. They were so excited, as were their parents. I bet they all ride around their neighborhoods tomorrow pretending to be the next Allie Dragoo or Tayler Phinney.
My Tour of Utah Saturday started just after lunch when I drove to Logan and went straight to staff check-in for my credentials and shirts. Alex and I then got to work on the team packets in preparation for team enrollment tomorrow. Once we finished, we had a few hours before the team presentation so I checked into my hotel room and opted for a swim before heading back up the hill.
The teams arrived in their kits and hung out behind the clubhouse while the locals and media took seats in front of the stage and along the edges in the shade. The VIP attendees were upstairs and had a nice view of all the action. Tour Executive Director Jenn Andrs and USA Cycling's CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall started the evening with thanks to Logan and the organization and their excitement for the next week. It was great to hear them discuss the Women's Edition with genuine excitement and the crowd applauding in agreement.
Next up were the women. Unfortunately, not all the teams were in attendance due to travel plans, delays, and other races. Over 25% of the women raced the Littleton Criterium this evening, which UnitedHealthcare dominated with a podium sweep of Hannah Barnes, Coryn Rivera, and Alexis Ryan.
Of the 17 teams, 8 were in attendance. They moved rather quickly across the stage and the lighting wasn't great for my camera phone but I grabbed a shot of each team for #TOUWE. Be sure to follow the teams on twitter and facebook as well as Tour of Utah to see other photos of their experiences at the team presentation which included pillow testing and selfies. Same for the men, they also had a great presentation and Q&A session with Dave.
Tomorrow, there are several staff meetings then the press conference and team enrollment in the afternoon. That will give the teams plenty of time to relax and prepare for Monday's races. The men start at 9:15a and the women at 11a from the intersection of 100 East and Federal Ave in Logan, which is debuting as a Tour of Utah host city.
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| Tour of Utah Team Presentation - Logan Golf and Country Club |
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| Team TWENTY16 Sho-Air with their local guide |
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| DNA Cycling p/b K4 followed by Fearless Femme p/b Haute Wheels |
The teams arrived in their kits and hung out behind the clubhouse while the locals and media took seats in front of the stage and along the edges in the shade. The VIP attendees were upstairs and had a nice view of all the action. Tour Executive Director Jenn Andrs and USA Cycling's CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall started the evening with thanks to Logan and the organization and their excitement for the next week. It was great to hear them discuss the Women's Edition with genuine excitement and the crowd applauding in agreement.
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| Women lining up but staying cool in the shade |
Of the 17 teams, 8 were in attendance. They moved rather quickly across the stage and the lighting wasn't great for my camera phone but I grabbed a shot of each team for #TOUWE. Be sure to follow the teams on twitter and facebook as well as Tour of Utah to see other photos of their experiences at the team presentation which included pillow testing and selfies. Same for the men, they also had a great presentation and Q&A session with Dave.
Tomorrow, there are several staff meetings then the press conference and team enrollment in the afternoon. That will give the teams plenty of time to relax and prepare for Monday's races. The men start at 9:15a and the women at 11a from the intersection of 100 East and Federal Ave in Logan, which is debuting as a Tour of Utah host city.
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| Canyon Bicycles - Shimano (Composite) : Mindy McCutcheon, Sarah Lukas, Lindsay Wetzel-Polin, Siobhan McNamara, Hanna Muegge |
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| Zoca-Colnago p/b Novatec : Kaytie Scott, Bethany Allen, Charlotte Hart, Clarice Sayle, Megan Alderete, Emma Grant |
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| Zoca-Colnago p/b Novatec with some laughs off-stage |
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| Roosters Bikers Edge : Jannalyn Luttrell, Jennifer Volmer |
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| Sun & Ski Women's Elite Team : Diana Penuelas, Flora Yan, Natalia Franco, Kristen Fee, Kate Sherwin, Jenny Park |
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| DNA Cycling p/b K4 : Lauren De Crescenzo, Breanne Nalder, Catherine Kim |
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| Fearless Femme p/b Haute Wheels Racing : Mandy Heintz, Lauretta Hanson, Christy Keely, Amy Cutler, Justine Clift |
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| Visit Dallas Cycling p/b Noise4Good : Amanda Miller The rest of the team got delayed at the airport and on the road. |
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| Team TWENTY16 Sho-Air : Allison Aresman, Allie Dragoo |
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| Team TWENTY16 Sho-Air Allie Dragoo interview with Dave Towle. Allie just moved to Utah and is ready to race! |
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| Men's Q&A - Chris Horner, Tanner Putt, Frank Schleck, Taylor Phinney, Tom Danielson |
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