REFLECTIONS FROM THE TOUR OF UTAH

We leave the Tour of Utah with an immense sense of accomplishment, having all seven of our U23 riders completing the week-long HC stage race and making an impact on the racing.

 

The Aevolo team rode cohesively as a unit, practicing their race craft and supporting each other through "America's Toughest Stage Race."

 

"Each athlete made breakthroughs with their application and commitment at the front of the field, learned they belong at the pointy end of the pro peloton, and stamped their brand of attacking on the event," co-director Jono Coulter said. 

 

A race highlight was getting three Aevolo riders in the Stage 6 breakaway. Cade Bickmore and Scott McGill pushed the pace to get Gabriel Rojas to the base of the climb with a lead. The move put pressure on the yellow jersey group and forced Israel Cycling Academy to chase hard to the finale for eventual overall race winner Ben Hermans.

 

"Scott and I were able to help drive the break and let Gabriel rest as much as possible to give him the best shot we could at Empire Pass," Bickmore said.

 

Alex Hoehn represented with class, and despite a couple of untimely punctures on key stages, he was always in the mix and finished in the top 20 overall. 

 

"I learned that with a team that has one objective, and it sticks to that plan we can accomplish a lot of things," Hoehn said of his second Tour of Utah experience. 

 

Conor Schunk, Eric Brunner, and Andrew Vollmer represented in several strong attacks during the week and were admirable in their support of Hoehn when needed.

 

"All in all, it was a fantastic hit out for the team and planted the seeds of confidence for future races to come," director Mike Creed said.