TOOELE — Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda won the Tour of Utah team time trial Wednesday to give Christian Vande Velde the individual lead, finishing the three-lap, 13.5-mile stage at Miller Motorsports Park in 22 minutes, 35 seconds.
Vande Velde leads the overall standings at 5:48.16, followed by fellow U.S. riders and teammates Thomas Danielson and David Zabriskie. Australia’s Rory Sutherland, the winner of the first stage Tuesday, tumbled to 10th when his United Heathcare team finished fifth.
“The biggest thing is racing,” Vande Velde said. “You can practice as much as you want, but racing is always a different animal. We’ve been a part of so many races together that some things become second nature. You’re ready. You anticipate what’s going to happen before it happens.”
Rabobank was second at 23:08.09, followed by Radioshack-Nissan-Trek at 23:13.07.
“You win team time trials not by going extremely fast, but by never going slow,” said Charlie Wegelius, the Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda team manager. It’s about keeping a constant level.”
Two-time defending Tour of Utah champion Levi Leiphemier was in danger of falling out of contention after just two stages. Leipheimer is in 42nd place, 2:04 behind Vande Velde.
The third stage is an 85.5-mile leg from Ogden to the University of Utah. The ride features three mountain climbs.
Comments