SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The field of 16 professional cycling teams has been set for the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah with the announcement of five additional squads. The peloton will include six UCI Pro Teams, which will be traveling to Utah for their first international competition following the Tour de France, along with three UCI Pro Continental Teams and seven U.S.-based Continental teams. Five different countries will send teams to the race, which runs from August 4-10.
The new team entries include Cannondale, which makes its fourth consecutive appearance at the Tour of Utah, Drapac Professional Cycling, a Pro Continental Team from Australia, will compete for the first time in Utah, and three U.S.-based Continental squads, Bissell Development Team, Jamis-Hagens Berman, and Team SmartStop.
“The 2014 Tour of Utah features an outstanding field of teams with international star power and strong domestic riders,” said Steve Miller, president of Miller Sports Properties which organizes the Tour of Utah in a release. “Spectators should be very excited to witness the tremendous talent of these riders as they compete for seven days over the byways and mountaintops of Utah.”
The 16 men’s professional teams competing in the 2014 Tour of Utah are:
WorldTour
Belkin-Pro Cycling Team (The Netherlands)
BMC Racing Team (USA)
Cannondale Pro Cycling (Italy)
Garmin-Sharp (USA)
Lampre-Merida (Italy)
Trek Factory Racing (USA)
Pro Continental
Drapac Professional Cycling (Australia)
Novo Nordisk (USA)
UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team (USA)
Continental
Bissell Development Team (USA)
Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos (Brazil)
Hincapie Sportswear Development Team (USA)
Jamis-Hagens Berman presented by Sutter Home (USA)
Jelly Belly presented by MAXXIS (USA)
Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies (USA)
SmartStop (USA)
As one of the first 12 teams to accept an invitation to the Tour of Utah, which were announced earlier this spring, Orica-GreenEdge of Australia has had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The road cycling events on July 31 and August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland, will prevent Orica-GreenEdge from traveling to Utah in time for the August 4-10 stage race.
“The entire organization of Orica-GreenEdge is extremely disappointed that we will not be able to return to the Tour of Utah this summer. We had great success at the 2013 Tour of Utah and found it to be one of the best-run UCI events of the year,” said Shayne Bannan of Orica-GreenEdge, which won two stages at the Tour of Utah in 2013. “It is an honor for our athletes to be part of the Commonwealth Games and represent Australia every four years. We do look forward to being part of the Tour of Utah in 2015.”
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah was elevated in 2011 by the Union Cycliste International, the global governing body of the sport of cycling, to a 2.1-rated stage race. Sanctioned by both USA Cycling and the UCI, the Tour of Utah continues as one of the top four UCI America Tour events covering a full week of racing in North America this year.
Host venues for 2014 are Cedar City, Panguitch, Torrey, Lehi, Miller Motorsports Park, Ogden, Powder Mountain, Evanston (Wyoming), Kamas, Salt Lake City, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, and Park City.
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