Orica-GreenEdge declines due to conflict with Commonwealth Games
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Newly crowned US Road Champion, Eric Marcotte (Team Smartstop) gets to wear his new threads for the first time today. Lookin' good(Image credit: MarcoQuezada.com/NYVelocity)
Part of the happy SmartStop team after a great days ride(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The 14 riders of the Bissell Development team with directors Omer Kem and Axel Merckx.(Image credit: Casey B. Gibson)
The Jamis team goes hard at the front to break things up(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
Thumbs up for Cannondale after the win(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Tour of Utah organisers announced today the final list of 16 teams which will take part in this year's race, which begins on August 4 and runs through the 10th.
It will be the first time that the Australian Pro Continental team Drapac will be appearing in the race, while their compatriots Orica-GreenEdge declined an invitation due to the conflicting Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which runs through August 3, and are important to the predominantly Australian team.
"The entire organization of Orica-GreenEdge Cycling 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 manager Shayne Bannan. "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."
There will be five WorldTour teams on the line in Cedar City for the opening stage. Cannondale will return for its fourth appearance, being joined by Belkin, BMC, Garmin Sharp, Lampre-Merida and Trek Factory Racing.
Drapac joins the American Pro Continental teams UnitedHealthcare and Novo Nordisk, while three domestic Continental teams made the cut: the Bissell Development Team, and Jamis-Hagens Berman teams will be joined by Team SmartStop, which recently won the US Professional National Championships with Eric Marcotte.
Previously announced teams were the Hincapie Sportswear Development Team, Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies and the UCI Americas Tour leaders Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos, from Brazil.
"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. "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 challenging route, beautiful scenery and a field of world-class cyclists add up to a highly-anticipated 10th edition of the Tour of Utah."
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UCI ProTeams
Belkin-Pro Cycling Team BMC Racing Team Cannondale Pro Cycling Team Garmin-Sharp Team Lampre-Merida Trek Factory Racing
UCI Pro Continental Teams
Drapac Professional Cycling Team Novo Nordisk UnitedHealthcare Professional Cycling Team
UCI Continental Teams
Bissell Development Team Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos Hincapie Sportswear Development Team Team Jamis-Hagens Berman presented by Sutter Home Jelly Belly presented by MAXXIS Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies Team SmartStop
