The Tour of Utah has announced the race route for the 2005 stage race, hosted by Thanksgiving Point. Scheduled for May 26-30, 2005, the Tour of Utah is a five-day, six-stage event, taking professional and amateur cyclists along a course spanning the Salt Lake and Utah Valleys. While covering almost 500 kilometres, cyclists will be riding as far west as Tooele, Utah, as far south as Santaquin, Utah, and climbing to an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet. Although the first two stages are reserved only for professional categories, amateur categories will still cover over three hundred kilometres and participate in the gruelling "Nebo" climb.
The Tour of Utah competition begins in historic downtown Provo along the business-lined Center Street corridor. The downtown Provo city streets, blocked off for this stage, will be lined with spectators as they celebrate the final day of the Utah County Bike Week festivities at the Utah Transit Authorities Bike Bonanza. On stage two, the West Desert Road Race will test the professional categories by covering over 170 kilometres across the desert terrain of newly founded Eagle Mountain, Utah. This stage is expected to favour the sprinters.
Stage three will see the Suncrest Ridge climb beginning in Lehi, UT at the Thanksgiving Point Electric Park, and have a citizen category, led out by two-time Olympian and Tour de France veteran, Frankie Andreu. The second stage on Saturday, and fourth overall, is hosted in Lehi, Utah at the Thanksgiving Point venue. Sprint favourites will compete for time and cash bonuses in a Criterium-like circuit race through Electric Park.
On stage five, the Nebo Mountain road race starts with a 40 kilometre loop around West Mountain before crossing through Payson city to begin the Nebo Mountain climb. Although not as steep as the Suncrest Ridge climb, this stage covers twice the distance and finishes atop Mount Nebo at an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet. Athletes will cover between 40 and 90 miles, depending on their ability level. The final stage of the Tour of Utah is the West Desert Time Trial, a 12-mile course for amateurs and 21-mile course for professionals, on Monday, May 30.
The stages
Stage 1 - Thursday, May 26: Downtown Provo Criterium (Professional Categories Only)
Stage 2 - Friday, May 27: Einstein Bros. Road Race (Professional Categories Only)
Stage 3 - Saturday, May 28: Suncrest Road Race (All Categories)
Stage 4 - Saturday, May 28: Nextel Criterium (All Categories)
Stage 5 - Sunday, May 29: Marriott Road Race (All Categories)
Stage 6 - Monday, May 30: Eagle Mountain Time Trial (All Categories)
You can find out more information about the Tour of Utah event and review course maps by visiting the official race website at www.tourofutah.com
