Tour of Utah set to be a climber’s paradise in 2016

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah will be harder than ever this season with 1,133 kilometers of racing and a return to Mount Nebo, the highest mountain in the Wasatch Range at 3,636 meters (11,928 feet). The race, held August 1-7, will be contested by 16 teams, including four UCI WorldTour teams.

“Now in the 12th year of racing, the Tour of Utah has established itself as one of the most awe-inspiring, rolling postcards in North America for a professional sporting event,” said Jenn Andrs, executive director of the Tour of Utah. “From the iconic red rock scenery and lush national forests, Utah’s spectacular and diverse scenery will shine on the world stage with the sport’s best riders, many of them coming from the Tour de France. The opportunity to bring high-caliber racing to our fans and partners here in the United States is tremendous.”

The race’s first stage will feature a neutral roll-out through Zion National Park to celebrate the National Park Service Centennial. Racing will begin after teams exit the East Entrance of the park.

In addition to the stage 3 passage of Mount Nebo, stage 6, billed as the queen stage, will be one to watch. It starts at Snowbasin Resort, northeast of Ogden, and covers 183.4km with 3,403 meters of climbing (11,165 feet). The race will finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort for a record ninth consecutive year. The final 9.7km climb of Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snowbird finish is where Joe Dombrowski won the race in 2015.

The young Cannondale rider, or another strong climber should thrive in Utah this year as the race features 16,139 meters of elevation gain (52,951 feet).

Stage details

Stage 1: Zion Canyon Village to Cedar City, 135km
Stage 2: Escalante to Torrey, 159.3km
Stage 3: Richfield to Payson, 191.5km
Stage 4: Lehi to Kearns, 154.4km
Stage 5: Antelope Island State Park to Bountiful, 183.4km
Stage 6: Snowbasin Resort to Snowbird, 183.4km
Stage 7: Park City to Park City, 125.5km