Thomas Rabou Looking for Another KOM

Salt Lake City – Team Type 1 is ready to meet the challenge posed by the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah – billed as "America's Toughest Stage Race" – with an impressive roster that looks to continue the team's recent run of success.

Take a Look at the Teams for the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah

This year, 19 teams and 1 individual will contest the 6 days of racing.  A mix of Continental and Elite teams will line up for racing with both professionals and top amateurs.   Originally, the organizers offered spots to 18 teams, neglecting BMC because of a UCI rule prohibiting ProTour and Pro Continental teams from racing in national races.  USA Cycling COO, Sean Petty filed an exemption to allow the BMC team to race.  This year, BMC has raced primarily in Europe, with the exception of the Tour of California.  Also riding is Tour de France podium finisher and Radio Shack rider Levi Leipheimer.  He is riding without any teammates this year.  The winner of this year’s Leadville 100 mountain bike race is already on form at high altitude and climbing.  

Two former winners will also be in the field.  Jeff Louder, 2008 winner and Utah native, rides for BMC.  He hopes to rebound from a slightly disappointing European campaign this year.  Last year’s winner, Francisco Mancebo, will ride for Canyon Bicycles.  He has spent most of this year riding in Central and South America.

An Exciting and Tough Week of Racing Awaits in Utah

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is back in the spotlight for a fourth edition.  Since being given NRC status in 2006, some of the nation’s and world’s best cyclists have flocked to the mountains of Utah for what is billed as “America’s toughest stage race.”  Cyclists will tackle some of the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains in six days of high altitude racing.  After skipping 2007 due to reorganization, the race came back stronger than ever in 2008 and continues to improve each year.  It has over 26,000 feet of climbing and two mountaintop finishes.  The race also features three different racing disciplines:  road race, time trial, and criterium.

This race has attracted the attention of national and regional teams looking to test themselves against each other on a big stage.  With the late inclusion of BMC racing, a total of 19 teams and 1 solo rider will cover the 311 miles of racing in 6 days.  Former winners Jeff Louder and Francesco Mancebo return for the chance to add another victory to their palmares.  Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack will be the solo rider.

Eneco Tour is Big Goal for This Week

HTC-Columbia will target stage victories in the sprints and overall success at the Eneco Tour stage race which begins in Steenwijk in the Netherlands on Tuesday.

HTC-Columbia won the week-long UCI ProTour race in 2009 and will be back with a powerful line-up that includes sprinters André Greipel and Mark Renshaw, and overall contender Tony Martin.

UCI Rankings Up for Grabs

The sprinters scored some precious UCI World Ranking points for their teams and nations at the Vattenfall Cyclassics race in Hamburg, Germany on Sunday, as they dominated the biggest one-day race on the German calendar.

The USA's Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) won the race with a powerful sprint to give him back to back victories. He is the first rider to take consecutive victories in the 15-year history of the race.

Just like last year, Farrar was given excellent support from his dedicated teammates and then timed his sprint exactly right. Team Sky had set up Edvald Boasson Hagen for victory with a high-speed lead out but the talented young Norwegian hit the front a little too early and Farrar was able to pass him in the final fifty metres. Germany's André Greipel (HTC-Columbia) was third, Norway's Alexander Kristoff (BMC) was fourth and Australia's Allan Davis (Astana) was fifth.

Hamburg, Germany - Alexander Kristoff scored his sixth top 10 finish since recovering from a horrific crash – and his 10th of the season overall – with fourth place Sunday for the BMC Racing Team at the Vattenfall Cyclassics.

On rain-soaked streets in Hamburg, Kristoff was in good position in the sprint, won by Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions). The Norwegian is back on form after crashing out of the Tour de Beauce in June. "I think Alexander is always the fastest one in the last 100 meters," BMC Racing Team Directeur Sportif John Lelangue said. "He's always coming from far away in the last 200 meters, so he has a big acceleration at the end that is impressive. I was also happy that all of our protected guys were there with the leaders the last time up the Waseberg. They did a really good job."