Kiwi is Tour of Utah Sprint Champion

Sprint Classification winner ©Roman Van Uden ©Lyne Lamoureux

Aug 15th, 11. Roman Van Uden and his PureBlack Racing team secured the Sprint Classification victory at the Tour of Utah after smart riding on today's final stage.

It is a huge success for the Kiwi team in this, the highest rank tour they have faced to date.

After two days and 200km in breakaways, 22 year old Van Uden earned the Sprint Jersey by the end of the UCI2.1 tour's Stage 2.

He kept the jersey after the time trial stage, but after missing yesterday's winning break he had to give the jersey up - but not for long.

Today's final stage included two interim sprints before the two major climbs that defined the course profile.

PureBlack Racing made their objectives known when the led out with a full sprint train 2km before the first sprint line.

The team took all the points on offer. Van Uden was then equal to the points leader, he needed more to secure the win outright.

By the second interim sprint, attacks were coming from other teams keen to get in a breakaway, but PureBlack were vigilant. Van Uden himself leapt into a break, and soon Tim Gudsell followed.

When Van Uden led the group through the second interim sprint he took a clear lead in the Sprint Classification.

"All" he had to do was to make it to the finish line within the time cut to be crowned the XO Communications Sprint winner of the 2011 Larry H Miller Tour of Utah.  With a huge effort, and thanks to the help of his teammates, that is exactly what he did.

It is a brilliant way for PureBlack Racing to end their US season.

Defending Champion Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) won the tour after a great man-on-man battle with Sergio Henao of Gobernación de Antioquia-Indeportes Antioquia up the big climb to the the Snowbird Ski Resort. Leipheimer's Kiwi teammate George Bennett was on the front setting up his leader as they started the climb.

After countering all the attacks put to him by the rider in 2nd place on GC, and therefore having secured his yellow jersey and tour title for himself, the American allowed the Colombian the stage victory. 

Tour of Utah

• Full Tour of Utah results
• Kiwi is Tour of Utah Sprint Champion
• Up and down day for Kiwis at the Tour of Utah
• Leipheimer leaps into Utah lead
• Van Uden and his battle for the orange jersey
• Images of Jack Bauer's Utah success
• Jack Bauer wins at the Tour of Utah
• PureBlack leader on tough opening road stage
• Bennett thrives on first day as RadioShack stagiare
• Roman Van Uden out front in Utah
• Bobsled challenge for Roman Van Uden
• Youngest Kiwi at Utah keen for action
• Jack Bauer flies in tough uphill prologue
• Back to basics for Pure Black Racing