With six stages completed and over 500 miles traveled, the Tour of Utah was a great success for me and my team. Going into the final and hardest stage,our top placed rider in the overall GC, Blake Caldwell, was in 11th place and about 4 minutes down. Being in this situation, we knew we had to get in a break away with 3 of our guys including our GC rider Blake. We managed to get in a break of 15including 4 TIAA CREF riders. Our sprinter, nicknamed Meatball, known for his strength on the flats, drove the break really hard for 20 miles before the first long mountain climb. Thanks to Meatball's awesome efforts at driving the pace of the break we had five minutes over the main field by the time we got to the base of the climb. From that point on, Timmy Duggan and Itook it from there, blocking Blake from the wind and pacing him over the 10 mile climb at an amazing pace. By the time we crested the summit, the chasing field only put 30 seconds on usinto the climb, so we took that as a great sign thatwe could stay away over the next two mountains to the finish. After descending like Formula One car drivers down the twisty, narrow, crazy descent; we had 40 miles still to race and two more major climbs. Timmy drove the break with me working through till the next big climb. I got on front at the start of the next climb and started setting tempo when I looked back and saw a gap. I didn't attack and would neverhave done that since today was all for my teammate. I decided to keep up the road a bit to make the other guys in the break work, since I would be working on the front anyway if I had been in the break over the climb. After that climb, Timmy managed to hang in thereand took it again all the way to the last and final climb where I took it from there. I went as far and fast as I could up the last climb for Blake. I left him off with about 3 milesremaining of climbing and he went on to win the hardest stage of the Tour of Utah. It was so awesome! After I blew up, I maintained my tempo and pace and went the rest of the way to the finish to come in 17th place and 19th overall. Blake ended up moving up to 5th overall in the overall GC (general classification) and winning the last stage. It wasexhillarating to see our team ride so well like that. We ended up second placed team overall to the pro Navigator's team so that was awesome in itself. Having JV (Jonothan Vaughters), our director's advice coming through the radios, was a great help for us in the break. He gave us info and advice the entire way.

After doing a lot of training at altitudefollowing the U-23 National Championships, it finally paid off at the Tour of Utah. The Tour of Utah has got my speed up to very good form and I should befairlygood at the US Pro Criterium, Time Trial and Road Race coming up later August and early September.

I am off to Chicago now for the Downer's Grove US Pro Crit. I think we have a good chance at launching one of our sprinters to a win in this fast pace, short and dangerous sprinter's race.

More soon to come from Downer's Grove, IL. I am getting pretty use to living out of the suitcase at this point now.

Steven