First Endurance rider Tom Zirbel (Bissell Pro Cycling Team) smoked the stage 3 time-trial at the Tour of Utah this evening.  Zirbel rode the 9.2 mile time-trial course in seventeen minutes flat.  Jeff Louder (BMC) kept the 1st Endurance Best Utah Rider jersey.  The week’s racing has been a tough one, and Tom reflects on things coming into Friday. “I have been feeling average this week but have been trying to maintain positive thinking remembering that this is a max 20 min effort”, says Tom. After the race, Tom commented “I felt really strong on the front half of the course but then lost a bit when I got to the track.”  Tom’s doubt that his lead would not hold was not to be, he won the Utah time trial stage for the second year in a row.

Tomorrow will be a decisive day.  The riders will face three big mountain climbs on today’s queen stage and the temperatures are expected to be above 100 degrees.

photo credit: Brian Hodes of Veloimages

Stage 3

1.  ZIRBEL, Tom; Bissell Pro Cycling; 17:00

2.  MCKISSICK, Ian; BMC Pro Cycling; 17:14.9

3.  BOOKWALTER, Brent; BMC Pro Cycling; 17:19

4.  VENNELL, Jeremy; Bissell Pro Cycling; 17:22

5.  ZABRISKIE, David; Garmin Slipstream; 17:23

1st Endurance Best Utah Rider

1. LOUDER, Jeff; BMC Pro Cycling