USA Pro Challenge: Reijnen wins stage in Aspen

Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) won the opening stage of the USA Pro Challenge Monday in Aspen from a two-man sprint with Alex Howes (Garmin-Sharp).

A select lead group of about 26 riders chased down an attack in the last 10km by Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing) before Novo Nordisk's Javier Megias launched an attack of his own with 3km to go. But Reijnen, Howes and BMC's Ben Hermans passed the Novo Nordisk rider in the closing kilometers as they powered to the line. Hermans never got on terms with the lead duo but held on for third.

Howes jumped first in the finale, and his good friend and fellow Boulder resident Reijnen was immediately on his wheel.

"This course suits both of us," Reijnen said of himself and Howes. "At that point I was just trying my best not to look back. The good thing about being friends is you both know you're committed, your goals align. You've got a good alliance there, but that only lasted about 3km."

Howes said he played his best shot, but Reijnen had the faster finishing kick in Aspen.

"I figured if I jumped him on the little hill there, with a downhill sprint it would get him," Howes said. "But I don't know, I have no leg speed these days. I was just grinding gears out there."

How it happened

A breakaway of seven riders got away in the opening kilometers of the first of three 31.6km laps that started in Aspen and finished there after looping through Snowmass Village and surrounding communities.

The initial break which UnitedHealthcare's Danny Summerhill initiated, also included Team SmartStop's Josh Berry, Jamis -Hagens Bermans's Ben Jacques-Maynes and Matt Cooke, Jelly Belly-Maxxis riders Jonathan Freter and Luis Lemus, Bissell Development Team's Greg Daniel and Drapac Pro Cycling's Lachlan Norris.

"The game plan obviously was for Kiel," Summerhill said. "And just having someone in the move so we didn't have to worry about chasing was all we were focused on."

Berry quickly popped out of the group and then sought medical attention as he dropped to the rear of the field as well. The escapees powered on without him, building a gap of 1:40 before a Cannondale-led chase started cutting into the lead on the first lap. The gap was down to about one minute as the breakaway started the second lap, but the leaders opened it back up to 1:40 on the second lap.

UnitedHealthcare threw several riders into the chase, and the gap was back down to just below a minute as the break started the final lap. From there the gap came down regularly until the bunch had the lead riders in sight.

"Chris Jones took the front there on the final KOM on the final lap," Reijnen said. "I asked him to keep the pace high because t was strung out and I knew the sprinters wouldn't make it back of we did. He did a phenomenal job of that, and all the other boys all day long were keeping me in position."

Jacques-Maynes jumped away from the breakaway in a last gap effort, while all but Lemus, Norris, Cooke and Daniels faded back into the fold. Jacques-Maynes had a small gap on the chasing four riders with 20km remaining, and the field was nipping at their heels.

As the group was about to reel in the Jamis rider, Voigt jumped away, bridged to Jacques-Maynes near the final KOM of the day and then kept going. "I was itching to go already at the beginning," Voigt said. "But the team said, 'No, no, no. It's still a bike race here. It's not the Jens Voigt show. It's a bike race, and so I followed the orders. I followed the tactical plan and only attacked in the last lap."

The German strongman dangled off the front as a new select lead group of about 26 riders started to form at the head of the peloton. Reijnen said Jones was the riders doing most of the damage in the field.

"Once Chris [Jones] swung off I had Lucas with me and that split kind of happened," Reijnen said. "I looked back and there were maybe 20-25 guys in that group. At that point I knew I was the fastest guy there. It was just a matter of keeping the momentum."

Garmin-Sharp and BMC picked up the chase and eventually pulled Voigt back, setting up what appeared to be a likely bunch sprint, but the constant attacks on the roads back into Aspen spoiled the sprinters' day.

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