USA Pro Challenge 2015: Stage 5

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the USA Pro Challenge stage 5's 14km time trial in Breckenridge.

The men are out warming-up for the start of their time trials here in Breckenridge, and the first rider will be underway at just under an hour from now.

But you're in luck because the inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge three-day stage race has kicked off in Breckenridge today as well.

They're contesting the same 14km time trial as the men’s stage 5 held later in the afternoon.

We are about 2/3 of the way through the women's time trial and Amanda Miller (Visit Dallas p/b Noise4Good has the fastest time of 21:24.

Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air's Allie Dragoo has crossed the finish line with a 21:24.

However, it should be no surprise that double Olympic gold medallist and former world champion Kristin Armstrong has won the event with a time of 21:24, slightly faster than her teammate Dragoo. 

In winning the time trial, Armstrong will wear the first leader's jersey of the inaugural Women's USA Pro Challenge.

And here are your top five time trialists on the day:

1 Kristin Armstrong (USA) Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air 00:21:24
2 Allie Dragoo (USA) Twenty16 p/b Sho-Air
3 Amanda Miller (USA) Visit Dallas p/b Noise4Good Dallas 00:00:24
4 Abby Mickey (USA) UnitedHealthcare 00:00:28
5 Tayler Wiles (USA) Velocio-SRAM 00:00:41

As mentioned earlier, Armstrong will wear the leader's jersey into stage 2 on Saturday. The women will race 93km from Loveland to Fort Collins.

We're back with the live coverage of the USA Pro Challenge stage 5. The first rider has set off, Yoav Bear (Cycling Academy) at 3:00 p.m. MT.

Olivia Dillon, who placed 13th in the women's time trial said, "Glad ours is over, actually it is an awesome course, it really is if it wasn't at such high altitude. It's fun because you finish at the top of the hill and then you know you just have to rail the descent."

David Lozano Riba (Novo Nordisk) just left the starting gate in the men's time trial.

Our reporter on the ground, Ted Burns, has said that there is a huge crowd in Breckenridge for the men's time trial. He also said it was a party atmosphere and the most festive time trial he's ever been too!

He's been speaking with the top finishers of the women's race, who have said that there were a lot of hecklers on the day's main climb over Moonstone Road.

Tanner Putt, who is one of UnitedHealthcare's promising young talents, said before his time trial, "my goal today is just to make time cut and save my legs for the sprints the next two days."

He also gave us some insights into the day's time trial course,

"We did the same finish yesterday in the road race, it's a really steep hill it's windy today, so going out before we turn around for Moonstone, it's real windy so our legs will be a little tired by the time we hit the hill."

It's Jamis-Hagens Berman's David Williams who now has the fastest time of 19:34

Our reporter Ted Burns spoke with Axel Merckx, director of the Axeon squad, about his rider Tao Geoghegan Hart.

Merckx said, "It all depends on how they recover in their efforts from yesterday, it's a 14km TT, there is not a whole lot to think about, you go full gas and where the result comes at the end of the days. But he had a really good TT at the Tour of California so I think if he can pull a time trial like that it could be very interesting."

Trek Factory Racing's Fábio Silvestre crossed the finish line with the second fastest time so far. He told our report Ted Burns,

"The parcours is really hard because the first part is a headwind and you turn up and is really hard. The final, is really technical because of the corners so."

Here is what we can tell you about today's 14km time trial course. 

The parcour is flat through the initial out-and-back section of the circuit, however, there is also a loop over the Moonstone Rd. climb and the descent on Boreas Pass, which drops back into Breckenridge.

Jonas Carney, director for Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, spoke with Ted Burns at the start of the time trial today.

Tom Zirbel is his strongest time trialist for the day, but Carney said, "Most of our guys are focused on saving energy for Saturday and Sunday, but I know Tom Zirbel is going to give it 110% today.

"It's not really a course that suits him well but I'm sure he will still put in a good time. Most of our guys are thinking is Saturday and Sunday and maybe going for a stage."

Bartosz Warchol (Cycling Academy) has the fastest time so far, averaging just over 41 km/h with a time of 19:33.

Emerson Oronte (SpartStop) just crossed the finish line, looking like he was out for a morning spin.

We heard from Talyer Wiles after her time trial this morning. The Velocio-SRAM rider finished the race in fifth, 41 second behind winner Kristin Armstrong.

"To be honest I have never blown up so spectacularly on a climb before. I love the flat out and back and the down hill is a blast, but man that 1km up Moonstone Rd was brutal. I didn't have enough oxygen that is for sure,even my arms blew up."

Tinkoff-Saxo's Roman Kreuziger has just set off from the starting ramp.

We have a new fastest time!

Taylor Shelden from the Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis squad has finished in 19:24. A strong performance for the Continental-level rider.

Kreuziger is still contesting the initial flat out-and-back section but pretty soon he will be on the Moonstone Rd ascent.

Hot-seat rider Taylor Shelden is a local rider and we are sure that he had lot of support out on the Breckenridge time trial course today.

Optum Pro Cycling riders Phil Gaimon and Tom Zirbel have had good performances today, too. They are currently sitting in sixth and seventh place, respectively.

Their teammate Guillaume Boivin, the current Canadian road champion, just crossed the line. Boivin is a sprinter and will be looking to do well in the closing stages of the USA Pro Challenge.

Out on course, it is very windy with cross winds and at the edge of town there are about 100 people at the turnaround. Much of the fans are at the finish line area.

Although Nate Brown (Cannondale-Garmin) set a new best time with 19:18, that time was blown away by Jack Bobridge (Team Budget Forklifts), who just crossed the finish line in 18:59!

We are receiving word that there will be a 12-minute break in the men's time trial, with no riders being released, in order to allow traffic to pass.

There are so many fans at the top of the Moonstone Rd climb and we are fairly certain that many of them are waiting to see Taylor Phinney (BMC), who is now on course and looking very strong.

Here are you current top three:

1. Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 18:59

2. Nate Brown (USA) Cannondale-Garmin 0:00:19

3. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:23

If you missed stage 1 of the Women's USA Pro Challenge, which was also a 14km time trial held on the same course as the men earlier today, here is the full results and report.

Taylor Phinney stunned the cycling world on Monday when he won the opening stage of the USA Pro Challenge and took the first leader's jersey. 

The USA Pro Challenge is only his second race back, after the Tour of Utah, since his debilitating crash 14 months ago that cause serious injuries to his leg.

Before the start of the race this week, he said he was eyeing the time trial stage.

Phinney is on the Moonstone Rd ascent and he is seated, struggling to get over the top.

Fans of all sorts are running along side Phinney as he hauls himself over the Moonstone Rd climb. It's electric, loud and we are sure that Phinney is getting a lot of motivation from the crowds.

He crossed the top of the Moonstone Rd climb with a similar point-check to current stage leader Jack Bobridge. He is bombing the descent and sees 4km to go.

Phinney is storming to the finish line and on the finishing straightaway.

Phinney has just posted the new best time of 18:50, beating Bobridge's time by nine seconds.

We don't want to burst Phinney's bubble but Dan Eaton from the Axeon team has taken the hot seat by just one second.

Eaton, a young American rider, crossed the finish line in 18:49.

Stage 3 winner Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare) is on course now. 

Everyone is waiting for stage 4 winner and overall race leader Rohan Dennis (BMC) to start.

Here is a recap of the top 10 overall at the start of the day:

1 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team 17:24:03
2 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13
3 Robbie Squire (USA) Hincapie Racing Team 0:00:26
4 Jonathan Clarke (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:00:27
5 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
6 Lachlan David Morton (Aus) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:00:42
7 Jaime Roson (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:00:44
8 Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:48
9 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek Factory Racing 0:00:55
10 Toms Skujins (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team 0:01:01

No body will have forgotten about the phenomenal time trial that Dennis put forth at the Tour de France this summer, where he dazzled fans with the fastest-ever Tour de France time trial.

In Utrecht, Dennis' time of 14:56 over a 13.8km course was the fastest individual time trial in Tour de France history, beating Greg LeMond’s record set in 1989.

But we still have 11 riders to go before Dennis, and right now Tour of the Gila's overall winner Rob Britton (Team SmartStop) is on the starting ramp.

Toms Skujins (Hincapie Racing) is now on course. And stagiaire Julien Bernard (Trek Factory Racing) is waiting for his start.

Giro d'Italia stage winner Davide Formolo (Cannondale-Garmin), who is sitting in eighth place overall is getting ready to start his time trial.

Fans are slapping the banners hanging over the road-side fencing, cheering for Formolo as he races off the starting ramp.

Lachlan Morton (Jelly Belly), sixth overall, has just started his time trial.

We haven't seen a new best time since Dan Eaton crossed the finish line in 18:49, but there are several riders in the top 5 overall who could surpass the young American for the top spots today.

Lachlan Norris (Drapac Pro Cycling) just slotted in ahead of Jack Bobridge in third place, 10 seconds off of Eaton's fastest time of the day so far.

Next in line on the starting ramp will be  Jonathan Clarke (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team), Robbie Squire (Hincapie Racing Team) and Rohan Dennis (BMC).

Race officials have separated Bookwalter and Dennis for the time trial, despite them holding the top two spots in the overall classification.

Gavin Mannion (Jelly Belly) just crossed the line with the second fastest time of 18:50.

It looks as though Rob Britton is having a very fast time trial, he is coming in with the fastest time of  18:38

And Rohan Dennis (BMC) has started his time trial! He is the favourite to win the time trial today.

Rob Britton (Team Smart Stop) is in the hot seat with 18:38. He won the overall title at the Tour of the Gila in the spring, and has always been a top climber on the domestic scene.

Julien Bernard (Trek Factory Racing) is finishing with a 19:30, a respectable time and in the top 20 on the day so far.

Rohan Dennis (BMC) is looking very smooth on the flat sections of the time trial course. It's hard to tell how fast he's riding, but we are sure whatever the number is, it's really fast!

Davide Formolo has crashed into the barriers.

The Cannondale-Garmin rider rounded the second to last corner, it was a 90-degree turn. He's back on his bike but he has a rear flat tire.

Formolo has a tear on the shorts on his left hip and he has road rash down his side.

That was very unfortunate for the Italian who was sitting in eighth overall.

Brent Bookwalter (BMC) is reaching the top of Moonstone Rd and his is on similar pace to current stage leader Rob Britton.

Rohan Dennis (BMC) is catching Robbie Squire (Hincapie Racing) on the Moonstone Rd climb!

Meanwhile, Bookwalter is sitting on his top tube to get the most aerodynamic position possible on his TT bike on the descent.

Dennis is cutting through the thick crowds at the top of Moonstone Rd. He is climbing out of the saddle and has crossed that point-check with the fastest time so far.

Bookwalter finishes with an 18:42, second so far on the day.

Dennis has gotten to the top of the climb much faster than everyone else today. It looks as though he is on his way to winning the stage today.

He is crouching on his top tube while bombing the descent, and trying to get the fastest speeds possible as he heads to the finish.

He has 1km to go!

He is crouching on his top tube while bombing the descent, and trying to get the fastest speeds possible as he heads to the finish.

He has 1km to go!

He has three corners to go, surely he will go under 18 minutes

And Rohan Dennis has won the stage with a time of 18:10!

Here are the top 10 for the day:

1. Rohan Dennis (USA) BMC Racing) 18:11

2. Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop 0:00:27

3. Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing 0:00:31

4. Dan Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling 0:00:38

5. Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 0:00:39

6. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing 0:00:39

7. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team 0:00:47

8. Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Pro Cycling 0:00:48

9. Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 0:00:48

10. Nate Brown (USA) Cannondale-Garmin 0:01:0

Here are the brief results for the USA Pro Challenge stage 5 time trial:

1 Rohan Dennis (USA) BMC Racing 00:18:11
2 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop 00:00:27
3 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing 00:00:31
4 Dan Eaton (USA) Axeon Cycling 00:00:38
5 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 00:00:39
6 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing 00:00:39
7 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team 00:00:47
8 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Pro Cycling 00:00:48
9 Jack Bobridge (Aus) Team Budget Forklifts 00:00:48
10 Nate Brown (USA) Cannondale-Garmin 00:01:07

General classification after stage 5
1 Rohan Dennis (USA) BMC Racing 17:42:14
2 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing 00:00:44
3 Rob Britton (Can) Team SmartStop 00:01:31
4 Gavin Mannion (USA) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 00:01:49
5 Lachlan Morton (NZl) Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis 00:01:53
6 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Axeon Cycling Team 00:01:58
7 Lachlan Norris (Aus) Drapac Pro Cycling 00:02:02
8 Toms Skujins (Lat) Hincapie Racing Team 00:02:08
9 Hugh Carthy (GBr) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 00:02:13
10 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek Factory Racing 00:02:14

Dennis said after winning the stage 5 time trial that he, "broke down the course into sections and the top of Moonstone Rd. was my finish line."

Thank you for following our live coverage of the USA Pro Challenge stage 5.

Join us tomorrow for the stage 6 race from Loveland to Fort Collins.

Bye for now!