USA Pro Challenge: Dennis smashes stage 5 time trial in Breckenridge

Rohan Dennis (BMC) scored his second consecutive stage win Friday at the USA Pro Challenge, smashing the 13.5km course in Breckenridge with a time of 18:11, 27 seconds faster than runner-up Rob Britton (Team SmartStop) and 31 seconds better than teammate Brent Bookwalter.

The Australian time trial specialist caught and passed his two-minute man, Robbie Squire (Hincapie Racing), on the final climb to extend his lead in the general classification with two stages remaining. Dennis now leads Bookwalter in the general classification by 44 seconds, with Britton moving into third, 1:31 down.

Friday's course revisited the climb up Moonstone Road, which the peloton had gone over the previous day during stage 4. Dennis said he enjoyed the climb much less on Friday.

"I went into the climb today pretty well on the limit," he said. "Yesterday I wasn't close to my threshold for 10 minutes beforehand. So today definitely wasn't as fun. To be honest, I was expecting closer to 18:30," he said. "But when I went across the top it was just better than 14 minutes. So it was always going to be the same time from there to the bottom for pretty much everyone - around four minutes. So I thought I’d at least cut it by 20 seconds if I decided to go slow down the course."

Britton, who finished third in the road stage that finished in Breckenridge last year, said coming in second to Dennis was pretty satisfying.

"Thirty seconds down on the guy who set the fastest time in the Tour de France ever, it's not bad right?" Britton said. "I’m happy with it for sure" 

How it unfolded

Friday’s 13.5km stage 5 time trial started in downtown Breckenridge before heading slightly downhill for 3.6km to a turn around in Coyne Valley. From there the race returned on the same road and headed for the climb up Moonstone Road, which the peloton had climbed the day before. The climb topped out about 6km from the finish before a screaming descent back into town.

Jamis-Hagens Berman’s David Williams, who finished third at the US pro time trial championship in both 2013 and 2015, set the earliest fastest time at 19:34. But Williams’ mark was soon eclipsed by Cyclinng Academy rider Bartosz Warchol, who came in one second faster.

Taylor Sheldon (Jelly Belly-Maxxis), a local from Breckenridge, set the new fastest time 20 riders later with a mark of 19:24 over the 13.5km course.

Sheldon also didn’t get to spend much time in the hot seat as Cannondale-Garmin’s Nathan Brown finished with a time of 19:18.

The hot seat started to look like a game of musical chairs from there, with Brown’s mark falling to Jack Bobridge (Budget Forklifts) two riders later. The Australian track man was the first rider t break the 19-minute mark, coming in with a time of 18:59.

Fan favourite Taylor Phinney (BMC) took over the leader’s seat next, crossing the line with a time of 18:50 as the crowd roared its approval. But Phinney’s lead lasted even shorter than brown’s as Axeon Cycling’s Daniel Eaton bested him by a mere second.

Eaton had a little more time to get used to the hotseat, as rider after rider came close but were unable to unseat the 22-year-old American. Gavin Mannion, starting 12th from last, missed unseating Eaton by just one second, but the Axeon rider’s time of 18:49 continued to hold.

"It’s pretty unreal actually," Eaton said from the hotseat. "I came into the day hoping for a good time, feeling good and rolled through the finish and heard my name was in the hot seat and I couldn’t believe it.

"I took it out pretty smooth, pretty steady and I knew it was going to be all in the climb," he said. "Then I hit the climb and gave it everything to the top. I pretty much stopped pedaling at the top and then was able to recover real quick and get back on the descent."

Eaton's lead position was short-lived, however, as Team SmartStop’s Rob Britton finished next and smashed Eaton’s time by 11 seconds, setting the new best mark of 18:38. The Canadian took the hotseat with just 10 riders left to finish.

"I was hoping for it," he said of his podium ride. "I’ve been hoping for this all week because I had a little bit of an off day on stage 2. So today was kind of my only real chance to make up time. 

Cannondale-Garmin’s Davide Formolo, who started the day eighth overall lost his chances for a good time when he crashed into the barriers rounding a left-hand turn leading to the finishing straight.

Meanwhile, out on the course, Dennis was smashing the course, catching and passing his two-minute man Robbie Squire (Hincapie Racing).

Bookwalter, who started third from last despite sitting second overall, almost unseated Britton with a time of 18:42, but the Canadian remained in the lead with just two riders left to finish.

Dennis came in next with the fastest time of the day to take the stage win.

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