Beehive Pattern and Bright Colors Spotlight Award Jerseys at 2018 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
Daily Fan Favorite Category Returns for Race Week
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 23, 2018) – Six distinctive award jerseys have been redesigned for the 2018 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah to recognize classification leaders and fan favorites during race week, Aug. 6-12. Five jerseys will be presented daily for the race leader, top sprinter, top climber, most aggressive and best young rising star. The America First Credit Union Fan Favorite jersey will be awarded daily in special categories using online voting by fans.
Using a theme based on the state’s nickname of the Beehive State, the new Tour of Utah award jerseys incorporate a honeycomb pattern with distinctive bright colors. It is the eighth year that Tour organizers have partnered with Utah-based DNACYCLING for design and production of all award jerseys.
All award jerseys will feature branding for three Tour Partners on the collar, sleeves and side panels — Larry H. Miller Dealerships, Utah Sports Commission and the Utah Office of Tourism, an agency of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. A distinct color is paired with a Tour partner brand to identify each unique jersey.
- Yellow — Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall Leader jersey
- White — Utah Sports Commission Sprint jersey
- Light Blue — WCF Insurance Best Young Rider jersey
- Medium Blue with Snowflakes — Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain jersey
- Dark Blue — America First Credit Union Fan Favorite jersey
- Red — Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider jersey
“The beehive is a symbol used on the state flag and the state seal to represent hard work and industry. And from that hard work comes the honeycomb, so we are proud to use this iconic mark to showcase the top performers in the Tour of Utah. These are the best teams and cyclists on the planet, and we are excited to have them racing across our beautiful state,” said John Kimball, managing director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah.
The awards ceremonies are held adjacent to the finish line of each day’s stage, and are open to the general public. New for 2018, the Tour of Utah will produce commemorative T-shirts to represent each award jersey. After the formal presentations, the professional riders will autograph the limited-edition shirts and toss them into the crowd as souvenirs.
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall Leader jersey is distinguished by its signature yellow color, first used by the Tour de France in 1913. The rider with the lowest accumulated time in the general classification (G.C.) wears yellow to showcase that individual as the overall leader. Last year, Canadian Rob Britton of Rally Cycling captured the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies Overall Leader jersey on Stage 3 at the individual time trial and held the G.C. lead for the final four days to secure the championship.
The Utah Sports Commission Sprint jersey is awarded to the rider who specializes in speed. This white jersey will showcase the “Utah the State of Sport” tag line. Each day, riders can accumulate points for this classification along the route at designated sprint lines, in addition to bonus points at finish lines. The top sprinter from the 2017 race was American Travis McCabe of UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team.
The Utah Office of Tourism King of the Mountain (KOM) jersey will return with its popular motif of blue snowflakes and the Ski Utah brand. The top three cyclists who cross designated KOM climbs along the route will receive points for this classification. The rider with the most accumulated points is awarded the KOM jersey each day. Jacob Rathe (USA), Jelly Belly Cycling p/b Maxxis, earned the KOM title last year.
The WCF Insurance Best Young Rider jersey goes to the best up-and-coming rider in the peloton. This light blue jersey, sponsored for a second time by Workers Compensation Fund, recognizes the athlete under the age of 24 who has the lowest accumulated time in the G.C. each day. Neilson Powless (USA), riding for the Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team, won this jersey in 2017.
The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Most Aggressive Rider jersey features the tag line “Driven By You” featured on the side panels. This red jersey is awarded to one rider each day who is judged by a panel of race officials to have exhibited a courageous or decisive performance. There is no overall champion for this award jersey since the designation is based on voting rather than G.C. standings. Last year on Stage 7, this jersey was presented to Italian Manuel Senni of BMC Racing Team.
The dark blue America First Credit Union Fan Favorite jersey returns for a fifth year. This offers a way for fans to recognize rising stars, past champions and inspirational riders. Each day a different category is provided online at TourofUtah.com, with a daily winner tabulated by popular votes. Last year, Canadian Pier-André Côté of Silber Pro Cycling received the most votes to capture the Overall Fan Favorite prize. Voting for the daily Fan Favorite athlete will be begin Aug. 6.
The Tour of Utah remains a 2.HC-rated stage race on the UCI America Tour, making it one of the premier events for professional cycling teams in North America. It is also one of the prominent road cycling events that is also part of USA Cycling’s Pro Road Tour. The Tour of Utah will start on Aug. 6 in St. George for the first time with a prologue, and conclude seven days later in Park City. Additional host venues are Cedar City, Payson City, Antelope Island State Park, Layton City, Salt Lake City, Canyons Village, and Snowbird Resort.
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is free to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique professional sports in the world today.More information about the Tour of Utah, host venues and professional teams can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com, as well as social channels Facebook (tourofutah), Twitter (tourofutah), Instagram (thetourofutah) and YouTube (tourofutah).
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About the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, referred to as “America’s Toughest Stage RaceTM,” is a week-long, professional cycling stage race for the best men’s teams in the world. The 2018 event will be held Aug. 6-12. Now in its 14th year, the event was elevated in 2015 as a 2.HC-rated UCI stage race, making it one of the premier events in North America. The 2017 Tour of Utah covered 605 miles of racing and 36,525 feet of climbing with Rob Britton of Rally Cycling winning the overall title. The Tour of Utah is owned by Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment. More information about the Tour of Utah, host venues and professional teams can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com, as well as social channels Facebook (tourofutah), Twitter (tourofutah), Instagram (thetourofutah) and YouTube (tourofutah).
Media Contact
Jackie Tyson, Media Relations Manager, Tour of Utah
TourofUtahPR@pelotonsports.net, 678.362.6228
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