Farrar Wins Again in USA Pro Challenge Stage Five

Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp celebrates winning Stage Five of the USA Pro Challenge. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Garmin-Sharp’s Tyler Farrar won his second stage of the USA Pro Challenge cycling race with a strong second effort in the city of Colorado Springs.

Farrar’s teammates were too tired to provide a leadout, after having ridden hard to catch the breakaway, so Farrar followed the United Healthcare leadout for Jacob Keogh. When Keogh faded 150 meters from the finish, Fararr was boxed in between Optum rider Alexander Candelario, Alessandro Bazzana of Team Type 1, and BMC’s Taylor Phinney.

Farrar didn’t panic and he didn’t quit. Instead, the Garmin rider slowed, moved to the far left, and started sprinting again, beating his rivals to the line with this second effort.

Tyler Farrar (R) outsprints Taylor Phinney (L) of BMC Racing to win his second stage in the USA Pro Challenge. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Farrar, who had been winless since July 2011 before winning Stage One, has added a second victory to his account. Farrar also won the green pints competition jersey, while teammate Tom Danielson kept his lead in the King of the Mountains competition, and Christian Vande Velde stayed second in the General Classification.

BMC’s Tejay Van Garderen kept the race lead heading into tomorrow’s epic Stage Six with its summit top finish atop Flagstaff Mountain. The top of GC is so close, with 22 seconds separating the top 14 riders and the top 20 under a minute, that all of those 20 will be on the attack.