American Tyler Farrar of Garmin-Sharp won Stage One of the USA Pro Challenge cycling race, outsprinting the field by seven lengths to take the winner’s yellow jersey.
Farrar, a sprinter and definitely not a climber, fought his way over three categorized climbs, more than sixty miles of uphill riding, with the highest, Lizard Head Pass, at 10,247 feet—the thin air was as tough as the incline.
He then stuck with the peloton through the long chase to catch the breakaway, and forced his way to the front in the final three ultras-fast miles into Telluride for the finish.
The climb up Lizard Head was the hardest part of the race, he told NBC Sports reporter Bob Roll. “I had to turn myself inside out to make it over that.
“I knew today could possibly be a sprint but I really wasn’t sure if I'd have the legs to make it—pretty happy to pull it off.
“Our team’s home is in Colorado so we take this race really seriously” Farrar continued. “A win here is huge.
“For me personally I’ve had kind of a disaster of a season so this means a whole lot to me, to finally get a win.
The Garmin sprinter found the climbs and the height a bit daunting, but he decided to try. He was glad he did, not just because of the long-elusive win, but because of the atmosphere.
“When I looked at the [stage] profile when I came here, I thought, ‘What am I even doing here? This is ridiculous,’ but I guess it was worth it,” he said.
“I haven’t had many opportunities to race in the U.S. in my career, so to come here and win with so many people watching on such a cool stage—pretty insane setting— it was great.”
Garmin Goes All-In
