On Saturday, Luxembourg's Frank Schleck riding for TREK Factory Racing finished 4th in the 177.7 Stage 6 (Queen's Stage) of the Tour of Utah, to move up to 3rd in the general classification overall standings.
The stage held in the Wasatch Mountains culminating with a 13-kilometer climb to the Snowbird Resort, with Frank Schleck crossing the line with three others, including the yellow jersey of Michael Woods (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies). However, over a minute ahead of the quartet, Joe Dombrowski (Cannondale-Garmin) soloed across the line taking an impressive win and with it the yellow jersey. Michael Woods is second, 50 secs behind, with Frank Schleck a further 17 secs adrift.
“It was a very hard day, more than five hours on the saddle; a very tough day so finishing fourth is good,” said Frank Schleck, and then added, “I do have very mixed feelings about it because tactic-wise I didn’t play the right card. However, clearly Joe Dombrowski was the strongest. I think I should have been second, though, and I didn’t play the right card and that’s it. But that said, I am quite happy with it.”
The fireworks began on the penultimate steep Guardsman Pass (11 kms at 7%, max 13%), which carved the peloton to 30 riders by the top, while the 12-man breakaway that led from the early part of the race was whittled down to three. On the final ascent to Snowbird Resort, the three leaders were quickly within sight as Team Colombia set a grueling pace on the front. Dombrowski made his move just as the trio was about to be absorbed with over seven kilometres remaining, shattering the chase group. Schleck was the only rider initially able to hang with the young American’s pace until he too eased from Dombrowski’s wheel.
In hindsight, explained Schleck, it was not the correct decision. In the chess game of cycling choices are often made under extreme duress and punishing circumstances; add to that mix racing in the thin, oxygen-deprived air of altitude and the game changes even more. It was a tactic made in the heat of battle.
Schleck described the moment “When Dombrowski jumped at first I didn’t know what he was doing, and I thought, ‘okay where is he going to go?’ until I realized he had his teammate Ben King ahead in the breakaway. He jumped to King who was waiting for him, and then King went full gas. Then I had to make the effort, all-in, just to catch these two guys and that’s where he put me in the red zone. King pulled off and Joe went again, and knowing the effort to come back - and I also thought there was no stress at that moment - so I told myself to just do my own tempo also knowing that the yellow jersey was just behind with Horner, so I let Joe go.
Photos by TREK Factory Racing
