Just north of the border and two days after this race is completed the chrono men will get the big division two timed test near Canada’s capital. Today some of the key protagonists for that race will get a short blast – a more definitive test awaits in this race in a couple of days around the Millar Motorsport Park.
Today’s 4km test is a simple out and back course in Utah’s state capital of Salt Lake City.
It isn’t the flattest of route’s containing a fairly steep climb out of the start, it’s effect is to keep the times over seven minutes. It proves a strong day for the Finnair outfit. Frederik Wilman sets the earliest fastest time of 7.17.
His is just hundredths quicker than Adecco’s Dutch Chrono specialist Thom Van Dulmen
The likes of Angel Vicioso, Algirdas Mockus, Vitauskas Kaupas and Wilson Rincón come in with times of 7.18 in a time test that is really testing the stop watches.
Team Dyson have by far the strongest group of time trailers in Division two. Arguably the best time trialler in the division is under pressure here to produce and Shaun Higgerson does beat Wilmans time breaking into the 7.16 territory!
But Finnair are giving Dyson a run for the money with experienced Polish rider Lukasz Bodnar setting the same time as Higgeson.
However Higgerson gets the nod of being slightly quicker as the Dyson camp start their high fives they need to momentarily pause as Russian Aleksandr Arekejev comes storming in.
As ironic as someone with the Initials AA taking the win in the world’s most sober city Arekejev’s time just rolls over onto 7.17. Meaning the day belongs to Higgerson who will be take the leader’s jersey into tomorrows hilly stage. It’s the Australian riders first individual time trial win of the season.
