This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's marketed as "America's Toughest Stage Race," and for the 13th time, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is determined to meet that tagline.
The Tour of Utah unveiled its race routes Thursday morning for the 2017 version of the UCI-sanctioned race that is scheduled to cover 600 miles and 36,525 feet of elevation gain during the seven-day event July 31 through Aug. 6. Three of the seven stages will include mountaintop finishes as well as an uphill individual time trial.
"We are proud to design and orchestrate new race courses each year," Jenn Andrs, executive director of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, said in a release. "This year's Tour of Utah brings back the individual time trial and the circuit race at the Capitol, which will both challenge the professional athletes and energize our fans.
"With live broadcasts each day on Tour Tracker and FOX Sports Network, we can bring the excitement of the race and the beauty of Utah to fans all over the world."
Per a release, the Tour of Utah's first five stages feature morning start times to accommodate live national television broadcasts on FOX Sports Network for race finishes at approximately 1:30 to 2 p.m.
For the first time since 2011, the tour will feature an individual time trial, which will be a six-mile, uphill race to Brighton Ski Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. And for the first time since 2009, the final stage of the Tour of Utah will finish in downtown Salt Lake City instead of Park City.
The notable Queen Stage has been tinkered with but will feature a six-mile ascent from Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird Resort.
Four of the 10 host venues in 2017 are slated to host the start and finish lines for the first time, including Brigham City, Big Cottonwood Canyon, South Jordan and Layton. Salt Lake City and Snowbird Resort now serve as the longest-tenured host venues, each being associated with the race for 10 of the last 13 events.
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2017 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
Stage 1 (July 31) • Logan, 132 miles
Stage 2 (Aug. 1) • Brigham City to Snowbasin Resort, 94 miles
Stage 3 (Aug. 2) • Big Cottonwood Canyon, 5.6 miles (individual time trial)
Stage 4 (Aug. 3) • South Jordan, 125 miles
Stage 5 (Aug. 4) • Layton to Bountiful, 112 miles
Stage 6 (Aug. 5) • Heber Valley to Snowbird Resort, 61 miles
Stage 7 (Aug. 6) • Salt Lake City, 71 miles