Park City
The cycling competition was challenging enough for Joe Dombrowski and the rest of Team Cannondale-Garmin. The bus rides between the early stages of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah tested the riders' outlook just as much.
"Morale was a little bit low," Dombrowski was saying Sunday, looking back over a remarkable week for himself and the team. His yellow jersey gave away the ending. Dombrowski finished well enough in Stage 7 to maintain the overall lead, giving his team another Tour of Utah victory. The latest triumph seemed highly unlikely as of Monday morning in Logan, where Team Cannondale-Garmin started pedaling without two-time defending champion Tom Danielson.
"Obviously, it's not what any of us wanted to hear coming into the week," Dombrowski said.
That news was Danielson's positive test for synthetic testosterone, as he was informed Sunday night by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. He withdrew from the race and later was suspended by the team, which had to regroup and ride without him.
Dombrowski's performance Saturday in the stage that ended at Snowbird ultimately made the victory possible. Yet his words to his teammates on the bus from Logan to Tremonton between the first and second stages may have had as much as anything to do with the outcome. This is a team sport, after all. Dombrowski knew he needed help, and he believed Team Cannondale-Garmin could pull off another win.
"Let's just focus on the race and see what we can make of it," he said.
How'd that work out?
"I have to say, I'm impressed with the team as a whole," Dombrowski said.
The winner made quite an impression himself. Michael Woods came into the final stage with designs of catching Dombrowski for the overall title, having lost the yellow jersey to him Saturday, but the champion was "super strong," Woods said. "I just couldn't shake him."
Woods slid out in the final corner, coming onto Main Street, but the mishap didn't affect his second-place standing, 50 seconds behind Dombrowski for the week.
Dombrowski credited good strategy and execution throughout the lineup, positioning him well all day and resulting in a finish that was "about as low-stress as it could have been."
Naturally, there was a moment after the climb of Empire Pass when the Virginian thought about pursuing Lachlan Norris and Brent Bookhalter, who staged the best finish in the five years that the Tour of Utah has ended on Main Street in Park City. "The best thing was to be conservative," Dombrowski said, with barely a hint of regret. "I was just happy to take no risks and make sure I stayed out of trouble on the descent."
He succeeded in delivering a victory that seemed improbable as of Monday, in the rain, chilly conditions in Logan. Dombrowski just kept coming, completing a demanding week. Cyclists are accustomed to having a time trial mixed in with the climbing, but that's not the case with "America's Toughest Stage Race," as the Tour of Utah markets itself.
"I don't think anyone's walking out of here feeling fresh," Bookwalter said.
The high altitude, the 700-plus miles and the 51,000 feet of climbing in seven stages converge for "the perfect storm of things that makes it a pretty tough race," Dombrowski said.
Jenn Andrs, the Tour of Utah's new executive director, promised "some different mountains to explore" next August, but there's no doubt the event is locked into a Park City conclusion. Thousands of fans on Main Street gave the finish a festive feel Sunday, when Norris held off Bookwalter during the closing sprint.
Soon afterward, here came Dombrowski, completing the race that he reminded his teammates was still theirs to win, even in the two-time defending champion's absence.
kkragthorpe@sltrib.com
Twitter: @tribkurt
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris celebrates as he crosses the finish line in first place on Park City's Main Street to win first place in theTour of Utah Stage 7 Competition, Park City to Park City, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris zips by Brent Bookwalter on the final climb up Park City's Main Street to win theTour of Utah Stage 7, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris and Brent Bookwalter are neck and neck on the final climb up Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015. Norris edged out Bookwalter to win the stage.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris and Brent Bookwalter are neck and neck on the final climb up Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015. Norris edged out Bookwalter to win the stage.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris smiles as he wins stage 7 on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Brent Bookwalter trails Lachlan Norris, after he was edged out at the finish line on the final climb up Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Lachlan Norris smiles as he wins stage 7 on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune TOU fans cheer at the finish line of stage 7 on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune TOU fans cheer at the finish line of stage 7 on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Fans follow Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane on his way to the podium, after finishing in 3rd place in Stage 7, on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition, Park City to Park City, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Fans cheer as Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane is awarded 3rd place in Stage 7, on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition, Park City to Park City, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Rob Britton crosses the finish line on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah, in Stage 7, competition, Park City to Park City, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Davilia Lemus crosses the finish line on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah, in Stage 7, competition, Park City to Park City, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane crosses the finish line for a 3rd place finish on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane crosses the finish line for a 3rd place finish on Park City's Main Street, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane waves from the podium after his 3rd place finish on in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Fan of Eritrean cyclist Natnael Berhane wave holds an Eritrea banner, at the finish line, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune The top three finishers in Stage 7, Brent Bookwalter (2) Lachlan Norris (1) and Natnael Berhane (3) wave to the crowd from the podium, in Tour of Utah Stage 7, competition Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune The top three finishers overall in the Tour of Utah Michael Woods (2) Lachlan Norris (1) and Brent Bookwalter (3) wave to the crowd from the podium, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune The top three finishers in the Tour of Utah Michael Woods (2) Lachlan Norris (1) and Brent Bookwalter (3) enjoy the champagne celebration on the podium, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune The Steage 7 top finisher, Lachlan Norris, waves to the crowd, from the podium, after finishing first in Stage 7 competion, on Park City's Main Street, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Stage 7 top finisher, Lachlan Norris, waves to the crowd, from the podium, after finishing first in Stage 7 competition, on Park City's Main Street, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Tour of Utah fans cheer on the winners at the podium, on Park City's Main Street, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune Stage 7 top finisher, Lachlan Norris, gets his kiss on the podium, after finishing first in Stage 7 competition, on Park City's Main Street, Sunday, August 9, 2015.
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