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Tour of Utah: Late bloomer Kiel Reijnen gains confidence in taking Stage 5

Tour of Utah • Washington native hitting his stride.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Travis McCabe celebrates at the finish line, as he finishes first in stage 5, in the Tour of Utah, in Bountiful,Friday, August 4, 2017.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Travis McCabe celebrates at the finish line, as he finishes first in stage 5, in the Tour of Utah, in Bountiful,Friday, August 4, 2017.

Bountiful • Stage 5 winner Kiel Reijnen overflowed with charisma and composure after the race. The mannerisms screamed of someone who has been around the sport for a long time.

And he definitely has been.

At 30, Reijnen, a late bloomer who recently signed with WorldTour team Trek-Segafredo, is just now hitting his stride as a cyclist. Opting for an unconventional, risky career route of racing domestically instead of climbing up the ranks on the European circuit, the Bainbridge Island, Wash., native has taken longer than usual to get on track to becoming a top-tier cyclist.

On Friday, Reijnen showed his riding maturity with a strong finish to a difficult Stage 5 at the Tour of Utah.

"Today was definitely more of an emotional win for me just because I didn't really believe in myself for the first 150 [kilometers]," Reijnen said. "But the team did … so big thanks for the team believing in me."

So, as he reveled in taking second in Stage 4 and first in Stage 5 here, Reijnen couldn't help but crack jokes during the post-race press conferenc eand reflect on what has transpired during this long week, and what is to come as he prepares for the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) later this season.

For Reijnen, the next step will be taking the confidence he has gained throughout the Tour of Utah and using it to fuel the ascent toward his prime.

"It's been really cool being here on a bigger team and still having the support of riders around me like I've had in the past," he said. "Even though I'm playing a similar role, it's with a bigger team and that's sometimes harder to earn, so I'm very happy the team has given me the chance."

The Tour of Utah has its place in cycling as one of the premiere UCI-sanctioned races in the United States. It's a place where newcomers can win individual stages, while seasoned veterans strategically grind out the week for a top finish in the general classification. That's all aside from the unique scenery that Utah offers.

But comparatively speaking, it's more of a warmup to the bigger races in Europe where the competition is at its best.

For cyclists like Reijnen, who finished seventh in the 2015 Bountiful stage, this year's Tour of Utah has been just that: a lead-up to bigger races and bigger stages. It doesn't mean he takes this race for granted. Quite the contrary. Sometimes it takes just one race for a cyclist to find the form and confidence necessary to make a dent in Europe, which summarizes Reijnen's development on this year's Tour of Utah.

"Spent a lot more time in Europe this year, kind of getting my head bashed in," Reijnen said. "So, hopefully the idea is that it pays off for the second half of the year. … So far, so good."

Reijnen has already experienced what it's like to be a small fish in a big pond over in Europe in preparation for his first World Tour. He's seen first hand what it will take to take that next step towards making a name on the biggest stage. With the weekend finale beginning Saturdaywith the grueling Snowbasin to Snowbird run, Reijnen will have two more stages to further find his footing and gain confidence.

It's just the type of experience that races like the Tour of Utah love providing.

"One of the bigger differences from last year to this year in Utah, is, I feel less drained from each effort, so I'm hoping that pays off in the Vuelta," Reijnen said. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going in there with some ambition."

By Hayden Kim: The Salt Lake Tribune