But perhaps most importantly, each member of the team was having an incredibly fun time, building on the strong team spirit
which has defined this 2008 BMC squad. Any further accomplishments in Utah would only enhance an already successful
race.
On the flat, fast course, Louder brings home the overall victory
"The course was really
fast and a touch windy. There wasn’t much time for thinking, I just knew I had to go for broke," Louder explained.
"This has been such a team effort from the staff and management down to the riders, that I just wanted to do what I could
to repay everyone for all the hard work that they put in."
The time trial course used the Miller Motorsports Park in Toole as the final testing ground for who would walk away victorious
from the Tour of Utah. It is perhaps ironic that the stage race that can legitimately boast the toughest climbing in
North America was decided in 12 flat miles. Bissell’s time trial specialist Tom Zirbel not surprisingly came away
with the stage victory, though BMC’s Brent Bookwalter and Jeff Louder followed closely behind in 2nd and 3rd.
"Reporters were asking me more about Brent, and I couldn’t say enough good things about him until I realized
he beat me today!" Louder joked. "Actually Brent is so impressive, and has come so far since breaking his leg last year;
if this Tour had lasted a few more days, it very well could have been Brent taking the overall."
Darren Lill, BMC’s other GC candidate for the week, had a bit of bad luck in the time trial, puncturing halfway through.
"I definitely lost some time today since I punctured and ended up riding the last half of the course on a flat tire," Lill
said. “But the course really was suited to larger riders, and both Brent and Jeff still rode well enough to move
up on the GC; it’s a great day for the team."
BMC growing as a team, Louder growing as a leader
In
2006 Jeff Louder finished 3rd overall at the Tour of Utah. In 2007 he finished 7th at the Tour of Georgia and won the
mountains classification at the Tour of Missouri. "I’ve been knocking on the door for a big victory for a while
now, but I just didn’t know when it would happen," Louder said. "It is a dream come true personally for me to win my
home tour, but in the larger picture what we’re seeing is a real evolution of this team and a culmination of all the
hard work and dedication." BMC can also be proud to have beaten a very strong Garmin-Chipotle team. "Garmin worked
very hard and rode a great race all week," Louder said. "They had to defend from stage 1; Caldwell is a very complete
rider so I’m sure we will be having more trouble with him in the future!"
Having his wife, Soorya, daughter Milana and a whole slew of friends and family present to watch his win, Louder was not
shy to point to his home court advantage as a helpful factor. "Having my little girl with me on the podium after stage
4 was very special for me – even if it didn’t really mean much to her!" Louder said. "But I really have
to thank my wife for her support and the support that all my friends and family being here gave me. I was really able
to work off their energy too."
Motivated by people who are motivated
By devoting a lot
of the team resources to the Utah training camp, BMC seized the opportunity not only to gain experience for the race, but
foster strong team bonds which will pay dividends in races to come. "I am motivated by people who are motivated," Louder
explained. "I am so happy on BMC and we are all just trying to repay the trust and confidence the staff and management
pour into the team."
We added Jeff to the team because we knew he would work well in the program and in Utah he has really transcended thinking
about how to race and instead he just races," Chilcott beamed. "We invested smartly in the race and that left Jeff with
the tools to execute the plans, which he did extremely well." "I really have to thank Gavin for the confidence he has
instilled in me from the beginning of the year," Louder said. "
He puts 100% of himself into this team, we have the best equipment, materials, staff, and add the confidence and trust
Gavin has placed in me, and I am very motivated to capitalize on his vision." "I think I am echoing everyone’s
feeling when I say that the riders and staff are really working well as a team," Chilcott concluded. "We’re putting
it all together and things are really starting to click."
Team Type 1’s Chadwick Is Tour Of Utah’s Mountain King
With Team Type 1 founder Phil Southerland watching from the team car, Glen Chadwick animated the Larry H. Miller Tour of
Utah Saturday on a tortuous course that included nearly 15,000 feet of climbing.
Chadwick's attack on the leg-breaking ascent to the Snowbird Ski Resort eventually
led to a third-place finish in the 98-mile (158 km) Snowbird Road Race that was won by local favorite Jeff Louder (BMC Pro
Cycling Team), ahead of overall leader Blake Caldwell (Garmin-Chipotle).
Team Type 1 Sport Director said the achievements speak volumes about the character
of the first-year team that was denied an invitation to compete in the Tour of Missouri next month.
"Guys like Matt (Wilson) and Ian (MacGregor) really stepped up today because
they want to be part of the team effort," Beamon said. "It kind of shows the depth of this team. We don’t have the big
superstar rider. We just have a lot of guys that cling to one another."
Chadwick claimed the team's 73rd podium finish of the season and sewed up the
Zions Bank King of the Mountains jersey. It was his second mountains classification crown of the season, following his polka-dot
jersey win at Tour de Beauce. It came exactly eight days after he competed for New Zealand in the Summer Olympic Games in
Beijing.
"I sort of waited until the other guys started to pop," Chadwick said. "When
I saw (Tom) Danielson was on the front and slowing down, I thought 'what the heck' and gave it a go."
Chadwick will have a fight on his hands if he is to move up any higher on the
overall classification. The 31-year-old said he has spent more time lately working on his climbing than his time trialing.
"We'll see how I'm feeling," he said. "It's going to be an interesting course
- with lots of corners on a race track."
Southerland, who is recovering from surgery on arteries in his legs, said the
teamwork exhibited Saturday serves as proof that Team Type 1 is on track for its long-range goal to field a team in the Tour
de France in 2012.
"It seems that the harder the race, the better this team rides," Southerland
said. "It's great to see everyone step up the challenge every time."
