Brent Bookwalter Climbs to 11,000 Feet with Help from Teammate Rohan Dennis to Win Stage 2 of USA Pro Challenge

Arapahoe Basin, CO. (August 18, 2015) – Not many professional cycling races can claim to have mountain top finishes at almost 11,000 feet and it took a powerhouse team of riders that included American Brent Bookwalter and Australian Rohan Dennis to beat out the rest of the field at Tuesday’s 115.4-mile ride from Steamboat Springs to Arapahoe Basin at the USA Pro Challenge.

Bookwalter escaped from the top contenders within the final 500 meters to defeat teammate Dennis by six seconds and Britain’s Hugh McCarthy of team Caja Rural-Seguros by 10 seconds, to claim the stage victory and take over the Smashburger leader’s jersey.

“I didn’t realize I had won the race until someone from my team told me,” said Bookwalter. “I was so cross-eyed (from the altitude and effort) that I wasn’t quite sure where I was for awhile. I just powered ahead.”

The win was the biggest of Bookwalter’s 10-year professional career. A long-time domestique for BMC Racing, the past month has seen the 31-year-old from Asheville, N.C. finish 4th overall at Tour of Austria and 3rd overall at Tour of Utah.

“We still have five days to go, and a lot of tough kilometers,” he added. “It’s not time to celebrate. Cannondale-Garmin seems pretty motivated and there are some other individuals to watch…it’s good to keep the jersey in the team.”

Bookwalter took the leader’s jersey from teammate Taylor Phinney, who won yesterday’s stage in Steamboat Springs. Dennis’s second place leaves him second overall, placing BMC Racing in an ideal position to win the race.

“We have at least two bullets in our holster to play,” Dennis said, using cycling vernacular for having multiple options. “Brent is riding real well right now. And, I’m not bad either. We’ll take it one day at a time. I thought the altitude wasn’t as much of a factor to me as I thought it would be.”

The large crowds up the slopes on Highway 6 from Keystone to Arapahoe Basin were packed in the final kilometer, which Dennis said actually slowed the chase group down. Nathan Brown of the Cannondale-Garmin team had escaped with fellow American Gregory Daniel with about 20 miles to go. Brown eventually left Daniel on the final climb up to A-Basin but was caught with about 800 meters remaining by Bookwalter, Dennis, McCarthy and several others.

The final 500 meters splintered the field as the top 20 riders were spread out within a minute of each other, creating various time gaps.

Those who lost time will have ample opportunity to make up seconds and even minutes on the next three stages. Wednesday’s Stage 3 from Copper Mountain to Aspen features the goliath climb of almost 18 miles over Independence Pass. The pass, used in several past courses, crests at 12,095, the highest point of this year’s course and one of the highest paved roads in all of North America. Most of the day is spent above 10,000 feet and will test even the best rider’s lungs. The crowds along Independence Pass in prior race years have been some of the biggest and most enthusiastic. Expect to see a wide variety of characters dressed in costumes and ringing multiple cow bells.

For the jerseys, Brent Bookwalter (USA) of BMC Racing Team takes the Smashburger Race Leader Jersey. While Taylor Phinney (USA) of BMC Racing Team got his hands on the Lexus Sprint Points Jersey and Will Routley (CAN) of Optum P/B Kelly Benefit Strategies takes home the Sierra Nevada King of the Mountain Jersey. The Colorado State University Best Young Rider Jersey is Hugh Carthy (GBR) of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. Today’s FirstBank Most Aggressive Rider Jersey was awarded to Nathan Brown (USA) of Team Cannondale-Garmin and Edward Jones Best Colorado Rider Jersey finds a home with Alexandr Braico (MDA) of Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis.

STAGE 3 TOMORROW:
Wednesday, Aug. 19 – Copper Mountain to Aspen
Start Time: 11:15 a.m. MT
Estimated Finish Time: 3:20 p.m. MT
Satellite Feed Time: 5 p.m. – 5:15 p.m MT / 7 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. EST

Another new twist on an old favorite, but this time it is the opening that changes. Copper Mountain plays host to its first ever Pro Challenge stage and sends off Stage 3 in style. While familiar terrain and faces await the race on Independence Pass and Aspen.

No rest for the weary this day as the climbing starts right away with the ascent of Freemont Pass. Then onto the gorgeous shores of Turquoise Lake and a quick sprint through Leadville. But that is just the appetizer, the main course awaits on the upper slopes of Independence Pass and then down its breathtaking descent into Aspen where some of the most memorable moments in Pro Challenge history have played out.

PS- Over half of Stage 3 race mileage takes place above 10,000’. Bring your lungs.

How to Watch the 2015 USA Pro Challenge

Fans can view the race on the daily NBC Sports Group broadcasts. The Stage 3 schedule is as follows:

• 4:00 PM ET
  Universal Sports
  Live Coverage
• 9:00 p.m. ET
  Universal Sports
  Recap

In addition to the broadcast, fans can follow the 2015 USA Pro Challenge with the Tour Tracker. Available on the race website, as well as through a free download on iTunes and Google Play, the Tour Tracker includes:

• Live video coverage of the last two hours of every stage
• Video replays of previous stages
• Up-to-the-minute text updates during the race
• GPS tracking and interactive maps
• Daily results and overall standings
• Photo feed from the race
• Stage previews, including overviews, maps and profiles
• Team and rider listings

To watch live race coverage, go to http://prochallenge.com/tourtracker

For a complete roster listing, go to: http://prochallenge.com/the-competition/mens-teams

About the USA Pro Challenge

Referred to as “America’s Race,” the USA Pro Challenge will take place August 17-23, 2015. For seven consecutive days, the world’s top athletes race through the majestic Colorado Rockies, reaching higher altitudes than they’ve ever had to endure. The inaugural Women’s USA Pro Challenge is a three-day invitation-only event and will kick off in Breckenridge on August 21st and conclude in Golden on August 23rd. One of the largest cycling events in U.S. history and the largest spectator event in the history of the state, the USA Pro Challenge is back for 2015. Featuring a challenging course, the fifth annual race will spotlight the best of the best in professional cycling and some of America’s most beautiful scenery.

More information can be found online at www.prochallenge.com and on Twitter at @USAProChallenge.