tour of utah - stage 2

Stage 2 was wild and woolly: a mountaintop finish on Mt. Nebo amid a hugenormous storm with rain and hail.  The racers started at Thanksgiving Point, just above Utah Lake, then went around the lake and down to Nephi, then climbing 4,000 feet above the lowest part of the ride for the finish.

Local yokel Jeff Louder (finished 18th)

H drove up to the finish from the other (Payson) side of the Mt. Nebo scenic drive, snagging a parking spot about a quarter-mile from the finish line.  He soon found that he didn't need any sunscreen, instead embracing his raincoat as the weather moved through, leaving temperatures in the high 50s by the time the cyclists got to the top.

Ian Boswell (3rd), Levi (1st), Francisco Mancebo (2nd)

Levi Leipheimer won the stage and moved into the overall racer leader (yellow jersey) position, despite some struggles with the higher altitude.  Poor George Hincapie went out of the race after a solo crash and yesterday's race leader, young Brit Alex Dowsett finished twelve minutes behind.