Home field advantage: Utahns looking forward to welcoming nation's premier cyclists

As many of the country's top cyclists roll into Salt Lake City over the next few days, Burke Swindlehurst and Jeff Louder hope the approach to their hotel gives them more than a few doubts and hopefully a sleepless night or two.

With most riders in the Tour of Utah staying at Snowbird, they'll get daily reminders of the last 10 miles of the course — a grueling climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon that caps one of the most challenging stages ever seen in this country.

"When I saw that original course I thought they were crazy," Swindlehurst said of a recently shortened Stage 6 that will take cyclists from Park City, over Jordanelle, around the Heber Valley and then across the Alpine Loop before descending Traverse Mountain and then punishing participants with a brutal climb to Snowbird. "It's not as bad now, but it's still going to be the toughest day of racing in the United States."

Swindlehurst, a Cedar City native who lives and trains in Salt Lake City, is a member of Navigators Insurance cycling team. He, along with Louder — a member of the Health Net presented by Maxxis team and a Utah native — have become course authorities and valued resources for cyclists around the country. The professional cyclists have had the second week in August circled on their calendars for quite a while.

"I can't think of a time when I've been more excited for a bike race," Swindlehurst said. "I've always thought this would be a great place for a really good race. I didn't know if I'd ever see that day, and now here it is."

Louder said he's spent countless hours on the roads of the Beehive State imagining how a given stretch of pavement might translate into a stage race in his home state.

The Tour of Utah, though not yet officially part of the national calendar of racing events, is definitely on the unofficial calendar of events not to miss. With a purse of $45,000, the Tour of Utah grabbed the attention of many top cyclists in the country.

Beating the Utahns, though, will not be easy.

Louder is one of the best young cyclists in the country. With a recent runner-up finish at the Cascade Classic stage race and a top-25 finish in last week's Tour de Toona in Pennsylvania, Louder is proving himself a force not to be overlooked on roads he's not terribly familiar with. Along the Wasatch Front, though, Louder may be considered the favorite.