Cycling: BMC to race Tour of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — The Tour of Utah, dubbed the toughest stage race in America, just got a little tougher.

The BMC Racing Team announced Monday it would send a five-rider squad to compete in the Aug. 17-22 race. Among that roster of elite racers will be Salt Lake City's Jeff Louder and reigning U.S. champ George Hincapie.

"As a native Utahn, I am particularly motivated to do well, and we are bringing a team that will be competing for the win," Louder said.

Louder won the 2008 Tour of Utah on the strength of a big ride from Park City to Snowbird around the Alpine Loop.

The Tour of Utah has taken a bigger spot on the national bicycle racing calendar after a pair of other races, the Tour of New York and Tour of Missouri, were canceled because of a lack of sponsor funding.

Having Hincapie join the Utah peloton is a big coup for the race.

"I'm excited to be able to do another race in the U.S.," Hincapie said. "From what I've heard, it's a well-organized and very demanding race."

BMC will not send world champion and current Tour de France leader Cadel Evans to the race. The other three BMC racers scheduled to come to Utah are Chris Barton, Chris Butler and Simon Zahner.

The Tour of Utah begins Aug. 17 with a prologue time trial at the Utah State Capitol and concludes at Snowbird six days later after covering nearly 500 miles.

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com