Tour of Utah: Taylor Phinney races to time trial victory

TOOELE — Miller Motorsports Park is built for speed.

And when the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah cycling race hit the 9.2-mile course, it helped to have an awfully big engine.

Taylor Phinney definitely has one of those.

"It's obviously a good course," Phinney said after powering his way around the course in 16 minutes, 46 seconds. "It suits me because it's flat and I'm a big guy with a lot of power."

The 20-year-old who has been called the future of American cycling nipped Levi Leipheimer, who crossed the finish line after the time trial with an impressive time of 16:48.

That effort increased Leipheimer's overall lead in the race to 1:37 over Francesco Mancebo, who finished 41 seconds slower than Leipheimer on Friday night.

"It's very fast, that's for sure," Leipheimer said of the high-banked turns that allow sharp turns without significant slowing. "It was just a matter of keeping it pegged the whole time."

Bissell Pro Cycling's Jeremy Vennel was third Friday night with a time of 16:57.

The overall standings didn't change much at the top. Salt Lake's Darren Lill remained third, 1:49 behind Leipheimer, with Phil Zajicek fourth, 2:07 back.

The Tour of Utah moves into Park City today for an afternoon and evening of criterium racing.

Racing up and down a few of the hilly city blocks on Main Street in downtown Park City begins early with a few races for amateurs and kids. The pros take over the streets at 4:30 p.m. for a 75-minute race that will resemble a NASCAR race with bicycles.

"It will be hard," Leipheimer said, describing the course that has a nice climb on each lap rather than the fast and flat four-corner crit last year in Salt Lake City. "It will take out 90 percent of the riders with how hard it is."

The racing Friday night, though, resembled dragsters more than stock cars, as 120 cyclists raced against only the clock, trying to grind out as fast a finish as possible while carving a few seconds advantage here or there over racers ahead or behind them in the overall standings.

Phinney, a world champion on track cycling and the winner of Tuesday's short prologue time trial, is perfectly suited for the race and took full advantage of the course.

"It makes it more fun," he said. "You don't feel like a race car driver because you're only going 30 miles per hour, but it's still pretty special."

Tour of Utah

Stage 3: Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele

9. 2 mile Time Trial

1. Taylor Phinney, Trek-Livestrong, 16:46

2. Levi Leipheimer, Mellow Johnny's, 16:48

3. Jeremy Vennell, Bissel Pro Cycling, 16:57

Overall Standings

1.Leipheimer

2. Francesco Mancebo, Canyon Bicycles, 1:37

3. Darren Lill, Fly V Australia, 1:49

Stage 4: Park City

75 minute criterium, 4:30 p.m.

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com