TOUR OF THE DEPOT: It might not have the same prestige as the European races, but Utah's Tour of the Depot was the first chance for local roadies to get out and enjoy a stage race this season. The two-day, three-stage race was held in the Tooele area and despite being held on Easter weekend brought out a couple hundred cyclists for a time trial, circuit race and road race.

A $5,000 prize purse attracted some top regional talent and Kai Applequist, racing for Team Bob-bicycles.com, took the top podium spot in the men's

Pro-1-2 field with a combined time of 5:04:47. His breakaway win in the final stage road race gave him a 30 second time bonus and lifted him past Pocatello's Sam Krieg (5:04:59) and Salt Lake's Chase Pinkham (5:05:00) for first overall.

On the women's Pro-1-2-3 side, Nicole Evans (ValueAct Capital) dominated the field with wins in each stage and a combined time of 3:51:38. Evans was nearly two minutes ahead of Kris Walker and Nichole Wangsgard in the overall standings.

The men's Cat 3 race was won by Spencer DeBry while Tayler Wiles took top honors on the women's Cat 4 podium.

Next up for local roadies is the East Canyon Road Race on April 25 and the Antelope Island Classic on May 2.

SHARE THE ROAD PLATES: Utah is trying to get a little more bike friendly. The passage of SB102 last week created a "Share the Road" license plate to go along with the homeless pets, college and other special interest plates currently offered at your local Department of Motor Vehicles.

The new plates will come with an annual $25 fee that will provide funds for awareness and safety campaigns on Utah roads.

SORRY, PORTLAND: Salt Lake City was profiled on Good Magazine recently as a one of the top cities for bicyclists. Portland, of course, is still one of the best but the magazine lists several contenders to the throne for a variety of reasons. With 169 miles of bike lanes and trails in Salt Lake City's relatively small boundaries, the city has something for all types of cyclists ranging from the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to late-night thrill-seekers at the U-Bomb and Blackout rides.

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com