BMC’s Ben Hermans moved into second overall and teammate Tejay van Garderen stands third following a rain-soaked, uphill finish at the USA Pro Challenge
![]() |
Team News – USA Pro Challenge
NOTE: Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
USA Pro Challenge, Stage 2: Two In Top Three Overall
BMC Racing Team’s Ben Hermans moved into second overall and teammate Tejay van Garderen stands third following a rain-soaked, uphill finish that was preceded by a brief stoppage of the race Tuesday at the USA Pro Challenge.
PhotoSport International. uk usa asia.
Van Garderen finished third on the 169-kilometer stage and in the same time as runner-up Alex Howes (Garmin-Sharp) and seven seconds behind solo winner Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Sportswear Development). Hermans was fourth, 15 seconds back of the stage winner and moved into second overall, 11 seconds behind new race leader Howes. Van Garderen is one second back and tied on time with Matthew Busche (Trek Factory Racing).
“We had a plan to make it hard up Kebler Pass and the boys did an amazing job,” van Garderen said. “I think everyone was on the limit, lots of guys were dropped. There was big confusion with us stopping on the wet, freezing-cold, rainy downhill after we had done all the dirt. But once we re-started, we still got into our mindset that we were out to make something happen on this stage and I think it was mission accomplished.”
Dirt Roads Turned Muddy
Carpenter had been part of the day’s 12-man breakaway that slowly disintegrated as it made its way up the second-to-last climb. The BMC Racing Team led the chase, first with Yannick Eijssen, Martin Kohler and Rick Zabel, and later with Brent Bookwalter and Michael Schär. But as the gap to the escapees came down, so did heavy rain, turning the dirt to mud. Officials stopped the race to neutralize it on the descent and Carpenter was given more than a minute’s lead upon the re-start. Van Garderen, who won a stage in 2012 that featured the same finish, said there was briefly talk among riders of keeping the race neutral the rest of the way.
“But for me, it did not make sense because there was a guy in the breakaway and if we stop, he is going to take 10 minutes and run away with the race,” the defending champion said. “Secondly, we were riding all day and that would not have been fair to the guys who had spent so much energy to just say this energy was spent for nothing.”
Van Garderen attacked Howes inside the final kilometer while Hermans – third on Stage 1 – stayed patient. “We wanted to win the stage with Tejay,” Hermans said. “The plan was that Tejay could go for the stage and I would watch the moves of Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp) and the other dangerous guys. At the end, I dropped Danielson and Busche and the other guys were behind. So I think we did a good job with the team.”
BMC Racing Team Sport Director Jackson Stewart said he was pleased with the day’s overall outcome, but disappointed by the neutralization. “We knew we could do a good ride and put some damage into the race. But if you are going to neutralize it, you need to do it at the top of the climb where guys can still be warm and can put jackets on. In the end, the race was changed a lot by this. It is a weird race when we have elements like this. Luckily our guys were able to endure that stuff and do well today.”
1. Carpenter Robin, Hincapie Sportswear Development Team 4:17:18
2. Howes Alex, Garmin Sharp 0:07
3. van Garderen, TejayBMC Racing Team
4. Hermans Ben, BMC Racing Team 0:15
15. Voigt Jens, Trek Factory Racing @0.31
19. Norris Lachlan, Drapac Professional Cycling 0:36
34. Handley Richard, Rapha Condor JLT 1:35
43. Carthy Hugh, Rapha Condor JLT 1:54
80. Moses Thomas, Rapha Condor JLT 11.40
94. Porter Elliott, Rapha Condor JLT 14.31
95. House Kristian, Rapha Condor JLT 14:32
114. Sulzberger Bernard, Drapac Professional Cycling 16:27
117. Viviani Elia, Cannondale 21:25
DNF. Whitehouse Daniel, Rapha Condor JLT
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- News: Women’s Tour Penultimate Stage
- News: GP Jean-Pierre Monseré
- News: Paris-Nice Stage 1
- News: GP Industria & Artigianato
- Strade Bianche: Van der Poel Untouchable
- New! Ribble Ultra Tri Disc
- Trofeo Laigueglia: Day out front for Archibald
- Trofeo Laigueglia: Win for Mollema
- Deceuninck – Quick-Step to Paris-Nice
- Wout van Aert getting back into form
- Next Sunday: Paris-Nice is Back
- Q&A: Domini Radway-Fatuga (16)
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- Feature Interview: Jack Rees (Ribble Weldtite)
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- Feature Interview: Alexandar Richardson (Alpecin-Fenix)
Other News on VeloUK
- News: Women’s Tour Penultimate Stage
- News: GP Jean-Pierre Monseré
- News: Paris-Nice Stage 1
- News: GP Industria & Artigianato
- Strade Bianche: Van der Poel Untouchable
- New! Ribble Ultra Tri Disc
- Trofeo Laigueglia: Day out front for Archibald
- Trofeo Laigueglia: Win for Mollema
- Deceuninck – Quick-Step to Paris-Nice
- Wout van Aert getting back into form
- Next Sunday: Paris-Nice is Back
- Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Win for Mads Pedersen
- Drôme Classic: Solo triumph for Andrea Bagioli
- Hannah Barnes 5th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- News: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2021 (Men)
- UAE Tour: Final Stage (7)
- UAE Tour: Stage 6 – Win for Bennett
- UAE Tour: Stage 5
- Giro: Simon Yates Fights for Pink
- Giro 2021: Mollema, Ciccone and Nibali Reactions
- CAMS-Tifosi for Healthy Ageing Tour 2021
- UAE Tour: Stage 4
- News: New Head of Creative at Ribble Cycles
- UAE Tour: Stage 3
- News: Cavendish for Le Samyn
- Interview: John Archibald
- This weekend: Deceuninck – Quick-Step
- 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné Route
- UAE Tour – Stage 2 Time Trial
- Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var: Stage 3
- UAE Tour: First win to Mathieu van der Poel
- Central Region Junior RR Team Manager
- Tour Du Var – Stage 2
- Team News: Win for Mollema at Haut Var
- News: Tour Du Var – Stage 1
- News: Elite Status Changes
- News: Deceuninck – Quick-Step to UAE Tour
- News: Quintana Back Racing
- News: UAE Tour: Provisional Riders List
- News: Wout van Aert Training in Tenerife