Logan Owen of Axeon has won the third stage of the Larry H Miller Tour Of Utah.
Stage three was a stage of 109.4m/176.1km and from Antelope Island to Bountiful, just north of Salt Lake City and one which had Kiel Reijnen of UnitedHealthcare in the leader’s jersey with a four second lead over Alex Howes.
Johann Van Zyl of MTN Qhubeka took the first state sprint and was then in a break along with Jasper Bovenhuis, Joey Rosskopf, Wouter Wippert, Ty Magner and Dion Smith.
They were three minutes ahead after 57kms before Van Zyl took the climb at North Ogden.and Wippert took the second sprint in Eden.
Van Zyl took the next climb but there was a massive crash on the descent in the peloton who were 2.45 behind the six leaders with 67.5kms to go.
Matti Busche had to abandon the race due to the crash, which saw him break his collarbone and Wouter Wippert dropped back to the peloton leaving the leaders with a 1.45 advantage.
The gap fell to 35 seconds so Dion Smith went out and put some distance between him and the other three escapers until Rosskopf joined then passed him.
Rosskopf took the points on the climb and was fifteen seconds ahead going into the final twenty kilometres of the stage.
A Smartstop rider in Chris Butler crashed on a turn on a day where temperatures were around 80 degrees.
Rosskopf of BMC took the three seconds on the finish line with ten miles left and one lap of Bountiful to go. Lachlan Norris of Drapac came out of the chasing group and bridged to Rosskopf before briefly taking the lead.
Michael Wood brought up a new group which included Frank Schleck and Natnael Berhane of MTN Qhubeka who went for a solo effort with ten kilometres left, knowing that if he could get fourteen seconds on the race leader, he would take over in the yellow jersey.
Martinez and Wood caught up to Berhane and they stayed infront until Rosskopf now working for Brent Bookwalter went back ahead.
UnitedHealthcare put a man on the front to help the race leader in a group of thirty riders who were battling with a tailwind.
Dion Smith of Hinacapie Sports went under the flam rouge and just on the line, he was passed by Logan Owen of Axeon in 4.12.40 ahead of Bookwalter and Avila.
Kiel Riejnen keeps his race lead.