Hugh Carthy (Caja Rural – Seguros) climbed to fourth overall in the USA Pro Challenge as he finished third on stage two in Arapahoe Basin as Brent Bookwalter (BMC) took the win.
Carthy was part of a five-man group contesting the uphill finale, with Bookwalter breaking away with 300m to go on the climb to take the impressive solo win – only his third victory in his eight-year career.
Bookwalter’s teammate Rohan Dennis rolled to second on the stage, six seconds down on the winner, with 21-year-old Carthy crossing the line four seconds later.
The win was BMC’s second in as many stages after Taylor Phinney sprinted to victory in Steamboat Springs on Monday but the American gives up his leader’s jersey to Bookwalter for stage three.
“I’ve had a run of good form and a good run of results, but that win has eluded me, and it’s eluded me in a lot of different ways: breakaways, sprints on climbs,” Bookwalter said after the stage.
“So to get it on a summit finish and to get it on the back of some awesome teamwork, I couldn’t imagine it being any better. Like Taylor [Phinney] said yesterday, it’s electric. It makes me feel alive and it makes me feel inspired. This is what makes all the tough times we fight through worth it.”
