Tanner Putt outfoxed breakaway companion Alexis Cartier (Canadian National Team) on stage 2 of the Tour of Alberta into Olds for his first professional victory. The UnitedHealthcare rider played a cat-and-mouse game with Cartier on the run in to Olds, with Putt putting in several attacks before his final and decisive move for the win.
Tyler Williams (Axeon Hagens Berman) managed to take third place from the field, with Evan Huffman (Rally Cycling) in fourth and yellow jersey holder Colin Joyce (Axeon Hagens Berman) in fifth to keep the overall lead despite the breakaway holding off the peloton.
Putt and Cartier were in the day's initial breakaway, which was caught by a large chase group before the two riders peeled away again for their final, successful move. With the field bearing down in the closing kilometres, the duo off the front had to cooperate to the very last kilometre before the finish-line games began.
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"On the radio they wanted me to hit out with a little bit to go, just because whenever you are riding with somebody to the finish in the last couple of kilometres it's hard for both of you to fully commit 100 percent," Putt said in the post-race press conference. "We were both committed, but it's hard to give 100 percent, because you don't want to give 100 percent and then have the guy hit you. So I hit it a couple of times just to see how he was and see how his reaction was. I hit it going into 1km to go and then sat back up again and kind of forced him to take the lead going into 1km to go. I knew I could take it from 250-300, and I just waited until then and hit out."
Conditions changed from a drizzle at the start to full-on rain in the middle and then a slight let up at the end, but Putt, who comes from Park City, Utah, appeared to enjoy the 10 degree (Celsius) conditions as he rode throughout the day in a skinsuit with no jacket, arm warmers or leggings.
Axeon Hagens Berman did the yeoman's work of pulling the breakaway close enough by the finish to protect Joyce's lead, but when they surrendered the chase to the teams hoping for a stage win, there was too little to time and not enough cooperation to make the catch before the line. Joyce said he was happy to see an alumni of the Axeon development program cross the finish line first.
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