In the two weeks between Grand Tours, the WorldTour returns to center stage with a relay like nothing else. 

Instead of pairing up and riding with a chosen partner, riders took the line and the ‘Go!’ with no idea who their eventual partner might be. As a sort of handicap race, the day’s points were up for grabs based on two rider’s times. The handicap aspect came from pairing the fastest rider on the day with the slowest, and the second fastest with the second slowest, all the way through the field.

With Ore2Shore and Tour hangover, it was a smaller crew on the line Thursday night, but a more tactical one. Cody Sovis led early, but floundered early in the sand and Tom White took over through the CC Climb, with Jason Whittaker in touch. Rob Goepfrich, John Urbain and Nate St. Onge dangled briefly, but the lead trio slowly pulled away, even though no rider was totally committed to driving the pace.

Tom White suffered near catastrophe when he dropped his computer, while Sovis and Whittaker briefly waited. Once onto the Power Section, Sovis rode tempo with Whittaker riding second wheel, while White and St. Onge made up ground once the Power Section ended. White eventually got back with the leaders, while Nate took the rest of the night to settle in on his new BMC Fourstroke 01. It’s really nice, you should all buy one.

Sovis pressed pace up the Hill on Iceman Course segment and stayed on the gas to the foot of Anita’s Hill, when White and Whittaker dropped the hammer. Sovis nearly got back on, but White was in control on the front, staving off an attacking Whittaker while Ryan Kushman, who popped onto the trial from the singletrack, played the role of interested spectator. White takes his first SOL win, with Whittaker next through for his best result as well. Sovis was home third, with Lars Welton and Rob Goepfrich, the pair tied at the hip all Tour long, coming home fourth and fifth respectively.

It was likely a sleepless night for all involved to see how the pairings would out, and what you might have guessed happened. White’s great time wasn’t enough to pull full points. The pairings in the middle of the field were the strongest, with Rob Goepfrich and Eric Schmidt pairing up for the best time of 1:34:32. Crucial points were on the line, and the battle for second was a nail biter. Dave Bucholtz and Ken “Dave Coulier” Peltier came off just one point clear of John Urbain and Josh Plowmen, with Cody Sovis and Dave Walston just over a minute further back. Below are the day’s results, as well as the updated WorldTour standings as of August 8, 2014.

Next week, Speed of Light returns with the Eric Pollard Memorial Classic, with all riders wearing baggy shorts, snappy shirts and/or frame bags receiving double points out of 20 to first, -1 through the top 20. Note: Eric isn’t dead, he’s just in the U.P. 

Team Time Trial Relay Stage

WorldTour Standings