2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge

In July, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge announced a sixteen-team field, made up of seven UCI ProTeams (up from six), four UCI Professional Continental Teams (down from six) and five UCI Continental Teams (up from four), thus giving the race a total of sixteen-teams (steady from 2012).[2][3] In total, ten of the sixteen-teams that competed in 2013 were invited to return to this event, as well as Argos–Shimano, Bissell, and Jelly Belly–Kenda, who competed in the 2011 edition.[2][3] UCI ProTeams Argos–Shimano, Cannondale, RadioShack–Leopard, Saxo–Tinkoff, and Team Sky are based in the Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the United Kingdoms, respectively; UCI Professional Continental Team Champion System is based in China, while its counterpart, Colombia is based in Columbia. The remaining nine teams are based in the United States.[2][3]

Defending champion, American Christian Vande Velde of Garmin–Sharp hoped to defend his title.[4][5] Other contenders included Australian Rory Sutherland of Saxo–Tinkoff, Jamis–Hagens Berman's Janier Acevedo of Colombia, Irishman Philip Deignan of UnitedHealthcare, RadioShack–Leopard's George Bennett of New Zealand, and Americans Tom Danielson of Garmin–Sharp and Tejay van Garderen of BMC Racing Team.[4][5] Garmin–Sharp's Lachlan Morton of Australia, and BMC Racing Team's Mathias Frank of Switzerland were both considered potential dark horses.[4][5]

Lawson Craddock wore the jersey for the best young rider on loan from Lachlan Morton.

In the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, five jerseys are awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding the finishing times of the stages per cyclist, the leader receives a yellow jersey.[39] This classification is considered the most important of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and the winner of the general classification will be considered the winner of the event.[40]

Additionally, there is also a sprints classification, akin to what is called the points classification in other races, which awards a green jersey.[39] Points are gathered at sprint line performances as well as finishing the stage in the top-fifteen places.[40]

There is also a mountains classification, which awards a red jersey.[39] In the mountains classifications, points are won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. Each climb is categorized, either first, second, third, or fourth category, with more points available for the harder climbs.[40]

There is also a youth classification. This classification is calculated the same way as the general classification, but only young cyclists (under 23) are included.[40] The leader of the young rider classification receives a white jersey.[39]

The last jersey is awarded to the most aggressive rider of a stage for him to wear on the next stage.[40] It is generally awarded to a rider who attacks constantly or spends a lot of time in the breakaways. This jersey is orange.[39]

There is also a classification for teams. In this classification, the times of the best three cyclists per stage are added, and the team with the lowest time is the leader.

Stage	Winner	General classification	Sprints classification	Mountains classification	Young rider classification	Most Aggressive	Team classification
1	Peter Sagan	Peter Sagan	Peter Sagan	Matt Cooke	Peter Sagan	Peter Sagan	RadioShack–Leopard
2	Mathias Frank	Lachlan Morton			Lachlan Morton	Mathias Frank	BMC Racing Team
3	Peter Sagan					Jens Voigt
4	Janier Acevedo	Tejay van Garderen				Michael Rogers
5	Tejay van Garderen					Andrew Talansky
6	Peter Sagan					Simon Geschke
7	Peter Sagan					Ben King
Final		Tejay van Garderen	Peter Sagan	Matt Cooke	Lachlan Morton	Ben King	BMC Racing Team

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