After being out of racing for 434 days following a career threatening injury, Taylor Phinney has taken 3rd place in his first race back. On the opening stage of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, Phinney was just beaten by Kiel Reijnen (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) and runner-up Alex Howes (Cannondale-Garmin).

He had bridged to the leaders in the final five kilometres of the 212.5-kilometer stage, and was leading in the last few hundred metres before being overtaken by Reijnen and Howes.

“I didn’t play the sprint so well,” Phinney said afterwards. “I had a little bit of a gap coming out of the last corner and just hit it. I was a bit nervous I guess.”

He revealed that he hadn’t been feeling too well on the stage, but had a word with directeur sportif, Jackson Stewart.

“Jackson told me the time gap and I just put it together that the sprinter’s team were working really hard,” Phinney said. “With the wet, and also the tiny little climb on the circuit, it could be a good opportunity to go for it. I saw some guys attacking right before we got into town and followed some of those moves. I got a little excited.”

At the 2014 USA Cycling national road championships in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Phinney crashed badly and fractured his left leg and injured his left knee. The 24 year-old has had a tough battle back to fitness, and at times it looked like his career might be over.

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