by Fred Dreier

Bicycle races are often decided by inches on the pavement or seconds on the clock. It may seem unfathomable that a 100-mile stage can come down to the last few feet, but that scenario plays itself out regularly at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Like you, we're hoping for more close finishes at this year's race. But in case you've forgotten some past dramatic moments, we've ranked the 5 Most Exciting Stage Finishes in UPCC history:

#5. 2011: Levi Leipheimer Attacks into Crested Butte
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The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge served up a painfully hard Stage 1, as the riders tackled Monarch Pass en route to the uphill finish in Crested Butte. Nobody knew exactly how the athletes' legs and lungs would react to racing above 10,000 feet. 
Former Tour de France winner Andy Schleck attacked first, and the GC favorites gave chase. The group caught Schleck with 1km to go, and then his brother, Frank, surged. Leipheimer used the surge to spring free from the peloton. Had the road gone on another 100 meters, he probably would have been caught by Colombia rider Sergio Henao. But Leipheimer held on to win the stage, and eventually the overall in Denver. 

#4. 2014: Training buddies Howes and Reijnen Go 1-2 in Denver
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Although they ride for rival teams, Alex Howes and Kiel Reijnen are close friends and training partners in their adopted hometown of Boulder. In 2014, both men came into the USA Pro Cycling Challenge as the stars of America's up-and-coming generation. They did not disappoint. On the first stage into Aspen, Reijnen narrowly edged out Howes to take the win, as well as the leader's jersey. 
On the final stage into Denver, Howes got his revenge. While Reijnen appeared to have the upper hand in the sprint, Howes surged up the inside of the road in the final meters. He then thrust his bicycle forward as the two crossed the line, edging out his friend by just a few millimeters.

#3. 2013: Frank Drops the Hammer into Breckenridge
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Moonstone Road/Boreas Pass makes its appearance this year in the waning miles of the fourth stage from Aspen to Breckenridge. The steep road is not long, but riders usually tackle it after 100 miles of racing. Tired legs and low blood sugar usually create gaps.In 2013, BMC's Swiss rider Matthias Frank rode to the base of the climb alongside breakaway companions Lawson Craddock and Lachlan Morton. Morton appeared to be the strongest rider and attacked first. But as the Australian began to slow, Frank shot away amongst a group of costume-wearing fans to gain a small advantage. He held the gap to the finish line in Breckenridge, although Morton was able to claw back enough time to take the yellow leader's jersey.

#2. Rory Sutherland Survives for the Home Win in Boulder
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The 2012 edition of the USA Pro Challenge served up enough drama to fill this entire list. Even the final time trial in Denver came down to mere seconds, and its winner, Christian Vande Velde, leapfrogged Tejay Van Garderen to win the overall. But the day before, the peloton climbed up Boulder Canyon, Lee Hill Road and finished atop Flagstaff Mountain.
Boulder local Rory Sutherland joined an enormous breakaway early. Sutherland hit the base of Flagstaff with just a few minutes advantage on the charging peloton. As Sutherland rode steadily to the top, Leipheimer, Van Garderen, Vicenzo Nibali and Vande Velde took turns attacking up the road behind him. Sutherland crossed the line with just 20 seconds to spare, as the GC men came racing in behind.

#1. Vande Velde's Time Trial Nets Him the Overall 
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Individual time trials don't often produce edge-of-your-seat action, but in 2012 the final time trial through Denver was a true nail-biter. Throughout the week, Christian Vande Velde, Tejay van Garderen and Levi Leipheimer had established themselves as the strongest riders. Choosing a winner between the three, however, appeared impossible. Defending champion Leipheimer entered the final stage nursing a nine-second advantage over Vande Velde, with van Garderen sitting just 21 seconds back in third place.
Van Garderen appeared to have leapfrogged both men at the midway point of the 15-kilomter loop around downtown Denver. But vande Velde, who has finished 2nd the year before, found an extra gear on the back half of the course. He crossed the line just nine seconds ahead of van Garderen, to seek out the overall by 21 seconds.  

About the author: 
Fred Dreier is a journalist living in Denver, Colorado. 
He has written about professional bicycle racing since 2004, and his work has appeared in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Dreier has covered the USA Pro Cycling Challenge since its debut in 2011. He regularly rides his bicycle on many of the roads used by the race.