Jacques-Maynes in middle of pack at Pro Challenge

ASPEN, Colo. — Tom Danielson won the third stage of the USA Pro Challenge on Wednesday, and Garmin-Sharp teammate Christian Vande Velde took the overall lead in the longest leg of the event.

Danielson, from Boulder, Colo., claimed his first stage win since 2009, completing the 130.6-mile road race from Gunnison in 5 hours, 2 minutes, 6 seconds. The stage featured two climbs with elevations over 12,000 feet.

“With two kilometers left, I didn’t think I was going to win,” said Danielson, who finished eighth in his debut in the Tour de France in 2011 but crashed out of the event this year. “But my wife says, ‘Never look back. Never look back.’ It works. To all of you aspiring cyclists out there, never look back.”

Watsonville cyclist Ben Jacques-Maynes finished in a pack of cyclists that ended up 12:02 behind Danielson. Jacque-Maynes was 56th.

Overall, Jacques-Maynes is 68th, more than 28 minutes behind the leaders.

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