The Bulletin, Bend / Central Oregon News
NOVEMBER 21, 2009 06:05 PM
bendbulletin.com/Cascade Cycling Classic
more photosAnthony Colby, of Durango, Colo., celebrates his Stage 6 victory of the Cascade Cycling Classic just before the finish line at Bend’s Summit High School on Sunday.
Photos by Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Finishing touches
Sevilla claims the overall victory, helps teammate finish second
By Mark Morical / The Bulletin
Published: July 27. 2009 4:00AM PSTHis overall victory secure, Oscar Sevilla was perfectly happy to help a teammate move a step higher on the podium.
Sevilla finished as the overall winner of the pro men’s Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic on Sunday after the sixth and final stage, the 83-mile Awbrey Butte Circuit Race. But not before he worked to help Rock Racing teammate Francisco Mancebo move from third place to second overall.
“I wanted to pull on the last climb, to help Mancebo get second,” the Spanish-speaking Sevilla said after Sunday’s stage through an interpreter. “We’ve been very close friends for a long time, so I was happy to do that.
“The race was very, very difficult. We all worked together very well.”
The two Spaniards dominated the race since moving into the top two overall spots after Wednesday’s Three Creeks Road Race.
On Sunday, Sevilla helped block the wind for Mancebo on the final climb, so he could make up time on Jeff Louder of BMC, who came into Sunday’s stage in second place, 20 seconds ahead of Mancebo.
Mancebo ended up in second place overall, one minute behind Sevilla. Louder dropped to third place overall, also one minute back. (Because they finished with the same overall time, Mancebo moved ahead of Louder based on his higher cumulative stage placings.)
Rory Sutherland of OUCH finished fourth overall (1:20 back), and his teammate Chris Baldwin was fifth (two minutes behind).
“There’s no way that anybody else would have won,” Sevilla said. “It was very important for me and the team to win in America.”
Rock Racing team manager Laurenzo LaPage said he was impressed with the way Sevilla and the team worked together on the final stage.
“We couldn’t do better,” LaPage said. “Everyone was happy to do his job, and the guys have a lot of experience. Each rider wanted to fight for the other one.”
Anthony Colby of Colavita Sutter Home won Sunday’s stage, breaking away from a lead pack with Taylor Shelden of Felt-Holowesko Partners-Garmin about five kilometers from the finish at Bend’s Summit High School. They maintained their lead and Colby broke away from Shelden to take the stage in 3 hours, 11 minutes, 31 seconds.
Shelden finished second, four seconds back, and his teammate Alex Howes was third (16 seconds behind).
“When I attacked I got a little gap,” Colby said. “I wasn’t really thinking about the win all the way out there, but maybe just a podium spot. Today I didn’t think, I just went.
“I’ve never had any big (National Racing Calendar) win, so I’m psyched.”
Sunday’s race included five laps of a 17-mile circuit on roads through northwest Bend and Tumalo.
The stage was not without some drama, as riders attacked throughout the first 30 miles of the race. At mile 26, a breakaway of 21 riders took the lead — the group featured five riders in the top 10 of the overall standings, including Sevilla and Louder.
But that break was absorbed by the peloton after six miles. Soon after, nine other riders surged into a breakaway, a group that included Colby, Shelden and Howes. Their lead grew to 3:25 by mile 59.
“They just let us go,” Colby said of the peloton. “They could have brought us back in a heartbeat. Everybody just kind of stuck with it. We were riding really well, and we were riding at a blistering pace.”
Colby attacked on a downhill stretch on Mt. Washington Drive, and Shelden went with him. But Colby held him off for the stage win.
Sevilla finished 11th in the stage (41 seconds back), and Mancebo was 10th (also 41 seconds behind). Louder finished 14th (1:01 back), just enough time to let Mancebo move into second place overall.
“It was a difficult course,” Sevilla said, “with a lot of attacks from the different teams. It’s always better when it’s a hard race. The race is very beautiful. It’s good for my racing characteristics, with the mountains and everything.”
Sevilla added that he was confident he would retain the leader’s jersey on the final day of the 30th Cascade Cycling Classic.
“I have great respect for all the riders,” he said, “but with our kind of team, I was never worried.”
Mark Morical can be reached at 541-383-0318 or at mmorical@bendbulletin.com.
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