The Bulletin, Bend / Central Oregon News
NOVEMBER 21, 2009 03:50 PM
bendbulletin.com/Cascade Cycling Classic
more photosKristin McGrath, of Durango, Colo., raises her hands in victory Sunday after winning the Awbrey Butte Circuit Race — the final stage of the six-stage Cascade Cycling Classic.
Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Promising rookie rider closes out wire-to-wire Cascade Classic win
By Heather Clark / For The Bulletin
Published: July 27. 2009 4:00AM PSTPunctuating a dominant performance that included three stage wins in six days, Evelyn Stevens ascended the top step of the women’s podium Sunday to claim the overall 2009 Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic crown.
The rookie from New York City — who only this year began racing in the elite women’s field — donned the leader’s jersey after a surprising move in Stage 1 last Tuesday that carried her to the finish line ahead of the race favorites. Over the next five stages, Stevens, 26, never relented on her firm command of first place. In fact, her lead continued to grow as she boldly claimed solo wins in both the Three Creeks Road Race and the Cascade Lakes Road Race; in between, she bested her overall race contenders in the Skyliners Time Trial.
Stevens credited her Webcor teammates for reeling in attack after attack Sunday to protect her grip on the race lead.
“They were all over them,” said Stevens, who was riding as a guest this week on the Webcor roster. “My team was just amazing. I couldn’t have won the jersey without them. Everyone gave 110 percent.”
Stevens maintained her advantage of 1 minute and 18 seconds in Sunday’s Awbrey Butte Circuit Race over TIBCO’s Amber Rais, who finished second overall. Team Type 1 rider Alison Powers claimed third overall, 1:36 behind Stevens.
“She (Stevens) is the real deal right there,” said Iona Wynter Parks, team director for the rival Colavita women’s squad and a recently retired professional cyclist. “To say she’s a talent, it’s an understatement.”
Parks used the term “meteoric rise” to describe Stevens’ first season competing at the top level of women’s racing in the United States. Stevens’ victory at the CCC was preceded by a major National Racing Calendar stage-race win in Massachusetts earlier this month.
“It’s thrilling,” Stevens said. “I’ve been lucky and I’ve had great opportunities.”
Kristin McGrath, whose ValueAct teammates relentlessly attacked the field throughout Sunday’s 52-mile Awbrey Butte Circuit Race, finally got one breakaway clear to the finish line. On Mt. Washington Drive with three kilometers to the finish, the Durango, Colo., rider launched a final assault on a group of 18 riders — which included Stevens and Bend riders Chrissy Ruiter and Teri Sheasby — that had forged a lead over the rest of the field in the final lung-busting Archie Briggs Road climb.
“Once I had a gap, I went into time trial mode,” said McGrath, who held an eight-second advantage over the hard-chasing bunch with 1K to go. “I kept my power up and my head down and made it to the line.”
McGrath narrowly survived a hot pursuit by Joanne Kiesanowski and Cath Cheatley, who finished the stage in second and third place, respectively. All three clocked a finishing time of 2 hours, 10 minutes and 5 seconds.
The stage win for McGrath was her first in an NRC road race.
Anticipating that the majority of riders in the Cascade Cycling Classic women’s pro field will be back in action this Thursday for the elite national road race championship — to be held on the same Awbrey Butte circuit course — race organizers trimmed Sunday’s final stage from four laps around the 17-mile circuit to three.
“We wanted it long enough to be a challenging introduction (to the course), but not so long that it beat them to oblivion,” offered CCC race director Chad Sperry, who is also director of this week’s national championship.
Though Sunday’s stage, at 52 miles, was not long by the pro peloton’s standards, aggressive riding, near-constant attacks and the ever-daunting ascent up Archie Briggs Road made for a tough day in the women’s field.
“We wanted to be super aggressive today,” said Ruiter, the highest-placing ValueAct rider, who finished sixth overall. “We didn’t have anything to lose as a team. Our goal was to either podium for the day or to move one of us into the top three (overall).”
A strong finish Sunday just behind the stage winners helped Sheasby land a top-20 overall finish.
Nearly all the pro women who competed in the Cascade Cycling Classic are planning to return to the Awbrey Butte Circuit Race later this week to contest the elite women’s national road race championship.
“It’s going to be hard,” said Stevens, who will trade in her Webcor jersey for one representing the Century Road Club Association, her regional team back home in New York. “There’s some great riders out here. I’m excited.”
Heather Clark can be reached at bulletinheather@gmail.com.
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