Central Oregonian

Cascade Cycling Classic rolls into town

Yesterday the men’s and women’s race followed 16 miles of the Crooked River Highway

JASON CHANEY/CENTRAL OREGONIAN

During Thursday’s Time Trial in Prineville for the Cascade Cycling Classic on the Crooked River, the pro cyclists each started in 30-second time intervals.

Ramona McCallister

July 19, 2012

More than 100 pro men cyclists were poised at the starting line at the Crooked River Park at 10 a.m. Thursday morning, with a reprieve of overcast skies and air that was heavy with humidity.

Stage 2 of the 33rd annual Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic(CCC) took place on a course out of Crooked River Park and on the Crooked River Highway. Yesterday’s race was the first time the Time Trial portion of the event was held in Prineville.

According to Molly Cogswell-Kelley, Events Director, there are fewer participants for each consecutive race due to time cuts.

“We had 192 today (men) and about 112 women riders today,” said Cogswell of the Stage 1 race on Wednesday.

The new course in the race follows the path of the Crooked River, with a relatively flat, but gentle rise on the way out and descending on the way back. The race is a total of 16 miles, with participants riding about halfway toward Prineville Reservoir before turning around and heading back to the finish line at Crooked River Park.

On Wednesday, Stage 1 of the Cascade Cycling Classic consisted of a 74-mile McKenzie Pass Road Race, which finished at Three Creek Sno-Park, south of Sisters. The race featured two significant climbs. The first climb was up state Highway 242 to the top of McKenzie Pass, and the finishing climb was up Three Sisters Road.

Olympian Kristin Armstrong and Chad Haga won the Women’s and Men’s Prologue on Tuesday, finishing at the Tetherow Clubhouse in Bend. They both wore the yellow leader’s jerseys at the Stage 1 race on Wednesday. Armstrong also won the Stage 1 women’s race Wednesday, and Francisco Mancebo won the men’s race.

Stage 3 will be Friday, with the Cascades Lakes Road Race, which is a 92-mile course for men, and 70 miles for the women’s race. Stage 4 is the Downtown Twilight Criterium, with the start/finish line for the criterium on Wall Street between Oregon and Minnesota avenues. Stage 5 will start and finish at Summit High School, west of Bend. The Awbrey Butte Circuit Race passes by both Shevlin Park and Tumalo State Park, and includes a steep climb up Archie Briggs Road.

The Cascade Cycling Classic is the longest consecutively-run elite road bicycle racing stage race in the United States (1979-2012). It is a regular fixture for most of North America’s top cyclists and teams. The title sponsor of the event is Bend Memorial Clinic, and Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation (MBSEF) is the race organizer.

“Bend Memorial Clinic — this is their seventh year as the title sponsor,” said Cogswell.

She added that approximately nine years ago, The Friends of the Cascades turned over the fundraiser to MBSEF.

“We have so much infrastructure here for putting on events,” remarked Cogswell. “We were able to take it totally to the next level.”

She also emphasized that it costs $160,000 to put the race on each year.

“We really don’t make that much, but we love the race, we are passionate, we love being able to help the community.”