The Gorge never fails to provide breathtaking scenery, although racers had little time to enjoy it.
2009 in photos: the stage races
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- The “dry” side of Oregon delivered as advertised on a windswept Stage 1 course at the Cherry Blossom Classic in April. The three-day, four-stage race in The Dalles kicked off Oregon’s stage race season.
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- The Bissell Pro Cycling Team sent a squad to The Dalles for Cherry Blossom, including Jeremy Vennel, Paul Mach and Omer Kem.
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- The Saturday afternoon downtown criterium in The Dalles was big hit after the morning time trial. This Hangens Berman rider from Seattle wins the Cat. 3 race.
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- Downey’s not-so-casual corner.
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- Land Rover/Orbea’s Roman Van Uden warmed up for his Tour of the Gila stage win later in April by taking the Cherry Blossom Criterium win in front of Steven Beardsley and Josh Liberles.
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- The final stage of Cherry Blossom put the peloton on the Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway
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- The Gorge never fails to provide breathtaking scenery, although racers had little time to enjoy it.
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- Riders climbed seven-mile hill and then descended down the Columbia River Gorge Historic Highway during the last stage of the Cherry Blossom Classic.
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- Patricia Bailey (Wines of Washington) won three of four stages but lost the overall to Veloforma’s Robin Secrist. In the Men’s race, Hagens Berman amateur Adrian Hegyvary won two stages but lost the overall to Bissell’s Paul Mach and Jeremy Vennell in first and second, respectively.
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- Omer Kem and four other members of the Bissell pro Cycling Team were back in Oregon for the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in June.
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- The Columbia Gorge Historic Highway was back in the race, this time for time trial from The Dalles to Hood River. This race has been called the most scenic time trial in the country.
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- Hagens Berman rider Adrian Hegyvary was also back and quickly made himself one of the race’s early animators.
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- The slopes of Mt. Hood make a perfect battleground for warriors on bicycles.
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- The Wy’East Road Race, Hood’s Queen Stage, warms up on the flats before finishing on Mt. Hood.
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- As the Wy’East men’s race unfolded, Bissell’s Burke Swindlehurst protects teammate and race leader Paul Mach as OUCH’s Roman Kilun marks the pair for his team leader Chris Baldwin, who was second overall.
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- OUCH’s Chris Baldwin repeatedly attacked race leader Paul Mach as the finish line at Mt. Hood Meadows approached, but he couldn’t shake the young rider.
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- Rob Britton, from the Canadian Trek/Red Truck Cycling Team, played off the leaders’ battle for the overall and took the Wy’East stage win at a still-snow-covered Mt. Hood Meadows.
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- Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Wy’East stage of The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic might have been mountain bike pro Sue Butler’s stage win in front of a host of seasoned road pros in the women’s race.
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- The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic has attarcted legendary female riders like Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli and 2009 winner Edwige Pitel (pictured here).
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- The wide-open spaces around Baker City provide the backdrop fore the Baker City Cycling Classic. FILE PHOTO / Pat Malach
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- Mt. Hood Cycling Classic host city Hood River turned out in big numbers to support the downtown criterium on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
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- Sudden, dramatic weather changes marked the first and last stages at Elkhorn.
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- The stage 2 time trial took over the streets of downtown Baker City Saturday morning. © Pat Malach / FILE PHOTO .
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- Teri Sheasby of Bend won the Women’s Pro/1/2 overall at Elkhorn.
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- Adrian Hegyvary took over the Men’s Pro/1/2 lead during the time trial and held on for the overall crown.
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- The Tour d’Town criterium was the second event of the Baker City Cycling Classic’s Saturday doubleheader. FILE PHOTO / Pat Malach
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- Elkhorn host town Baker City maintains its old-west look. Racing at Elkhorn starts today and ends Sunday with the Dooley Mountain Road Race. © Pat Malach / FILE PHOTO
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- Blowout!
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- Land Rover/ORBEA’s Bobby Sweeting won stage 1, the stage 3 criterium and took third overall.
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- Bend and its surrounding scenery hosted the Cascade Cycling Classic in July.
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- Bissell was back in Oregon for Cascade with an even bigger squad, this time working for leader Ben Jacques-Maynes.
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- Rock Racing’s former Euro stars Oscar Sevilla (yellow) and Francisco Mancebo added an international flavor to the Cascade Cycling Classic. Sevilla and Mancebo finished first and second, respectively.
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- Rock Racing’s Oscar Sevilla won Cascade’s second stage and took the leader’s jersey.
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- Cascade women’s overall winner Evelyn Stevens (yellow) continued her phenomenal rise from Cat. 4 to international competitor in just one year.
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- Sixteen-year-old Coryn Rivera took her place in the national spotlight by winning the Saturday evening criterium.
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- Taylor Phinney came to Cascade but crashed out and took an ambulance ride to the hospital with a concussion.
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- The 190+ rider men’s field at the Cascade Cycling Classic used all the road.
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- Bend’s enthusiastic bike fans came out for the Cascade criterium, which had some tricky corners.
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- The men’s criterium podium gave the crowd a beer-and-champagne shower.
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- Tibco takes the podium for the team competition win at Cascade.
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- One of the many benefits of hosting a pro cycling team for a week, this Bend resident got to ride at the front with Team OUCH on a training ride before the evening criterium.
