Cascade Cycling Classic – Women’s Results
Mara Abbott won the women's bracket of the Bend Memorial Cycling Classic on Sunday, winning after haven taken control of the event after stage 2. Although there would be a few twists and turns, it was Abbott who was able to remain in firm control to take home the glory at the 2010 edition of the prestigious cycling race.
Race recap
The first stage of the Bend Memorial Clinic 2010 Cascade Cycling Classic finished Wednesday at the top of Three Creeks’ Snow Park, a 16km ascent to the summit finish of the first of five stages in the biggest consecutive-stage race in the US. Cath Cheatley took control of the women’s race after a two-woman breakaway with US Road Champion Abbott.
The stage winner earned an overall lead after winning the final sprint. Abbott led for most of the second half of the race, attacking out of the breakaway to crest the mid-stage climb of the McKenzie Pass and to take full sprint points. She was caught by Cheatley and Katheryn Mattis, but she put forth up an aggressive fight which Mattis wasn’t able to match. Abbott kept to the stage winner’s wheel, and though she was unable to sprint ahead, she finished with the same time as Cheatley, with a large gap ahead of the race leader’s third-place teammate Rushlee Buchanan.
Erinne Willock, riding for Webcor Builders, took her first time-trial victory in Thursday’s stage 2, crossing the finish line in 35:56, nine second ahead of Abbott in her second consecutive runner-up finish, and 44 second ahead of the prologue winner Alison Powers. Abbott took over the race leadership 1:13 ahead of the previous leader Cheatley, and Willock moved into third place 1:59 behind the leader.
“To be able to take the general classification lead in a time trial is something that I have never done before,” said Abbott after she took the lead. “In order to become a complete rider it is the sort of thing that you have to be able to do, to be a well rounded rider. That is an exciting step forward, more so than winning a mountain stage because it signifies development in all sorts of areas for me as a rider.”
The US National Champion then sprinted ahead of a group of strong climbers to the finish line of stage 3, her second stage win and another nail in her yellow jersey. She finished 27 seconds ahead of runner-up Cheatley and Willock, 3rd place in the same time. Abbott’s overall lead increased by 21 seconds, making it 1:44 ahead of Cheatley and 2:32 ahead of Willock overall.
The fourth stage, a criterium in downtown Bend, Oregon, was won by Joanne Kiesanowski, followed by Joelle Numainville in second and Leah Kirchmann in third. Abbott retained the overall lead to wear the yellow jersey into the final stage, set to the same route on which she became the US Elite Road National champion in June of this year.
Abbott failed to take her third stage win, however, instead finishing third behind Tara Whitten, the World Track champion. The Canadian finished 40 second ahead of Cheatley, the second across the finish line.
Abbott retained the overall victory, dedicating it to her grandfather Lyle who passed away the day of the third stage. She also took home to queen-of-the-mountain award, while the sprint points classification went to Carla Swart. The victor’s teammate Rushlee Buchanan was the race’s best young rider.
“There were a lot of people who wanted something out of the race today and everybody showed it, so that was pretty cool,” Abbott said. “This gave me a real opportunity to take a lot of things that I learned as a rider and be in a position of a real leader. I feel like we worked well together and that those girls gave everything for it and I’m proud to win the race with them.”
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