Mt Hood Classic - NE

USA, May 31-June 4, 2006

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Stage 5 - June 3: Downtown Hood River Criterium, 60/45 mins

O'Neill holds steady, Bausch crashes out

By Joe Zauner

For Alison Powers, winning the fifth stage of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic before an estimated 10,000 spectators in downtown Hood River was bitter sweet.

The Rio Grande/Sports Garage rider soloed with two laps remaining in Saturday's criterium to hold off a charging field and capture the win, but five laps prior, race leader Dotsie Bausch of the Colavita/ Cooking Light Cycling team crashed on a sweeping downhill turn and was unable to continue.

Preliminary reports indicate that Bausch, who was leading Powers by 43 seconds on general classification, sustained a broken collar bone.

"It's definitely bittersweet," Powers said after the podium presentations. "I went with five laps to go and heard a pedal clip the pavement behind me and looked back and saw a crash so I slowed up. I didn't want to attack right after a crash."

Bausch had won the last three stages and appeared set to defend the leader's jersey on the finals road race stage on Sunday but will instead likely spend the night in the hospital. Powers leads Symmetrics rider Leah Goldstein by 47 seconds.

Health Net rider Greg Henderson showed no signs of a broken hip he sustained in a crash six weeks ago while racing in California. The world scratch race champion rolled clear with a group of four just five laps into the 60-minute stage-five criterium and won easily in an uphill sprint. Mt. Hood Cycling Classic is his first race back since his injury.

"My legs are getting better every day and I knew that," Henderson said. "It felt good."

In the morning, race leader Nathan O'Neill of Health Net easily won the stage four 10-mile time trail, defeating Navigator's Phil Zajicek by 23 seconds. On the stage-five criterium he spent much of the day racing at or near the front, finishing safely and retaining his overall lead.

Tomorrow's stage should prove decisive as both the men and women race 75 miles with 7,500 feet of climbing, much of it very steep with several technical descents.

"We're not too worried," Henderson said of his team's chances to defend O'Neill's leader's jersey. "We've got two of the strongest men in the race (O'Neill and Scott Moninger) and the course is very hard so things should take care of them-self."

Health Net seemed optimistic

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Clark Ritchie/www.nweventphotography.com

This rider made fast cornering look easy
Team Symmetrics attempted to control the race
Dotsie Bausch (Colavita/Cooking Light Cycling) turns her pedals in anger
Team TRIA was active all night
The women's field closes in on the Start/Finish line
Alison Powers (Rio Grande/Sports Garage) took her gap to the bank--and won!
Fans lined downtown Hood River, Oregon, for the Cramer's Mortgage Services criterium
Riders passed the Start/Finish at more than 30 mph
The course passed the Full Sail Brewery
Aaron "Sidler" Sander (Half Fast Velo) moves up in the bunch
Taylor Kneuven (Broadmark Capital) moves up
This foursome was off the front for nearly the entire race
Adam Curry (Broadmark Capital) leads Nathan O'Neill (Health Net-Maxxis) into the sharp right
Greg Henderson (Health Net-Maxis) was first across the line

Results

Men
 
1 Greg Henderson (Health Net)
2 Bernard Van Ulden (Navigators)
3 James Mattis (Calif. Giant/Village Peddler)
4 Andrew Pinfold (Symmetrics)
5 Scott Moninger (Health Net)
 
Women

1 Alison Powers (Rio Grande/Sports Garage)
 
General classification after stage 5

Men

1 Nathan O'Neill (Health Net)
2 Phil Zajicek (Navigators)
3 Scott Moninger (Health Net)
4 Ian McKissick (Recycled Cycles / Raleigh)
5 Ryan Trebon (AEG-Toshiba-Jet Network-Kona)

Women

1 Alison Powers (Rio Grande/Sports Garage)
2 Leah Goldstein (Symmetrics)
3 Beverley Harper (Touchstone Climbing)
4 Alisha Lion (Webcor-Platinum)
5 Amber Rais (Webcor-Platinum)