Oregon racers, teams mix it up at Nature Valley

It was a great week in Minnesota for Oregon riders and teams who ventured to the NRC-ranked Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Land Rover-ORBEA's Bobby Sweeting, who won the OBRA Senior Men's Road Race Championship May 30, earned the Best Young Rider Jersey at the Gran Prix by finishing 18th overall in the men's race, just 1:41 behind overall winner Rory Sundeland (OUCH-Maxxis). His teammate Mike Northey finished 23rd, 2:26 back, after finishing third in Saturday’s Mankato Road Race.

Northey and two other riders broke clear from a break group of 14 that had built a lead of as much as eight minutes on the bunch. The young rider held on for third in the nearly four-hour stage.

In the women's race, Veloforma's Christina Smith pulled off a 7th place finish at the Stage 4 Minneapolis criterium and finished 16th at the Stage 2 crit' in St. Paul. Lip Smackers pro Hillary Billington was forced to miss the race because of lingering effects of pneumonia diagnosed in mid-May.

STAGE 1 TT
WOMEN
23. Edwige PITEL (Lip Smacker) 15:07
*(Mt. Hood Classic winner Edwige Pitel guest rode the Oregon race with Sorella Forte and is guest riding Nature Valley with the Billington's Lip Smacker Cycling Team).
59. Kelly BENJAMIN (Colavita Sutter Home-Cooking Light) 15:54
69. Christina SMITH (Veloforma) 16:05
96. Melissa SANBORN (Vanderkitten Racing) 16:34
105. Lisa TURNBULL (Velo Classic Tours) 16:48
MEN
25. Bobby Sweeting (Land Rover-ORBEA) 13:21 (Floyd Landis finsihed 28th @ 13:23)
42. Mike Northey (Land Rover-ORBEA) 13:36
47. Jim CAMUT (Land Rover-ORBEA) 13:42
55. Aaron TUCKERMAN (Land Rover-ORBEA) 13:48
106. Carson MILLER (Land Rover-ORBEA) 14:19
112. Josh BARTLETT (Land Rover-ORBEA) 14:27
113. Kennett PETERSON (Wheel & Sprocket) 14:27
114. Evan ELKEN (Land Rover-ORBEA) 14:28

STAGE 2, St. Paul Criterium
WOMEN
16. Christina SMITH
57. Kelly BENJAMIN
59. Edwige PITEL
70. Melissa SANBORN
97. Lisa TURNBULL
MEN
27. Evan Elken
62. Aaron TUCKERMAN
64. Mike NORTHEY
71. Carson MILLER
73. Bobby SWEETING
82. Jim CAMUT
121. Kennett PETERSON
141. Josh Bartlett

STAGE 3, Cannon Falls Road Race
WOMEN
15. Edwige PITEL
16. Christina SMITH
49. Kelly BENJAMIN
69. Melissa SANBORN
79. Lisa TURNBULL
MEN
55. Bobby SWEETING
70. Mike NORTHEY
73. Jim CAMUT
86. Kennett PETERSON
109. Josh BARTLETT
110. Carson MILLER
123. Aaron TUCKERMAN
130. Evan ELKEN

STAGE 4, Uptown Minneapolis Criterium
WOMEN
7. Christina SMITH
44. Edwige PITEL
54. Melissa SANBORN
60. Kelly BENJAMIN
96. Lisa TURNBULL
MEN
52. Aaron TUCKERMAN
53. Bobby SWEETING
97. Jim CAMUT
102. Mike NORTHEY
105. Evan ELKEN
109. Kennett PETERSON
133. Carson MILLER
138. Josh BARTLETT

STAGE 5, Mankato Road Race
WOMEN
29. Edwige PITEL
32. Christina SMITH
58. Melissa SANBORN
69. Kelly BENJAMIN
87. Lisa TURNBULL
MEN
3. Mike NORTHEY
24. Jim CAMUT
44. Bobby SWEETING
49. Aaron TUCKERMAN
78. Carson MILLER
103. Josh BARTLETT
121. Evan ELKEN
124. Kennett PETERSON

STAGE 6, Stillwater "Killer" Criterium
WOMEN
17. Edwige PITEL
39. Christina SMITH
41. Melissa SANBORN
79. Lisa TURNBULL
94. Kelly BENJAMIN
MEN
18. Bobby SWEETING
35. Mike NORTHEY
43. Jim CAMUT
50. Aaron TUCKERMAN
65. Josh BARTLETT
103. Kennett PETERSON
116. Carson MILLER

(Men's jersey winners podium photo courtesy of Land Rover-ORBEA).

Women's Prestige Series Includes Oregon Race

Promoters of the Women's Prestige Cycling Series announced today that Oregon's Cascade Cycling Classic will be the final event of the 2009 series schedule.

The Bend area stage race, which runs July 22-26, is one of two new events added for this year's series. The Joe Martin Stage Race, May 7-10, has also been included.

"The Cascade Cycling Classic, which is a new addition to the series, will make an excellent grand finale," said series director David LaPorte. "It’s an epic stage race with challenging mountain climbs that will really sort out the final (series) standings. And, coming right before the USA Cycling National Championships held in the same location, all the top teams can be expected to attend."

Riders in the series compete in four different divisions: individual, best young rider, best sprinter and top teams. Leaders in the first three classifications will wear leader’s jerseys provided by Champion Systems, one of the series sponsors.

Kat Carroll (Aaron’s Pro Cycling), took the individual and sprinter’s jerseys in 2008, while her teammate Alison Testroete took the best young rider’s jersey. Aaron’s Pro Cycling also won the top team prize in 2008.

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, which began in 2004, promotes women’s racing by providing a spotlight that the women don’t have to share with men. The series highlights events that have made the major commitment to women’s racing.

2009 Women's Prestige Cycling Series Scedule

March 26-29 - Redlands Bicycle Classic
May 7-10 – Joe Martin Stage Race
June 10-14 - Nature Valley Grand Prix
July 22-26 – Cascade Cycling Classic

Visit http://www.WomenCyclists.com for more information.