Mt Hood Classic - NE

USA, May 31-June 4, 2006

2005 results Stage List Preview Start List Past winners

The Stages

Stage 1 - May 31: Panorama Point Prologue, 3 miles
Stage 2 - June 1: Columbia Hills Road Race, 84/56 miles
Stage 3 - June 2: Cooper Spur Circuit Race, 95/56 miles
Stage 4 - June 3: Scenic GorgeTime Trial, 10.5 Miles
Stage 5 - June 3: Downtown Hood River Criterium, 60/45 mins
Stage 6 - June 4: Three-Summit Road Race, 75 miles

Regional riders expected to continue Mt Hood Classic domination

The fourth edition of the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Hood River, Oregon, starts Wednesday. For the second year, the race is part of the USA Cycling National racing Calendar, but is likely to be dominated by regional talent as has been the case since its first edition in 2003.

The five-stage race is predominantly contested on the roads of Mount Hood National Forest. The single-lane logging roads and steep climbs of the area make for a tough event with more than 23,000 feet of total climbing. The final and often pivotal Three-Summit Road Race features more than 7,500 feet of climbing in 75 miles and a mountain-top finish at the Cooper Spur Ski Area.

Last year regional riders from the Northwest took wins at Mt Hood. Svein Tuft from the British Columbia-based Symmetrics team defeated Colorado's Andy Bajadali of the Vitamin Cottage squad. This despite the presence of the Health Net team and its perennial stage-race favorite Scott Moninger. The Colorado resident who won five NRC stage races in 2005 suffered a broken chain in the second time trial stage and thus took on a support role for the team.

On the women's side Leah Goldstein from the British Columbia-based Trek/Red Truck Beer squad was victorious, defeating Chrissy Ruiter of the Ford Basis team.

Goldstein will return to defend her title. Tuft will not, though Symmetrics will send a top-calibre squad including Andrew Pinfold and Jacob Erker. Moninger returns with support limited in numbers -- only three -- but not in talent. Australian and Commonwealth Games time trial champion Nathan O'Neil along with New Zealand world champion on the track Greg Henderson will play support roles and likely vie for stage wins.

The Navigators will send Burke Swindlehurst, who was third at the Tour of Gila in March and Phil Zajicek who won two NRC time trial stages earlier this year. Vitamin Cottage will send Jonathan Baker. Broadmark Capitol will send US elite national road champion Carl Decker supported by seven riders. The 2004 champion Russell Stevenson, who finished sixth in 2005, is slated to race with his Seattle-based Benaroya Research squad.

Goldstein returns with Symmetrics this year. She will be supported by three teammates. Runner up Ruiter is not slated to return, but third place finisher from last year Irene Mercer will come back with the JR Engineering squad. Fourth-place Ashley Lion returns with the Webcor-Platinum team. Velo Bella/Kona sends a diverse group headed by Kele Murdin who placed ninth last year.

Start list

1 John Hunt (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
2 Barry Wicks (USA) AEG-Tobisha-Jetnetwork-Kona
3 Russell Stevenson (USA) Benaroya Research Cycling Team
4 Ryan Trebon (USA) AEG-Tobisha-Jetnetwork-Kona
5 Christian Meier (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
6 Carl Decker (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
7 Michael Hutchinson (USA) Team Spine
8 Morgan Schmitt (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
9 Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net
10 Evan Lawrence (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
11 Aaron Tuckerman (USA) Team Rubicon/Gleukos
12 andrew fischer (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
13 Taylor Kneuven (USA) Broadmark
14 Andrew McDermid (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
15 Sam Krieg (USA) ICE Rocky Mountain Surgery Center
16 Matt Weyen (USA) Hyde Park Cycle Sport Elite
17 Eric Tonkin (USA) Team S&M/Kona
18 Nick Clayville (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
19 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Benaroya Research Cycling Team
20 Jeff Sherstobitoff (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
21 Nathan O'Neill (USA) Health Net
22 Brent Miller (USA) Arete' Racing/Vellum Cycles
23 Kenny Williams (USA) First Rate Mortgage
24 Luke Pennington (USA) Desalvo Custom Cycles
25 Greg Henderson (USA) Health Net
26 Tad Hamilton (USA) Hyde Park Cycle Sport Elite
27 Kevin Faris Schlueter (USA) Kahala LaGrange
28 Burke Swindlehurst (USA) Navigators Insurance
29 Jonny Sundt (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
30 Andrew Pinfold (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
31 Peter Cazalet (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
32 Roman Kilun (USA) Health Net
33 Phil Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance
34 Eric Pardyjak (USA) Park City Cycling Academy
35 Joel Charles (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
36 Jacob Erker (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
37 David Quist (USA) Team Spine
38 Aaron Sander (USA) Half Fast Velo
39 Jonathan Baker (USA) Vitamin Cottage
40 Ted Huang (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
41 Omer Kem (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
42 Emmet Hogan (USA) Arete' Racing/Vellum Cycles
43 Joe Holmes (USA) Benaroya Research Cycling Team
44 Calvin Allen (USA) BODE
45 Chris Hamilton (USA) 
46 Jiri Skrobanek (USA) Cambiamento D'Andaturo-Team Core Hawaii
47 Roy Pickavance (USA) CenturyTel / VRAD
48 Samuel Starr (USA) Claremont Colleges
49 Michael Murdin (USA) Garage
50 Derik Archibald (USA) Hyde Park Cycle Sport Elite
51 Harrison Tripp (USA) Kahala LaGrange
52 Frank Breure (USA) MMW/CARVE
53 Bernard Van Ulden (USA) Navigators Insurance
54 Patrick Ramirez (USA) Park City Cycling Academy
55 matt quann (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
56 Mike Porter (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
57 Cam Evans (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
58 Richard Speer (USA) Team Rubicon/Gleukos
59 Paul Reichardt (USA) Team Spine
60 Chuck Coyle (USA) Vitamin Cottage
61 Brian Buchholz (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
62 Mack Chew (USA) Arete' Racing/Vellum Cycles
63 Kacey Chamberlin (USA) Benaroya Research Cycling Team
64 Adam Currg (NZl) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
65 James Mattis (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
66 Braden BINGHAM (USA) CenturyTel / VRAD
67 Chris DuBois (USA) Claremont Colleges
68 Michael Telega (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
69 Daniel Vinson (USA) Kahala LaGrange
70 Michael Gallagher (USA) Hyde Park Cycle Sport Elite
71 Kevin Rowe (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
72 John Tzinberg (USA) Kahala LaGrange
73 Shaun Adamson (USA) Juventus
74 Matthew Willinger (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
75 Marco Antonio Rios (USA) Kahala LaGrange
76 Matthew Colligan (USA) KMK
77 Trevor Mays (USA) First Rate Mortgage
78 Max Jenkins (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
79 David Lundine (USA) Giga bike/ La-Z-boy
80 Jason Bethel (USA) Garage
81 Kris LUNNING (USA) Fitzgeralds Bicycles
82 Patrick Dunaway (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
83 Brandon Archibald (USA) Hyde Park Cycle Sport Elite
84 Jesse Moore (USA) Davis Bike Club
85 Trevor Connor (USA) Chris Cookies/Swan Cycles
86 Salvador Borrego-Crum (USA) California Giant/Village Peddler
87 Andy Luhn (USA) Benaroya Research Cycling Team
88 Chad Nikolz (USA) Broadmark / Hagens-Berman
89 Matthew Hall (USA) CenturyTel / VRAD
90 Christopher Jones (USA) Champion System
91 Nathan Smith (USA) Garage
92 Paul Bourceir (USA) Hutch's
93 Joshua Horowitz (USA) Kahala LaGrange
94 mike olheiser (USA) MMW/CARVE
95 Pete Kuennemann (USA) OGDEN ONE
96 Tyler Ofstad (USA) Kahala LaGrange
97 Bruce Copeland (USA) Juventus
98 peter knoop (USA) MMW/CARVE
99 Jesse Gordon (USA) Park City Cycling Academy
100 Lang Reynolds (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
101 Jesse Mendonca (USA) RHVilla.com/MontanoVelo
102 Stuwart Lamp (USA) MMW/CARVE
103 Damien Waugh (USA) Masi-Adobe
104 Collin Becker (USA) Maverick/CIBER
105 Joshua Smith (USA) CenturyTel / VRAD
106 Jackson Buehler (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
107 Kirk Carlsen (USA) Team Rubicon/Gleukos
108 Alton Dunnigan (USA) Team Spine
109 Joey Carpisassi (USA) Bicycle Post
110 Art Rand (USA) Velo Europa-Cyfac
111 Dario Falquier (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
112 Marsh Cooper (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
113 Jake Rosenbarger (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
114 Adrian Hegyvary (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
115 Todd Hageman (USA) Park City Cycling Academy
116 Lance Doherty (USA) Team Spine
117 Scott Nydam (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
118 Daniel Harm (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
119 Mike Zagorski (USA) Quick Release
120 Marco Rullo (USA) Summit Velo
121 Ian McKissick (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
122 Will Routley (USA) Symmetrics Cycling
123 Allen Krughoff (USA) Team Century Tel
124 Logan Hunn (USA) Team Rubicon/Gleukos
125 Greg Drake (USA) 
126 Daniel Quirk (USA) Veloce / Felt
127 Michael Margraf (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
128 Jon Tarkington (USA) Vitamin Cottage
129 Jason Williams (USA) Team Spine
130 Robert MacNeill (USA) Webcor / Alto Velo
131 Stephen Shepherd (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
132 Steven Beardsley (USA) Team Rubicon/Gleukos
133 Dan Porter (USA) Rio Grande/Sports Garage
134 John O'Donnell (USA) Recycled Cycles / Raleigh
135 Alex Rock (USA) Park City Cycling Academy

Past winners

2005 Svein Tuft (Can) Symmetrics   Leah Goldstein (Can) Trek/Red Truck Beer
 
Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com