Still awaiting results from the Three Creeks road race of the Cascade Cycling Classic, a beautiful race in central Oregon's high desert and mountains. Today's uphill finish is one of two decisive road courses, along with Sunday's concluding Cascade Lakes route to Mount Bachelor, the CCC's signature race over a course whose beauty defies rational description. Tomorrow's time trial will matter as well. Saturday they run a crit. Great race all around. Use this as an open thread, and whoever sees the results first, send out the alert. Santiago Botero took yesterday's win, but Astana aren't likely to sit around waiting too long.
On a related note, CN carried the story of Mount Hood Classic repackaging itself into the nation's hardest stage race, supposedly. Say hello to the Oregon Pro Cycling Classic, and to an 8-day extravaganza covering 600 miles and 50,000 feet of climbing. Personally, I'm trying not to overreact... there's no announcement of a course for 2009, and the object of luring European teams is more of a plan than a reality. First they need to triple the budget. Not something that happens overnight. Still, the terrain cries out for a major race, if only so I can tout the virtues of living in the Northwest more obnoxiously. with talk of heading out to the Wallowas or Crater Lake. Assuming they find the right calendar spot (April if they stay on the east side; June if they cross the Cascades), there could be a world-class event right here in the PNW. Not too shabby.