Hood's Racers Rave About Oregon

Oregon itself is getting top billing from the international press covering the 2008 Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, which started Tuesday in Portland with a prologue time trial and will finish Sunday with the Downtown Hood River Criterium.

The Beaver State stole the show at Friday's Scenic Gorge Time Trial, which sent the riders down an 18.5 mile course that started in The Dalles, ascended the Rowena Loops into Mosier and then traversed five miles of the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway that have been set aside for bike/pedestrian use.

A report by Mark Zalewski for the Australian racing website CyclingNews.com was typical of the coverage:

Sutherland, Goldstein take control in gorge(ous) Hood time trial

The course itself was the true headline story of the day, easily overshadowing any performance. The nearly 18 mile point-to-point course was an equally beautiful and challenging parcours that snaked along the clifs of the Columbia River. Stone fencing along the cliff edges overlooked beautiful wild flowers and spectacular vistas.

"It was beautiful," said (Australian stage winner Rory) Sutherland. "It is definitely up there as the most interesting and beautiful TT courses. We never get enough of a time to look around but this whole area is amazing."

The road itself was two-lanes of perfect pavement that used to be the main road before the interstate highway was built. The final few miles of the course turned onto the more historic section of the road that has since been designated a national landmark and converted into an almost too-good-to-be-true bike path.

"Who the hell has a bike path like that in the middle of nowhere," asked Sutherland. "I'm pretty damn impressed with this little piece of paradise. I'm hoping to find some time to come back and spend a few days here and just look around."

In fact, Zalewski reported that racer Chris Wherry (left), who finished 87th among the 119 starters in the pro men's field and was no doubt saving his energy for Saturday's brutal Wy' East Road Race, took the time to stretch his arms upward and remark to the photographer, "Isn't this absolutely beautiful," as he passed.

I'm sure the unseasonably warm weather helped the riders' perceptions. There may have been quite a different feeling about the place had the racers been asked to fight a typical full-on Columbia Gorge headwind with accompanying sideways rain.