“Today was all about protecting Rory’s GC lead,” said team directeur sportif Mike Tamayo.
“The guys simply rode a stellar race today. A break got away that didn’t have anyone who was a threat to Rory’s
lead, so we were content to ride tempo at the front for most of the race and keep a leash on the break.”
That leash extended to no more than 30 seconds, and was half that by the time the 75-minute race ended,
with Sutherland tucked safely toward the front end of the main bunch.
Time on Sutherland’s side
After a solid opening prologue in front of over 20,000 people in downtown Portland
left him just five seconds off the race lead, Sutherland bided his time, waiting for his opportunity to grab the yellow leader’s
jersey, all the while showing he was easily one of the strongest riders in the race.
The next day, in front of another large crowd lining the difficult 1.3-mile course around Mt. Tabor Park,
Sutherland landed on the podium with a third place on a difficult uphill finish.
A day later, with strong help from teammate Phil Zajicek, Sutherland finished second in the Cooper Spur
Circuit Race, and inched his way closer to the race lead, moving up to second overall, one thin second from the top spot.
But in the Stage 3 Scenic Gorge Time Trial, Sutherland pulled off the best ride of the day, taking the
stage win and the race lead by a solid 30 seconds. That left the team with the task of defending his lead during Saturday’s
queen stage, a 101-mile trek that ended with a 4,500-foot climb to the Meadows Ski Resort on Mt. Hood.
“Saturday was a hard day,” Sutherland said. “It was 95 degrees in the shade most of the
day. The heat took its toll and it definitely made the day harder and more stressful. But there were only two riders I had
to keep an eye on, and the team did a great job of keeping the race under control and bringing the break back close enough
at the base of the last climb to make it possible to catch them. And I had Phil with me for the final five kilometers. He
road extremely well Saturday, especially given everything he’s been through this year, and him just getting back into
racing form.”
When Sutherland crossed the line in third place on the stage, he did so with the confidence that the team
would have no trouble maintaining his lead during Sunday’s criterium finale, and seal his second consecutive stage race
victory in May.
“I didn’t have to touch the wind at all the last two stages,” Sutherland added. “The
guys held it together really well and made it easy for me to finish it off Sunday. We win races as a team, and there’s
no better training or morale building than defending like we did last week at Joe Martin and this week here at Hood. We can
go into Philly week with a good, fit team and plenty of momentum.”
