Masters Road Nationals begin Wednesday in Bend

The 2013 USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships featuring the country’s best road racers over the age of 35 begin Wednesday, Sept. 4, in Bend, Ore. The five-day competition concludes Sunday, Sept. 8.

The field includes several, well-decorated riders who have accrued multiple national championships and vied for and, in many cases, won rainbow jerseys on the world stage.

The field of riders slated to compete in Oregon includes Charles Townsend (Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Paul Bicycle Racing Club), Frederic Schmid (Waco, Texas/Jubilee Subaru), Patricia Baker (Laguna Hills, Calif./San Diego Cyclo Vets), Richard Feldman (Ketchum, Idaho/Durance-Colnago) and Walter Axthelm (Durango, Colo./NoTubes Endurance Racing).

Also among the competitors vying for Stars-and Stripes jerseys is Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Surf City Cyclery-STERLING BMW), who won a silver medal in the women's team pursuit at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Bausch's husband, Kirk Bausch (Irvine, Calif./Surf City Cyclery-STERLING BMW), is also set to toe the line. Former national champions Brenna Lopez-Otero (Bend, Ore./BMC Total Care Racing), Ivan Dominguez (Westlake Village, Calif./MRI Endurance Elite Masters), John Elgart (Sacramento, Calif./Suffolk-SunPower Racing) and Michael Olheiser (Huntsville, Ala./CashCall Mortgage) all possess podium potential in Bend.

As was announced in May, the national championships will be contested on challenging courses throughout the Bend area.

The time trials will be contested on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Crooked River Park in Prineville. The out-and-back course parallels the scenic Crooked River and represents the second consecutive year a national championship bike race will be hosted in the city of Prineville.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, and Friday, Sept. 6, the competition will shift to the road racing event where another tried and true national championship course will be the challenge of the day. The road racing course will begin at picturesque Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort, loop clockwise south past Edison Sno-Park, and continue north up the legendary Sparks Lake Grade on Century Drive. The course, made famous through the Cascade Cycling Classic Stage Race, will end at the West Village parking lot of Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort.

Saturday Sept. 7, and Sunday, Sept. 8, will see the criterium races on a new course in beautiful downtown Redmond. This is a new addition for 2013, characterized by flat, fast terrain with ample room for larger field sizes.

From 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, Crow’s Feet Commons (875 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97701), a new bike shop with a bar and coffee bar will throw a welcome party in their courtyard with live music, beverages and food. On Thursday, Sept. 5, Worthy Brewing (495 NE Bellevue Drive, Bend, OR 97701) is hosting USA Cycling Appreciation Day in which all riders will get a one dollar discount on beer. On Friday, riders can experience the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Bend. From 2-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, Sierra Nevada, Desert Orthopedic and the Redmond Chamber of Commerce are presenting a viewing party at Diego's Spirited Kitchen (447 SW 6th St, Redmond, OR 97756) and in downtown Redmond.

For complete details on this event, including a complete schedule, results, course maps and a photo gallery, please visit the event website. If you can’t make it out for the event, follow all of the action on Twitter using the hashtag #RoadNats.