Kiesanowski Wins Latest Stage in US Cycling Tour

Joanne Kiesanowski led another strong day for New Zealand riders in the Cascade Cycling Classic in Oregon today when she won the stage four criterium in Bend.

With a good lead out from her US-based Tibco team, Kiesanowski out-sprinted the Canadian champion Joelle Numainville for the victory.

Fellow Beijing Olympian Cath Cheatley was ninth and remains in second place overall going into today’s final stage, a circuit race with a solid climb each lap that will be to the liking on the inform Kiwi.

New Zealand road race champion Rushlee Buchanan was 17th today safely in the peloton and remains as the leader of the young rider classification, riding for Cheatley’s Colavita Baci in the US.

“My team was amazing and we had it lined up from a couple of laps out,” Kiesanowski said. “We had five of us lined up with one lap to go. We still had four of us around the last corner and it was a great team race.”

Auckland’s Mike Northey, riding for the US-based Rubicon-Orbea team, was the best of the kiwi men in fourth place just ahead of Jesse Sergent (Trek Livestrong), who heads off on trial to Pro Tour team Radioshack tomorrow.

Jeremy Vennell (Hawkes Bay) is the leading New Zealander in fifth place overall riding for his US-based Bissell team, managed by former kiwi Olympian Glen Mitchell, who is the Director Sportif for the New Zealand team at October’s world championship.

Meanwhile across the Atlantic, Greg Henderson is in a share of ninth place after two stages of the Tour de Wallonie in Belgium.

Henderson (Team Sky) was third in the opening 184km stage from Monscron to Lessines in a sprint finish and was in the peloton in the 201km second stage to Saintes, and now lies just six seconds from the lead.

Fellow New Zealanders in the high quality field include Rotorua’s Sam Bewley (Radioshack) and Te Awamutu’s Tim Gudsell (Française Des Jeux).

And North Island schools champion James Oram (North Harbour) is the best of the New Zealand team going into the final stage of the Tour de l’Abitibi junior road event in Canada.

Oram is fifth overall in general classification, 1min 24sec down on the leader with Scott Creighton (Te Awamutu) ninth and Louis Wright (Morrinsville) 11th overall in the high profile age race with previous winners including world pursuit champion Taylor Phinney and Garmin Transitions sprinter Tyler Farrar.