Success of cycling race has backers dreaming

The sixth annual Mt. Hood Cycling Classic accomplished a trio of firsts.

For the first time, the six-day, six-stage race offered women riders a chance to bolster their Olympic hopes. It reached beyond the Hood River and Mount Hood areas by showcasing the first two stages in Portland. And this summer, highlights of the race edited into a one-hour show will air on television for the first time.

All told, race organizers said the event, which concluded Sunday with a criterium in downtown Hood River, generated an estimated $1 million in revenue for the local economy, up from $600,000 last year, and attracted about 15,000 spectators.

– Excerpt from The Oregonian, May 20, 2008