Minneapolis (July 19, 2010) – The individual, sprint and team classifications remain up for grabs with one race remaining in the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series.

The 30th edition of the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic begins Tuesday. The six-day event is the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the United States.

In the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series individual standings, Mara Abbott (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) holds a 41-point lead over Alison Powers (Team Vera Bradley Foundation). Powers said she is feeling good and will have a team of seven riders around her while Abbott will bring only three teammates to Bend, Ore.

“I have good fitness and I’m motivated and our team is strong, so I’m hoping we can do well,” Powers said. “This has been a hard season competition-wise, which is really cool. All the teams have strong riders. All the teams have good depth.”

Brooke Miller (TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team) stands third in the sprint classification, but the two riders ahead of her – Shelley Evans (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) and Carmen Small (Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light) are not on their teams’ roster for the race.

Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 holds the lead in the team classification, but Team Vera Bradley Foundation remains in striking distance.

The difference in sizes of the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 and Vera Bradley Foundation teams could mean some drama in the team classification since the top four riders score points, said David LaPorte, the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series co-founder who also directs the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

“Abbott’s teammates will probably all be riding in support of her, which doesn’t bode well for their individual results,” LaPorte said. “Abbott’s points are doubled since she’s under the age of 26, but the Vera Bradley Foundation is likely to have more riders gaining points.”

Abbott, winner of the recent women’s Giro d’Italia, already has the best young rider (Under 26) jersey sewed up.

The Women’s Prestige Cycling Series is the only national bicycle racing series solely showcasing the country’s top female cycling talent. It began in March with the Redlands Bicycle Classic, followed by the SRAM Tour of the Gila in New Mexico in late April and continued at Nature Valley Grand Prix in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin last month.

For more information about the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, visit the official website, www.WomenCyclists.com, or send an e-mail to: wpcs2010@womencyclists.com.
INDIVIDUAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 360.
2. Alison Powers, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 319.
3. Evelyn Stevens, HTC-Columbia – 275.
4. Erinne Willock, Webcor Builders – 246.
5. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 242.

BEST YOUNG RIDER (UNDER 26) CLASSIFICATION
1. Mara Abbott, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 605.
2. Rebecca Much, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
3. Amanda Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 319.
4. Chloe Forsman, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 297.
5. Melanie Meyers, Specialized D4W/Bicycle Haus, 275.

SPRINT CLASSIFICATION
1. Shelley Evans, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 385.
2. Carmen Small, Colavita/Baci p/b Cooking Light – 289.
3. Brooke Miller, TIBCO/To the Top Pro Cycling Team – 286.
4. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, HTC-Columbia – 220.
5. Carla Swart, Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 198.

TEAM CLASSIFICATION
1. Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 – 1,185.
2. Team Vera Bradley Foundation – 844.
3. HTC-Columbia – 814.
4. Colavita/Baci presented by Cooking Light – 644.
5. Webcor Builders – 616.