Louis Crosby second in two stages at Mt Hood Cycling Classic

PureBlack Racing’s Louis Crosby has notched up two second places after four days of racing in the 2011 Mt. Hood Cycling Classic in Oregon. Crosby’s efforts earned him 9th overall on General Classification for the tour.

Crosby earned his first second place on the first stage of the tour over a challenging 136km course which provided the riders with the first climbing opportunities of the tour.

Crosby came through for second place again on a technical downtown Criterium course in Hood River on day three. Team mate Mark Langley crossed the line just behind Crosby taking fourth place in what was a very aggressive race.

“We established before the start that it was imperative to stay near the front and therefore out of trouble. The PureBlack Racing team made their presence felt with a number of attacks throughout the course of the race. I managed to stay out of trouble through the race and with one lap to go launched off the front heading through the start-finish line,” said Crosby.

The final day of the tour was a testing stage with more than 10,200m of climbing on twisty one-lane roads. After a fast downhill start Crosby punctured and again just before the end. He crossed the line in 13th on the last stage to place him 9th overall on GC.

Over the weekend PureBlack Racing’s top team was also racing in the US in the Philadelphia Classic against some of the top Pro Continental and Pro Tour teams. James Williamson pulled an impressive top ten finish placing sixth in a photo finish sprint.

PureBlack Racing’s development squad in New Zealand also had a successful weekend with Fraser Gough winning two stages in the 2011 Powerco Queens Birthday Tour in Taranaki and securing the overall GC win. Team mates James Oram and Dion Smith also put in impressive performances. Oram won the final stage and Smith finished third overall.

The next races for PureBlack Racing in the US are the Air Force Classic in Washington DC, 11-12 June and the Tour de Beauce in Quebec, 14-19 June.

For more information on the team and racing schedule see www.pureblackracing.com