IRVINE, Calif., – Land Rover has entered the cycling market with a new sponsorship role for Land Rover-ORBEA, the young cycling development team based out of Portland, Ore. Looking to step into a first year U.S. continental squad for 2009, Land Rover-ORBEA now has the title sponsorship it needs to push them to the next level.

Land Rover-ORBEA benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation and has two core missions, raising funds and awareness for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and developing young and up-and-coming cyclists. While the team is U.S. based, the riders are from around the globe. The team will be looking to expand its program to Canada in 2009 and have athletes from the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

“We are proud to serve as title sponsor of the Land Rover-ORBEA cycling team,” explained Finbar McFall, Vice President Marketing, Land Rover North America. “The resilience and endurance represented by the team are at the core of Land Rover’s ideals and values and we look forward to being part of their inspiring journey.”

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Well, it all came down the final stage at the mighty Tour de Nez to decide the overall winner in the general classification. After a brutal day on Friday, the men faced the 44-mile (70 km) Northstar-at-Tahoe Village Circuit Race. The race course is a hilly, difficult 2-mile loop that includes a passage over the pavers in the Northstar Village, and the adjacent roads at the village.

Going into the stage, Andy Bajadali (Kelly Benefit/Medifast) had a scant lead of 4 seconds over Scott Nydam (BMC) and 5 seconds over Friday’s stage winner Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics). And right behing them in the classification were the Bissell duo of Burke Swindlehurst and Aaron Olson at 18 and 24 seconds respectively from the lead.

Game faces on for red jersey Andy Bajadali (Kelly Benefit/Medifast), mountain jersey Dan Bowman (Kelly Benefit/Medifast) and sprint jersey Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics)

In the end, Bissell loaded the deck and put 3 riders in a 9-man break, kept the pressure on by utting the engines of Tom Zirbel and Graham Howard at the front and grew a 27 seconds gap to Andy Bajadali by the end of the race, giving the overall win to Aaron Olson with a final lead of 13 seconds over second place Bajadali. Scott Nydam (BMC) rounded off the podium.

Health Net-Maxxis’ Roman Kilun outsprinted his breakmates to take his second win in the race. Another repeat is Jon Baker (Vitamin Cottage) who finished second for the second time behind Kilun. In third place was Ben Raby (SRAM).

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The stage was set for an explosion with hot temperatures and tight GC for the fourth stage, the tough Northstar at Tahoe Road Race, of the Tour de Nez. On the second lap of the 10 laps around a 6.5-mile course, the 65-man field exploded on the 15% grade climb. For the rest of the race, riders littered the course in small groups or alone just trying to make it to the finish within the 15% time cut. The leader’s red jersey wearer Ian McKissick (BMC) was one of the victims as he cracked in the second lap.

A strong group of contenders formed at the front, and small breaks launched, and re-launched. Eight-time Canadian Champion Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics), riding without any teammates, won the stage on his patented solo attack from one of the breaks. Andy Bajadali (Kelly Benefit/Medifast) and Scott Nydam (BMC) chased from the front group to take second and third respectively. With a scant lead of 4 seconds, Bajadali is the new leader with Nydam in second place and Wohlberg in third, at 5 seconds back.

Dan Bowman (Kelly Benefit/Medifast) leds breakmate Tom Zirbel (Bissell) up the climb

Eric Wohlberg (Symmetrics) and Aaron Olson (Bissell) work to bride up to duo; Scott Nydam (BMC) leads select front group chasing the breaks

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