As expected, the fourth stage of the 2008 Tour de Nez stage race provided a big shake up in the general classification, as Kelly Benefit’s Andy Bajadali took the leader’s jersey away from BMC’s Ian McKissick.
Eric Wohlberg of the Symmetrics team was able to come away with a hard earned victory on the 6.5 mile mountain circuit, while at the same time vaulting himself back into contention for the overall crown.
The day’s action began early, as it has in most of the other stages, with the BMC team attacking. Scott Nydam, the 2008 Tour of California climbing champion, attacked the field on the very first lap, taking four other riders with him. After being caught on the descent, the field came back together ahead of the second lap, and the three mile ascent that featured a total of 869 vertical feet of climbing.
As the field hit the climb, Kelly Benefit Strategies’ Dan Bowman attacked, bringing Bissell’s Tom Zirbel and three others with him. He was counter-attacked by Successful Living’s Bradley White and Symmetrics Eric Wohlberg, who were able to forge a twenty second gap.
Behind in the main field, the sudden attacks immediately put many riders in trouble, as multiple riders went off the back of the group, never to make contact with the leading field again.
After a third lap of more aggressive attacking, two riders were able to take a fifty-five second advantage over the chasing peloton. Bissell’s Zirbel was once again in a break, this time to stay, with his lap two partner Dan Bowman. The two worked together to extend the lead, and were able to hold a one minute gap over the field until the sixth lap, when they were joined by Wohlberg and another Bissell rider, Aaron Olson.
Behind the break, the main field was indecisive, as no one team seemed to want to take the responsibility of reeling in the break. By the beginning eighth lap, the foursome had shrunk to three, as Zirbel was dropped.
The leading trio of Olson, Wohlberg, and Bowman had now grown their lead to over two minutes, as the stagnant field behind continued to give slack. Sensing that the race was getting away up the road, the remaining riders in the field began to pick up the pace. Health Net’s Corey Collier and Matthew Cooke pulled the remaining eleven riders up the climb, and by the time they hit the line for the ninth lap, the lead was down to only a minute and ten seconds.
On the ninth lap, multiple attacks split the remaining chasers, and Kelly Benefit’s Bajadali went away on his own in search of the break. Only four of the original eleven chasers were able to follow, as Nydam, Cooke, Successful Living’s Brad White, and Bissell’s Burke Swindlehurst followed about thirty seconds behind Bajadali. On the descent, the long day’s effort could be seen in the chasers, as Swindlehurst rubbed his cramping right leg and Aaron Olsen was unhitched by Wohlberg up the road, who sensed that the time was right for the decisive solo attack.
The tenth lap was one of survival, as all six of the remaining chasers did what they could to hang on. Cooke put in another acceleration on the final ascent of the climb, and Scott Nydam followed along with Brad White, dragging the four up to Olson and Bajadali. On the descent, the re-formed group of six rocketed toward the finish in a last gasp effort to reel in Wohlberg.
On the final climb to the finish, the chasing six could see Wohlberg up the road, but the Canadian was able to stay away, taking a heroic victory in the toughest stage of the Tour de Nez. Bajadali was able to unhitch his closest rival Olson on the final run in to the finish, and in doing so took the overall red leader’s jersey on the second to last stage. Scott Nydam rounded out the podium in third, keeping himself in the GC picture heading into the final stage tomorrow, another hilly forty-four mile jaunt in an around the Village at Northstar.
Many of the jersey’s changed hands, as Bajadali became both the overall and points leader. Adam Switters, after a tough Truckee criterium, conceded his best U-23 white jersey to Carson Miller of the Rubicon-Orbea team. A 19 year old from Bend, Oregon, Miller explained his experience during the race.
“This was an amazing day. I was unable to stay with the main group, but having the jersey means that I still did a good ride. I really hope I can defend the jersey tomorrow. I came here with a strong team, and we’ll definitely be looking to defend the jersey tomorrow for sure.”
Bajadali, the new race leader, realizes that nothing is assured tomorrow, as there are five riders within twenty seconds of the Kelly Benefit Strategies rider. “I have to hand it to Eric, he was the old Eric today. You know, tomorrow is another tough day, so I’m going to have to ride defensively and do the best I can to limit any gaps. My team was great today. Alex Candelario calmed me down early on, and now it’s anyone’s game. The GC is so tight, it’s gonna be kind of chaotic tomorrow.”
In what will be an electric final stage tomorrow at the Northstar resort, Bajadali will need his entire team’s help to ensure that he keeps the leader’s jersey. He’ll face constant attacks from Scott Nydam, Matthew Cooke, Burke Swindlehurst, Aaron Olson and Eric Wohlberg. In what should make for a memorable finale, the Tour de Nez is establishing itself as not only the “Coolest Bike Race in America,” but also one of the most difficult and exciting.
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By Briggs Heaney 
Behind the break, the main field was indecisive, as no one team seemed to want to take the responsibility of reeling in the break. By the beginning eighth lap, the foursome had shrunk to three, as Zirbel was dropped. 
Many of the jersey’s changed hands, as Bajadali became both the overall and points leader. Adam Switters, after a tough Truckee criterium, conceded his best U-23 white jersey to Carson Miller of the Rubicon-Orbea team. A 19 year old from Bend, Oregon, Miller explained his experience during the race.