Saturn riders Chris Horner and Katie Mactier won the third and pivotal stage of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Contested over a hilly course culminating at the summit of Mt. Wachussett, the outcome cemented Saturn’s chances of repeating its overall sweep at Nature Valley just two weeks ago, where Mactier and Viktor Rapinski entered the final stage in the race lead. With only a criterium remaining to upset the standings, Mactier and either Horner (second overall, 25 seconds back) or Rapinski (overall GC leader) stand to walk away the race winner.

In the women's 78-mile race, Sarah Ulmer of TDS began the day with a 21-second grip on the leader's jersey. Racing started immediately with attacks coming from the Saturn team as they tried to pry the lead from Ulmer's grasp. Ulmer remained protected as her TDS team soldiered the front, immediately bringing anything threatening back. Saturn's Laura Van Gilder, only 1:20 down from Ulmer, attacked relentlessly, never spending more than a few miles in the main group before launching herself again. Her efforts finally paid off with a group forming containing Van Gilder, Tina Mayolo-Pic (Diet Rite), Heather Albert (Team Basis), Lara Kroepsh (T-Mobile), and another TDS rider marking the break.

Van Gilder Mayolo-Pic and Albert worked the break, opening their lead on a chasing TDS team. With a lap to go the gap was well over a minute and the strong TDS fabric began to become disheveled. Ulmer was soon left to chase on her own, and on the last trip up through the feedzone, Mactier and teammate Jessica Phillips gave her the one two punch, finally escaping. Another attack from Phillips followed, and when Mactier finally went there was no response. From there Mactier bridged to what remained of the break, catching Albert and Mayolo-Pic with one-kilometer left.

At the one hundred meter mark, an acceleration from Mactier was unanswered by Mayolo-Pic or Albert, and Mactier danced her way to the top for the stage win and the lead of the race. Behind her, Mayolo-Pic and Albert desperately tried to come to terms with the time ticking by and finished strongly, albeit nearly ten seconds back, giving Mactier a thirty-second cushion heading into Sunday’s criterium.

The men's race saw Prime Alliance's John Peters spend 100 miles at the front of the race in a three person break, but in the end, it was a heart break effort as he was caught 100 meters from the finish by Horner.

Saturn rode tempo at the front for the majority of the race, managing the time gap as none of the three in the break were considered threatening to Rapinski's jersey. As the group ascended the climb, no pressure was applied until Peters was caught at which point his teammate Jonathon Vaughters countered his impressive effort with a bid for the finish. Horner was quick on the trigger and jumped away with Vaughters, passing him in the final meters for the win; second was Mike Jones (West Virginia). Race Note: Disaster struck the Navigators squad as Aussie star Henk Vogels crashed heavily on a 60+ mph downhill section and was unable to continue.