Hamilton at top of his game again

PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. -- It's the only race he's done in a year, and he won. Again.

Tyler Hamilton, under a two-year suspension from professional cycling for blood doping, easily won yesterday's Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb for the fourth time.

The 2004 Olympic gold medalist, who said he had not raced since last year's nonsanctioned Hillclimb victory, crossed the finish line more than two minutes ahead of former world mountain bike champion Ned Overend of Colorado.

``It's a short race," Hamilton said of the Rockpile and its steep and winding 7.6-mile course. ``I went as fast as I could from the bottom of the hill."

Hamilton's winning time was 52 minutes 21 seconds, well ahead of Overend, competing a day shy of his 51st birthday. Overend's time of 54:41 broke his own masters record set last year. Ian Ayers, 24, of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., took third.

Another familiar face at the finish was Aimee Vasse, who won the women's race (1:08:31) for the third consecutive time, edging Canadian Sue Schlatter in a steep summit sprint through the fog by six seconds.

``I knew I couldn't go for time today," said Vasse, 28, who's been living in New London, N.H. ``I had to go for the win."

Third place went to Marblehead, Mass., personal fitness trainer Marti Shea, who won Newton's Revenge up Mount Washington and the Mount Ascutney Hill Climb in July.

Both Hamilton and Overend attacked the course. Overend quickly left the start but it didn't take long for Hamilton and a pack of about five riders to pass him at an early corner. From then on, it was all Hamilton.

Shirt zippered down, Hamilton was soon all alone, with cool temperatures in the 50s, sporadic rain, and an eerie mist enveloping the mountain as cyclists ascended.

``It was hard to get traction," said Hamilton. ``In weather like this, when you stand up, your back wheel will slide."

By the midway mark, Hamilton's lead had grown to nearly two minutes, with Overend and Joseph Moody of Watertown, Mass. (fourth place), the closest to him in the field of 600 riders.

``It would have been nice to keep Tyler in my sights, but we each did our own race and it became a time trial," said Overend.

Above the tree line, the competitors were surrounded by fog, making them look like ghost riders in the sky.

Amid cheers and cowbells, Hamilton crossed the summit finish alone.

``You can't cheat on this mountain," he said. ``There's no faking."

Hamilton, who grew up in Marblehead and now lives in Colorado, trains between six and seven hours daily. Once the suspension is lifted next month, he hopes to be chosen for Team USA and compete in the World Cycling Championships Sept. 24.

``I believe I should be selected," he said.

If the men's side was a time trial, Vasse had a more tactical strategy as Shea went out aggressively from the start, soon followed by Schlatter.

``I knew I had to save something for the end," said Vasse. ``I started out conservatively."

She had her eye on Shea, who led the women through about the midway point before Vasse and Schlatter went ahead. About 200 yards or so from the finish, Vasse made her last push to victory.

Shea, a runner who was coached for two years at Boston University by Joan Benoit Samuelson, believes she could have had a better finish had she taken it easier at the start.

``I'm not really a cyclist," said Shea. ``I'm kind of a middle-aged woman doing a few hill climbs."