Carmen Small got the win. Alison Powers got the yellow jersey. Kristin Armstrong decided to get to London.

Optum’s Small fought off Exergy Twenty12’s Theresa Cliff-Ryan at the finish line on Friday evening to win the Downtown Twilight Criterium, the fourth stage of the pro women’s race in the Cascade Cycling Classic.

What matters now is four seconds. That is the razor-thin advantage that Powers (NOW and Novartis for MS) holds over Small in the general classification standings heading into this afternoon’s CCC-concluding stage, the Awbrey Butte Circuit Race.

Those seconds matter because Armstrong — who held a lead of 2 minutes, 23 seconds, over the then-second-place Powers after Friday’s Cascade Lakes Road Race — elected to end her CCC early so she could fly to London and ready herself for the 2012 Olympic Games. The reigning Olympic gold medalist in the time trial, Armstrong is slated to compete in the road race on July 29 and in her specialty on Aug. 1.

“She really wanted to stay for the whole race and at least the criterium because it’s such a fun event,“ said Nicola Cranmer, Exergy Twenty12 general manager and co-owner (along with Armstrong). “And she really wanted to be here for the fans that wanted to see her off for the Olympics, but it was a last-minute decision.”

And likely a sound one because, as Cranmer noted, criteriums can be hazardous for participants. Several riders were caught up in at least one crash during the men’s criterium race that immediately followed the women’s event.

“We’ve seen a lot of crashes here, and it’s just not worth the risk,” Cranmer said. “The team is sad to see her go, but also happy that her next race will be the Olympics.”

Enter an opportunity for Small, who said she was not aware of Armstrong’s exit from the race going into Saturday’s stage. In the 50-minute criterium, she held at bay Cliff-Ryan, one of Armstrong’s teammates and the 2012 criterium national champion, and third-place finisher Loren Rowney of Stevens Bikes. Small said her Optum teammate Jade Wilcoxson — who holds a two-point lead over Small for the best sprinter’s green jersey entering today’s stage — led her out on the course’s long final stretch, which spans from Idaho Avenue nearly to Oregon Avenue on Wall Street in downtown Bend.

The rest was up to Small.

“I was trying to wait as long as possible because I know it’s a long sprint, but then I went when I saw (Jacquelyn) Crowell, the Exergy (rider) coming up on my side, and I was like, ‘Well, I got to go,’” Small said. “And it wasn’t until the very end that I felt Theresa coming up. And she actually, I think, at one point was ahead of me, and I got a little extra oomph. It’s a long sprint, so it kind of suited more to nonpure sprinters.”

It also put Small near the front of the field for what could be a scintillating final stage. The hilly, 51-mile race is scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. at Summit High School in west Bend. Powers, who finished 14th in the criterium as part of a large pack that was credited with the same time as Small, leads the overall standings at 7 hours, 42 minutes, 14 seconds.

In addition to Small, five other riders are within two minutes of the yellow jersey in the GC standings. Team Tibco’s Megan Guarnier is just 18 seconds back of Powers. Wilcoxson (36 seconds), Team Tibco’s Amanda Miller (1:17), Exergy Twenty12’s Andrea Dvorak (1:24) and Kristin McGrath (1:31) are all within shouting distance.

Said Powers: “The race tomorrow — holy crap — it’s going to be hard and exciting.”