KAPKA BUTTE SNO-PARK — Zach Nehr had never raced in an all-day breakaway before.

So during the 96-mile Cascade Lakes Road Race Friday, more seasoned riders in the break with the 22-year-old Nehr offered some advice.

“I didn’t really know what I was doing,” the Wisconsin cyclist confessed. “There were plenty of times when some of the older, more experienced riders were telling me to take it easy, we got a long way to go.”

The breakaway stuck all the way to the finish and Nehr, of Project Echelon Racing, made up enough time to move into the pink overall leader’s jersey in the pro men’s Cascade Cycling Classic.

Travis McCabe of Floyd’s Pro Cycling won the stage, outsprinting the other six riders at the finish line at Kapka Butte Sno-park just east of Mount Bachelor to finish in 4 hours, 6 minutes, 16 seconds.

Austin Stephens of 303 Project was second with the same time, and Alexi Amiri of Team California took third, also with the same time.

Nehr, who finished fifth in the stage, has an 11-second overall lead on second-place McCabe. Aevolo Cycling’s Alex Hoehn, who placed fourth on Friday, is now in third overall, 33 seconds behind Nehr.

The breakaway formed in the first mile or two of the race, Nehr said.

“I heard it was chaos behind us,” said Nehr, of Milwaukee. “A lot of disagreements over who would chase. Our group was perfect pace line the whole time. No one ever sat on (another rider’s wheel). No one was ever arguing. I think that was the biggest thing.”

Nehr admitted he was nervous about attempting to defend the leader’s jersey over the final two days of racing.

“I have just two teammates,” he said. “I’ll have my work cut out for me.”

McCabe, 30 and of Prescott, Arizona, said the seven-rider breakaway was fully committed and the riders worked well together all day.

“Once we had a big enough gap we knew we were gonna keep it to the line and make a play for (general classification),” McCabe said. “It came down to a sprint and I was the best sprinter in the group.”

McCabe — who finished second in the first stage of the prestigious Tour of California in mid-May — said he feels confident he can make up the 11-second deficit over the next two days with the help of his team.

He might even go for another stage win in Saturday night’s Twilight Criterium in southwest Bend.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “The next two days suit me a lot better than days like (Friday). We’re confident. We have a strong team here. We’ll put on a show. But the goal is to get the win.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0318,

mmorical@bendbulletin.com