Hood River, OR - "This was, without question, a team win," said Nathan O'Neill of the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis after wrapping up his second consecutive overall title at the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic.

In 2006, he needed Roman Kilun and Greg Henderson (now with T-Mobile) to ride like eight men to help him hold off second-place Phil Zajicek (Navigators). This year, it was once again Zajicek nipping at his heels, just five-seconds behind after O'Neill re-took the race lead after the Stage 4 time trial Friday.

But this time, O'Neill had a full team with him. And he needed everyone of them - Matt Crane, Kilun, Doug Ollerenshaw, Ryder Hesjedal and Jeff Louder - to protect the slim lead.

"I give Zajicek credit," O'Neill said. "He didn't lay down. He and his team made us sing for our supper, for sure."

For the two final days, the Navigators team delivered blow after blow while Health Net Presented by Maxxis shook off each attempt at cracking the team in hopes of isolating O'Neill, springing Zajicek and closing the five-second gap.

That was never more apparent in the latter part of Stage 5 on Saturday. The 87-mile Wy'East Road Race featured three rated climbs, with more than 9,000 feet of climbing all together, ending with a 35-mile, 4,500-foot slog up to the Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Area.

Navigators sent two men up the road as part of the main break of the day, including eventual stage winner Darren Lill. Health Net Presented by Maxxis controlled the race throughout the stage, slowly reeling in the break after it had reached a maximum advantage of just over four minutes - close to putting Lill in the virtual race lead.

"They definitely tried to soften us up Saturday," O'Neill said. "But the guys rode great. When it came down to the final few miles, it was man on man between me and Phil. I checked my power meter after the stage and I counted 12 separate accelerations in the final two miles where he kept trying to snap me. But I knew all I had to do was stay on his wheel. That was the race. There were no time bonuses."

And that's exactly what O'Neill did, finishing the fifth stage in 5th place, right on Zajicek's wheel, 0:36 behind Lill, and a handful of seconds behind 2nd and 3rd place riders Burke Swindlehurst and Justin England (both Toyota-United).

Even in the closing, technical criterium Sunday, Zajicek continued to try to get away, but O'Neill never left his wheel, finishing right behind Zajicek in the front group of six riders, with teammate Hesjedal taking out 3rd in the sprint finish.

Notes

Hesjedal nearly overtook England for 5th overall on the final stage, finishing in the front group five seconds ahead of the Toyota-United climber in the final stage, leaving him one second short of being tied on time. Instead, Hesjedal had to settle for 6th overall.

Health Net Presented by Maxxis finished second overall in the team competition.