By CHRIS COLLINS

Baker City Herald

Beverly Calder can’t contain her enthusiasm for the Elkhorn Classic Stage Race.

andquot;It’s just a fun thing,andquot; she said Wednesday in anticipation of the three days of racing that begins Friday. andquot;I get so excited about this event.andquot;

This year she’s taken that enthusiasm a step further by putting up prize money to ensure that the women riders receive the same amount of prize money as men.

Calder says she’s not trying to make a women’s rights statement with the sponsorships. She just firmly believes that women should reap the same rewards as their male counterparts for competing over the same courses.

andquot;A few years ago I saw that the prize payout for women was 40 percent less than for men,andquot; she said. andquot;I said, ‘I’m sorry, that’s wrong.’ andquot;

Her efforts to make it right started last year when she contributed $200 to ensure equal prize money for women riders in the Gold Rush Criterium event in downtown Baker City.

And this year, the race’s seventh, Calder, through her Main Street business Bella, will ensure prize parity for women in every stage in every classification.

The estimated cost is $1,200.

andquot;I realize some people will say that’s crazy,andquot; she says, andquot;But it’s something Bella could do to help make Baker unique.andquot;

Calder said that after she researched the issue, it appears that the Elkhorn Classic Stage Race is the only one in America in which the women race the same and win the same.

andquot;This is a really easy way to make a difference,andquot; she said. andquot;This is a hard race and I’d like to see more women participate.andquot;

She is not sponsoring prizes for general classification winners, which are paid out based on the money taken in for entry fees.

Calder notes that even with prize parity, men generally receive more sponsorships, enabling them to travel in better style than the women.

andquot;The women’s teams have to pay more of their own way,andquot; she said.

To help ease that burden, Calder also has asked community residents to open their homes to the women to give them a more comfortable rest than they’d have camping out or sleeping on the floor of the high school gymnasium.

She was pleased with the response.

andquot;A lot of people stepped up to house people,andquot; she said. andquot;One of my sales reps even sent me a check.andquot;

Host housing was provided for everyone who asked, Calder said. And she credits the generosity of those who offered their hospitality to helping boost the number of women competing this year.

There are 66 women signed up this year, compared to 32 in last year’s competition.

andquot;The women’s classification has never been full before. It is this year,andquot; she said. andquot;We have had years where it was nip and tuck as to whether women would be allowed to race because there were not enough entries. In two years we’ve changed that.andquot;

As the race days approach, Calder is looking forward to the return of Ally Stacher of Scott Valley, Calif., a 19-year-old who has been racing for two years and was last year’s winner of the Women’s Category 3 and 4. She recently placed third in the Women’s Pro 1 and 2 Category of the Nevada City Classic, which Calder described as andquot;one of the most brutal races in the country.andquot;

Other winning women bicyclists with Baker County connections include Kristin Armstrong (no relation to Lance), the sister-in-law of Keating teacher Kathy Shaw. Calder said Kristin Armstrong won the Tour of New Zealand in March and holds the record as the women’s world time trial champion from 2006 and was the the U.S. national time trial champion in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

Armstrong was busy training for the Olympics this year, but it’s Calder’s goal to bring her to the Elkhorn Classic, maybe as early as next year.

And then there’s Inga Thompson of Halfway, who held the national time trial record in 1990, an unofficial world record, according to Calder. Thompson raced against men in the early ’90s and dominated the Women’s Challenge in Boise, placing first in 1987 and 1990 and second in 1985 and1992, she added.

The time trial bike she designed will be displayed at Bella during the race, Calder said. Thompson drove a race support vehicle for the women’s peloton last year and is expected to attend the Gold Rush Criterium this year.

Calder’s enthusiasm for the event has extended to the creation of bike jerseys sponsored by Bella and designed by Baker City artists Brian Vegter and Sarah Wynn.

And Calder, who’s 47, said she has been inspired by women she’s met along the way who didn’t start racing until their 40s. This year there are three women older than 50 who will compete.

andquot;I thought: It’s not too late for me,andquot; Calder said, adding that she hopes to compete before she hits the half-century mark. andquot;I want to be able to ride all four events and finish the race.andquot;

Calder said she is drawn to cycling because andquot;it’s a sport that doesn’t feel like exercise.andquot;

andquot;Every day you get on a bike it’s an experience,andquot; she said. andquot;It’s like being a kid again.andquot;