Pinkham Notch, N.H. (AP) – Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton, who’s been suspended from sanctioned races for the past two years, returned to the White Mountains Saturday to win the only race he has been free to ride – the 7.6-mile Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb.

Grosse Point, Mich.-native Aimee Vasse won for the women, coming in at 1:08:31 to place 22nd overall in a field of almost 600 riders. Hamilton’s time was 52:21. His suspension over a blood doping offense ends Sept. 22, just in time for the World Cycling Championships on Sept. 24.

For Hamilton, of Marblehead, Mass., the race was a time trial.

“I went as hard as I could from the bottom of the hill,” Hamilton said.

Riders faced wet conditions, with a sudden rainsquall at the start, wet fog on the upper slopes, and a 20-mph wind.

Hamilton’s closest pursuer was 51-year-old former world mountain bike champion Ned Overend of Durango, Colo., who placed fourth here in 2005. Overend finished in 54:41. Third place went to Ian Ayers, of Atlantic Highlands, N.J., who was making his fifth, and best, appearance here.

For the women, Vasse won by overtaking two extremely strong challengers, Marti Shea of Marblehead, Mass., and Sue Schlatter of Ottawa, Ontario. Both rode ahead of Vasse in the early miles below the mountain’s treeline, but as Vasse said afterward, “I knew I had to save something for the end. The key was the win, not the time.”

Schlatter arrived just six seconds behind Vasse, clocking a 1:08:37 and placing 24th overall. Shea was by herself in third at 1:11:40.

AP-ES-08-19-06 1511EDT