Reigning US under-23 road champion Ella Sabo (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) and Costa Rica's Sebastian Brenes Mata (Canel’s-Java) won the furiously fast stage 2 circuit race at Redlands Bicycle Classic on Thursday.
Sabo, just 20 years old, crossed the line just ahead of her teammate Olivia Cummins, while Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) completed the pro women's podium.
A silver medalist at last year's Pan-American road race, Mata held off Carlos Garcia (Olinka) of Mexico by a bike length. Luke Elphingstone (Project Echelon) followed in third.
There were no changes in the general classification for women or men, as GC leaders Emily Ehrlich (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) and Eric Brunner (Project Echelon Racing) finished safely in both fields.
Cummins leads the women's sprint competition, while Roland Meunier (Kelly Benefits Cycling) is the sprint leader for men. No King or Queen of the Mountains points were given on stage 2.
The second day of the five-day stage race took place on a new 2.7-mile course for the Trek-Hangar 24 Circuit Race in Redlands, which the women completed 16 times for 43.2 miles. With wide roads and just four right-hand turns, the peloton remained intact as teams positioned riders for a bunch sprint. Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 did just that to deliver a second victory for the team in as many days.
“The last lap was quick… we talked about it before the race. My teammate, Emily [Erhlich], told me, ‘just follow me,’ and she kept me in position," Sabo said after the stage. “Rylee [McMullen] took us down the last straight, Marjorie [Rinaldo] took us down the back straight. It was a whole team effort.”
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The men's race also came down to a criterium-style sprint finish, with breakaway efforts futile on the 2.7-mile course, completed 24 times. Mata held a slight edge after the final corner and Garcia could not make the pass.
“I tried to save the most energy for the end, but super happy to take the win. This was a goal I had on my calendar for the year…It’s been a dream of mine to get a stage win here and this year I did that," said 25-year-old Mata, who has raced Redlands the last two years and gone away without a podium appearance.
Another circuit race takes place on Friday with a longer 4.6-mile circuit on stage 3 in Redlands, but this time a climb on Overcrest Drive should see attacks that get away. The pro women will race nine laps for 41.4 miles, while the pro men will race 12 laps for 55.2 miles.
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
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