Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) and defending champion Eder Frayre (L39ION of Los Angeles) claimed stage 3 victories at the Redlands Bicycle Classic on Friday, both triumphing on the Crafton Hills circuit to move into the overall lead with two stages remaining.
Stephens took the win from a select front group in the attritional day that saw the field splinter in the first of nine laps over the rolling terrain in the 4.6-mile circuit. Katherine Sarkisov (CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group) finished second, just three seconds down, while Kira Payer (SpeedBlock-Terun Pro Cycling) rounded out the podium at 40 seconds.
“My team did a great job today,” Stephens said. “The plan was to make the race hard after the first QOM, and we executed exactly how we wanted. We ended up in a small break of four with my teammate Jamie [Chapman] and Kat [Sarkisov], and then on the next time up the climb, it was just Kat and me. It was nice to be up there with a former teammate.
“I went all in for the stage win and hoped we could move up in the general classification,” Stephens added.
“The team was incredible, responding to attacks and setting the pace all day. We took it a bit easier yesterday with all the nerves, knowing today was the day to commit, and they delivered. Now we’ll see where that leaves us on GC.”
Stephens overcame a 46-second deficit to move to the top of the pro women's standings. Overnight leader and stage 1 winner Emily Ehrlich (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) slipped to second, 11 seconds back, while Jamie Chapman (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) sits third, 54 seconds in arrears.
Stephens leads the Queen of the Mountains classification while Olivia Cummins (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) remained at the top of the sprint standings.
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In the pro men’s race, Frayre timed his effort to perfection to take the victory in a reduced sprint, in a fast and furious race that averaged 26.46 mph over the 12 laps, 55.2-mile Crafton Hills Circuit Race.
Crossing the line two seconds behind were Kent Ross (Cascadia Elite Racing), who took second and Marcis Shelton (Competitive Edge Racing) who was third.
“It was a very complicated, specifically for the GC,” Frayre said. “There were a lot of dangerous riders in the group, so everyone was watching me because they knew this was a day I could make a difference. I tried a few times, but everything was covered, so I waited for the right moment. Lap after lap, I looked for the ideal spot, then with about 100 meters to go I went full gas and took the win on my favorite day.
“We also tried to break the race earlier with three or four laps to go, but no one followed, the rhythm in the group was good so I came back, but the right decision was made to stay patient. The GC is going to be very close, down to seconds, but we’re in a good position. There’s still a lot of work to do over the next two days, and we’ll try to defend the lead and keep enjoying it.”
Frayre now holds the overall lead with a slim margin of one second ahead of his closest rivals. Overnight leader and stage 1 winner Eric Brunner (Project Echelon) is second, tied on time with Owen Cole (Team Winston Salem), who sits in third.
Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites.
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