JLT Condor's Ian Bibby got off to a flying start with victory in 2017's opening Bay Crits race on the nearby Ritchie Boulevard circuit after two of the race favourites – Bibby's teammate Brenton Jones and Mitchelton's Caleb Ewan – crashed on the final corner. Bibby went on to take the overall title, proving that anything can happen in this high-speed, three-race series.
Watch out, too, for Katusha 'guest riders' Dylan McKenna and Tom Chapman, who both won the chance to ride with the WorldTour team's Nathan Haas, Marco Haller and Alex Dowsett at the Bay Crits, but will choose how many of the three races they'll take part in.
TOPICS
-
Grasshopper Adventure Series: Brennan Wertz delivers knock-out punch in three-up sprint for third consecutive win at Huffmaster
Alia Shafi opens new gravel season with sprint victory against Grasshopper veterans Flavia Oliveira Parks and Jen Tavé -
Sean Kelly's Classics Column: Sometimes, you have to be a glass-cranker
The nine-time Monument winner analyses a crash-filled Opening Weekend and questions whether Van der Poel's rivals could've done more -
'I’m excited to get stuck in myself again and finally race' – Tadej Pogačar primes for season debut at Strade Bianche with Isaac del Toro in support
UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirm team for Italian one-day race, with Tim Wellens out due to injury sustained at Opening Weekend -
Olympic silver medalist Haley Batten wins debut at Belgium Waffle Ride Arizona while Russell Finsterwald surges in two-up sprint for elite men's victory
Final singletrack section proves decisive for last year's BWR series overall winner as he shuts down long-range attack by Andrew L'Esperance
