Smith, Stephens win Redlands Highland Circuit Race

Dion Smith (Hincapie Sportswear) and Lauren Stephens (Team Tibco) took the first wins of USA Cycling's 2014 National Race Calendar Wednesday during the opening stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California.

Smith capitalized on his team's final lap lead-out to take his first NRC stage win, finishing ahead of Bissell Development Team's James Oram and Optum Pro Cycling's Will Routley. Stephens out-sprinted a select group on the uphill finish to take the stage win ahead of Karol Ann Canuel (Specialized-lululemon) and Leah Kirchmann (Optum).

The stage 1 circuit in Highlands featured a bevy of climbing and descending as the women covered 14 laps around the 4.5 km circuit for 67.5 km, while the men tackled 20 laps for 94.5 km.

Men's break almost makes it

A breakaway that survived until the next-to-last lap animated the first stage of the men's race when Coulton Hartrich (SeaSucker-Guttenplan) and Bailey McKnight (Jet Fuel Coffee) slipped away from the bunch during the first couple of laps. They were soon joined by Colin Daw (Team Mike's Bikes) and Eric Marcotte (Team SmartStop).

The quartet built an ultimate gap of 1:30 with eight laps remaining before 5-hour Energy/Kenda and Optum Pro Cycling picked up the chase. The field started splitting up behind as the Continental teams started riding in earnest, and at the front, Marcotte and Hartrich soldiered on as Daw and McKnight fell off their pace.

The two remaining breakaway riders had a gap of just 20 seconds with three laps remaining, and their catch by the field looked imminent. The gap was down to just nine seconds a lap later, and the field was mostly together when riders heard the bell signaling the final lap. Smith's Hincapie Sportswear team swarmed to the front to set up Smith, a 21-year-old from Atlanta who finished sixth last year at the Philly Cycling Classic.

With time bonuses included, Smith now leads Oram in the overall by four seconds and Routley by six.

Stephens wins women's battle of attrition

The women's race turned into a battle of attrition early as repetitive attacks failed to produce a winning breakaway but did whittle the 117 starters down to a lead group of about 55 with five laps remaining.

An eight-rider split tried to get away with four laps to go, and although the effort didn't succeed in staying away, the attack and counters further craved away at the front of the race. About 30 riders went through the start finish with the leaders on the second-to-last lap, and that group took the bell together but began to split up when the pace and attacks went ballistic over the final loop around the course.

Optum drove the front of the field into the final climb to set up Kirchmann for the finish at the top, but it was Tibco's Stephens and Specialized-lululemon's Karol Ann Canuel who were able to get a small separation. Stephens crossed the line with a slight advantage over Canuel for the win. Kirchmann held on for third, leading a group of 10 riders across the line two seconds later.

Last year's overall winner, Alison Powers (UnitedHealthcare), finished with the 10-rider group that was two seconds down.

With time bonuses from the stage finish and intermediate sprints included, Stephens now leads the women's overall race by five seconds over Canuel, who won last weekend's San Dimas Stage Race. Kirchmann is nine seconds back. Wiles is fourth overall, sitting 10 seconds back, and Powers is fifth at 11 seconds.

For Thursday's second stage, riders will tackle the 12.5km out-and-back time trial course on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. The technical Big Bear course, which sits at about 2,100 meters of altitude, was a new addition last year when it served as the opening test. Optum's Chad Haga took the stage and the leader's jersey, which he wore until the final day before 5-hour Energy's Francisco Mancebo took it from him on the final stage. Powers, last year's time trial winner, won by more than 30 seconds on her way to a hat-trick of stages and the overall.

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