Zirbel, Shaw win Redlands Big Bear time trial

Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies' Tom Zirbel won the Big Bear time trial at the Redlands Bicycle Classic for the second consecutive year, but it was Silber Pro Cycling's Ryan Roth who rode into the yellow jersey of the overall leader during stage 2. Roth now leads Optum's Phil Gaimon by four seconds and Hincapie Racing's Dion Smith by six seconds.

BMW-Happy Tooth's Rhae Shaw won the women's stage, covering the 12.5km out-and-back course in 16:50. But like the mens race, it was the runner-up on the stage that took the overall lead. Optum's Jasmin Glaesser leads the race by three seconds over Allie Dragoo (Twenty16-ShoAir) and Amber Neben (Visit Dallas) heading into Friday's Yucaipa road race with its mountain-top finish in Oak Glen.

Zirbel lives up to favourite status

Optum’s Zirbel went into the race as the overall favourite on the course that has been used for the past three years. The big-engined time trial specialist finished second to teammate Chad Haga in 2013 and won the stage outright last year. 

Although his time of 15:02 was six seconds slower than last year's winning mark, it was more than enough to give him the stage win by seven seconds over Roth and nine seconds over Chris Barton (KHS-Maxxis).

“Coming into the week I was confident, but then yesterday that Highland circuit waxed me,” Zirbel told Cyclingnews. “Two years in a row I’ve just done awful there. So my confidence was definitely flagging. I didn’t know how my legs would recover today, but I guess it seemed OK.”

The out-and-back course on Big Bear Lake’s north shore is a mostly flat affair with several technical corners, but the biggest obstacle on Thursday was the headwind that hit riders on the outward half of the stage. Zirbel joked that the wind accounted for the six-second difference between his 2014 and 2015 rides.

“It felt really windy out there, but I think it was pretty windy last year too,” Zirbel said. “The best weather we had was that first year, but I’m going to say it was windier this year. That will make me feel better.”

Zirbel started the day 30 seconds off the overall race lead after his performance on stage 1, so despite his winning effort on Thursday, the leader’s jersey landed on the shoulders of Roth, who started the day 15th overall, part of a large group of riders who were 13 seconds behind overnight leader Sebastian Haedo (Jamis-Hagens Berman). Roth new he had a chance to take the lead, but he didn’t set that as his top goal.

“It was in the back of my head, but mostly you just think about doing the best ride that you can on the stage, on the day, and whatever result comes out of it comes,” Roth said. “It wasn’t like I was thinking, ‘I’m going for yellow today.’ I just went for the best stage result possible.”

Team director Gord Fraser had special praise for team mechanic Doug Berner, who put together the squad’s time trial bikes at the last moment because they had been delayed offshore during the west coast port strike.

Roth and Silber now have the unenviable task of defending yellow on the difficult Yucaipa stage and the Oak Glen finish.

“I’m more of an all-around rider in my abilities, so tomorrow the climb is probably a it too hard for me,” Roth said. “But right now we’re happy with the stage result and just to have the yellow jersey.”

Stage win for Shaw, yellow for Glaesser

Shaw finished seventh in the UCI time trial world champiosnhips in 2011, but her results since then have been a mixed bag. She left no doubt who was the best time trialist at Redlands on Thursday, however, beating Glaesser by seven seconds and third-placed Allie Dragoo (Twenty16-ShoAir) by 10.

“It’s actually my first NRC win ever,” she told Cyclingnews before the women’s podium ceremony. “I usually come in second or third, so I’m really excited to be top step. I’m thrilled. It’s a great way to come back to racing - with a victory - so I’m super excited.”

As much as Shaw was thrilled by her result, Glaesser was equally surprised to be wearing yellow at the end of the day. The Canadian, who earned a bronze medal in the team pursuit at the London Olympics, admitted that she wasn’t expecting to come away from the stage as the race leader.

“I’ve had solid rides before,” she said. “I’ve never been on the podium, but I knew I had it in me to put together a good ride, and I’m glad I managed to do so today.”

Glaesser said she and her team will be ready to defend the jersey during Friday's stage up to Oak Glen.

“It’s a beautiful stage,” she said. “I’ve pre-ridden the course and I think it’s going to be a really exciting stage and really shake up the race. I’ll do what I can, and I definitely believe in my team, Optum Pro Cycling, to be able to keep the jersey, if not for me, then at least for the team.”

Optum director Pat McCarty said he expects Friday’s stage to be the most difficult of the race.

“We all know about Sunset [stage 5]," he said. "But I think there’s a little bit of unknown about tomorrow, which is going to make it a little more difficult tactically. But we clearly have the strongest team here, and I believe we have one of the strongest riders here in Jasmin Glaesser, so I think, for us, if we keep our ducks in a row, stay calm and things kind of go our way out there, I think we’re going to improve upon what we’ve done here already.”

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