Gaimon wins Oak Glen stage of Redlands Classic

As promised, the stage 3 finish atop Oak Glen on Friday caused a major shake-up at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, where Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies' Phil Gaimon and LA Sweat's Mara Abbott took the stage wins and the overall race leads heading into Saturday's criterium. 

Optum took control of the men's race on the final climb, launching Gaimon and teammate Mike Woods to a one-two finish and Gaimon into the race lead. Jelly Belly-Maxxis' Gavin Mannion finished third.

Four-time Redlands winner Chris Horner was in the select lead group going up the final climb, but he could only manage eighth place against the Optum duo.

"It's great to be leading the Chris Horner cycling classic," Gaimon said after the race, taking a dig at Horner, who told Cyclingnews earlier this year that he's won the race so many times they should name it after him.

"It's awesome to be doing that," Gaimon said.

The men's 122km race got off to a quick start that had riders peeling out of the back early in the race. But at the front end of the peloton, opportunists had a difficult time escaping the bunch until KHS-Maxxis' Efren Flores and H&R Block's Travis Samuel sneaked away on the fourth of five circuits that the peloton covered before diverting off the loop onto the climb up Oak Glen.

Flores and Samuel had a gap of 1:54 before a concerted chase from Optum and Team SmartStop brought them back into the fold as the peloton neared the final climb.

The final 10km ascent quickly started whittling away at the field, and a select group of about 12 riders battled for the stage win with just 3km remaining. Jamis-Hagens Berman's Gregory Brenes then made an early attack that drew out the true contenders for the stage.

Gaimon, Woods, Brenes, Horner and Mannion were there, along with Emerson Oronte (Alto Velo-Seasucker), Eder Frayre (IRT Racing), Tim Rugg (Lupus), Adam De Vos (H&R Block), Rob Squire (Hincapie Racing) and Adrien Costa (Cal Giant).

Woods, who started the day 43 seconds down in the general classification, went to the front to set up Gaimon, who was only four seconds off the overall lead, and set a pace that quickly blew up even the select group.

"This is a really good climb for both Phil and I," Woods said. "So the plan was going into the climb for the guys to work and put us into position, and then when the hill got real steep I would take over. And so that's what I did."

When Woods started to show signs of cracking, Mannion jumped and Gaimon countered, eventually dropping the Jelly Belly rider and soloing across the line for the stage win.

Woods rebounded and passed Mannion near the finish for the runner-up spot.

"The last kilometre or so I was kind of in an Optum sandwich," Mannion said. "Phil and Mike are both flying, so it was good to be battling it out with those guys for the win. I was teammates with both of those guys for a little bit last year. They're both good friends and really strong riders, so it was good company for sure."

Gaimon now leads Mannion by 31 seconds in the general classification, followed Costa, an 18-year-old junior, in third. Horner is eighth, more than a minute back.

"There are two more days left of racing and a lot can happen, but I like my odds," Gaimon said when asked about how confident he was heading into the final stages on Saturday and Sunday. "I have a nice little lead now, and I have good legs and a great team."

Abbott Shines on Oak Glen

Mara Abbott said after stage 1 that Redlands' decision to bring back the Oak Glen finish this year was one of the reasons she returned from Europe to compete in the National Racing Calendar opener.

The Wiggle Honda rider who is guest riding with LA Sweat this week showed why she was excited about the stage 3 finish when she rode away from the rest of the peloton on the Oak Glen climb and soloed across the line by more than a minute. Visit Dallas rider Amber Neben was second on the stage, followed by Twenty16-ShoAir’s Allie Dragoo in third.

Overnight leader Jasmin Glaesser (Optum) was ninth on the stage and surrendered her leader's jersey to Abbott.

A solo breakaway provided the carrot for the women’s peloton to chase when Alizee Brien (Tibco-SVB) escaped on the first lap. The Tibco rider built a gap of 1:35 over the next two laps before she was eventually brought into the fold on the last of three circuits before the Oak Glen climb.

When the reduced peloton started up the ascent, Neben started the final attrition with an attack that gained a small advantage. Abbott waited patiently and countered the move when she sensed the time was right, dropping the first chase group and eventually Neben on her way to the solo win. Abbott said knowing the climb proved to be the difference.

"I knew the hardest parts came at the end," Abbott said. "Amber was setting a pretty tough tempo toward the bottom of the climb. I sort of looked around for help from other riders, kept an eye on her and then attacked when I felt like there was a good moment and just went to see how much time I could put in."

Abbott finished 1:02 ahead of Neben and 1:23 ahead of Dragoo. Despite missing out on the stage win, Neben was satisfied with the final result and her efforts to take the win.

"Mara is the best in the world at what she does," Neben conceded of the talented climber. "You know, back when I was 30 and I was a little lighter, it would have been a fun matchup, but right now she's just that good, so you give her props. She rode really well and did what she needed to do."

Abbott, who has never won the overall at Redlands but was runner-up by one second in 2008, was hesitant to say she was confident going into the final two stages, even through she has won Sunday's Sunset Loop road race twice.

"One thing that's great about Redlands is that it's a race that doesn't stop until you cross Sunset on the final day," she said. "It's not one of those races because it's not a foregone conclusion at any point, which I know because I've lost the race on Sunset by one second. So I know very well that we're not going to count any chickens before there's big time hatching."

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