Project Echelon rider seals GC title after finishing third in Sunset Road Race behind Cole Davis
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Jared Scott (Aevolo) crosses the line solo to win stage 5 of Redlands Bicycle Classic(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)
By the time riders reached Promentary Point (roughly half-way around the first lap of the Sunset loop) the men's field had been cut in half(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Cole Davis (Voler Factory Racing/Composite) crashed early in the race in corner one and with the help of a teammate overcame a two-minute deficit to rejoin the field and then take second place on the stage(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
After a break of nine riders got up the road on the second time up the climb, Sean Burger and the CS Velo team spent the next nine laps on the front of the field working to defend the yellow jersey(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing, center) spent most of the day cruising in the peloton surrounded by teammates including Hugo Scala, Jr (left)(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Stage 5 podium for men: Cole Davis (Voler Factory Racing/Composite) in second place, winner Jared Scott (Aevolo Cycling) and Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) in third(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Men's Classification Jersey winners (L to R): Kaler Marshall (Expeditors Elite Cycling) in red KOM jersey, GC winner Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) in yellow, Drake Deuel (Team California) in white best amateur jersey and Jack Tanner (Blue Competition Cycling) in green sprint jersey(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
L39ION of Los Angeles won best men's team(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
Hesitation in the breakaway played into Jared Scott’s (Aevolo) hands as he launched a counter-attack on stage 5 of the Redlands Bicycle Classic and then rode to a solo victory in the Sunset Loop Road Race.
Stage 1 winner, Cole Davis (Voler Factory Racing), came across the line nine seconds behind Scott for second place. Tyler Stites (Project Echelon) sealed the overall win at the five-day stage race after finishing third in the 91-mile final stage, 21 seconds down on Scott.
"Going on the first lap, I went off the front a little bit because no one was following my wheel," Scott said. "I put my head down and went and took advantage of the opportunity. I was cramping up super bad, but the fans here are great and cheered me all the way to the line. I'm super stoked to be able to make it.”
Xander White (CS Velo) held a slim seven-second lead over Stites in the GC battle coming into the final stage, but lost time in the end, finishing 14 seconds behind the main chase group.
"During the race, Xander [White] looked super strong," said Stites, who raced the past five seasons with Aevolo. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to shake him. I just kept attacking almost every lap in the last five laps or so.
“On the second to last lap, I got a gap, and just went all-in with a couple of other riders. Then my teammate, Ricky [Arnopol] dropped back off the break and went all-in on the downhill, pulling as hard as he could. I caught up to the breakaway on the bottom of the climb on the last lap and went as hard as I could to the finish. I stayed away and found the time gap I needed to win the GC.”
Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles) finished third overall. Kaler Marshal (Expeditors) took the KOM crown.
Davis had an impressive journey, crashing in the first 45 seconds and with his teammates spent the next 75 minutes catching back to the peloton.
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