Redlands Classic: Gontova surges to uphill win on stage 2

Race Results
By published

Canadian rider takes GC lead with solo victory ahead of individual time trial

Jump to:
Image 1 of 6
Nadia Gontova wins women's stage 2 Redlands Bicycle Classic 2023
Nadia Gontova wins women's stage 2 Redlands Bicycle Classic 2023(Image credit: SnowyMountain Photography)

Nadia Gontova (Red Truck Racing p/b Mosaic Homes) emerged from thick fog atop the ascent to Oak Glen Village to win stage 2 of the 2023 Redlands Bicycle Classic. The Patobike duo of Marcela Prieto and Lorena Villamizar were the closest in the chase behind, finishing second and third, respectively.

DNA Pro Cycling’s Anet Barrera was the first to launch an attack at the base of Oak Glen, the move reducing what remained of the peloton to a handful of select riders, including Gontova and the Patobike pair. 

Once Gontova struck out alone with the pass of Barrera, Prieto took up the chase, running out of real estate at the end to finish 28 seconds behind the stage winner. Her teammate took the final podium spot finishing 1:06 back and two seconds ahead of a charging Shayna Powless (DNA Pro Cycling).

“We came prepared, hoping to come out with good results,” said Villamizar after failing to catch Gontova at the top. “Today’s stage was very complicated with the cold and the rain, so we were nervous. We rode cautiously so as not to crash since Marcela [Prieto] had crashed the day before. The idea was to finish today’s race healthy and in good form.”

Gontova started Thursday’s stage 14 seconds behind early GC leader Marlies Mejias Garcia (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), and with the victory, jumped from 15th into the overall lead, now a 14-second advantage over second-placed Prieto and another 53 seconds on Lorena. Kathleen Abadie (Fount Cycling Guild) maintained her lead in the QOM competition.

While Mejias Garcia dropped to 18th overall, 2:45 back, two of her teammates, Melisa Rollins and Laurel Quinones, finished fifth and sixth on the summit finish. Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 now has Rollins in fourth overall, while DNA Pro Cycling has Powless in fifth and Barrera in sixth, the trio separated by just 18 seconds.

The mid-point of the five-day stage race will be the stage 3 Route 66 time trial, the same 9.1-mile route used for both pro men and women.

Results

Results powered by FirstCycling

Jackie Tyson
Jackie Tyson
North American Editor

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.

Latest on Cyclingnews