Bennett storms to Beaumont victory

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John Bennett (California Giant Berry Farms) captured victory by out-pacing a small breakaway sprint after being off the front for more than 160-kilometres at the City of Beaumont Road Race, stage one of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The youngster crossed the line ahead of breakaway companions Lachlan Morton (Chipotle Development) in second and Andres Diaz (Team Exergy) in third.

"We took turns setting tempo on the climb but once we hit the descent I pretty much just sat on because I had worked hard to try and keep the break away all day," said Bennett who captured his third win of the season. "I knew if it came down to a sprint, and we stayed away, that could come around those guys. Coming into the final corner, I sat on Morton who was sitting on Diaz. Morton came around Diaz and I came around Diaz."

Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) maintained his lead in the overall classification ahead of Ben Jacques-Maynes (Bissell) in second and Chris Baldwin (Juwi Solar) in third. Late-race breakaway rider Diaz, moved into fourth overall by virtue of finishing 12 seconds ahead of the field combined with capturing a four-second time bonus for placing third on the day.

"That was a big test for us," said Gord Fraser, Directeur Sportif of RealCyclist.com. "We really don't have the ideal defense team here; we have young guys and sprinters. While it's not ideal, the guys were up for a challenge and it was a real test for them today. The goal was to hold the jersey and I am really happy."

Phil Gaimon (Kenda/5-Hour Energy) is currently leading the King of the Mountain (KOM) competition while Bennett earned enough points during the breakaway and at the finish line to assume the lead in the Sprint competition.

The Pro-Cat 1 men's field embarked on the rare opportunity to contest a nearly 200 kms road race at the Redlands Bicycle Classic stage one City of Beaumont Circuit Road Race. Race organizers revised the course, eliminating the opening climb onto the Beaumont circuit from the previous year and adding one additional circuit, five laps total. Expected high-winds were nowhere to be found and the riders welcomed comfortable mid-80s Fahrenheit temperatures.

Mancebo and his RealCyclist.com teammates assumed control of the race almost immediately at the start of the first lap. However, with KOM points available at the Bogart Park ascent and Sprint points and time bonuses offered at the start-finish line, made controlling the race a challenging task.

A break of three riders emerged on the first lap that included runner up at the San Dimas Stage Race last week, Matt Cooke (Team Exergy), Mike Olheiser (Juwi Solar) and Danny Summerhill (Chipotle Development). Summerhill picked up full KOM points while Cooke picked up full points and three seconds in time bonuses as they started the second of five laps with a 30 second lead on the peloton led by RealCyclist.com.

On the second lap, a group of six leaders united that included Frank Pipp (Bissell), Phil Gaimon and Roman Kilun (Kenda/5-hour Energy), John Bennett (California Giant Berry Farms) along with Danny Summerhill and Lachlan Morton (Chipotle Development). Gaimon picked up full points on the second KOM while Pipp took the full three-second time bonus at the start of the third lap. Summerhill, who looked to have a leg cramp, dropped off the back of the field.

The breakaway increased its lead to three and half minutes on the third lap. Kilun rolled through at the front of the breakaway to take full points at the end of the third lap at the start-finish line. RealCyclist.com held a steady tempo at the front of the field. The KOM competition resumed on the fourth lap through Bogart Park, won by Gaimon.

"For the first few laps of the race everyone was concerned with KOM sprints," Bennett said. "I think that is how the breakaway was initiated and why it stayed away. One of the Kenda riders and myself were taking a lot of the pulls. I wanted to stay away to the finish and he wanted to get his teammate KOMs."

Back in the field, Mancebo suffered a flat tire and relied on his teammates to get him safely back to the bunch. The break's lead began to dwindle on the fifth and final lap as Jamis-Sutter Home assumed the pace-making position at the front of the bunch. An unfortunate crash took several of the Jamis-Sutter Home riders including sixth place contender Luis Amaran.

It was reported that Diaz attempted to bridge across to the break with Cesar Grajales (RealCyclist.com), Taylor Sheldon (V Australia) and Jesse Anthony (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth). "I attacked on the climb with four laps to go and the front group was a minute and twenty-five seconds away," Diaz said.

Bennett and Morton were the only two who remained out front from the original breakaway and they were joined by a solo Diaz who had the most to gain from holding gap on the peloton, sitting only 22 seconds behind Mancebo in the overall.

"I waited for one rider form Fly V to start working and on one of the climbs he was dropped," he said. "Once I made it up to the group they didn't help me so I have to work for the overall. As soon as I looked back there were just three guys. I had to keep working to try and get the leader's jersey."

He did the lion's share of the work on the last lap, with some help from Morton. Bennett won the break sprint ahead of Morton in second and Diaz in third and earned a four second time bonus. Roughly 14 seconds later, the bunch sprint for fourth place was won by Anibal Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home).

Cliff-Ryan tops sprint finish in Beaumont

Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) took a convincing sprint victory at the City of Beaumont Road Race, stage one of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. She won the bunch sprint ahead of Christina Gokey-Smith (Rouse Bicycles) in second and Jennifer Purcel (Danbury Audi) in third.

"We had one of our riders stick with me to make sure I was in the finish group at the end," Cliff-Ryan said. "It worked out perfect for us today. There was a lot of changing on the second to last straightaway. Cath and I got stuck in the middle for a bit but there was a little opening and Cath snuck out and took me straight all the way through the last corner. I surprised myself and we are really happy with that."

Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) maintained her overall race lead heading into the City of Redlands Downtown Criterium held on Saturday, April 2. Her teammate Amanda Miller took over the lead in the Queen of the Mountain (QOM) competition after taking full points atop the two Bogart Park ascents. Gokey-Smith earned herself the lead in the sprint competition.

"Katie and Ally were on the front for nearly the whole day," Neben said."We wanted to keep things close and hopefully give Chloe a chance to sprint for the stage. But, our number one goal was to protect the jersey for today."

The previous day's opening time trial lay the ground work for the overall classification and the team tactics going into the Redlands Bicycle Classic stage one City of Beaumont Road Race, held on three challenging 38 km laps totalling 115 kms. HTC-Highroad assumed a leading role at the front of peloton for its prologue winner and yellow jersey wearer Amber Neben along with runner up in the GC Evelyn Stevens.

Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) picked up full points on the first of two QOMs followed by Andrea Dvorak (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) and Alison Powers (TIBCO-To the Top). Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) and Rachel Warner (Missing Link-Specialized) escaped the field. Holcomb took full points in the first of three point sprints along with three seconds in time bonuses at the start of the second lap.

The break was reabsorbed just in time for Miller to climb into her second set of full point on the QOM ascent in Bogart Park. She was swiftly followed by Dvorak and Kristin McGrath (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12). The field barrelled to toward the start-finish line at the end of the second lap in hot pursuit of the points and time bonus intermediate sprint. Chloe Hosking (HTC-Highroad) took the points and three-second bonus, successfully defending her teammates, Neben and Stevens, top two positions in GC.

"My job was to stay at the front on the climb so that if something got away we would have one of us there with it," Miller said. "I'm happy with the jersey but we won't know if it is something I will defend until we get to the last stage."

The field remained intact, with the exception of several stragglers, as they entered the third and final lap. Winner of the Merco Cycling Classic, Alison Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) put in an attack on the last lap in an effort to gain some additional time on the field. According to Neben, the move turned threatening when she gained a minute on the field. Neben relied on her teammates Stevens, Miller, Hosking along with Ally Stacher and Katie Colclough reel Starnes back into the group.

Other teams that were highly aggressive include TIBCO-To the Top, Colavita Forno D'Asolo and Peanut Butter & Co Twenty 12.

According to Miller, Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) put in one last attack with two kilometres to the finish line. However, she too was reeled back in with the onset of a bunch sprint. Cath Cheatley (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) manoeuvred through the bunch until an opportunity presented itself to bring her sprinter, Cliff-Ryan, in good position for the stage win ahead of Gokey-Smith and Purcel.

"I had an amazing lead-out from Lindsay Myers," Purcel said. "She helped manoeuvre me through the last two kilometres of the race. Once we got into the last 500 metres I was following strong wheels. I was keeping my eye on Chloe Hosking and then I saw Colavita and they looked very organized so it was one of those things where they took that jump and I made up a little bit of ground and rolled through for third."

Results

Elite Women - Stage 1