Redlands Bicycle Classic 2024

Redlands Bicycle Classic 2024 results

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Tyler Stites wins Redlands Bicycle Classic for third year in a row

Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) pulled of a three-peat at Redlands Bicycle Classic at the d2024 edition, leading the general classification from start to finish after claiming victory on stage 1. Owen Wright (CS Velo) was second overall, holding off Joe Laverick (Ribble Rebellion) by just two seconds.

Nadia Gontova wins Redlands Classic women's overall as Mara Roldan takes stage 5

In the women’s race, Nadia Gontova (DNA Pro Cycling) secured the overall victory for the biggest win of her career. Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling) finished second on GC and Mara Roldan (Cynisca Cycling) was third.

Redlands Bicycle Classic history

The Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by San Manual Band of Mission Indians is the longest, continuously running invitational stage race in the US, which offers challenging courses for men and women across amateur and professional divisions. The race began in 1985 after the 1984 Olympic Games were held in Los Angeles and it has been a foundation of the early domestic racing scene since, taking a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 for the global coronavirus pandemic.

Held in southern California, the race is now in its 38th edition. New in 2024 will be a three-day junior stage race. A total of 21 women’s teams from the US and Canada as well as 26 men’s teams registered in four countries will compete in the pro divisions. The five stages for men and women take place in and around Redlands, and include a circuit race, individual time trial, criterium and two road races. 

Redlands Bicycle Classic 2024 route

The five days of racing begins on Wednesday, April 10 with the City of Highland Circuit Race on a 2.8-mile course, with the start line at San Manuel Village on Highland Avenue. The circuit begins with a fast downhill after the start and winds through neighborhoods on the back end of the course for the ascent of the infamous Highland wall. The pro women set off on stage 1 first at 8:45 a.m. local time for 39.2 miles, completing 14 laps. The pro men depart at 11 a.m. for 58.1 miles, a total of 20 laps.

Stage 2 offers an exciting new mountain climb at Onyx Summit in the San Bernardino Mountains which had never been used as the finish for a pro bike race. The Onyx summit sits at an elevation of 8,443 feet (2,573m), which will be approached on Highway 38 from two different start locations - the men begin at San Bernardino International Airport for a total of 50.4 miles, and the women begin in front of Hangar 24 in San Bernardino for 40 miles. The long ascent on Highway 38, the scenic route to Big Bear Lake, covers 33 miles with an average gradient of 3.9%, with two KOM/QOM locations along the way and bonus climbing points at the finish for the Trek Onyx Summit Road Race.

Friday is the 11.7 mile Toyota of Redlands Lake Perris ITT, which features new location for 2024. A technical loop at Lake Perris State Park, 11 miles south of Riverside, includes a pair of sharp left-hand corners near the start and then two out-and-back sections near the finish as the route navigates around the lake in a counter-clockwise direction. Stage 3 is relatively flat, with two sections offering elevation change, the first a sharp pitch after 2.5 miles just past the long approach on the lake’s dam, and the second a gradual 1.25-mile ascent leaving 2 miles to the finish. The pro women will start first at 10:45 a.m. and the men follow from the start house at 12:30 p.m.

The race moves back in the valley for stage 4, the Arrowhead Orthopaedics Criterium in downtown Redlands. There are nine corners on the clockwise 1-mile course, with three sharp corners hitting on the approach to the finish on East Citrus Avenue. The women will start at 2 p.m. for a 75-minute contest with the men following at 4 p.m. for 90 minutes of racing.

Stage 5 provides the return of the Redlands Sunset Road Race, the “Sunset Loop” providing a 6.8-mile circuit. The pro women will complete the loop nine times for a total of 68.1 miles, beginning at 10 a.m., while the pro men will navigate across 12 laps of the same route for 91.3 miles, beginning at 2 p.m. Four intermediate climbs are on offer for the women to settle the QOM title, while the men have five climbs. In the sprint classification, there are two intermediate bonus times on offer with finish time bonuses as well for both women and men.

Redlands Bicycle Classic 2024 schedule