The Redlands Bicycle Classic offered by San Manual Band of Mission Indians returns for a thirty eighth version this week, persevering with its status because the longest-running stage race for women and men within the United States. In 2024, the five-day occasion provides a brand new time trial course and a brand new mountain stage for professional fields which burgeon with an abundance of expertise.
Racing in southern California runs from Wednesday, April 10 to Sunday, April 14. The girls’s professional subject, with greater than 130 riders on 21 groups, will once more be one of many largest to take the beginning line when racing begins with the City of Highland Circuit Race. The males’s professional subject options 26 groups, together with two squads from Great Britain – Ribble Rebellion, that includes USA’s Cole Davis, and ThrivaSRCT-SignaturePayments.
Last yr, Emily Ehrlich secured the overall classification victory for Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24 in a girls’s subject, her teammates Melisa Rollins and Laurel Quinones taking third and fourth general, respectively. The identical trio swept the rostrum within the Route 66 time trial. Other riders appeared for methods to attain stage wins, together with Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) who swept the weekend on the ultimate two days of racing.
On the boys’s facet, Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing) was the rider to beat within the males’s general, and he efficiently defended his title with a hard-fought battle towards rising teen star forward of 17-year-old expertise Andrew “AJ” August (Hot Tubes Development) by a mere 14-second margin. Robin Carpenter (L39ION of Los Angeles) was one other 11 seconds again for third general, whereas Riley Sheehan (Denver Disruptors) was simply off the rostrum in fourth.
August is now racing in Europe with Ineos Grenadiers, as is Sheehan, competing with Israel-Premier Tech. The PatoBike girls’s squad featured final yr’s runner-up Marcela Prieto, however the crew won’t be at Redlands this yr.
‘Pivotal’ is what Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 normal supervisor Nicola Cranmer known as the course modifications this yr, particularly the mountain highway race on the second day.
“This yr we’ve received new challenges thrown at us and we’re prepared. It’s at all times enjoyable to race new levels with no historical past, this can be greater than a take a look at of ways and health. The Onyx Summit climb will actually be pivotal within the GC battle,” she mentioned about stage 2 on Thursday.
The 5 levels for professional males and professional girls happen in and round Redlands, and embrace a circuit race, particular person time trial, criterium and two highway races.
Women’s contenders
Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24)
Defending girls’s champion Emily Ehrlich has had a quick begin to her 2024 season with a GC victory at Valley of the Sun stage race adopted by two gold medals at Pan American Track Cycling Championships. Fresh off her observe feats, Ehrlich returns to for a second general win with an all-star solid from Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24, supported by Marlies Mejias, who gained the Highlands Circuit Race final yr, and 2022 US Pro highway champion Emma Langley.
“Coming again to Redlands after profitable at Pan Ams feels oddly comforting and but thrilling with the addition of latest levels. It’s a psychological and bodily battle to modify from the depth of observe racing again to the power calls for of highway racing once more, however with an ideal crew to fall again on I’ve full confidence,” Ehrlich informed Cyclingnews.
Both Rollins and Quinones are again this yr, so the TWENTY24 squad has many choices for stage wins and a GC effort. Both raced at Valley of the Sun and Tucson Bicycle Classic, the place the crew went 1-2 on GC with Ehrlich and Mejias. Mexican rider Sofia Arreola was a assist rider final yr at Redlands however returns because the winner of this yr’s general in Tucson. And from the junior crew, native Redlands resident Ella Sabo will look to mild up the sundown course the place she grew up.
Canadian Nadia Gontova climbed by means of dense fog to win final yr’s mountaintop end to Oak Glen Village and can now be one to observe together with her new DNA Pro Cycling squad. Last yr whereas nonetheless a part of ROXO Racing, Gontava gained a stage on the Vuelta Colombia Femenina in July.
The 23-year-old climber can be a part of a deep roster for DNA Pro Cycling this outing, which can be led by veteran Sara Poidevin, who rode the previous two seasons on the Women’s WorldTour degree with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB. Also a confirmed climber, Poidevin has completed second on GC at Tour of the Gila and makes her inaugural look at Redlands.
Multi-time Colombian highway champion Diana Peñuela, former Mexican highway champion Anet Barrera and 2023 Tour of the Gila factors winner Shayna Powless convey strong assist for the highway and circuit days, whereas 2023 Redlands factors classification winner Holly Breck can be again on residence roads on southern California.
A brand new Williams Racing composite squad at Redlands Bicycle Classic can be led by achieved sprinters, and sisters, Samantha Schneider and Skylar Schneider. Last yr Skylar Schneider gained two levels and completed second within the factors classification. The 24-year-old will most definitely focus once more on stage wins, however might simply shift to pursuit of the GC.
She is the reigning Pan-American highway race champion and was the bronze medallist on the 2023 US Pro highway race nationals. In 2021 she gained the general at Joe Martin Stage Race, and at that UCI occasion final yr had two podiums to safe the factors classification. Climber Kayla Davis, who raced final yr with Israel-Premier Tech-Roland Development and Jamaican highway race champion Llori Sharpe can be in assist roles.
Emily Marcolini is again and can journey for her new 2024 crew Boneshaker p/b Orange Seal. The 28-year-old Canadian placed on a stunning efficiency two years in the past at Redlands Bicycle Classic, profitable solo on the Oak Glen climb from Yucaipa on stage 2 and happening to lock up the mountain classification and third general.
This yr she completed second on a mountaintop end on stage 2 of Tour El Salvador. She’ll journey alongside Colombian climber Lorena Villamizar, who completed seventh general at Tour El Salvador.
Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling)
Fount Cycling has at all times been a shock crew from the home elite degree at any main races within the US, going again to , who returns with final yr’s greatest newbie rider Alia Shafi.
Last yr, Shafi gained the very best newbie prize for girls, ending ninth general together with a second place on the Highland Circuit Race. She went on to win the Devil’s Den time trial at Joe Martin Stage Race and take fourth general within the UCI 2.2 occasion. So far this season she has two prime 10s at Tucson Bicycle Classic.
Men’s contenders
Tyler Stites (Project Echelon Racing)
Stites is on kind as he seems for a 3rd consecutive GC title at Redlands Bicycle Classic. The 26-year-old from Arizona already has 17 days of racing in his legs from a European swing with Project Echelon Racing, together with a victory at Rohdes GP by Culture & Sports and three prime 10s at Tour of Rhodes.
“I’m excited for the Redlands Classic this yr, with new programs that can shake up the dynamic. Onyx will definitely be a chance to create time gaps and it will likely be a troublesome climb to cover your playing cards on. The time trial can be particular as a result of it’s a rarity to have a technical TT within the US,” he informed Cyclingnews.
“This yr’s subject is absolutely robust and we all know we’re going to should race on a regular basis. Anything can occur on the Sunset Circuit, so every thing counts. It can be an ideal race and we’re motivated to defend our title.”
Robin Carpenter makes his season debut at Redlands Bicycle Classic. Last yr he secured the third step on the rostrum driving for L39ION of Los Angeles, punctuating the week with a stage 5 victory to conclude the week.
“Racing the Redlands Bicycle Classic on a composite crew brings me again to 2011 and my first Redlands ever. I feel many individuals begin their US biking careers on a composite newbie squad at Redlands, the place they sleep at a number home and tackle classically exhausting programs in an enormous peloton for the primary time,” recalled Carpenter earlier than taking the beginning this yr.
“The nostalgia for these emotions of starvation for outcomes is actual and I’m stoked to each race myself and in addition to lend my experience to these youthful riders on my crew desperate to show themselves.”
Like the ladies’s Williams Composite squad, riders from throughout three groups operated by Williams Racing – L39ION of Los Angeles, Miami Blazers and Austin Aviators – have been chosen to compete at Redlands. Riding alongside Carpenter are former US highway champion Kyle Murphy and sprinter Cory Williams.
Eric Brunner (Primal-AudiDenver)
Two-time US elite males’s cyclocross nationwide champion, Eric Brunner, will be a part of Primal-AudiDenver only for the Redlands Bicycle Classic. He’s a significant league wild card on the pavement, having targeted the previous two seasons in off-road pursuits, however he relishes the chance to compete once more on the US stage race, the place he final competed in 2022 and completed third general.
“I’m specializing in mountain bike (XCO) this season however have a little bit of every thing on the calendar. Redlands is the one highway race I’m planning on this yr,” he informed Cyclingnews, as he’ll have his coach Grant Holicky as director with the Primal crew this week.
“The race is a vital goal for me in addition to good coaching for the remainder of my season. I used to be very excited to have the chance to journey with Primal-Audi Denver, they’re a long-standing Colorado crew with a variety of guys who I do know. I’ve my eye on Sunday’s Sunset stage which may be very punchy and technical, however I plan to go for it day-after-day.”
Last yr at Redlands on the Highland circuit opener, Noah Granigan outsprinted Robin Carpenter to assert the primary chief’s jersey of the week for professional males. He was later second on stage 4 and completed sixth within the factors classification. While he’s largely a sprinter who takes benefit of breakaways, Granigan has had success throughout stage races. He was second on GC at Joe Martin Stage Race two years in the past, and in addition gained the mountains classification at Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.
He’ll line up with one other former US highway champion within the subject, Stephen Bassett. a brand new member for the Denver Disruptors after 4 seasons with the Human Powered Health/Rally Cycling programme and racing in Europe. The final yr he had a US-heavy schedule was in 2019, when he gained the general at Joe Martin Stage Race.
Redlands can be his first stage race of the season for each Granigan and Bassett.
Torbjørn Røed (Above + Beyond Cancer Cycling)
Another off-road rider who earned his stripes with highway racing is Torbjørn Røed. He stormed on the scene in 2022 with Yoeleo Test Team p/b 4Mind. That yr he had prime 10s in 4 stage races together with Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of the Gila. Last yr at Redlands he was third on the time trial and completed tenth general.
Since then, Røed turned his focus to gravel racing, the place he has taken victories at Big Sugar Gravel, Belgium Waffle Ride Kansas and this yr’s The MidSouth. While he mentioned he’s simply driving at Redlands as a assist rider with Above + Beyond Cancer Cycling, his nice kind from fifth eventually weekend’s Belgian Waffle Ride Utah ought to translate effectively on the highway.
“Our important aim is simply stage wins, stage podiums,” Røed informed Cyclingnews. “I used to be third there on the TT final yr, however this yr’s TT is lots totally different. The course was simply out and again, easy final yr, with none corners. And this yr it is a loop with a variety of corners, proper and left and a little bit of a motorbike path in there. So it is form of slender and much more technical.
“I’m tremendous excited for stage 2 as much as Big Bear (Onyx Summit). I feel that is gonna be enjoyable. I do like lengthy and regular (climbs).”