Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24 went 1-2 on stage 3 of the Redlands Bicycle Classic as Emily Ehrlich gained the Toyota of Redlands Lake Perris ITT, forward of teammate Marlies Mejias. Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling) was third.
Defending champion Ehrlich was the one rider to crack the 25-minute mark on the technical 11.7-mile loop at Lake Perris State Park.
“It was good. I’m actually glad I obtained to journey the course a couple of instances. It’s only a course the place if you already know it nicely, you may achieve a whole lot of time,” mentioned Ehrlich who loved that she couldn’t get right into a rhythm.
“That’s the enjoyable half, you do not get right into a rhythm. You simply form of obtained to know the place to get the velocity.”
The comparatively flat technical loop included a pair of sharp left-hand corners close to the beginning after which two out-and-back sections close to the end because the route navigated across the lake in a counter-clockwise route.
“It was good. It was a little bit scary round these corners, however I simply pushed it the place I felt like I might and was secure,” commented Shafi. “It was superior to prove on the rostrum.”
Following a quick begin to her 2024 season with a GC victory at Valley of the Sun stage race adopted by two gold medals on the Pan American Track Cycling Championships, Ehrlich has not been feeling nicely and misplaced quarter-hour on stage 1.
“I’m simply nonetheless taking it daily. I’m nonetheless recovering a little bit bit I nonetheless have a little bit little bit of a cough, however I’m largely higher, so I’m wanting ahead to the subsequent two days working for my workforce and seeing what we are able to do,” Ehrlich added.
Nadia Gontova (DNA Pro Cycling) retains the lead within the basic classification with two phases to go within the thirty eighth version of the five-day stage race. Shafi jumped up three spots to second general, 50 seconds down, whereas Natalie Quinn (USA Cycling Devo) moved up one spot to 3rd place at 1:25.
Racing continues on Saturday with the Arrowhead Orthopaedics Criterium in downtown Redlands. There are 9 corners on the clockwise 1-mile course, with three sharp corners hitting on the method to the end on East Citrus Avenue. The girls will begin at 2 p.m. for a 75-minute race.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
