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This year’s race marked the 10-year anniversary for the Carrera de San Rafael, a criterium bicycle race circling an eight-block radius in downtown San Rafael, California. Racing began in the afternoon with amateur categories and continued until the pros battled it out as the sun went down.
Proman dominated the race early on.
There was no telling who would hold onto the yellow jersey as the professional women cyclists approached the starting line of the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic famous Sunset Road Race starting line. Pure determination was present on every face as the riders started the selective 68-mile course, with circuits in the Sunset Drive hills.
For most of the race, two were in front of the field of 20 riders. As they hammered it out through the downtown Redlands finish, Alex Wrubleski of Webcor Builders charged, drilling across the line first, and not only winning today’s stage race, but narrowly beating Mara Abbott of High Road for the overall 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic win, by a slim one second margin. Leigh Hobson of Cheerwine and Kim Anderson of High Road were second and third for today’s stage race, respectively.
Stage Two 1.2 mile downtown Redlands criterium race, sponsored by 1st Centennial Bank/KWB Wealth Managers, brought numerous attacks and a bunch sprint finish. 19-year-old Swedish star Emilia Fahlin from Team High Road sprinted across the finish line and took the biggest win of her young career. Alex Wrubleski, from Webcor Builders, and Brenda Lyons, from Advil/Chapstick rounding out the top three. Mara Abbott, from High Road continued her lead in overall points.
“This course has a lot of corners and fast laps, which I like,” said Fahlin, who is a first time Redlands Bicycle Classic participant. “Everyone talks about this race. It’s a big goal for the team.” Fahlin fought her way to the end, knowing she was to protect the lead of Mara Abbott and take time bonus seconds away from the opposing GC riders. “After I took off seconds for the first bonus I was a little tired, so I had to push it.” Fahlin took the time bonus sprint at the half way mark and then again at the finish.
“The race went according to plan,” continued Fahlin. “Since we only had four riders, it was perfect to have other teams do the work. Hopefully they will be tired tomorrow. With two laps to go Cheerwine and Webcor started to pull hard. I think the last lap was all Cheerwine but I saw that they were starting to get tired in the last decent before the last two corners. With the two corners to go I saw a rider come out and I just jumped on her wheel and came out around her in the last corner. It was really fun!”
After battling it out with her breakaway companions, Katherine Carroll, from Aaron’s sprinted to a big win in Stage One. Former Canadian national champion, Alex Wrubleski, from Webcor Builders followed with second; and Leigh Hobson, from Cheerwine grabbed third. Mara Abbott, from High Road, just a few seconds behind in a group that bridged to the breakaway kept the yellow jersey, coming off of her win at Thursday’s Prologue race.
The pro women cyclists lined up to complete 4 laps of 17.5 miles in the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic Stage One Circuit race in Beaumont, Calif.
This year’s course required a different strategy from the former Oak Glen Stage One race. The 17.5 mile course took the riders through Beaumont’s rolling hills, bordered by open fields. Bogart Park provided a grueling hill that threw some of the hardest obstacles. After the steep climb, the wind to be difficult for the riders.
Some found the challenging course inviting. “I thought the course was fantastic,” said Hobson. “It was definitely a challenge with the climb, but it wasn’t as selective as a mountain top finish. Teams could race more aggressively.”
Building on a successful first season, ValueAct Capital Professional Women’s Cycling Team is adding talent and experience to their roster. Nicole Evans, Leah Goldstein, Marni Hambleton, Lara Kroepsch and Chrissy Ruiter have joined the squad. ValueAct Capital will definitely be in contention this season for wins in the major stage races as well as the criteriums.
“Our team goal is to be one of the top three teams in the NRC,” states Lisa Hunt, the returning Team Director. “We really have an extremely well rounded and balanced team. We have climbers, we have overall riders, we have sprinters…..we have strong stage racers. We are going to be able to do basically every NRC race.”
New riders:
Nicole Evans rode for TEAm Lipton in 2007. She won both the 2006 High Uintas Classic and the Elkhorn Classic stage races. Evans was also 3rd place on GC at the 2007 Valley of the Sun Stage Race. Nicole’s strengths are in climbing and all-around riding.
Leah Goldstein is a three-time winner of Mt. Hood Cycling Classic. “We are targeting some of the key stage races…like Mt. Hood,” commented Hunt. “We plan to defend that title. Leah is our climber and our stage racer.”Goldstein is currently the Israeli national road race and time trial champion; she resides in Canada, where she trains in the mountains.
In 2007, Marni Hambleton joined the VAC team as a guest rider for Nature Valley, Altoona and Bermuda. Hambleton raced for the Symmetrics Women’s Professional team for the past 3 years, and was the silver medalist at the Canadian National Road Race in 2007.
Lara Kroepsch also comes to the VAC from TEAm Lipton. A talented criterium rider, Kroepsch has two collegiate national championships, along with top podium finishes at some of the NRC criteriums. She rode with T-Mobile prior to TEAm Lipton.“After racing professionally for many years you get adjusted to switching teams,” stated Kroepsch.
“It’s tough in the sport. I think women tend to form closer relationships with their teammates than men do. The good thing is….I have been riding a long time and I know these riders. It really is a small family out there competing. When you are selecting a team…it’s about the people you are riding with…the management…the riders…it’s everything. We become a family. We don’t get paid the big bucks so it has to be enjoyable. For me I made a conscience decision to join this team. I wanted to be riding with Lisa. I think riding for her will be very cool. I am very happy with being here.”
Chrissy Ruiter rode for Cheerwine in 2007. She was on the podium at the 2007 Athens Criterium and the Tri-Peaks Challenge. Her talent has earned her a spot on the US National Team for 2008, where she’ll be spending time in Europe with several other top US riders.
Returning Riders:
Sharon Allpress love for bike racing developed while she was sent on a UN peace-keeping mission to the East African country of Eritrea, a former Italian colony where cycling is the national sport. “My focus is on the stage races….to be helpful in climbing hills,” stated Allpress. “I love the stage races and the long endurance events. I love to them tactically because you have to be patient…..to let the race play out…..to read what is going on. I want to ride in support of my team….to get us the best possible finishes…to get us on the podium. I know we can do it.”
Hannah Banks is a promising young Australian with several national titles to her name. She spent 2006 racing with the Australian Institute of Sport National Team, which was based in Italy for the 2006 season and raced in the Women’s Giro di Italia and the Tour de l’Aude.
Courtenay Brown returns to the VAC team in 2008, but with a focus on multi-sport events. Last year, Courtenay transitioned to triathlons, and won her first two triathlons, including the Silverman.
Katie Mactier has two gold medals in the Individual Pursuit at the Sydney and Beijing World Cup Track events. “It’s a big year for me,” shared Mactier. “I have the Olympics coming up. I am preparing for the 3000m pursuit. I was really lucky last year as I had the opportunity to ride with VAC. They are a terrific group of girls. This year the program’s even bigger….and it’s a very important, key part of my preparation for August. We have some fantastic races lined up. Everybody here brings a unique element to the team dynamics. I am sure we are going to get a lot of great results. We also just enjoy each other’s company. We learn from each other….we share our different experiences. Everything I do this year is in preparation for August.”
“We are not curing cancer here. We are racing our bikes. We have been given an incredible opportunity…one that many would love. We have a team policy of, “No tears and lots of laughing.” We are very honest girls and give each other lots of encouragement. The girls here come from amazing backgrounds. They really are amazing. We sat around the other night and just shared tales…I feel very honored to be a part of this great team. Cycling is something we all share in common. Of course when we put our numbers on we are there to win but…..leading up to the race we want to have a good time.”
In 2007, Martina Patella finished on the podium at the Bermuda Grand Prix. “My personal goals are very vested in this team,” stated Patella. “When the team succeeds then I feel I have succeeded. We are going after the NRC title….and to keep establishing ourselves as a heavy hitting professional team….a team that can race their bikes and that are classy cyclists. I would love to see us as one of the top 3 teams in the country. I really believe we are capable of this….and that we have the chemistry to do it. We really work hard together. There are a lot of points available at stage races and we have great stage racers. In terms of personal goals, I would love to win a NRC race. I have been on the podium but I would love to get a win.”
Taitt Sato has been racing in Northern California since 2001. She enjoys hilly criteriums and flat road races. Before turning to cycling full time, her prior career was practicing transactional law. “This is my second year,” said Sato. “My goal for 2008 is to see how we can take this team to the next level….to make our presence known on the national arena. I am really focusing on riding in support of my team but also my have the opportunity to get my own name out there. I am really looking forward to seeing what we can do.
“Last year, we had a young, spirited team that really proved they had the ability to succeed. Katie Mactier’s wealth of experience really contributed to making this team ge,l” commented Hunt. “I wanted to build on that momentum, by adding more top stage race and single day race talent. It’s a great group of riders!”
The team will be contesting a full NRC schedule for 2008. Next on the schedule is the Sequoia Cycling Classic in Central California. The town of Exeter will be the start of Saturday’s Yokohl Ranch Exeter Time Trial, a 40-kilometer out-and-back course with two significant climbs, and neighboring Visalia will host Sunday’s Visalia Criterium.
Other Sponsors:
Blue Competition Bicycles: www.rideblue.com
Columbia Sportswear: www.columbia.com
DeFeet: www.defeet.com
Fi’zi:k: www.fizik.it
Michelin: www.michelin.com
Pictura Graphics: www.picturagraphics.com
PowerBar: www.powerbar.com
Reynolds: www.reynoldscycling.com
Ritchey Design, Inc.: www.ritcheylogic.com
Rudy Project: www.rudyprojectusa.com
Time Sport: www.time-sport.com
TRP Brakes: www.trpbrakes.com
Voler: www.voler.com
For more information regarding the team, visit www.teamvalueactcapital.com
Victor Hugo Pena comes to Rock Racing after years of riding for teams like, Vitalicio Seguros, U.S. Postal Service, Phonak, and Unibet. He was the first Columbian rider ever to wear the Maillot Jaune in the Tour de France, wearing the yellow jersey for three days in 2003. In 2000, he won stage 11 of the Giro d’Italia.
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| Photo by Ken Conley |
Pena finished the 2008 Amgen Tour of California in a very respectable 12th place. We sat down with Pena to review the events surrounding Rock Racing in the Tour of California and discuss what’s next for the team.
How do you feel Rock Racing performed in the Tour of California?
I feel we did really well. We missed those guys (Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Botero, and Oscar Sevilla). With those guys we would have put on a big show because they were in really good condition. We had a good race and I am happy about my riding. I did have some problems with my time trial but am still happy with my racing. I was able to climb with the first group…the really hard climbs…I was right there with the climbers. (Pena finished 10th in Stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California from Modesto to San Jose, California). This made me feel like I was back again. I was really ill last year. Now that I am healthy, I am feeling very good.
I believe in this dream…the dream that Michael Ball has about the new cycling…about the new movement in cycling. I believe that we need to show cycling to the world…to show the racing….to market the sport to the people. I believe in that. I hope to bring a lot of my experiences to this team.
Do you see your role on Rock Racing as a mentor?
I do see that as my role. I am happy to teach the new guys and even the staff, and the mechanics about being on a team. They really do not know how the cycling world works. I see the staff working hard and do what I tell them to do. It’s about teaching them how a cycling team works. It’s really nice to see. I see this team growing and growing. I really see this team becoming one of the premier teams in the world.
How do your personal goals work with Rock Racing?
We have the Tour de Georgia coming up and I am hoping we get an invitation because I want
