Greetings from Stage 1 of Redlands and the City of Beaumont!
We can’t help but be thankful for two things as we report to you this afternoon: time to unwind after the 105.7 miles on the bike and the 75° F sunshine.
Trek-LIVESTRONG riders remained in the pack today, but that was no easy feat. Along the rolling terrains of the 17.5 mile circuit, we manuvered sharp corners and gut-busting climbs. Kudos to the breakaway attempt! However with a pace that remained steady and aggressive, the peleton had erased the four-minute time gap within half a lap…
The plot only thickened with the King of the Mountain climb at Bogart County Park Hill. Because few cycling stages end without a dramatic finish, the peleton turned on the heat in the last lap. As the group began to splinter, Jelly Belly rider Will Routly jetted to win the stage followed by three of our eight riders finishing strong with the main group.
Congratulations to our top finisher of the day – Gavin Mannion. Catching up with him after the race, he expressed his excitement, but admitted, “This was the longest race of my career.” Teammate Julian Kyer also put in a great ride, finishing 41st, remaining our lead overall rider at 25th in the general classification.
We’re going to take in the remainder of the afternoon to recover, refuel and focus for tomorrow’s City of Redlands Criterium. Built around a one-mile tight-turning course, tomorrow forecast projects 90-minutes of high-threshold racing. It is sure to be well-suited for Iggy Silva, coming off his 6th place finish in last weekend’s San Dimas Criterium.
Show your support and be sure to check in with us for our daily reports from Redlands!