The Redlands Bicycle Traditional introduced by San Handbook 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 in the US. 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 ladies’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 Metropolis of Highland Circuit Race. The lads’s professional subject options 26 groups, together with two squads from Nice Britain – Ribble Riot, that includes USA’s Cole Davis, and ThrivaSRCT-SignaturePayments.
Final 12 months, Emily Ehrlich secured the final classification victory for Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty24 in a ladies’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. Different riders seemed for tactics 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 lads’s aspect, Tyler Stites (Venture Echelon Racing) was the rider to beat within the males’s general, and he efficiently defended his title with a hard-fought battle in opposition to rising teen star forward of 17-year-old expertise Andrew “AJ” August (Sizzling Tubes Growth) 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 ladies’s squad featured final 12 months’s runner-up Marcela Prieto, however the group is not going to be at Redlands this 12 months.
‘Pivotal’ is what Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 basic supervisor Nicola Cranmer known as the course modifications this 12 months, particularly the mountain street race on the second day.
“This 12 months we’ve received new challenges thrown at us and we’re prepared. It’s at all times enjoyable to race new phases with no historical past, this might be greater than a check of techniques and health. The Onyx Summit climb will actually be pivotal within the GC battle,” she stated about stage 2 on Thursday.
The 5 phases for professional males and professional ladies happen in and round Redlands, and embody a circuit race, particular person time trial, criterium and two street races.
Girls’s contenders
Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24)
Defending ladies’s champion Emily Ehrlich has had a quick begin to her 2024 season with a GC victory at Valley of the Solar stage race adopted by two gold medals at Pan American Observe Biking Championships. Contemporary off her observe feats, Ehrlich returns to for a second general win with an all-star forged from Virginia’s Blue Ridge-TWENTY24, supported by Marlies Mejias, who received the Highlands Circuit Race final 12 months, and 2022 US Professional street champion Emma Langley.
“Coming again to Redlands after profitable at Pan Ams feels oddly comforting and but thrilling with the addition of latest phases. It is a psychological and bodily battle to change from the depth of observe racing again to the power calls for of street racing once more, however with an amazing group to fall again on I’ve full confidence,” Ehrlich informed Cyclingnews.
Each Rollins and Quinones are again this 12 months, so the TWENTY24 squad has many choices for stage wins and a GC effort. Each raced at Valley of the Solar and Tucson Bicycle Traditional, the place the group went 1-2 on GC with Ehrlich and Mejias. Mexican rider Sofia Arreola was a assist rider final 12 months at Redlands however returns because the winner of this 12 months’s general in Tucson. And from the junior group, 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 12 months’s mountaintop end to Oak Glen Village and can now be one to observe along with her new DNA Professional Biking squad. Final 12 months whereas nonetheless a part of ROXO Racing, Gontava received a stage on the Vuelta Colombia Femenina in July.
The 23-year-old climber might be a part of a deep roster for DNA Professional Biking this trip, which might be led by veteran Sara Poidevin, who rode the previous two seasons on the Girls’s WorldTour degree with EF Training-TIBCO-SVB. Additionally a confirmed climber, Poidevin has completed second on GC at Tour of the Gila and makes her inaugural look at Redlands.
Multi-time Colombian street champion Diana Peñuela, former Mexican street champion Anet Barrera and 2023 Tour of the Gila factors winner Shayna Powless deliver stable assist for the street and circuit days, whereas 2023 Redlands factors classification winner Holly Breck might be again on house roads on southern California.
A brand new Williams Racing composite squad at Redlands Bicycle Traditional might be led by achieved sprinters, and sisters, Samantha Schneider and Skylar Schneider. Final 12 months Skylar Schneider received two phases and completed second within the factors classification. The 24-year-old will almost definitely focus once more on stage wins, however may simply shift to pursuit of the GC.
She is the reigning Pan-American street race champion and was the bronze medallist on the 2023 US Professional street race nationals. In 2021 she received the general at Joe Martin Stage Race, and at that UCI occasion final 12 months had two podiums to safe the factors classification. Climber Kayla Davis, who raced final 12 months with Israel-Premier Tech-Roland Growth and Jamaican street race champion Llori Sharpe might be in assist roles.
Emily Marcolini is again and can journey for her new 2024 group Boneshaker p/b Orange Seal. The 28-year-old Canadian placed on a stunning efficiency two years in the past at Redlands Bicycle Traditional, profitable solo on the Oak Glen climb from Yucaipa on stage 2 and occurring to lock up the mountain classification and third general.
This 12 months 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 Biking)
Fount Biking has at all times been a shock group from the home elite degree at any main races within the US, going again to , who returns with final 12 months’s greatest newbie rider Alia Shafi.
Final 12 months, Shafi received the perfect newbie prize for ladies, ending ninth general together with a second place on the Highland Circuit Race. She went on to win the Satan’s Den time trial at Joe Martin Stage Race and take fourth general within the UCI 2.2 occasion. Thus far this season she has two prime 10s at Tucson Bicycle Traditional.
Males’s contenders
Tyler Stites (Venture Echelon Racing)
Stites is on type as he seems for a 3rd consecutive GC title at Redlands Bicycle Traditional. The 26-year-old from Arizona already has 17 days of racing in his legs from a European swing with Venture Echelon Racing, together with a victory at Rohdes GP by Tradition & Sports activities and three prime 10s at Tour of Rhodes.
“I’m excited for the Redlands Traditional this 12 months, with new programs that may shake up the dynamic. Onyx will definitely be a possibility to create time gaps and it will likely be a troublesome climb to cover your playing cards on. The time trial might be particular as a result of it’s a rarity to have a technical TT within the US,” he informed Cyclingnews.
“This 12 months’s subject is basically sturdy and we all know we’re going to need to race on a regular basis. Something can occur on the Sundown Circuit, so every part counts. It will likely be an amazing race and we’re motivated to defend our title.”
Robin Carpenter makes his season debut at Redlands Bicycle Traditional. Final 12 months he secured the third step on the rostrum using for L39ION of Los Angeles, punctuating the week with a stage 5 victory to conclude the week.
“Racing the Redlands Bicycle Traditional on a composite group brings me again to 2011 and my first Redlands ever. I believe 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 arduous programs in a giant peloton for the primary time,” recalled Carpenter earlier than taking the beginning this 12 months.
“The nostalgia for these emotions of starvation for outcomes is actual and I am stoked to each race myself and likewise to lend my experience to these youthful riders on my group wanting 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 – had been chosen to compete at Redlands. Using alongside Carpenter are former US street champion Kyle Murphy and sprinter Cory Williams.
Eric Brunner (Primal-AudiDenver)
Two-time US elite males’s cyclocross nationwide champion, Eric Brunner, will be part of Primal-AudiDenver only for the Redlands Bicycle Traditional. He is a serious 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 part on the calendar. Redlands is the one street race I’m planning on this 12 months,” he informed Cyclingnews, as he’ll have his coach Grant Holicky as director with the Primal group 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 group with a whole lot of guys who I do know. I’ve my eye on Sunday’s Sundown stage which could be very punchy and technical, however I plan to go for it daily.”
Final 12 months 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. Whereas 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 likewise received the mountains classification at Presidential Biking Tour of Turkey.
He’ll line up with one other former US street champion within the subject, Stephen Bassett. a brand new member for the Denver Disruptors after 4 seasons with the Human Powered Well being/Rally Biking programme and racing in Europe. The final 12 months he had a US-heavy schedule was in 2019, when he received the general at Joe Martin Stage Race.
Redlands might be his first stage race of the season for each Granigan and Bassett.
Torbjørn Røed (Above + Past Most cancers Biking)
One other off-road rider who earned his stripes with street racing is Torbjørn Røed. He stormed on the scene in 2022 with Yoeleo Take a look at Crew p/b 4Mind. That 12 months he had prime 10s in 4 stage races together with Joe Martin Stage Race and Tour of the Gila. Final 12 months 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 Massive Sugar Gravel, Belgium Waffle Journey Kansas and this 12 months’s The MidSouth. Whereas he stated he’s simply using at Redlands as a assist rider with Above + Past Most cancers Biking, his nice type from fifth eventually weekend’s Belgian Waffle Journey Utah ought to translate nicely on the street.
“Our major objective is simply stage wins, stage podiums,” Røed informed Cyclingnews. “I used to be third there on the TT final 12 months, however this 12 months’s TT is rather a lot totally different. The course was simply out and again, easy final 12 months, with none corners. And this 12 months it is a loop with a whole lot 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 am tremendous excited for stage 2 as much as Massive Bear (Onyx Summit). I believe that is gonna be enjoyable. I do like lengthy and regular (climbs).”
