German claims second career Ronde van Vlaanderen victory

On Sunday, Judith Arndt (GreenEdge Cycling), won the Ronde van Vlaanderen for the second time in her career illustrious career; the first coming in 2008.

Coincidentally, both victories would come at the expense of Kristin Armstrong (Team USA), who once again watched as her breakaway companion surged ahead of her in the closing meters of the finale. And, if not for a late charge by Canadian Joelle Numainville, the 2008 podium would have been intact as Kirsten Wild (AA Drink - Leontien.nl) was narrowly pipped in the bunch sprint.

Results - 9th Ronde van Vlaanderen voor Vrouwen
1. Judith Arndt (Ger) Greenedge-Ais - 3:19:05
2. Kristin Armstrong (USA) USA National Team - 0:00:02
3. Joelle Numainville (Can) Canada National Team - 0:00:30

Although many stories were born out of today's Arndt, Armstrong tete-a-tete, perhaps the biggest was the overall display by the Americans.

There was a time, in the not so distant past, where the opportunities for an American woman to race in Europe were few and far between, and the American "contingent" in the European peloton often consisted of one or two riders (in 2006, only Amber Neben and Kim Anderson were in the Ronde van Vlaanderen field). But in recent years, USA Cycling's efforts to develop the women's program have paid handsome dividends.

In addition to Armstrong, 13 other Americans, across 4 teams, started today's race. And while that fact alone is impressive, none were merely content to simply participate. Under the direction of Jackson Stewart, Team USA was either on or off the front the entire day.

Throw in the monstrous efforts by 2012 Women's Tour of New Zealand victor, Evelyn Stevens (Specialized - Lululemon) and Andrea Dvorak (Team USA), whose work in the chase group with Emma Johansson (Hitec Products-Mistral Home), belies their actual placings, and it is easy to see that the upward trajectory of the American women is still on the rise.

Other Notables
4. Kirsten Wild (Ned) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
12. Emma Johansson (Swe) Hitec Products-Mistral Home Cycling Team
13. Carmen Small (USA) USA National Team
21. Megan Guarnier (USA) Tibco-To The Top
28. Andrea Dvorak (USA) USA National Team
30. Tayler Wiles (USA) USA National Team
32. Evelyn Stevens (USA) Team Specialized-Lululemon
34. Elizabeth Armitstead (GBr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team
35. Emma Pooley (GBr) AA Drink-Leontien.nl Cycling Team 0:00:54
38. Samantha Schneider (USA) Tibco-To The Top
41. Leah Kirchmann (Can) Canada National Team
43. Kristin Mcgrath (USA) USA National Team
48. Lauren Hall (USA) Tibco-To The Top
57. Amanda Miller (USA) Tibco-To The Top

Photo: GreenEdge Cycling

By Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix

Stillwater, Minn. – Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light) attacked at the bottom of Chilkoot Hill Sunday to secure her third stage win at this year’s Nature Valley Grand Prix as Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) held on to win the race overall.

Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) attacked the penultimate time up the leg-breaking climb that was packed with spectators, hoping to repeat her previous years' success at the Stillwater Criterium. But Neben's HTC-Highroad teammate, Evelyn Stevens, and Bronzini jumped after her. Bronzini's win was the reigning world road race champion's third of the five-day, six-stage race.

“I have no words for Evie (Stevens) – she made the race,” Bronzini said, laughing. “I tried to save my power for the last climb because I came here with all of the best climbers and I’m a sprinter. So I tried only to follow (wheels) and save my best sprint for the final.”

Between attacks from Team TIBCO/To The Top and Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 and the sheer difficulty of the 18 percent average grade on Chilkoot Hill, an elite group of riders quickly separated themselves from the peloton. The decisive breakaway group formed within five laps of the 13-lap race and featured a mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. It included Bronzini, Neben with teammates Stevens, Ally Stacher, and Amanda Miller, overall runner-up Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top) and teammate Joelle Noumainville, defending champion Armstrong and teammate Kristin McGrath, Anne Samplonius (NOW and Novartis for MS), and Jade Wilcoxson (Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride).

As the teams battled for the general classification, Armstrong and Bronzini were able to sit in the pack and save themselves for the finish.

“I wanted to sit and let Highroad do their work to protect the jersey,” Armstrong said. “I knew two minutes would be too much to gain today so we went for the stage win for the team. I tried my best, I tried to go with two to go but everyone out there was really strong. I just couldn’t get that extra acceleration.”

Neben said it actually was a very easy day for her because her team was so good.

“I didn’t really have to do anything but just watch them," Neben said. "It went according to plan. I’m proud of them, they rode really well this week. I have the yellow, but really, we all won.”

Stevens’ performance earned her the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey.

“Ally, Amanda and Chloe raced their hearts out,” Stevens said. “Amanda and Chloe took it on the back, then I would take control on the climb. I think it was perfect teamwork – no one could get away. It was really exciting.”

Before the race, Stacher was honored with the "Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award," recognizing the female athlete at the race who sacrificed her own chances for the good of her team. Swart was a South African Olympic hopeful and the most decorated collegiate rider in U.S. history who died when she was hit by a truck during a training ride.

We raced how Carla would have raced," Stevens said. "She was just an amazing woman, and I know Ally was her best friend. I can’t think of someone better than Ally to wear that jersey. The way she rode today, she rode her heart out. It’s just incredible, the whole team.”

Stacher’s performance also won her the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider jersey, and HTC-Highroad won the Team classification.

Riding for the Nature Valley Pro Ride team, Wilcoxson finished with the front group of elite riders to win the Nature Valley Grand Prix Best Amateur.

“I was really nervous to start it, but it turned out to be a really good course for me,” Wilcoxson said. “I kind of shocked myself as well. I was really surprised to hang with the big dogs like that. I just wanted to be able to finish the race today, so, I’m really excited about the results.”

Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D’Asolo) held onto her Sports Beans Queen of the Hill jersey and Wheaties Fuel Sprint Competition jersey.

Results - Stillwater Criterium
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D’Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
2. Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad)
3. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)

General Classification - Final
1. Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad)
2. Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top)
3. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)
4. Ally Stacher (HTC-Highroad)
5. Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad)
6. Anne Samplonius (NOW And Novartis For MS)
7. Jade Wilcoxson (NVGP Pro Ride)
8. Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
9. Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad)
10. Leah Kirchmann (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)

Photos: Matthew Moses

By Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix

St. Paul, Minn. – World Road Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light) won Wednesday night's rainy and crash-filled St. Paul Downtown Criterium in an exciting sprint finish, while Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) retained the Nature Valley Grand Prix overall lead.

Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) and Chloe Hosking (HTC-Highroad) rounded out the Stage 2 podium in second and third, respectively.

As the women warmed up, the weather quickly turned from sunny and warm to windy and rainy, leaving them to make last minute adjustments to tire pressures. Tension built as knowing glances were passed between teammates while the national anthem played and the officials made their final announcements.

Fortunately the rain subsided about 15 minutes into the race, and the second half of the hour-long race unfolded under clear skies. The road started to dry, but not before several crashes happened, including one that took down about 30 riders.

There was fierce competition for the time bonuses, the first which happened with 23 laps to go. Hosking, Lauren Tamayo (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12), and Amanda Miller (HTC-Highroad) soaked up the first round of bonuses earning five seconds, three seconds and one second, respectively.

With 20 laps to go, a break formed that included riders Miller, Tamayo, Olds, and Leah Kirchmann and Joelle Numainville (Colavita Forno D'Asolo). Their lead ticked up to a 14-second gap and lasted 10 of the 28 total laps.

As the break started to absorb time bonuses and stretch its lead, it became clear to the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 squad that it had to start reeling it back in.

“There was a break that got off that we weren’t excited about,” explained Armstrong. “With the conditions, it was single-file all night long. It was really difficult for our team to get together and chase down another team. That was frustrating. There was a point when I came up to help my teammates to finish and close the gap. After that, we just made sure there wasn’t another attack that went off and stayed off. The energy we expended to close that break was not something we wanted to do twice. People are out to race against us. We have three of the top five, and it makes for hard racing.”

With the peloton together for the final laps, teams began setting up their sprinters.

“There was a pretty solid lead out from TIBCO, so I made my way up to their train and just tried to hold position in the last lap,” Olds said. “In the last turn, Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) jumped, and I jumped to cover it. But Bronzini was on my wheel and she came around me. It’s difficult when you have two really fast sprinters from the same team.”

“I was in front of the first position, behind my teammate,” Bronzini said. “I was in third position at the corner, and gave my best sprint today.” Bronzini said she felt confident she could win as long as she came out of the final corner no farther than three riders back.

“Tonight was one of the hardest crits I’ve done in years,” Armstrong said. “People were on fire. I know that there’s been past years that have been tough, but I think the depth of this field is the best I’ve seen at Nature Valley.”

Olds, who has raced a full schedule this season in Europe, agreed: “The field this year is incredibly strong. I think, much stronger, with a lot of numbers for each team.”

The Nature Valley Grand Prix has seen a lot of growth in recent years, from stronger fields to increasing opportunities for growth and visibility of new and upcoming riders.

Jade Wilcoxson is one such rider, having been selected through the Nature Valley Grand Prix Pro Ride – a series of qualifying races across the country.

“Just having a team director and a team mechanic and having all those details taken care of has been incredible,” Wilcoxson said. “Then racing with this caliber of women – this was a hard crate.” The Talent, Ore., resident will wear the Nature Valley Top Amateur jersey for Thursday's road race at Cannon Falls.

Other jersey wearers include Olds in the Freewheel Bike Most Aggressive Rider jersey, Leah Kirchmann (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) in the Wheaties FUEL Sprinter jersey, and her teammate, Rushlee Buchanan, in the Tria Orthopaedic Best Young Rider jersey. Though Armstrong leads the Sports Beans Queen of the Hills jersey competition, Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad) will wear the jersey for Cannon Falls.

Looking forward to Thursday's first road stage in rural east central Minnesota, Armstrong noted, “We’ll have to see what the weather does, because sometimes it’s really windy. Again, we ride as a team, we ride as a unit. The technicality of tonight was hard to get the team together, but tomorrow the roads are wide, but the finishing circuits are tough. They always are. They’re technical and tough. We’ll have to stay safe and use the same tactics as tonight and work as a team.”

The women’s race in Cannon Falls starts at 5:30 p.m. Watch the race in person or streaming online at http://www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com.

Results - St. Paul Criterium
1. Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light)
2. Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan)
3. Chloe Hosking (HTC-Highroad)

Riding with the Pros

As reports on the Nature Valley Grand Prix roll in, we will be looking as a few of the best placed collegians and amateur qualifiers. On Stage 2, Holly Mathews (University of Wisconsin-Madison) led the Kowalski's Market Collegiate All-Stars by finishing with the lead pack in 36th place. Kathleen Giles (NVGP Pro Ride) who qualified by way of the Jefferson Cup Road Race would finish alongside Mathews in 38th.

Photo: Matthew Moses

Kristin Armstrong and Alison Starnes First and Third in Stage One

Bloomington, MN - One of the biggest races in the National Racing Calendar kicked off today in St. Paul, MN. The Nature Valley Grand Prix has long been looked to for fielding one of the deepest and most competitive group of women racers in the US. This year is no different with several of the top teams in the world competing for the overall title, including HTC-Highroad, Colavita/Forno d’Alsolo, Team TIBCO/To the Top, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 and Diadora Pasta Zara with last year’s winner Shelley Olds.

The 90 women started the Tour today with a double day. This morning’s stage, held under rainy conditions and cool temperatures was a 6 mile race of truth. The time trial was held “Merckx” style, meaning no time trial equipment (bikes, disk wheels, or aero wheels). The course took the riders up and back along the river, finishing with a fairly steep hill.

Early times saw Colavita’s Rushlee Buchanan with a 15:17. With her competitive time, Buchanan would go on to win the Young Rider’s (under 26) Jersey. Next in with the time to beat was Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s Kristin McGrath with a 15:03. McGrath looked like she might hold onto her podium spot until teammate Alison Starnes ripped across the finish with a time of 14:57. Shortly after, Starnes’ Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 teammate Kristin Armstrong came charging up the hill, with an untouchable time of 14:30. Her nearest competitor, HTC’s Evelyn Stevens, came in next with a time of 14:53, good enough for second.

Results - St. Paul Time Trial
1. Kristin Armstrong, Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12
2. Evelyn Stevens, HTC-Highroad
3. Alison Starnes, Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12
4. Amber Neben, HTC-Highroad
5. Kristin McGrath Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12

Tonight’s second stage, a downtown criterium in St. Paul begins at 6:15. With rain forecasted, and many seconds of time bonuses on the line, the fireworks are sure to get underway from the gun. Look to Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12 and HTC-Highroad to fend off the onslaught of attacks from teams like Diadora Pasta Zara, Colavita/Forno d’Alsolo and TIBCO/To The Top who will be on the offense in order to grab some of the many valuable time bonuses. Tonight’s racing promises to be a mix of speed, power and tactics. Stay tuned on Facebook and Twitter for up to date results.

Photos: Wil Matthews

By Cynthia Lou, Nature Valley Grand Prix

St. Paul — Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) secured the Nature Valley Grand Prix’s first yellow jersey Wednesday morning at the six-mile St. Paul Time Trial.

The former Olympic and world time trial champion's time of 14 minutes and 30 seconds was 23 seconds ahead of Evelyn Stevens of HTC-Highroad. Riders from those two teams rounded out the top five, with Alison Starnes and Kristin McGrath (both of Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) in third and fifth, respectively, and former world time trial champion Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) in fourth.

“There’s something about the energy of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and I love the Nature Valley Race,” said Armstrong, who won the Nature Valley Grand Prix four years in a row before taking a brief retirement last year to give birth to her first child. “I see people that I’ve seen for years. There’s something about coming back to a race and feeling comfortable in the community and the environment and with my team, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12. The girls are like family, so it allows me to have balance now, having a child. There’s not the extra pressures of feeling guilty that I’m not with the team for a few minutes here and there.”

Having had to defend her title sans teammates in the past, Armstrong says she has a strong team to rely on this time around.

“My teammate Alison Starnes is in third, Kristin McGrath is also up there, so I think we have some options,” Armstrong said. “I think that I’m the target, but I don’t always have to be the answer. So I’m willing to play, I think other teams want to play. I know that HTC is out here and they’re going to want to do something. Diadora brought a team, Colavita is here, so we’re going to see some action.”

Rainy conditions resulted in a slightly different range of times than last year when the course was dry. The course included a turnaround, and riders were more cautious on the wet and slippery roads.

Racing in this year’s field are last year’s winner Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan) and current world road champion Giorgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno D'Asolo presented by Cooking Light). Olds finished 1:47 back with a time of 16:17, while Bronzini was 1:53 behind in a time of 16:23.

Olds' teammate, Amber Pierce, who is a regular columnist on the Triple Crankset, penning an intimate portrait, Anywhere Road, of life as an up-and-coming cyclist would take 8th on the day, only 45 seconds shy of Armstrong's time.

Racing continues Wednesday night with the St. Paul Downtown Criterium, featuring a 1.4 km, six-corner criterium course, featuring two intermediate time bonuses, a finishing time bonus, and three sprint point competitions. Last year, time bonuses from this stage whittled a 23-second gap down to a mere two seconds for eventual overall winner Olds.

Results - St. Paul Time Trial
1. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)
2. Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad)
3. Alison Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12)

Rolling with the Pros

One of the great aspects of the Nature Valley Grand Prix is the opportunity it affords to those young riders on the cusp of breaking it into the big time. Jade Wilcoxson (NVGP Pro Ride), a physical therapist in Talent, Oregon, who earned her spot into the Nature Valley Grand Prix at the Nature Valley Pro Ride qualifying event, the Mutual of Enumclaw Stage Race, a two-day, three-stage event near Seattle, was the best finisher among the amateur qualifiers coming in 55 seconds in arrears from Armstrong.

Meanwhile, Elle Anderson of Dartmouth College was the best placed of the Kowalski's Market Collegiate All-Stars finishing 1:47 back.

Photo: Matthew Moses

The picturesque Danish town of Solvang, California played host to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge, which was held in conjunction with Stage 6 of the men's race.

Connie Carpenter-Phinney, the Olympic Gold medalist in the 1984 road race, provided commentary for the event and set the stage by expecting some of the women to beat the time of some of the men, or "getting chicked." And the 13-strong field, comprised of national champions, world champions and Olympic medalists, certainly did not disappoint.

One of the riders out of the gate battling for a $10,000 prize pool was Solvang native, Alison Tetrick Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12, pictured below). She would cover the difficult 15-mile course in a time of 36'11"07 to finish in 9th.

HTC-Highroad, which had five riders in the field, would set the early pace as US National Time Trial Champion, Evelyn Stevens, crossed the line in 35'08"08, only to be bested by teammate Amber Neben moments later with a time of 34'42"38. As Germany's Charlotte Becker completed the course in a time of 35'07"34, it looked as if HTC-Highroad might sweep the day's podium.

But it was the last rider out of the gate, Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12) would have the final say. On her Felt DA outfitted with SRAM Red and Zipp wheels, Armstrong set a consistent pace throughout the course, and came through the time check with the fastest split.

"People always ask me how my legs are feeling, I can’t say they felt good out there", said Armstrong afterward. "If they felt great I am in trouble. They didn’t feel great because I was hurting so bad.”

A block headwind made the final miles of the course brutal, but Armstrong crossed the finish line 13 seconds ahead of HTC-Highroad's Amber Neben.

"The course is great," commented Armstrong. "It was a race of truth. I told the media last night that the strongest rider would win today. It had technicality…it had wind…it had uphill…it had downhill. There wasn’t one thing that any one person had as a strength. It was mix out there. We are all strong on certain sections and other sections we suffer.”

Gallery: 2011 Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge

Photo: Laurie Ostrow (top); Ed Rubinstein (middle, bottom)

Thirteen of the World’s Best Female Cyclists to Compete in Solvang on Friday, May 20

Los Angeles, CA – The world’s best female cyclists will be competing in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge presented by Specialized and SRAM in Solvang, California, on Friday, May 20. Held in conjunction with Stage 6 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, the race will feature a 13-person field comprised of world champions and Olympic medalists battling it out on the same course that their male counterparts will also be competing on later in the day. The women will be racing for a $10,000 prize pool.

Beginning at 11:30 a.m. PT on Friday, May 20, the Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge will traverse the exact 15-mile course as the men participating in the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, with the women leaving at one-minute intervals just before the beginning of the professional men’s time trial at 12:30 p.m. PST.

“We have assembled a tremendous field for this race, and we are looking forward to showcasing the incredible athleticism of these world-class competitors,” said Andrew Messick. “It is an honor to have such elite cyclists participate in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge, and we anticipate a great day of cycling.”

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge roster includes the very best in international and domestic female cyclists, including:

• Kristin Armstrong (USA): Olympic Gold Medal Winner – Time Trial (Beijing), 2008; World Time Trial Champion – 2006, 2009; US National Time Trial Champion – 2006, 2007; US National Road Champion – 2004, 2006
• Charlotte Becker (Germany): German National Road Champion – 2010; Winner GP Ciudad de Valladolid – 2010
• Emilia Fahlin (Sweden): Swedish National Time Trial Champion – 2009, 2010; Swedish National Road Champion – 2008; 2nd Place, European Time Trial Championship – 2010
• Janel Holcomb (USA): 3rd Place, SRAM Tour of the Gila Time Trial – 2011
• Heather Jackson (USA): 3rd Place, US National Track Cycling, Omnium – 2009; 2nd Place, Oceanside 70.3 Triathlon – 2011; 3rd Place, US National Track Cycling, 3K Pursuit – 2009; Holds numerous Ironman 70.3 bike course records
• Amanda Miller (USA): Stage Winner Merco Classic – 2011; Stage Winner Tour of New Zealand – 2011; 2nd Place San Dimas ITT – 2011
• Amber Neben (USA): World Time Trial Champion – 2008; Stage Winner ITT and Overall, San Dimas – 2011; Stage Winner ITT and Overall, Redlands – 2011; 2nd Place, US National Time Trial – 2010; Winner Giro d’Italia Time Trial – 2009
• Jessica Phillips (USA): US National Time Trial Champion – 2009; 7th SRAM Tour of the Gila – 2011; 14th World Championships, Time Trial – 2009; US National Road Champion – 2002
• Emma Pooley (Great Britain): World Time Trial Champion – 2010; UK National Time Trial Champion – 2010; UK National Road Champion – 2010; UK National Time Trial Champion – 2009; Olympic Silver Medal Winner (Beijing) – 2008
• Rhae Shaw (Canada): Winner, Madera SR, Stage 2 Time Trial – 2011; 2nd Place, SRAM Tour of the Gila Time Trial – 2011; 2nd Place, Sea Otter Classic Time Trial – 2011; 3rd Place, Hawaii 70.3 Triathlon (bike course record) – 2009
• Alison Starnes (USA): Winner, Merco Cycling Classic, General Classification – 2011; Winner, Merco Cycling Classic, Time Trial – 2011; Winner, Nature Valley Grand Prix, Time Trial (leaders jersey) – 2010; 2nd Place, Cascade Cycling Classic Time Trial – 2010
• Evelyn Stevens (USA): US National Time Trial Champion – 2010; 2nd Place Redlands ITT – 2011; 2nd Place, US National Time Trial – 2009
• Tara Whitten (Canada): World Champion Omnium Track Cycling– 2010; World Champion Points Classification Track Cycling– 2010; Commonwealth Games Time Trial Champion – 2010

Offering a preview to the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games, the race will be featured on the May 20 VERSUS broadcast of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California. The race is presented by Specialized and SRAM, who both have a long history of supporting women’s cycling.

Photo: Wil Matthews

International Women's Cycling Event to Showcase World Champions and Olympic Medalists in a Race Against the Clock in Solvang on May 20

Los Angeles, CA – AEG has announced details of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge presented by Specialized and SRAM, which will take place in Solvang during Stage 6 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Friday, May 20. Using the same course as the Stage 6 men’s individual time trial in Solvang, the women’s event will be a 12-person invitation, showcasing some of the best women athletes in the world racing for a $10,000 prize pool.

The Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge will start at 11:30 a.m. PST on Friday, May 20, with the women leaving at one-minute intervals immediately before the beginning of the professional men’s time trial at 12:30 p.m. PST. The women will traverse the exact 15-mile course as the professional men.

“Beginning with the women’s criterium race during the 2008 edition of the Amgen Tour of California, AEG has always been a supporter of women’s cycling,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “We are pleased to be able to celebrate the tremendous athleticism of these world-class competitors by providing an international stage on which to showcase their ability.”

Offering a preview to the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games, the race will be featured on the May 20 VERSUS broadcast of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California. The best women’s time trialists in the world have been invited and are expected to attend, including reigning Olympic gold medalist and former world champion Kristin Armstrong, defending world champion Emma Pooley, former world champion Amber Neben, former world champion Judith Arndt, and current US Champion Evelyn Stevens (above).

“I am honored to be one of a handful of cyclists invited to this world class event,” said former world champion Kristin Armstrong. “This is a great opportunity to showcase women's cycling in America's premier race. I can't think of a better opportunity to bring exposure and recognition to women's cycling in front of a worldwide audience.”

The Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge is presented by Specialized and SRAM, who both have a long history of supporting women’s cycling.

“Specialized is a long-time supporter of women's cycling and women's racing and we are continuing that support with our partnerships with HTC Highroad and Team TIBCO. The opportunity to help the Amgen Tour of California showcase world class female athletes and increase the coverage of women's racing is something we are proud to be involved with,” said Rachael Lambert, Specialized Women's Product and Marketing Manager.

“When the idea of the ‘Challenge’ came up, we couldn’t help but pledge our support. SRAM proudly joins AEG and Specialized in hosting the best female cyclists competing in the purest of all bike racing formats, the race against the clock. And certainly it will be a perfect showcase for our componentry and technologies,” said Alex Wassmann, SRAM US Road Sponsorship Manager.

“We hope to be able to build this event into a vibrant part of the Amgen Tour of California,” continued Messick. “We are extremely thankful to our sponsors Specialized and SRAM for continuing to help support women’s cycling and for providing leadership to make this race happen.”

Photo: Courtesy Bruce Johnston/Pro Cycling Women

Minneapolis, MN – Amber Neben and her HTC-Highroad team sit atop the Women's Prestige Cycling Series standings after the first event, the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Neben's overall victory at the four-day USA Cycling National Racing Calendar event in California puts her ahead of Erinne Willock (Team TIBCO/To The Top) and fellow HTC-Highroad teammate Evelyn Stevens in the individual standings of the only national bicycle racing series exclusively showcasing the country’s top female cycling talent.

"It is always a positive thing to be wearing a leader's jersey, and I am excited to have it," Neben said. "It is even better that the team is in the first position, since they were instrumental in helping me get into it."

On the strength of Neben's overall victory and Stevens' strong performance at Redlands, HTC-Highroad leads the Women's Prestige Cycling Series team standings ahead of Team TIBCO/To The Top and Colavita Forno D'Asolo. Last year's team winner, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12, is fifth.

In the Best Sprinter competition, Rouse Bicycles riders Christina Smith and Robin Farina hold down the top two spots, respectively. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) is third. Like the Individual and Best Young Rider leaders, Smith will wear a special Women's Prestige Cycling Series jersey (produced by Champion System) at the next WPCS event.

Leading the Best Young Rider competition is former Canadian junior national road champion Denise Ramsden (pictured; Juvederm-Specialized-Mazda). Her team is a merger of the long-running Specialized-Mazda-Samson Groupe Conseil women’s team from Montreal and last year’s Team Nanoblur-Gears formation out of Toronto. The squad is Canada’s only UCI women’s road team.

The Redlands Classic was the first stop on the 2011 edition of the Women's Prestige Cycling Series. The other three races are the SRAM Tour of the Gila (April 27-May 1), Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota (June 15-19) and the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic (July 19-24) in Oregon.

For more information about the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series, visit the official website.

Individual Classification
1. Amber Neben, HTC-Highroad, 220.
2. Erinne Willock, Team TIBCO/To The Top, 165.
3. Evelyn Stevens, HTC-Highroad, 132.
4. Carmen Small, Team TIBCO/To The Top, 121.
5. Andrea Dvorak, Colavita Forno D'Asolo, 110.

Sprint Classification
1. Christina Smith, Rouse Bicycles, 220
2. Robin Farina, Rouse Bicycles, 165.
3. Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Colavita Forno D'Asolo, 132.
4. Chloe Hosking, HTC-Highroad, 121.
5. Catherine Cheatley, Colavita Forno D'Asolo, 110.

Best Young Rider Classification
1. Denise Ramsden, Team Juvederm-Specialized-Mazda, 220.
2. Amanda Miller, HTC-Highroad, 165.
3. Mara Abbott, SC Velo-Empower Coaching, 132.
4. Lindsay Myers, Danbury Audi, 121.
5. Lex Albrecht, Team Juvederm-Specialized-Mazda, 110.

Best Team Classification
1. HTC-Highroad, 504.
2. Team TIBCO/To The Top, 324.
3. Colavita Forno D'Asolo, 296.
4. Team Juvederm-Specialized-Mazda, 227.
5. Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12, 128.

Photo: Kristin Frith

Top spots hotly contested in a huge field of 113 competitors

The Redlands Bicycle Classic Stage Race kicked off yesterday with a five kilometer uphill prologue through the streets of Redlands and up to the infamous Sunset Road Race setting. After the cold and dreary weather in San Dimas, the 90 degree temperatures were startling and added to the challenge of the day.

Redlands is the first stop on the NRC calendar and is hotly contested by all the teams. Fielding their top riders, each team had an allowance of eight riders per roster, making for an enormous women’s field of 113 competitors. The teams from the San Dimas Stage Race, HTC-Highroad, Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12, Colavita Forno D'Asolo, TIBCO/To The Top, Vanderkitten-FOCUS, and Primal/Map My Ride, were joined by Team Rouse, Webcor Alto Velo, Team Juvederm, Team Kenda presented by GEARGRINDER and SC Velo-Empower Coaching, among others.

As the temperatures rose, sending heat shimmering off the climb, so did the competition. Off early in the day was Alison Powers (Team TIBCO/To The Top), who set the mark of 12:20. As the day grew longer, the competitive times continued to stack up with HTC-Highroad’s Amanda Miller clocking a 12:01, only to be bested by Colavita's Andrea Dvorak (11:42) and then by TIBCO's Erinne Willock (11:25). Mara Abbott, who finished second in the overall to Amber Neben last year, was a guest rider for SC Velo-Empower Coaching this time around and came in with a time of 12:08. One of the last to go off, Cath Cheatley (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) posted a time of 12:03, fast, but not quite fast enough for the top of the podium.

Breaths were held as Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12’s Kristin Armstrong, a former World Time Trial Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, neared the finish line. As she powered her way up the climb, hammering her way to the line, the seconds ticked away. She crossed the line with a time of 11:46, good enough for fifth and 33 seconds behind the day’s winner.

Topping the podium, in similar fashion to last week’s prologue was HTC’s Neben winning with a time of 11:12, followed with an 8 second gap by her American teammate Evelyn Stevens with a time of 11:20. Third was Willock with Dvorak finishing in fourth.

Today's stage is a technical, challenging course. The weather promises to be a factor with hot temperatures and windy conditions. With so many teams in contention for the overall, as well as the sprinter, climber, and young rider’s jersey up for grabs, the action promises to be as hot as the weather.

Paying It Forward

On another note, the riders of peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 visited over 100 children yesterday to talk about life as a professional athlete and team building values.

Stay tuned to more race reports and news from Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 on their Facebook page and Twitter account.