History

Keep an eye on the money. The Redlands Bicycle Classic now holds a purse upward of a combined $40,000 for men and women. There were days that it was much less.

1985

The purse was a mere $13,650. That was for the entire field, consisting of just men.

It was the inaugural Redlands Bicycle Classic, less than a full year after the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. U.S. legends Alexi Grewal, Steve Hegg, Roy Knickman, Thurlow Rogers were up against some strong cyclists from foreign nations. By the time Redlands came up with its plan to host a professional bike race, most of them were off to other continents to seek cycling dynasties.

U.S. team members Rogers and Hegg showed up in Redlands to a three-day, four-stage event over the Memorial Day weekend. Racing for ICN-La Grange, the quartet stole the show - accounting for all four stages.

Wayne Stetina and Greg Demjen joined Rogers and Hegg, a gold medal winner in the previous year's Olympic Games.

The winning rider: Rogers, whose name will live long in the history books of the local bicycle classic as the inaugural champion. Try as he might, winding up on the victory podium twice in the coming years, Rogers would never return to that winning form.

Redlands had some up-and-coming stars. Hegg won the 4,000-meter gold medal at the 1984 Games. The rider admitted, as did other members of the U.S. team, that his performance had been enhanced by blood-boosting techniques. The practice was not illegal and the rider kept his gold medal. Hegg would eventually win a number of stages in Redlands.

Top finishers: 1. Thurlow Rogers, Levi's-Raleigh; 2. Ron Hayman, Levi's-Raleigh, 0:54; 3. Raul Alcala, Team Dente, 1:01

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Rogers
• Stage 1 (40-mile criterium) - Rogers
• Stage 2 (99-mile road race) - Greg Demjen, Levi's-Raleigh
• Stage 3 (76-mile road race) - Ron Haymen, Levi's-Raleigh

Team champion - Levi's-Raleigh (Rogers, Demjen, Hayman, Steve Hegg)

1986

Say hello to the superstars. Team 7-Eleven came with crowd favorite Davis Phinney, along with Mexican star Raul Alcala and Brooklyn native Doug Shapiro, Bob Roll, Ron Kiefel, Chris Carmichael and Olympic speed skating gold medalist Eric Heiden.

It was the final race for Jeff Pierce, in Schwinn-Icy Hot colors. Pierce, who raced third overall, eventually joined the 7-Eleven dynasty, went on to race in Europe and came home with a winning Tour de France stage.

There wasn't a single cycling team in the field that could have knocked off 7-Eleven. Alcala said years later that he was strong enough to win the Classic, but was held back by team managers to allow Phinney the ultimate victory. Phinney copped a bronze medal in the team time trial for the U.S. team during the 1984 Olympics.

Top finishers: 1. Davis Phinney, 7-Eleven; 2. Raul Alcala, 7-Eleven, 0:05; 3. Jeff Pierce, Schwinn-Icy Hot, 0:46

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Raul Alcala, 7-Eleven
• Stage 1 (84-mile road race) - Davis Phinney, 7-Eleven
• Stage 2 (75-mile road race) - Doug Shapiro, 7-Eleven
• Stage 3 (30-mile team time trial) - Team 7-Eleven (Ron Kiefel, Bob Roll, Eric Heiden, Chris Carmichael)
• Stage 4 (44-mile criterium) - Davis Phinney

Team champion - 7-Eleven "A" team

1987

Team 7-Eleven II. This time, European all-around star Dag Otto-Lauritzen was welcomed to both the team . . . and the Redlands Bicycle Classic podium. Perhaps one of the most missed sights on the scene was the Team Time Trial, an opportunity for local fans to watch each team riding in tandem. Taking turns on the front end, each rider would show enough form to keep a firm hold on the lead. Rogers had returned with ICN-La Grange, but the purse was now at $21,500.

Top finishers - 1. Dag-Otto Lauritzen, 7-Eleven; 2. Thurlow Rogers, ICN-La Grange, 0:09; 3. Doug Shapiro, 7-Eleven, 0:42.

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Chris Huber, 10-Speed Drive.
• Stage 1 (120-mile road race) - Dag-Otto Lauritzen, 7-Eleven.
• Stage 2 (84-mile road race) - Lauritzen.
• Stage 3 (18-mile team time trial) - 7-Eleven (Davis Phinney, Lauritzen, Doug Shapiro, Jonathan Boyer, Jeff Bradley, Ron Kiefel).
• Stage 5 (44-mile criterium) - Kiefel.

Team champion - 7-Eleven.

1988

Alexi Grewal made his first appearance at Redlands a victorious one. He didn't come as a member of America's top squad, 7-Eleven, but Team Crest was slowly making a move toward the USA's top team. Team 7-Eleven skipped this year, but Grewal - the Olympic gold medalist on the road in 1984 - gave Redlands its headliner.

He won, beating teammate Andy Paulin, who won a 57-mile stage race to Oak Glen and a 30-mile criterium in downtown Redlands. Grewal, meanwhile, prevailed in an 84-mile road race that gave him an ultimate edge over Paulin by 20 seconds. The purse was a mere $22,430.

Top finishers - 1. Alexi Grewal, Team Crest; 2. Andy Paulin, Crest, 0:20; 3. David Brinton, Quick Release B.C., 0:22

Stage winners:

• Prologue - James Urbonas, Sunkyong-SKC
• Stage 1 (57-mile road race) - Andy Paulin, Team Crest
• Stage 2 (30-mile criterium) - Paulin
• Stage 3 (84-mile road race) - Alexi Grewal, Team Crest
• Stage 4 (18.6-mile team time trial) - Team Crest (Grewal, Paulin, Tony Palmer, David Farmer, Todd Gogulski)
• Stage 5 (48-mile criterium) - David Brinton, Quick Release B.C.

Team champion - Team Crest

1989

Team Crest's Scott Moninger won over Team Crest teammate Glenn Sanders by about four seconds. That remained the closest finish in Redlands Bicycle Classic history for several years.

With a purse of $30,000 up for grabs, Crest had taken on newly formed Coors Light in the first real duel of top teams. It was Alexi Grewal, Michael Zanoli, Greg Oravetz and Roland Gunther of Coors Light up against the Crest squad that included Moninger and Sanders, among others. Coors Light won the team portion of the race, but the yellow jersey went to Moninger.

Top finishers - 1. Scott Moninger, Team Crest; 2. Glenn Sanders, Crest, 0:04; 3. Stephen Swart, Sago, 0:07

Stage winners:

• Prolog - Roland Gunther, Coors Light
• Stage 1 (71.4-mile road race) - Scott Moninger, Crest
• Stage 2 (30-mile criterium) - Michael Zanoli, Coors Light
• Stage 3 (97.4-mile road race) - Zanoli
• Stage 4 (18.6-mile team time trial) - Coors Light
• Stage 5 (48-mile criterium) - Greg Oravetz, Coors Light

Team champion - Coors Light

1990

John Rezell, former cycling columnist at The Orange County Register and editor of VeloNews magazine covered the Redlands Classic from 1990-2000.

Read his account of this year's event in Chapter 5: Hanging On of his online Memoris "A More Simple Time: How Cycling Saved My Soul."

The purse dropped to $20,000, but that didn't keep defending champion Scott Moninger from showing up to defend his yellow jersey.

Coors Light was back, too, not to mention 7-Eleven's Davis Phinney. But a strong team from the Soviet Union would sweep them all. Dmitri Zhadanov was top man, while teammate Evgeniy Berzin raced behind his mate by 15 seconds in a memorable display of power and poise on a bicycle. The Russian National team was deemed "Team Locomotiv" for the duel around Redlands.

Top finishers - 1. Dmitri Zhadanov, Russian National; 2. Evgeniy Berzin, Russian National, 0:15; 3. Scott Moninger, Crest, 1:59

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Michael Zanoli, Coors Light
• Stage 1 (71.4-mile road race) - Evgeny Berzin, Russian National
• Stage 2 (1-hour criterium) - Stephen Swart, Coors Light
• Stage 3 (97.4-mile road race) - Dmitri Zhadanov, Russian National
• Stage 4 (44-mile criterium) - Davis Phinney, 7-Eleven

Team champion - Russian National

1991

Randy Whicker (Trek-Cytomax) gave a small lesson to local cycling fans. He proved that it wasn't necessary to win a stage in order to capture the yellow jersey. Whicker, a member of "Team Redlands" - officially Redlands Trek-Cytomax - didn't win a stage, but he copped the yellow jersey.

Berzin, the 1990 runner-up, was in the field. So were the beginnings of a dynasty-laden U.S.-based team, Chevolet-L.A. Sheriff. In the end, Whicker prevailed over Subaru-Montgomery's Jim Copeland. The key to the week may have been a center-line violation (crossing over the double yellow line on a semi-closed course) that cost Copeland 30 seconds. He lost by 25 seconds.

Top finishers - 1. Randy Whicker, Redlands Trek-Cytomax; 2. Jim Copeland, Subaru-Montgomery, 0:25; 3. Vladeslav Bobrik, Soviet Locosphinx, 3:13

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3.3 miles) - Evgeny Berzin, Soviet Locosphinx
• Stage 1 (30-mile criterium) - Kurt Stockton, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 2 (66.5-mile road race) - Jim Copeland, Subaru-Montgomery
• Stage 3 (56.4-mile circuit race) - Vladeslav Bobrik, Soviet Locosphinx
• Stage 4 (1-hour criterum) - Eric Rekkas (Form Velo One)
• Stage 5 (92-mile road race) - Kent Bostick, Shaklee
• Stage 6 (48-mile criterium) - Krzysstof Wiatr, Subaru-Montgomery

Team champion - Redlands Trek-Cytomax

1992

Scott Fortner, a career domestique who was used to protecting his teammates, became the hunted in this final Memorial Day weekend showcase. By the following year, the Redlands Bicycle Classic would move its main event to March, among other significant changes.

Fortner, racing for a new team, Saturn, found himself in the lead and being forced to defend. It wasn't a great field of cyclists due to the Memorial Day weekend timing. Most teams were racing elsewhere, including the top teams that were overseas. The Saturn cyclist didn't win a single stage, but wound up with enough time bonuses (top three finishes) and was easily the strongest rider throughout the week.

Top finishers - 1. Scott Fortner, Team Saturn; 2. Thurlow Rogers, Pasadena AA, 0:49; 3. Eric Cech, W. K. Gamble Law Firm, 2:05

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Karl Maxon, Sachs-Quick Release B.C.
• Stage 1 (30-mile criterium) - Greg McNeil, W. K. Gamble Law Firm
• Stage 2 (77.2-mile road race) - Rogers
• Stage 3 (62-mile circuit race) - McNeil
• Stage 4 (1-hour criterium) - Rogers
• Stage 5 (105.2-mile road race) - McNeil
• Stage 6 (48-mile criterium) - Craig Schommer, Rock-It Cargo

Team champion - Saturn

1993

MEN: All of a sudden, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff had the "team." It was comprised of a number of top-flight cyclists, including the all-time stage-winning champion, Steve Hegg. Former winner Scott Moninger, among others, was part of this squad.

In the end, Great Britain's Malcolm Elliott, a much-decorated star from overseas, was the strongest rider in the field.

The Redlands Classic, which was now scheduled to not be in conflict with bigger races back east, had lured a strong collection of cyclists to the field - Elliott, Moninger and Ron Kiefel, among a number of top threats.

Elliott seemed to have better forces at his disposal, eventually knocking off Subaru-Montgomery's Bart Bowen by six seconds. Kiefel, racing for Coors Light, was also in the hunt.

Top finishers - 1. Malcolm Elliott, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff; 2. Bart Bowen, Subaru-Montgomery, 0:06; 3. Ron Kiefel, Coors Light, 0:13

Stage winners:

• Prologue (12-mile time trial) - Steve Hegg, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 1 (87-mile road race) - Miguel Arroyo, Subaru-Montgomery
• Stage 2 (62-mile circuit race) - Malcolm Elliott, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 3 (1-hour criterium) - Declan Lonergan, TCBY
• Stage 4 (110-mile road race) - Ron Kiefel, Coors Light

Team champion - Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff.

WOMEN: You couldn't find anyone to challenge Kahlua. Linda Brenneman had the corner run on the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Unless, of course, it was Chevrolet, TGI Friday's, Shaklee or Bodywise cyclists. Sally Zack was in the field. So were Rebecca Twigg and Eve Stephenson. These were U.S. Olympians from the previous year's Games in Barcelona. The purse was worth $4,000 total.

This was no easy field, either. Inga Thompson, Julie Young, along with eventual greats Petra Rossner (East Germany) and Clara Hughes (Canada), were on the race roster.

Top finishers - 1. Linda Brenneman, Team Kahlua

Stage winners:

• Stage 1 (31-mile circuit race) - Brenneman
• Stage 2 (1-hour criterium) - Brenneman

Team champion - Kahlua

1994

MEN: Malcolm Elliott was back in the saddle, ready to repeat. This time his biggest rival was his own teammate, Jeff Pierce, the one-time 7-Eleven star. Sharing the stage with Coors Light, the Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff team starred throughout the week.

Top finishers - 1. Elliott Smith, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff; 2. Jeff Pierce, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff, 1:09; 3. Ron Kiefel, Coors Light, 1:21

Stage winners:

• Prologue (9.9-mile time trial) - Elliott
• Stage 1 (100-mile road race) - Pierce
• Stage 2 (62-mile circuit race) - Steve Hegg, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 3 (60-mile criterium) - Roberto Gaggioli
• Stage 4 (75-mile road race) - Ron Kiefel, Coors Light

Team champion - Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff

WOMEN: Jeanne Golay made her second trip to Redlands by finishing first.

Now the Classic sported a full-fledged women's event, with almost the same number of stages as the men's field. In a field full of mountain bike competitors, Linda Brenneman was expecting a child. Still in the field, she was unable to unseat Golay, the Saturn rider who beat Team Dirt's Alison Sydor by nearly a minute.

Top finishers - 1. Jeanne Golay, Saturn; 2. Alison Sydor, Team Dirt, 0:57; 3. Linda Jackson, Bodywise, 1:37

Stage winners:

• Prologue (9.9-mile time trial) - Eve Stephenson, U.S. Cycling
• Stage 1 (48-mile road race) - Jackson
• Stage 2 (31-mile circuit race) - Sydor
• Stage 3 (1-hour criterium) - Laura Charameda, Timex

Team champion - Team Dirt

1995

MEN: Veteran Scott Moninger, no stranger to close finishes, outlasted another strong field, including the sensational Elliott, who placed third in overall general classification. But a new, strong cyclist had gained entry to this race. Fred Rodriguez, racing for the U.S. National team in a preview to an eventual European career, nearly knocked off the veteran Moninger. And Elliott, seeking a third straight Redlands triumph, was within 10 seconds of winning again.

Top finishers - 1. Scott Moninger, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff; 2. Fred Rodriguez, U.S. National team, 0:08; 3. Malcolm Elliott, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff, 0:10

Stage winner:

• Prologue (2.1-mile time trial) - Mike Engleman, Shaklee.
• Stage 1 (60-mile circuit race) - Mike McCarthy, Saturn.
• Stage 2 (97-mile road race) - Moninger.
• Stage 3 (62-mile circuit race) - Cancelled, rain.
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Elliott.
• Stage 5 (75-mile road race) - Ron Kiefel, G.S. Boulder.

Team champion - Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff.

WOMEN: Some of women's racing's top cyclists were present to duel with Linda Brenneman, now racing for Cycle Veloce. Batting Saturn, Shaklee, Van Wood and Timex Cannondale, Brenneman won by virtue of not having won a stage.

Top finishers - 1. Linda Brenneman, Cycle Veloce; 2. Sue Palmer, Van Wood Racing Team, 0:15; 3. Mari Paulson, Shaklee, 0:30

Stage winners:

• Prologue (2.1-mile time trial) - Palmer
• Stage 1 (38.4-mile circuit race) - Laura Charameda, Timex-Cannondale
• Stage 2 (38-mile road race) - Jeanne Golay, Saturn
• Stage 3 (1-hour criterium) - Karen Livingston, Saturn

Team champion - Van Wood Racing Team

1996

MEN: Malcolm Elliott was still a fixture in Redlands, but a new face showed up to race, a guy named Chris Horner. Meanwhile, a trend started taking place with a newly formed team called U.S. Postal Service.

Tomas Brozyna, part of the famous Eddy B. Borywicz Boys, started that trend. Over the next four years, the Postals put a different face on the victory podium by wearing yellow. This time it was the non-English speaking Brozyna, a Polish cylist who outlasted Horner by 13 seconds. Elliott, still racing for the Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff squad, was a close third.

Top finishers - 1. Tomasz Brozyna, U.S. Postal; 2. Chris Horner, Nutra Fig, 0:13; 3. Malcolm Elliott, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff, 0:23

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3-mile time trial) - Steve Hegg, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 1 (97-mile road race) - Horner
• Stage 2 (60-mile circuit race) - Trent Klasna, Chevrolet-L.A. Sheriff
• Stage 3 (90-minute criterium) - Scott Fortner, Saturn
• Stage 4 (75-mile road race) - Hegg

Team champion - U.S. Postal Service

WOMEN: Alison Dunlap, who had missed virtually the entire season in 1995, came up with a strong performance to beat Tammy Jacques in a wide-open Redlands Classic.

The Van Wood racer, dealing with the hired guns from Saturn - the eventual team champion, beat Jacques by a mere 13 seconds in the final outcome. Her victory in a race to Oak Glen was the key.

Top finishers - 1. Alison Dunlap, Van Wood; 2. Tammy Jacques, HealthSouth-Mrs. T's, 0:12; 3. Jeanne Golay, Saturn, 0:37

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3-mile time trial) - Sue Palmer, Van Wood
• Stage 1 (60-mile road race) - Dunlap
• Stage 2 (31-mile circuit race) - Alison Sydor, Timex-Cannondale
• Stage 3 (1-hour criterium) - Linda Brenneman, Chevrolet / Klein

Team champion - Saturn

1997

MEN: Dariusz Baranowski became the second U.S. Postal rider to win at Redlands. His closest pursuer was none other than Brozyna, the previous year's champion. Scott Moninger, whose place on the victory podium was becoming a regular event, took third. Baranowski propelled himself to victory by winning the 106-mile road race to Oak Glen, the main event that usually converts to an overall yellow jersey.

Some changes in the Classic: in order to promote the downtown area, a prologue-style street sprint was held on State Street. Racing amid businesses, a few spectators caught a glimpse of some top cyclists in an all-out sprint.

There was a more traditional time trial, this one held out on old Route 66 - an event that winner Jonathan Vaughters used to take the yellow jersey for a while. It was an all-star lineup of cyclists at Redlands, including a changing of the leader for three straight days.

Top finishers - 1. Dariusz Baranowski, U.S. Postal Service; 2. Tomasz Brozyna, U.S. Postal Service, 0:42; 3. Scott Moninger, Navigators, 1:54

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Todd Littlehales, Navigators
• Stage 1 (44-mile circuit race) - Eddy Gragus, U.S. Postal Service
• Stage 2 (13-mile time trial) - Jonathan Vaughters, Comptel-Cyclist
• Stage 3 (106-mile road race) - Dariusz Baranowski, U.S. Postal Service
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Mike McCarthey, Saturn
• Stage 5 (92-mile road race) - Fred Rodriguez, Saturn

Team champion - U.S. Postal Service

WOMEN: Saeco-Timex was so loaded and powerful that it won the team portion of this year's Classic by a whopping 7:26. It's no wonder that teammates Susy Pryde and Linda Jackson finished 1-2, with third-place Alison Dunlap a healthy 2:48. Pryde, Jackson and Kendra Wenzel each won stages for Saeco-Timex.

Top finishers - 1. Susy Pryde, Saeco-Timex; 2. Linda Jackson, Saeco-Timex, 1:40; 3. Alison Dunlap, HealthSouth-Team Dirt, 2:48

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Jackie Martin, Shaklee
• Stage 1 (31-mile circuit race) - Pam Schuster, Klein
• Stage 2 (13-mile time trials) - Jackson
• Stage 3 (76-mile road race) - Pryde
• Stage 4 (1-hour criterium) - DeDe Demet, Saturn
• Stage 5 (42-mile road race) - Kendra Wenzel, Saeco-Timex

Team champion - Saeco-Timex

1998

MEN: Jon Vaughters, heard from in 1997 off his time trial victory, had moved to the U.S. Postal Service. This time, the support was unwavering. Challenged a bit by the Australian "kid," 20-year-old Cadel Evans, Vaughters had more than enough strength to win. The event opened with a local champion, 20-year-old Johnny Bairos, winning in downtown Redlands. Bairos got his start in the Redlands Bicycle Classic's public race event. In years to come, Bairos would get a shot at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The race also took a turn in Fontana. Trying to take advantage of the newly-built California Speedway (home of both NASCAR and CART races), the venue provided ample room for cyclists and spectators.

As for the overall Classic, newly-formed Team Mercury came along to threaten the existence of U.S. Postal Service and Saturn with some strong cycling performers. In the end, Saturn knocked off the Postals for the team title.

Top finishers - 1. Jonathan Vaughters, U.S. Postal Service; 2. Cadel Evans, Volvo-Cannondale, 0:20; 3. Chris Wherry, Shaklee, 1:03

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Johnny Bairos, Sunshine Germany
• Stage 1 (44-mile circuit race) - Gord Fraser, Mercury
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Jonathan Vaughters, U.S. Postal
• Stage 3 (106-mile road race) - Vaughters
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Fraser
• Stage 5 (92-mile road race) - Trent Klasna, Navigators

Team champion - Saturn

WOMEN: Clara Hughes, in sole possession of the lead, had a tire problem on the one-hour criterium. She was penalized for a mechanical failure, ultimately finishing 37 seconds behind eventual winner Mari Holden of the U.S. National team.

Hughes, who won a 10-mile time trial in Fontana, finished up by winning the 42-mile Sunset road race.

Holden, meanwhile, didn't win a stage. But in the overall classic role of race riding, she stayed close enough to the leaders to grasp control of the Redlands event. She won at Redlands, then embarked on an international career that kept her off local roads for a few years.

Top finishers - 1. Mari Holden, U.S. National; 2. Pam Schuster, Saeco-Timex, 0:22; 3. Alison Dunlap, Health-South Mrs. T's 0:34

Stage winners:

• Prologue - Nicole Reinhart, Shaklee
• Stage 1 (31-mile circuit race) - Karen Kurreck, Saeco-Timex
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Clara Hughes, Saturn
• Stage 3 (76-mile road race) - Julie Young, Fanani
• Stage 4 (1-hour criterium) - Kurreck
• Stage 5 (42-mile road race) - Hughes

Team champion - Saturn

1999

MEN: Christian Vande Velde made it four in a row for the U.S. Postal Service. Led to the finish by the previous year's winner (Vaughters) Vande Velde paid his dues to reach the top step of the victory's podium. Saturn and Mercury were close behind. This was the second, and final, year of racing at the California Speedway, a NASCAR track in Fontana.

Top finishers - 1. Christian Vande Velde, U.S. Postal Service; 2. Frank McCormack, Saturn, 0:39; 3. Scott Moninger, Mercury, 0:56

Stage winners

• Prologue - Marcus Aledia, Team DeFeet
• Stage 1 (44-mile circuit race) - David Clinger, Mercury
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Roland Green, Team GT
• Stage 3 (25.2-mile circuit race) - Gord Fraser, Mercury
• Stage 4 (106-mile road race) - Jonathan Vaughters, U.S. Postal Service
• Stage 5 (90-minute criterium) - Fraser
• Stage 6 (92-mile road race) - Frank McCormack, Saturn

Team champion - Saturn

WOMEN: Alison Dunlap, always standing on a podium somewhere, it seems, kept slamming away at the top U.S. team in the field - Saturn.

Resting atop Saturn's team was all-around cyclist Lyne Bessette, who was spending her first season on the top North American team. It was one former champion against another looking to win at Redlands for the first time. Bessette had some stars working with her, namely teammates Nicole Reinhart, Clara Hughes and DeDe Demet. Dunlap was stalwart, but she was 30 seconds behind after the final stage.

Dunlap put the pressure on by winning the 70-mile chase up the mountain to Oak Glen. Bessette kept the leader's jersey, protecting it the entire week without winning a stage.

Top finishers - 1. Lyne Bessette, Saturn; 2. Alison Dunlap, Team GT, 0:30; 3. Cybil DiGuistini, Elita, 1:02

Stage winners:

• Prolog - Nicole Freedman, Clif Bar
• Stage 1 (31-mile circuit race) - Dara Rogers, Team Helen's
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - DeDe Demet, Saturn
• Stage 3 (25-mile criterium) - Nicole Reinhart, Saturn
• Stage 4 (76-mile road race) - Dunlap
• Stage 5 (1-hour criterium) - Suzanne Sonye, Team Helen's
• Stage 6 (42-mile road race) - Carmen Richardson, Volvo-Cannondale

Team champion - Saturn

2000

MEN: Chris Horner started perhaps the closest thing to a dynasty run at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. Winning for Team Mercury, the energetic cyclist had himself quite a showdown. He won, but not by much. The victory margin was so small, it would've taken a microscope an hour to focus on the tiniest of differences. It was even tinier than that.

Horner beat Colorado/7-Up's David Zabriskie by virtue of a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rule that uses a hundredths of a second difference in the street sprint prologue and individual time trial. Horner got the yellow jersey after the riders completed the six days in 11 hours, 8 minutes and 59 seconds. He cashed in on the top prizes offered among the $29,975, counting the $2,000 for the yellow jersey.

Top three - 1. Chris Horner, Mercury; 2. David Zabriskie, Colorado/7-Up, same time (Horner won on criteria); 3. Trent Klasna, Saturn, 0:13

Stage winners:

• Prologue (street sprint) - Todd Littlehales
• Stage 1 (51-mile circuit race) - Clark Sheehan, Colorado/7-Up
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Dylan Casey, U.S. Postal Service
• Stage 3 (93-mile road race) - Trent Klasna, Saturn
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Sylvain Beauchamp, Shaklee
• Stage 5 (88-mile road race) - Trent Klasna, Saturn

Team champion - Saturn

WOMEN: Alison Dunlap took on Saturn's top gun, Lyne Bessette, and won the six-stage event for Team GT without the benefit of a team. Though she got some support from other cyclists, Dunlap proved she was strongest in the field. Dunlap struck and struck and struck. Saturn had no answer for the sensational mountain bike cyclist.

The women's races were worth just short of $20,000.

Top three - 1. Alison Dunlap, Team GT; 2. Lyne Bessette, Saturn, 1:35; 3. Leigh Hobson, Charles Schwab, 2:00

Stage winners:

• Prologue (street sprint) - Nicole Reinhart, Saturn
• Stage 1 (37-mile circuit race) - Dunlap
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Dunlap
• Stage 3 (66-mile road race) - Caroline Alexander, Great Britain National Team
• Stage 4 (1-hour criterium) - Petra Rossner, Saturn
• Stage 5 (52-mile road race) - Clara Hughes, Saturn

Team champion - Saturn

2001

MEN: Trent Klasna beat a true international field. Redlands became affiliated with the Union Cycliste Internationale, which helped load the field with European-based teams including Mapei-Quick Step, Gerolsteiner, and others.

Team Saturn was ready. So was Mercury. Redlands, making its debut at the Mount Rubidoux Time Trials, drew a small but somewhat curious local crowd in the older section of Riverside.

Top three - 1. Trent Klasna, Saturn; 2. Chris Horner, Mercury, 1:54. 3. Roland Green, U.S. Postal, 2:28

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3.1-mile time trial) - Green
• Stage 1 (99-mile road race) - Gord Fraser, Mercury
• Stage 2 (10-mile time trial) - Green
• Stage 3 (102-mile road race) - Klasna
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Horner
• Stage 5 (88-mile road race) - Levi Leipheimer, U.S. Postal

Team champion - Mercury

WOMEN: Genevieve Jeanson, legs churning hard, was the recipient of a crash that involved her closest and strongest rival, Lyne Bessette. The Saturn rider, along with teammate Ina Teutenberg, were wiped out in a finish-line crash at the line of a road race in Highland.

Jeanson, in theory, had no one close to her racing legs that week. Saturn did its best to keep up with the flow, but Kimberly Bruckner - second for the week - couldn't overcome the young Canadian. Four-time Olympic gold medalist Jeannie Longo was in the field, but the French superstar had yet to hit mid-season form. She didn't make a single appearance on the podium.

Top finishers - 1. Genevieve Jeanson, Rona; 2. Kimberly Bruckner, Saturn; 3. Alison Dunlap, Team GT

Stage winners:

• Prolog (3.1-mile time trial) - Jeanson
• Stage 1 (43-mile road race) - Nicole Freedman, Credit Suisse
• Stage 2 (12-mile time trial) - Jeanson
• Stage 3 (77-mile road race) - Jeanson
• Stage 4 (60-minute criterium) - Katrina Berger, 800.com
• Stage 5 (62-mile road race) - Jeanson

Team champion - Autotrader.com

2002

MEN: Horner's team, Mercury, had disbanded, which left some top cyclists scrambling for other teams. Horner, meanwhile, wound up on the roster of Prime Alliance with a number of younger cyclists.

When the final event concluded, Horner tipped his cap to the younger riders on his team. Saying he used them until they reached the maximum potential, Horner walked away wearing yellow - again.

Top finishers - 1. Chris Horner, Prime Alliance; 2. Roland Green, Canadian National, 0:40; 3. Soren Peterson, Saturn, 1:10.

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3.1-mile time trial) - Horner
• Stage 1 (40-mile circuit race) - Horner
• Stage 2 (92-mile road race) - Green
• Stage 3 (90-minute criterium) - Charles Dionne, 7-Up/Nutra Fig
• Stage 4 (88-mile road race) - Harm Jansen, Saturn

Team champion - Saturn

WOMEN: Saturn had a plan to knock off previous year's winner, Genevieve Jeanson. Mission accomplished.

Key to the ascension was that rugged climb up to Oak Glen, taken on the Classic's third day, a 53-miler. Arndt won by plenty, thus virtually sealing the yellow jersey. Two days later, she came back to whip the field in a 42-mile road race that Jeanson had won convincingly one year earlier.

Top finishers - 1. Judith Arndt, Saturn; 2. Genevieve Jeanson, Rona, 10:30. 3. Andrea Hannos, Rona, 11:57

Stage winners:

• Prolog (3.1-mile time trial) - Jeanson
• Stage 1 (34-mile circuit race) - Jeanson
• Stage 2 (53-mile road race) - Arndt
• Stage 3 (60-minute criterium) - Nicole Freedman, Rona
• Stage 4 (42-mile road race) - Arndt

Team champion - Saturn

2003

MEN: With his third team in three years, Chris Horner made it two yellow jerseys in a row while riding for the USA's strongest domestic team. In the absence of Division I U.S. Postal Service, Saturn came with Horner, Trent Klasna and Tom Danielson - the eventual 1-2-3 finishers at the 19th Annual Classic.

Top finishers - 1. Chris Horner, Saturn; 2. Nathan O'Neill; Saturn, 0:03; 3. Tom Danielson, Saturn, 0:43

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3.1-mile time trial) - Nathan O'Neill, Saturn
• Stage 1 (60-mile circuit race) - Gord Fraser, Health Net
• Stage 2 (92-mile road race) - O'Neill
• Stage 3 (63-mile circuit race) - John Lieswyn, 7-Up
• Stage 4 (90-minute criterium) - Charles Dionne, Saturn
• Stage 5 (XX-mile road race) - Tom Danielson, Saturn

Team champion - Saturn

WOMEN: Genevieve Jeanson was back in form. Judith Arndt, the winner in 2002, had left Saturn, which left the USA's top team without a rider to challenge the usually form-perfect Jeanson of Team Rona.

Finishing up in third was a rider, Manon Jutras, who had ridden with Jeanson's Rona team one year before. Now she was the second Saturn cyclist to reach the victory podium, alongside teammate Lyne Bessette.

Top finishers - 1. Genevieve Jeanson, Team Rona; 2. Lyne Bessette, Saturn, 12:52; 3. Manon Jutras, Saturn, 12:56.

Stage winners:

• Prologue (3.1-mile time trial) - Jeanson
• Stage 1 (34-mile circuit race) - Ina Teutenberg, Saturn
• Stage 2 (74-mile road race) - Jeanson
• Stage 3 (63-mile circuit race) - Jeanson
• Stage 4 (60-minute criterium) - Teutenberg
• Stage 5 (42-mile road race) - Jeanson

Team champion - Team Rona

2004

MEN:  The 20th Anniversary of the Redlands Bicycle Classic saw a familiar face at the top of the winner’s podium.  Chris Horner won the yellow jersey for the third year in a row, this year riding for Webcor Builders, his fourth team in four years.

Top finishers – 1. Chris Horner, Webcor;  2. Cesar Grajales, Jittery Joe’s, 2:02;  3. Adam Bergman, Jelly Belly/Aramark, 3:36.

Stage Winners:

• Prologue (5 km time trial) – Chris Horner, Webcor Builders
• Stage 1 (138 km road race) -            Chris Horner, Webcor Builders
• Stage 2 (172 km road race) – Chris Horner, Webcor Builders
• Stage 3 (98 km circuit race) – Ivan Dominguez, Colavita Olive Oil
• Stage 4 (90 minute Criterium) – Alex Candelario, Jelly Belly/Aramark
• Stage 5 (142 km road race) – Charles Dionne, Webcor Builders

Team Champion – Health Net/Maxxis

WOMEN:  Lyne Bessette, riding for the Quark Cycling team won the 20th Anniversary of the Redlands Bicycle Classic.  Lyne previously won the event in 1999 and finished second in 2000.

Top finishers – 1. Lyne Bessette, Quark;  2. Genvieve Jeanson, Rona, 1:53;  3. Christine Armstrong, Webcor Builders, 2:32

Stage Winners:

• Prologue (5 km time trial) – Genvieve Jeanson, Rona
• Stage 1 (86 km road race) – Genvieve Jeanson, Rona
• Stage 2 (129 km road race) – Lyne Bessette, Quark
• Stage 3 (68 km circuit race) – Kristin Armstrong, T-Mobile
• Stage 4 (60 minute Criterium) – Tina Pic, Genesis Scuba/FFCC
• Stage 5 (100 km road race) – Nicole Demars, Victory Brewing

Team Champion – Quark

2005

MEN:  After winning for three consecutive years Chris Horner did not return to defend his crown.  Chris Wherry of Health Net/Maxxis won this year’s yellow jersey by a narrow margin over Trent Lowe of Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari.

Top finishers – 1. Chris Wherry, Health Net/Maxxis;  2. Trent Lowe, Jitter Joe’s-Kalahari, 0:07;  3.  Liam Kileen, California Giant/Village Peddler, 0:31

Stage Winners:

• Prologue (5 km time trial) – Chris Wherry, Health Net/Maxxis
• Stage 1 (172 km road race) – Trent Lowe, Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari
• Stage 2 (90 minute Criterium) – Juan Jose Haedo, Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home
• Stage 3 (148 lm road race) - Juan Jose Haedo, Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home

Team Champion – Team Redlands – Jelly Belly

Women:  Olympian and 3rd place finisher in the 2004 Redlands Bicycle Classic, Christine Thorburn riding for Webcor Builders won the yellow jersey in a tightly contested race over Kimberly Baldwin and Annette Beutler.

Top finishers – 1. Christine Thorburn, Webcor Builders;  2. Kimberly Baldwin, T-Mobile, 0:06;  3. Annette Beutler, Quark, 0:07

Stage Winners:

• Prologue (5 km time trial) – Christine Thorburn, Webcor Builders
• Stage 1 (129 km road race) – Annette Beutler, Quark
• Stage 2 (60 minute Criterium) – Ina Yoko Teutenberg, T-Mobile
• Stage 3 (100 km road race) – Ina Yoko Teutenberg, T-Mobile

Team Champion – T-Mobile