April 5, 2008
Contact:
Brian
McCulloch
Tel: 951-313-4322
Women's Teams Battled it out in the Redlands Bicycle
Classic's Stage Two Race
Redlands, Calif. - April 5, 2008 - A mass of wheels
settled against each other as the professional women
cyclists lined up in downtown Redlands for day three
of racing in the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The Stage
Two 1.2 mile downtown Redlands criterium race, sponsored
by 1st Centennial Bank/KWB Wealth Managers, brought opportunities
for riders to push ahead and grab the winning title.
19-year-old rising Swedish star Emilia Fahlin from Team
High Road sprinted across the finish line first, with
Alex Wrubleski, from Webcor Builders, and Brenda Lyons,
from Advil/Chapstick rounding out the top three. Mara
Abbott, with High Road continued her lead in overall
points.
The criterium race zips through downtown Redlands, giving
riders technical corners and numerous opportunities for
attacks. Place changes and fast paces created an ebb
and flow, leaving the crowd guessing who would strike
the hardest and pull ahead. "This course has a lot
of corners and fast laps, which I like," said Fahlin,
who was 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 had to keep her
wheels spinning. "After I took off seconds for the
first bonus I was a little tired, so I had to push it."
Mara Abbott, Fahlin's teammate, looks forward to tomorrow's
Sunset race closer. "Every year Sunset is a good
race, with something unexpected always happening. It's
a great course."
Today's event also honored a seasoned rider with extraordinary
talent. Scott Moninger was presented with the 2008 Legends
award for his representation of the cycling community,
both on and off the field. Redlands Mayor John Harrison
introduced the award and Dan, the 2008 Redlands Bicycle
Classic race director introduced Moninger with a summary
of his vast accomplishments during his 17 years of racing,
including 275 wins, two NRC championships, and two Redlands
Bicycle Classic victories. "This race has always
been special to me, since 1989" lamented Moninger. "The
community support is what makes it what it is. Thanks
a lot to Redlands."
About the Redlands Bicycle Classic
The Redlands Bicycle Classic is an all-volunteer organization, including the board of directors. The 24th annual Redlands Bicycle Classic is scheduled for April 3-6, 2008. The event was founded in 1985 by a community group chaired by then Mayor Carole Beswick to promote awareness of downtown Redlands. Since that time, professional cyclists from around the world have been racing in this event centered around the city of Redlands, California. The Redlands Bicycle Classic is on the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) National Racing Calendar (NCR).
About PossAbilities
PossAbilities is a community outreach program of Loma Linda University Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic, and Neurosciences Institute. Membership to PossAbilities is free and there are no age restrictions. For more information: www.mypossabilities.com
About the city of Beaumont
The city of Beaumont is a growing community nestled in the San Gorgonio Pass between Mount San Gorgonio and Mount San Jacinto. Founded in 1912, the city has a population approaching 32,000 and was named the fastest growing city in the state of California for the year 2006. Beaumont is attracting a host of newcomers who are eager to enjoy the city's numerous amenities, including a strong history, low crime, high quality of life, and planned growth. Along with an increasing number of residents, many businesses have also moved into the area, resulting in a well balanced community that is becoming known as a great place to live, work, and play.
