April 5, 2008
Contact:
Brian
McCulloch
Tel: 951-313-4322
Stage Two of the Redlands Bicycle Classic Brings Non-stop
Action to Downtown Redlands
Redlands, Calif. - April 5, 2008 - Murmurs of Rock Racing
filled downtown Redlands today as Stage Two of the Redlands
Bicycle Classic brought cyclists one race away from their
glory, with Santiago Botero of Rock Racing leading in
overall points. Botero held onto his overall lead, but
BMC's Jeff Louder won today's stage race, just ahead
of Luis Alberto Amaran with Colavita Sutter Home/Cooking
Light. Third across the line was Ivan Dominguez, from
Toyota United.
For the majority of the 1.2 mile, seven turn downtown
Redlands criterium race, sponsored by 1st Centennial
Bank/KWB Wealth Managers, four cyclists created the breakaway.
Inside three laps to go, the stakes were high and the
action non-stop as the original four reduced to three.
As the pace accelerated to a blistering speeds, and the
peloton continued to hunt down its 18 second lead on
the field, Curtis Gunn, from Successful Living, and Shawn
Milne of Team Type One crashed on the final lap, leaving
third position up for grabs. Dominguez saw the opportunity
and sprinted ahead of the pack.
Louder felt the speed of today's race and was able to
clinch onto his lead, despite the activity behind him. "It
was a bit of a cat and mouse game," said Louder. "The
rest of the group was coming hard. I led through the
last half of the race and was just trying to keep it
up. It was a tricky race. I'm not really a sprinter,
but this race favors a strong technical rider. I don't
have fast legs, but if I get in the lead group, like
today, it works."
Aside from phenomenal action, today's event honored
a racing legend. 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 Rendler, 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.
