March 20/99 8:24 am - Redden Takes Sea Otter Lead!

Posted by Editor on 03/20/99
 

Redden Moves Into Leader's Jersey

We just got off the telephone with Chrissy Redden (Team Ritchey/Yahoo!), who was very happy to report that she has taken over the lead in the Sea Otter Classic. Today was the criterium - a 25 minute race that was, in Chrissy's words: "It was really, really hard. It was slippery and the (track) was so slow." Chrissy reports that Alison Sydor (Volvo-Cannondale) and Alison Dunlap (GT) took off early and a chase group consisting of herself, Annabella Stropparo, Gunn-Rita Dahle and Caroline Alexander gradually reeled them in. After the foursome caught the front pair, Dunlap was dropped (as was Stropparo) and then Sydor attacked again. Sydor was caught and Chrissy launched her own attack. "I went really hard, trying to get time (on GC leader Dunlap). I stayed away and went super hard on the final climb, but on the last jump of the descent Gunn-Rita just flew by me, and then it was too close to the finish." Caroline Alexander came third, and Alison Sydor 5th. However, while Dahle may have won the stage, Chrissy took over the leader's jersey. She had no time split when she called ("they are really slow with results"), but hopes to carry through her standing tomorrow in the cross-country. Chrissy also said that the race tomorrow is expected to be really hard - two and half to two and three quarter hours long (as a comparison, most World Cups are just under two hours). If it continues to rain (as it has been for most of the week), the race will be even more difficult.

As a technical note, Chrissy said that she is really pleased with how well the prototype 2x10 ritchey system is working. "I think it really helped during the time trial, the gear choices were great, and Tom (Ritchey) is here working with us on the system."