February 16/09 12:00 pm - Amgen Tour of California

Posted by Editoress on 02/16/09
 

Amgen Tour of California - Women's Criterium February 15th, Santa Rosa CA
Press release

Welcomed by thousands of fans lining the streets of Santa Rosa, Stage 1 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California featured the second-annual Women's Criterium presented by the Redwood Regional Breast Center. Emilia Fahlin (SWE), the youngest member of Team Columbia-Highroad, won the criterium race with an impressive performance besting an outstanding field of international competitors.

The first event of the 2009 season on the National Racing Calendar (NRC), the Women's Criterium took part over portions of the Stage 1 men's finishing circuit in Santa Rosa. The second-annual event consisted of a field of 88 riders competing for more than $15,000 in prizes. Set as a category Pro 1,2 race and with a limit of eight riders per team, the Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium showcased some of the world's top professional women's cycling teams, including defending champion Brooke Miller of Team TIBCO, who finished 15th overall.

"The 2009 Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium was a huge success," said Laura Charameda, race director, Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium. "We had an amazing representation from the top women's teams. With the support of AEG, which believes in building great events for both men and women, I look forward to the opportunity to help grow this event into the most important race in the world for professional women cyclists."

Emilia Fahlin, overall winner of the Women's Criterium and current National Champion of Sweden, took several important wins in the 2008 season, including the Merced Criterium and Merco Cycling Classic Road Race. Fahlin also took a stage win in the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic. In 2007, she took second place in the Sparkassen Giro Bochum.

"When I was here last year, I finished third," said Fahlin, winner of the second-annual Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium. "I really enjoyed the race last year with the big crowds, so I wanted to do better. Getting to win here was really fun and great way to start the season; very motivating."

Rounding out the top three were Lauren Tamayo (USA) of Team TIBCO in second and Rachel Lloyd (USA) of Proman in third. Tamayo took first in the 2008 Women's International Challenge and the 2008 Atlanta 10K Classic. Lloyd won the 2008 Single Speed World Championship Mountain Bike Race.

America's most successful cycling race, the Amgen Tour of California, is a more than 750-mile, nine-day stage race, modeled after the Tour de France. One of the nation's largest and most recognized annual sports events, this international, world-class cycling road race features 17 elite professional teams and athletes from around the world, competing for the highest prize purse of any cycling race in North America. The Amgen Tour of California brings the drama and excitement of a professional cycling stage race to the California coast for a fourth year in 2009, from Feb. 14-22.

"Returning to Santa Rosa for the second-annual Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium was an obvious choice after the incredible turnout last year," said Andrew Messick, president, AEG Sports, presenter of the race. "There are a lot of passionate cycling fans watching the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, so we wanted to utilize that opportunity to showcase the amazing talent of these professional women cyclists as well. We remain committed to presenting women's cycling and will look for ways to help promote and grow women's cycling in the coming months and years."

Results
1 Emila Fahlin (Team Columbia Highroad Wm)
2 Lauren Tamayo (Team Tibco)
3 Rachel Lloyd (Proman)
4 Karla Kingsley (Sugar CRM)
5 Sarah Bamberger (Touchstone Climbing)
6 Kelly Benjamin (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
7 Kristen McGrath (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)
8 Olivia Dillion (Touchstone Climbing)
9 Katheryn Mattis (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
10 Robin Farina (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)
11 Jenifer Reither (Vanderkitten)
12 Kim Anderson (Team Columbia Highroad Wm)
13 Meridith Miller (Team Tibco)
14 Ina Teutenberg (Team Columbia Highroad Wm)
15 Brooke Miller (Team Tibco)
16 Gina Grain (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
17 Martina Patella (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)
18 Vanessa Drigo (Hopkins Honda)
19 Mary Maroon (Vanderkitten)
20 Laura Van Gilder (Sugar CRM)
21 Alex Wrubleski (Team Columbia Highroad Wm)
22 Mary Ellen Ash (Sugar CRM)
23 Jenifer Wilson (Vanderkitten)
24 Kristen Drumm (KD Enterprises)
25 Tina Pic (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
26 Helene Drumm (Proman Hit Squad)
27 Janel Robertson (Metromint Cycling)
28 Amy Dombroski (Webcor Cycling Team)
29 Amber Rais (Team Tibco)
30 Yukie Nakamura (Metromint Cycling)
31 Cari Higgins (Proman)
32 Anna Davenport (Zeitgeist/Ultimate Fit)
33 Kristen Meshberg (BH USA)
34 Carol Irving (Touchstone Climbing)
35 Starla Teddergreen (Sugar CRM)
36 Emily Zell (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)
37 Jadine Riley (Team Group Health)
38 Lauren Hecht (Webcor Cycling Team)
39 Patricia Bailey (Wines of Washington)
40 Liza Rachetto (Sugar CRM)
41 Nicole Evans (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
42 Rebecca Much (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
43 Christina Ruiter (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)
44 Heather Logan (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
45 Shontell Gauthier (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
46 Erica Allar (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
47 Lindsey Meyers (Sugar CRM)
48 Rae Brownsberger (Webcor Alto Velo)
49 Alison Rosenthal (TIBCO)
50 Melissa Sanborn (Vanderkitten)
51 Alison Starnes (Team Tibco)
52 Erinne Willock (Webcor Builders Cycling Team)
53 Stacy Marple (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
54 Nichole Wangsgard (Colavita Sutter-Home/Cooking Lt)
55 Mara Abbott (Team Columbia Highroad Wm)
56 Kristen Sanders (ValueAct Capitol Cycling Team)