April 3/03 8:57 am - Redlands Stage 2: Jeanson & O'Neill

Posted by Editoress on 04/3/03
 

Jeanson & O'Neill take Stage 2 at Redlands
Courtesy Team Saturn

Saturn's O'Neill wins his second stage at Redlands and moves back into Yellow, Jeanson extends her lead as she wins another

The third stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic took the riders through the surrounding suburbs of Redlands and out to the infamous Oak Glen climb. Typically a title decider, today's stage proved to be no different, with current race leader Genevieve Jeanson extending her lead an almost insurmountable amount, and Saturn furthering their lead of the first two podium spots, with Nathan O'Neill reclaiming Yellow over teammate Chris Horner.

In the men's race the Saturn Team dominated the front of the race allowing two to go up the road. Schroeder Iron's Adam Livingston and Team West Virginia's Wes Seigler spent most of the day off the front of the peloton with the Saturn Team monitoring the time splits to ensure that Horner's lead was not jeopardized. About 20 kilometers from the bottom of the climb the group came back together, with Seigler having held off the Saturn train by himself from the third Mountain Sprint to about the 30 kilometer to go mark.

The final run into the base of the climb saw the Saturn Team echeloned across the road in the cross winds, with riders succumbing to the pressure and losing contact off the back of the group. On the first kick of the climb only about 75 competitors remained and by the half way mark only five were left. Saturn teammates, Horner, O'Neill, and Tom Danielson were marked by Jonathon Vaughters and Roland Green. O'Neill set the pace, eventually tempo-ing off the front of the group with not even his own teammates able to stay with him. Finally Vaughters and Green lost contact, with Horner still trying to match his pace, but in the end, it was O'Neill for the win by about 15 seconds over Horner. Green finished third, Vaughters fourth only seconds behind, and Danielson rounded out the top five. O'Neill's ride moved him into Yellow, with Horner in second. Saturn still has a strong lead of the team competition and will be the team to beat in tomorrow's circuit race.

The women's race was animated by the Saturn Team as they began the attacks early in the race. After the first sprint, a break set up by Saturn's Laura Van Gilder cleared the field. Like yesterday, Dede Barry and Ina Teutenberg found themselves off the front of the field and putting time into a well organized and efficient Rona Team. The twosome gained one minute on the race leader Jeanson with Rona keeping pace behind them like a well oiled machine. Content that this would not threaten Jeanson's jersey, the Rona Team rode a controlled tempo at the front, and thereby neutralizing all attacks and keeping Jeanson well rested and out of the wind.

Around 30 kilometers to go, Saturn and T-Mobile, unwilling to ride with the entire peloton the bottom of the climb began to attack the Rona Team with a break almost immediately splintering off the front. Saturn's Manon Jutras, Kimberly Bruckner (T-Mobile), Sue Hayward and Jeanson quickly put time into a now relieved field. Despite a wrong turn, the group caught Barry, still solo, having shed Teutenberg, bringing the count in the break up to five. Hayward quickly lost contact and left the four with Barry taking her last shot at Jeanson on the bottom of the climb. Jeanson came to terms with the T-Mobile rider as they hit the climb, and from there, Jeanson did what she does best - went up hill fast. Jutras managed to hang on the young Canadian's rear wheel for a bit, while Bruckner lost contact immediately. Soon, however, Jutras could not keep pace and dropped off, with Jeanson just dancing up the climb.

Jutras managed to stay clear of Bruckner for a few kilometers, but slowly Bruckner brought her back. Jutras then sat on the wheel of Bruckner as they ascended the climb. Behind these two, Amber Neben and Lyne Bessette made their way up the climb, sitting about 33 seconds off the back of their two teammates. With two kilometers to go, Bruckner dislodged Jutras. Behind them, Bessette attacked a half a kilometer later, dropping Neben and then catching her teammate. As Jeanson rode solo to the finish line, nearly three minutes up on Bruckner in second, the two Saturn teammates did their best to minimize the time Bruckner was taking out of them. In the end, second placed Bruckner finished about 25 seconds up on Bessette in third and Jutras in fifth. Neben rounded out the top ten. The overall now sees Jeanson with a very comfortable cushion over Bruckner in second and Jutras and Bessette behind in third and fourth.

Tomorrow's circuit race features a fierce climb, billed as the toughest climb in any American Cycling event, and should see more of the same fireworks as were witnessed on the cold and cloudy slopes of Mount Glen today.

Results: (Unofficial at time of report)

Men
1. Nathan O'Neill - Saturn
2. Chris Horner - Saturn
3. Roland Green - Canada- Trek/VW
4. Jonathon Vaughters - Prime Alliance
5. Tom Danielson - Saturn

Women
1. Genevieve Jeanson - Rona
2. Kimberly Bruckner - T-Mobile
3. Lyne Bessette - Saturn
4. Manon Jutras - Saturn5. Amber Neben - T-Mobile