Evelyn Stevens makes HTC-Highroad 1-2
Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) won the uphill opening prologue of the Redlands Bicycle Classic. The 2008 World time trial champion, who won the time trial and the overall at the recent San Dimas Stage Race, completed the 3.7 mile (6km) course in 11’12”, 8 seconds ahead of teammate Evelyn Stevens and 13 seconds ahead of Erinne Willock (Tibco-To the Top).
“It was a hot one today,” saif Neben after her victory. “Not much of a consistency in the course- it surged sporadically with a few quick, steep climbs and a false flat toward the end. So it was a challenge but I was able to set the team up for a good start.”
For Stevens, who raced in the Trofeo Alfred Binda in Cittiglio, Italy at the weekend, this was the first US race of the season, having flown in from Europe just two days ago.
“It’s really a ten-minute effort out here and it’s tough to find a rhythm,” She said, “but my new bike performed beautifully, and now we have a lot of cards to play into the weekend.”
Neben and Stevens’ HTC-Highroad teammate Amanda Miller made the early running with a time of 12’01”; she was to be pushed off the top of the standings soon afterwards by Andrea Dvorak (Colavita-Forno d’Asolo), who went 19 seconds quicker with 11’42”.
Canadian Erinne Willock (Tibco-To the Top) took a further 17 seconds off Dvorak’s time though, with 11’25”, before Neben and Stevens both went quicker.
For the HTC-Highroad team, having two riders at the top of the standings as the race heads into tomorrow’s City of Beaumont Road Race.
“We’re going to race smart tomorrow,” said Neben. “We’ve got three people who can win it and we’re going to set one of us up for a victory.”
Result prologue
1. Amber Neben (USA) HTC-Highroad 3.7 miles in 11’12”
2. Evelyn Stevens (USA) HTC-Highroad @ 8s
3. Erinne Willock (Can) Tibco-To the Top @ 13s
4. Andrea Dvorak (USA) Colavita-Forno d’Asolo @ 30s
5. Kristin Armstrong (USA) Peanut Butter & Co-TWENTY12 @ 34s