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Redlands Cycling Classic 2009

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Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and the Columbia-Highroad team succeeded in winning their second stage of the Redlands Classic on Saturday. Teutenberg took the bunch sprint at the downtown criterium ahead of Tina Pic (Colavita) and Gina Grain (Webcor).

The stage win and a sprint midway through the race gave Teutenberg the time bonus seconds needed to move to within three seconds of the overall race lead with one stage remaining.

Though the field stayed together, prime laps as well as three sprinter’s points laps made for some exciting sprints to the line. Seehafer (Team Type 1) was first across the line for each of the sprinter’s laps, bringing her just 2 points from taking the green sprinter’s jersey away from Teutenberg, whose stage win points bonus kept her in the lead.

In the end though, it came to a bunch sprint and Ina Yoko Teutenberg, outsprinted Tina Pic of Colavita-Sutter Home and Webcor Builders’s Gina Grain. Teutenberg gained a 10 second time bonus for the win and this brought her closer to Neben. Teutenberg now trails Amber Neben by 14 seconds with two stages remaining.

Ina Yoko Teutenberg (Team Columbia Highroad) said of the race, “It was hard, it was in the gutter the last 10K,” Teutenberg said. “The finish came so quick, I was in good position to jump on Tibco’s train.”  “It was too fast for attacks to go,” Teutenberg said while waiting for the podium. “It was pretty obvious it would come down to a bunch sprint.” We wanted to try to get a break up the road to shake up the GC  so we were very aggressive. There was a good break at one point with Alex [Wrubleski – Teutenberg’s Team Columbia-Highroad teammate] in it. But that came back so we went for the stage win." 

"The team did a really good job of keeping it together for the field sprint at the end. We're happy with the win." She said that teams began setting their sprinters up with about two laps to go. “It was pretty much Tina, Gina, and me up front there. I had Kim there, and Webcor took over and I was able to get on the Webcor lead-out. I was pretty much the first sprinter on the finishing straight, and it’s a really short finish stretch, so it’s hard to make up the bike lengths you’ve fallen behind once you get around the corner.”

"We're really happy with the win today," said Teutenberg. "The girls did a great job of keeping it together so that I could sprint for seconds. It's getting close," said Teutenberg. "It's all coming down to time bonus seconds."

"Now we just have to try to stay with [Amber] Neben on the climbs tomorrow. It's a tough course but we'll give it our best. We have Mara [Abbott] within 40 seconds on GC too and Alex [Wrubleski] who won the final stage last year can do something tomorrow. So we know what we're up against. We just have to try everything," added Teutenberg.

Tina Pic (Colivita-Sutter) said she made minor mistakes in the final few turns. “I kinda messed up, I think,” Pic said. “I needed to go a little bit earlier.” Pic ended up on Teutenberg’s wheel, and agreed with Teutenberg that making up those extra bike lengths after the last corner is a long shot.

Gina Grain (Webcor Builders) said her mistake involved a miscalculation, too. Her plan was to leave a gap and slingshot off Teutenberg’s wheel. “I didn’t leave enough of a gap, and it didn’t give me enough speed to pass Ina, I think my plan backfired, and my slingshot was for Tina!” she said with a laugh.

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