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The Redlands Bicycle Classic was Jittery Joe’s second race of the new season, falling a week after The San Dimas Stage Race. The Bean Team consisted of the same riders as at San Dimas, the only change was myself replacing Jared Barrilleaux. This was to be my first race with the team and in fact my first race here in America, and I was thrown in the deep end on the first day with a 5km up hill time trial.
While only short the opening time trial was going to test the field with hardly any flat sections a very hard 5km’s would insure many sizeable time gaps. Neil Shirley put in a great effort to finish in 10th place, only 19 seconds adrift of stage winner Rory Sutherland (HealthNet). This placed Neil in a good position to chase the general classification.
Stage two had traditionally concluded with a hill top finish, this year however saw a change with the stage run over 5 laps of a 25 mile circuit. The laps did not look too hard on paper but the speed of the course resulted in hard racing. With a large field of nearly 200 racers the first lap was ridden at a hot pace. Many small groups jumped off the front of the pack but none were given any leeway. On the second lap racing had settled down and a group of five riders broke away. With many riders feeling the pinch from the first lap the group was allowed a generous time gap before the chase was started. Unfortunately The Bean Team did not have any riders in the break, but with Neil Shirley in a good position on the overall classification we joined in the chase at the front of the peloton. However with a rider of the caliber of Santiago Botero (Rock Racing) in the break it was not an easy chase. Botero went on to win the stage, one minute and 46 seconds in front of the chasing pack. His breakaway counterparts held on for the minor placings, this pushed Neil back to 14th on the general classification.
Stage three was a criterium around the streets of Redlands, the small circuit consisted of no less than eight corners. This was to be a harsh introduction to American Crit racing for myself. The pace was set high from the start by Rock Racing, riding the front for current race leader Botero, With over 150 riders still in the race it provided for some scary moments in the back of the bunch. Four riders managed to escape from the field and gain a small margin at the finish, Jeff Louder (BMC) took the honors. Jonny Cantwell rode well in the final laps to take 10th place in the stage–a good result in his first NRC race with The Bean Team.
The final stage was by far the toughest of the tour, twelve laps of a hilly circuit on the outskirts of Redlands. The stage didn’t start so well, with Cody Stevenson being caught in an early crash as people jostled for position before the opening climb. The field quickly thinned out once the climbing started. The Bean Team was placed in a good position, with many of the riders still in the front with only 3 circuits to go. This lap however was when the pace really came on, and the peloton splintered into many groups, eventually reforming with 25 riders in the front. Jittery Joe’s were represented by Neil Shirley and Evan Elken in the front. Despite many attacks on the last circuit a bunch of 25 riders arrived at the finish line in Redlands. Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita) took the flowers. While Evan Elken claimed Jittery Joe’s best result of the tour positioning himself perfectly in the final sprint to take 4th place in what was the hardest stage of the tour. Neil Shirley moved up to place 11th on the final general classification.
The hard luck award of the week has to go to Matt Shriver, in the opening road stage Matt punctured and after a hard chase, he punctured again! Unfortunately there were no race support vehicles there to provide Matt with a spare wheel. He had to hitch a ride with some supporters watching the race. This meant Matt was unable to start the following day. One good thing to come out of it was that he was eligible to race the support criterium on Sunday. The crit attracted a top field, being won by Hilton Clarke (Toyota), Matt road a great race taking second behind Hilton. Matt is showing he has some good form coming into the next block of racing.
The Jittery Joe’s team had a strong showing at Redlands, placing someone in the top ten of every stage bar one. The team has started the program late this year, but with the strength within the team I am sure we will be a team to watch at Tour de Georgia and through the rest of the season.

See you out there! –Ryan Sullivan

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