Sabo, Brown take Stage 4 wins as GC
battles tighten at Redlands Bicycle Classic
Ella Sabo (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) and Jim Brown (L39ION of Los Angeles) claimed victories in the Stage 4 downtown criterium at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, presented by Arrowhead Orthopaedics, with both races coming down to fast, tactical finishes that reshaped the general classification ahead of the final stage.
Sabo delivered a hometown win in the women’s race, sprinting to victory in 1:14:30 to take her second stage win of the week ahead of Lauren Stephens (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) and Heather Fischer (Analog Racing Team), with the top five all finishing on the same time.
“Oh my goodness, it was incredible. That was a hard race,” Sabo said. “People wanted things to get away, but they were always there. The girls just bossed up. I’m just so proud of everybody. They all believed in me again, so it feels so great to pull it off again — and to do it here in front of my family is so awesome.”
Raced over a 1-mile criterium course, the women’s event saw constant pressure from teams looking to force a break, but the race ultimately stayed together, setting up a high-speed sprint finish.
Sabo’s Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 squad controlled much of the race, repeatedly shutting down moves and positioning their leader for the finale.
“They were killers,” Sabo said of her teammates. “After a hard day yesterday, we were feeling it a bit, but we rallied and got it done.”
Following Stage 4, Stephens leads the general classification in 5:06:51, holding a 15-second advantage over Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28), with Jamie Chapman (Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment) third at 1:01 back. Katherine Rusch and Katherine Sarkisov round out the top five at 1:24 and 1:39, respectively.
With bonus seconds awarded on the stage, 10 to the winner, six to second and four to third, the gaps remain tight heading into the final day.
“Tomorrow will be a battle for sure,” Sabo said. “But I’m glad to do it with this team.”
Jim Brown (L3GION of Los Angeles) sprints to victory on Stage 4
Photo: ©VeloImages
Men’s Race
In the men’s race, Brown timed his effort perfectly to win the 1-mile circuit criterium in 1:30:54, outkicking Luke Elphingstone (Project Echelon) and Alejandro Che (Kelly Benefits Cycling), with all three riders credited with the same time.
“Last year, I was second here, and Danny Summerhill just got the jump on me coming into the last three corners,” Brown said. “So I made sure that it was me getting the jump this time. I was first into the last corner and still had enough left to finish it off.”
The men’s race, featuring 185 starters, featured aggressive racing throughout with a 3-man breakaway that escaped including, Ryan Drummond (Competitive Edge Racing), Michael Garrison (Team Unknown), and Andrew Carr (Voler Factory Racing). As a result, Carr now leads the points classification for his efforts. The trio held up to a 25-second gap but was caught with less than 5 laps to, leaving the outcome to be decided by a bunch sprint.
The yellow jersey, Eder Frayre (L39ION of Los Angeles), crossed the line in fifth missing crucial time bonus seconds awarded to the top three finishers. Eric Brunner (Project Echelon Racing) crossed the line just behind Frayre, sliding back into the lead after earning 2-seconds in the intermedia time bonus sprints.
Following the stage, Eric Brunner (Project Echelon) leads the general classification in 6:06:28, holding a two-second advantage over Frayre, with Owen Cole (Team Winston Salem) third at 6:06:31, just three seconds off the lead, further tightening an already razor-thin GC battle heading into the final stage.
“The main job was to protect our leader,” Brown said. “If it got messy, I was going to start riding as well. The secondary aim was to go for the stage, and that worked out. He came through safe, but I think we may have lost the jersey on time bonuses. We’ll try to get it back tomorrow.”
2026 Redlands Bicycle Classic Criterium Results
Top Photo – Redlands native Ella Sabo takes second stage win for Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28
Photo: VeloImages
