Redlands native Ella Sabo led a Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 one-two finish on Stage 2 of the women’s race in Redlands, winning ahead of teammate Olivia Cummins, while Skylar Schneider (L39ION of Los Angeles) rounded out the podium.
Sabo took the victory in 1:39:13 at the end of the 43.2-mile circuit stage, with Cummins second and Schneider third after a speedy race that eventually ended in a bunch gallop to the line outside
of Hanger 24 Brewery.
While the stage itself ended in a sprint, its impact on the general classification was significant. Emily Ehrlich (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28) remains in the overall lead with a total time
of 2:03:19, with Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment teammates Jamie Chapman 39 seconds back and Lauren Stephens at 46 seconds, second and third place respectively.
The 43.2-mile stage, contested over 16 laps of a 2.7-mile circuit, played out on wide, fast roads with four right-hand turns and a gradual uphill finish on Sessums Drive. With no significant
climbs and multiple intermediate sprint opportunities, the peloton remained largely intact throughout, setting up the inevitable bunch sprint.
Speedblock – Terún were in contention for the sprint points, but in the final kilometers, it would be TWENTY28 who secured victory with a textbook lead-out. Sabo surfed the wheels of her teammates through the last lap before being delivered to the front in the finishing straight.
“The last lap was quick… we talked about it before the race,” Sabo said after the stage. “My teammate, Emily… told me, ‘just follow me,’ and she kept me in position. Rylee (McMullen)
took us down the last straight, Marjorie (Rinaldo) took us down the back straight. It was a whole team effort.”
Despite intermediate sprints at 12, 8 and 4 laps to go, and a time bonus sprint with six laps remaining, no breakaway established a meaningful advantage on the flat, fast and windy circuit.
Ehrlich retains the overall lead, while Cummins leads the sprint competition. No Queen of the Mountains points were given on Stage 2.
Redlands Classic now shifts dramatically on Stage 3, where a more selective 9-lap, 4.6-mile circuit could reshape the GC standings. The course features a canyon descent, a rolling section along Fifth Avenue, and a narrowing left onto Walnut Street before a steep climb up Overcrest Drive through tight curves.
A sharp 330-degree left leads onto a 0.2-mile unpaved stretch on Tennessee Road Lane before riders return to pavement and tackle a short, fast climb on 16th Street, finishing with a flat run
back to Sand Canyon.
Mata Claims Stage 2, Brunner Holds Slim GC Lead
Sebastian Mata (Canel’s–Java) sprinted to victory on Stage 2 of the men’s race in Redlands, edging Carlos Garcia (Olinka) and Luke Elphingstone (Project Echelon) in a fast, tightly contested bunch finish that left the general classification tightly packed after 64.8 miles of racing.
“I tried to save the most energy for the end, but super happy to take the win,” Mata said. “This was a goal I had on my calendar for the year…It’s been a dream of mine to get a stage win here and this year I did that.”
The Costa Rican rider, racing for the Mexican-based Canel’s–Java squad, called the victory one of the most meaningful of his career.
Sebastian Mata sprints to victory on Stage 2 for Canel’s – Java
Photo: ©Veloimages
“I love Redlands, this is one of my favorite races of the season,” Mata said. “For me I am proud to be part of Canel’s-Java. We always have fans along the road, so I’m really happy.”
While the stage came down to a sprint, the overall standings remain razor close. Eric Brunner (Project Echelon) continues to lead the general classification in 2:30:19, with Nathaniel Martin (Speedblock–Terun Elite) just seven seconds back and Owen Cole (Team Winston Salem) eight seconds off the GC lead.
Behind, Garcia executed Olinka’s sprint plan but came up just short of that elusive victory.
“It was our plan for me to go for the sprint and hopefully the win,” Garcia said. “It was a close finish, but in the end, I was not able to pass him.”
Racing as a foreign team in the U.S., Olinka leaned on experience within the group to navigate the fast circuit.
“It helps us a lot to have Ulises Castillo racing with us, since he has history racing here at Redlands,” he said. “We have several riders that are new to these courses, but it helped us finish second place today.”
The race itself unfolded as expected on a fast, flat circuit. The stage consisted of 24 laps of a 2.7-mile course featuring wide straight roads and four right-hand turns. San Bernardino Avenue provided a slight but fast downhill, while the finish on Sessums Drive rose gradually through sweeping curves, creating a high-speed run-in that favored a controlled bunch sprint.
The pace was consistently high, with no breakaway gaining an advantage. The peloton remained largely intact heading into the final laps,
Brunner safely navigated the sprint to retain the leader’s jersey, with teammate Elphingstone adding a podium finish on the day.
“It was a little harder than I expected. Quite hot, and we knew it was going to be a little bit of a sketchy stage, as any sprint stage is,” Brunner said. “But fortunately, stayed safe and still in yellow—everything went to plan.”
Looking ahead, Brunner said he expects tomorrow to be the decider.
“I think tomorrow is going to be the biggest GC day,” he said. “It’s got quite a bit of climbing and that little gravel sector, so it’s going to pay to be aggressive and race from the front.”
Follow the action beginning at 8:20 AM for the pro women, and 10:40 AM for the pro men.
Redlands Bicycle Classic Circuit Race Sponsored By Trek-Hanger 24 Results
Top Photo – U23 US National Road Champion Ella Sabo sprints to victory on Stage 2: Trek-Hangar 24 Circuit
Photo: VeloImages / Redlands Bicycle Classic
