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Redlands, Calif. (March 26, 2005) - Wrapping up
the Redlands Bicycle Classic today, the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro
Cycling Team pulled out all the stops to help Ben Jacques-Maynes take third
in the Sunset Road Race and move up in the overall standings.
After placing sixth in Friday's time trial and earning a time bonus in yesterday's
criterium to move up to fifth overall, Jacques-Maynes started the day one
second behind Toyota-United's Heath Blackgrove.
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L-R:
Jacques-Maynes, Stewart, Schmatz in the criterium |
But the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada team leader quickly erased that deficit
by placing third and taking a one-second time bonus at the top of the circuit's
main climb on the first lap of the race.
The next time up the climb, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's Mike Dietrich
jumped across to what became the main breakaway of the stage, an eight rider
group that included Toyota-United's Chris Baldwin and Health Net p.b. Maxxis'
Scott Moninger, second and third overall in the race.
"I saw the break go and it took me about a mile to get across. Once I recovered,
I followed [Racing Manager Jonas Carney's] advice to conserve energy and
roll through, but not drive it too hard," Dietrich recalled.
Despite Moninger sitting on to look after his teammate Nathan O'Neill's
overall lead, the break stayed away for eight laps, as Baldwin worked desperately
in an attempt to unseat O'Neill.
Later, with the break reeled in and the field speeding back into downtown
Redlands for five finishing circuits on yesterday's criterium course, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra
Nevada's Jackson Stewart shouldered the burden of bringing Jacques-Maynes
into position for the finish.
"Jackson did a great job to make it over the climb the last time and keep
me near the front on the finishing circuits. He brought me up to about 10th
position with half a lap to go, and from there I followed Mark McCormack
(Colavita-Sutter Home) up to fourth going through the last few turns," Jacques-Maynes
said.
Passing one rider in the homestretch, Jacques-Maynes finished third in the
stage behind winner J.J. Haedo (Toyota-United) and Brice Jones (Jelly Belly)
and earned a four-second time bonus that cemented his fourth place overall
finish.
Reflecting on Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's performance, Jacques-Maynes
commented, "Jonas has inspired the team to ride beyond what we thought we
were capable of. Mike did a great job in the break today, Dan [Schmatz]
got up there for fourth yesterday, and I moved up another spot today. We're
establishing ourselves as a team to be reckoned with."
Note: Yesterday's report stated incorrectly that Jacques-Maynes had
moved up to fourth overall during the criterium. We apologize for the error.
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