2013 Redlands Classic

The 29 edition of the Redlands Bicycle Classic kicked off today in sunny Redlands, California.

Started in 1985, the Redlands Classic didn’t have a women’s field until 1993 and it took another couple years for the prize purse to grow and the number of stages to equal the men. Today, it’s a fiercely contested stage race featuring four stages and a prize purse over $12,500.

Recent past winners include Megan Guarnier, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Lyne Bessette, Amber Neben, Genevieve Jeanson and Judith Arndt.

Among the pro peloton are national and international teams including: Colavita Fine Cooking, Exergy Twenty 16, FCS /Zngine powered by Mr. Restore, NOW and Novartis for MS, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, Primal Pro Women p/b BH, SC Velo – Incycle, Specialized LULULEMON, Team Kenda p/b RACC, Team Tibco, The Dare to Be Project, and Vanderkitten.

Made to test cyclists’ endurance, the 7.8-mile (12.5 km) Big Bear Time Trail was held at an altitude of 6,800 feet and took racers out and back to the mountain town of Fawnskin.

Alison Powers of NOW and Novartis for MS took first with a time of 16:09. She will be wearing the yellow jersey tomorrow.

Tayler Wiles of Specialized Lululemon came in second with a time of 16:40. And rounding out the podium in third place was Vanderkitten's Rhae Shaw with a time of 16:54. The race continues tomorrow morning with a 72.3-mile circuit race in the City of Beaumont.

There's a lot more information about the race on their website - and you can follow the action as it happens on their twitter and via @Podium_Live