Minneapolis, MN - The 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series gets underway this week with the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the traditional opener for this women-only national series. Roster changes and changes in the Series schedule will add to the drama in this Series as it enters its sixth year.
“Women’s racing is alive and well”, said Redlands Race Director Dan Rendler. “Our women’s field is the largest we have had in years with the who's who of women's cycling.”
Katherine “Kat” Carroll (above), the 2008 defending champion for the Individual and Sprint classifications, returns to the Series, but will be riding for a new team. Carroll has joined Team TIBCO, a team that has added considerable firepower for the 2009 season. Last year’s Redlands champion, Alex Wrubleski (Columbia High Road), is again a threat to win this race. She claimed all three Series jerseys at Redlands last year while riding for Webcor, but then lost them when she missed subsequent Series events during her Olympic preparation. However, her 2009 team, Columbia High Road, hasn’t registered for the Series and so she may not be able to repeat this impressive feat.
Carroll’s defense of the Sprinter’s jersey may be under more threat since Colavita’s Tina Pic will be at Redlands this year. Pic, who topped the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar rankings for the fifth time in 2008 and has five US National Criteium wins to her credit, is a fearsome sprinter who missed Redlands in 2008.
The leading candidate for Best Young Rider appears to be Pic’s Colavita teammate Tiffany Cromwell, who finished second in this competition last year. Lauren Tamayo (nee’ Franges, Team TIBCO) will be present, but, at the ripe old age of 26, no longer qualifies for this competition. Cromwell may be challenged by Team Type 1’s Samantha Schneider and the Webcor duo of Amy Dombroski and Rebecca Much, who finished fifth through seventh in 2008’s Series Young Rider competition.
The Series team competition is a harder call. With the addition of individual favorite Kat Carroll, Team TIBCO seems to have the edge. However, the Series rules give bonus points for performances by Young Riders, and that could tip things in favor of Webcor Cycling if their three U26 riders do well. Webcor, who had dominated the Series team competition for three consecutive years, took a commanding lead at Redlands in 2008, then slipped to third after the Nature Valley Grand Prix before being eliminated from the Series when they missed the grand finale, the Presbyterian Hospitals Invitational. With the Series returning to its historical format of all stage races, Webcor is expected to finish the Series this year.
After the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the 2009 Women’s Prestige Cycling Series will continue at the Joe Martin Stage Race (May 7 – 10) followed by the Nature Valley Grand Prix (June 10 – 14) and then the grand finale will be held at the Cascade Cycling Classic (July 22 – 26).
Photo: Leonard Basobas
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