Coming into Saturday’s Beaver Medical Group downtown criterium, the day’s objective for both the men’s Health Net squad and the Webcor Builder’s women’s team was not to gun it out for glory points, but to protect the yellow jersey at all costs.

Andrea Ratkovic (The Bicycle Store) crossed second

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

With that in mind, the tactic opened the door up for more opportunistic teams to light up the 1.6-km course that winds its way through downtown Redlands. The day did not disappoint.

Early in the women’s race it appeared the duel would be between the sprint-heavy Quark and T-Mobile teams. On the second lap T-Mobile’s Laura Kroepsch attacked down the straightaway with Quark’s Laura Van Gilder countering the move.

Some days are better than others

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

The move quickly established a 30-second lead on the group after an 11-rider pileup on the last of the windy course’s nine corners took The Bicycle Store’s Meghan Long and Kelley Benjamin out with wrist injuries, and slowed things down in the main field. Van Gilder continuously out-sprinted Kroepsch for prime points, but T-Mobile’s damage had been done.

“We have to attack to make Quark chase because Quark is the fastest team for the sprint and because they were going for the points jersey, going to win the stage, and going for the time bonuses. I send Laura [Kroepsch] with Van Gilder which was good because she tired her out ,” said T-Mobil director Anje Bek. “I think it worked because she used up a lot of energy chasing with Laura at the front today and could be as strong for the finish.”

Health Net was out front most of the day . . .

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

After the peloton reeled-in the two escapees, T-Mobile’s star sprinter Ina Teutenberg took charge, and laid down the attack of the day. Andrea Radkovic of The Bicycle Store was the only rider who could respond, and slowly bridged up to the 10-time German national champion.

The two built an impressive lead of over a minute, and despite Quark’s attempts to chase in the pack, the two stayed away. Teutenberg, the obvious stronger sprinter, attacked hard with one lap to go, soloing to the win after a weary Radkovic was unable to respond.

Brice Jones (Jelly Belly) had a go, and hung on for third

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

“I felt bad because I couldn’t pull as hard as she could,” Radkovic said later. “She’s a bit stronger than I am. I couldn’t respond to her attacking me because I’m not used to those quick accelerations.”

Radkovic, who competed in Ironman New Zealand less than a month ago added that she is “still recovering from Ironman, but I’ll get it.”

Teutenberg, who missed the San Dimas race due to a stomach flu, was happy with the win.

“I was worried. I lost a little too much weight with the illness,” said Teutenberg. “After we had 45 seconds I knew that the group would not be working too hard to catch us.”

In the men’s race, all eyes were on the Green train of Health Net, which was expected to lay the groundwork for another victory by Gord Fraser. But with Fraser sick and the team losing John Lieswyn in the Oak Glen road race to illness, Health Net’s concern was more with protecting and earning time bonuses for yellow-jersey wearing Chris Wherry.

After chasing down a 10-second breakaway by Jelly-Belly’s Danny Pate and earning Wherry the time bonus, Health Net moved to the back. This move set up the biggest attack of the day, with Jelly Belly’s Brice Jones going off the front and Seasilver’s Jason Bausch and Advantage Endevour’s Garrett Peltonen bridging.

The three established a 30-second lead through almost one-third of the race after both the Health Net and Jittery Joes teams decided no one in the break constituted a real threat to the GC.

Webcor Builders did chase, as did Colavita Olive-Sutter Home, and with two laps to go the group held a slim 12-second advantage. Sensing his lead was in danger, Jones launched a major attack to start the final lap and appeared to be in a good position for the win.

But Colavita’s train caught Jones and the breakaway at the final corner, setting their star sprinter JJ Haedo up for win, as the Argentinean barely edged out Webcor’s Charles Dionne. In a show of amazing strength, Jones held on for third.

Beaver Medical Group Downtown Criterium
Results
Men
1. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg), Colavita-Sutter Home, 1:29:41
2. Charles Dionne (Can), Webcor Builders, s.t.
3. Brice Jones, Jelly Belly-Pool Gel, s.t.
4. Garrett Peltonene, Advantage Benefits Endeavour, 0:04
5. Karl Menzies, Advantage Benefits Endevour, s.t.
Jason Bausch, Seasilver, s.t.
7. Kyle Gritters, Seasilver, st
8. Dan Schmatz, Seasilver, s.t.
10. Jackson Stewart, Kodak Galleries-Sierra Nevada, s.t.Women
1. Ina Yoko Teutenberg (G), T-Mobile, 59.44
2. Andrea Ratkovic, The Bicycle Store, at 0:05
3. Tina Pic, Quark, at 1:18
4. Gina Grain, Victory Brewing, st
5. Annette Beutler, Quark, st
6. Laura Yoisten, Diet Cheerwine, st
7. Nicole Freedman, Ford Basis, st
8. Laura Kroepsch, T-Mobile, st
9. Belem Guerreo Mendez (Mex), Mexican National, st
10. Amy Moore, Victory Brewing, s.t.Our man Casey Gibson just can't get enough of that Southern California racing scene; we don't expect that it has anything to do with the on-again, off-again winter back home in Colorado Springs. Here are a few samples of what passed before his lens during Saturday's second stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the Beaver Medical Group Group Downtown Criterium.