Kristin Armstrong leads Pro Road Tour, Guarnier wins for Boels-Dolmans, Dragoo thanks Teutenberg and others for success
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Lotta Lepisto (Cervelo Bigla) surprised to win prologue at Euskal Emakumeen Bira (Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Kristin Armstrong (Twenty 16) launches out of a turn(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Megan Guarnier topped the Durango-Durango podium ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini and Emma Johansson (Wiggle-High5)(Image credit: Sean Robinson/Velofocus)
Lepisto was the fastest along the day’s 3.3km time trial with the winning time of 4:12 beating Claire Rosa (Podium Ambition) and her Cervelo teammate Carmen Small. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio also placed fifth making it a strong overall performance for the team.
Lepisto said that there were two factor that led to her victory; training specifically for prologues and solid team equipment.
"My coach and I went through how I should ride it. We prepared really well for it. I’ve been overthinking the prologues and been nervous so today I worked on really being relaxed but focused,” Lepisto said.
“Everything just felt fast. It was a whole package. From the skin suit and shoe covers to the new Bambino Pro helmet from Kask and the bike, it was all just really fast.”
Kristin Armstrong leads USA Cycling Pro Road Tour after Redlands Bicycle Classic victory
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Kristin Armstrong (Twenty16-Ridebiker) moved into the lead of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour after winning the overall title at Redlands Bicycle Classic on Sunday.
The new points system for the Pro Road Tour is heavily weighted toward overall stage race winners. Armstrong won the overall title along with one stage, and she was on the podium in two other stages. She is now leading the series with 151 points over runner-up Mara Abbott (Wiggle High5), who has 108 points, and third placed Scotti Lechuga with 84 points.
Previous Pro Road Tour leader Jessica Prinner (Rally), who won Fort McClellan Road Race, has slipped into seventh.
Women's Pro Road Tour ranking after Redlands Bicycle Classic
US road champion Megan Guarnier kept Boels-Dolmans' winning streak alive after winning the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria on Tuesday. The US road champion beat Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle High5) in a two-up sprint, while Sweden's Emma Johansson, also from Wiggle High5, was third.
"Elisa and I worked well together and I came to head in the final kilometer" Guarnier said. "It was a rather technical arrival and I went after the last roundabout."
Guarnier has had a strong spring with sixth at Strade Bianche, second at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Cittiglio and fourth at Tour of Flanders, but this was her first win of the season as she prepares for the summer Olympics in Rio.
It was the 12th season win for the Boels-Dolmans team.
"I am pleased with the work of the team, and that a new victory for Boels-Dolmans has resulted" Guarnier said in a team press release.
"I'm happy with my first victory of the season."
Dragoo claims big stage win at Energiewacht Tour
Allie Dragoo (Twenty16-Ridebiker) took her big victory while racing for the US national team during stage 3 at the Energiewacht Tour last week. She was a part of a breakaway but attacked to win the stage solo.
“This win will hopefully help me make the Worlds team this year,” Dragoo said in a post-race interview with the race organizers. “Ina Teutenberg has helped me here. Ina has raced this race before and its helpful to have her input and race information for this race.”
After winning the stage, Dragoo spoke about the influence that USA Cycling development director and former racer Teutenberg, Twenty16 team manager Nicola Cranmer, and the team management have had on her career.
