Karol Ann Canuel wins San Dimas Stage Race
Canada’s Karol Ann Canuel (Specialized-lululemon) took the top spot on the podium in the overall classification at the San Dimas Stage Race held from March 28-30 in California. Her fellow countryman Leah Kirchmann (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) won the third and final stage on Sunday.
The racing kicked off on Friday with Stage 1 at the Chaffey Auto Body Time Trial, a 6.8-km hill climb up Glendora Mountain.
Amber Neben (FCSZngine presented by Mr. Restore) won the opener in 17:20 minutes, six seconds ahead of runner-up Taylor Wiles (Specialized-lululemon) and 17 seconds ahead of her Canadian teammate Canuel in third place.
Other Canadians in the race included Kirchmann in 10th, Lex Albrecht (Twenty16 Professional Cycling) in 12th, Denise Ramsden (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) in 21st, Felicia Gomez (Pinnacle Reactor presented by JL Velo) in 28th, Annie Ewart (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) in 32nd and Leah Guloien (Trek Red Truck Racing) in 36th place.
In the men’s race, James Oram (Bissell Development) won with a time of 14:46 minutes ahead of Gregory Brenes (Jamis-Hagens Berman) and William Barta (BYRDS).
There were a series of Canadians in the race including Ryan Roth (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) in 9th, Garrett McLoed (Team H&R Block) 16th, Jordan Chyne (Russ Hays presented by Accent Inns) in 17th, Bic Hamilton (Jelly Belly Cycling) in 18th, Adam de Vos (Team H&R Block) 20th, Stuart Wright (Team H&R Block) 25th, Ryan Aitcheson (Astellas Cycling) 48th, Bailey McKnight (Trek Red Truck presented by Mosaic Home) in 54th place, Travis Samuel (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) 66th, Anton Varabei (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) 75th, Simon Pierre Gauthier (Equipe du Quebec) 77th, Robert Gutgesell (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) 79th, Geordie Morrison (Trek Red Truck presented by Mosaic Home) 80th, Dustin Andrews (Trek Red Truck presented by Mosaic Home) 85th, Yuri Hrycaj (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) 91st, Christophe Prendergast (Team H&R Block) 92nd, Frederic Cossette (Equipe du Quebec) 94th, Yohan Patry (Equipe du Quebec) 98th, Kyle Buckosky (Team H&R Block) 100th, Bruno Langlois (5 Hour Energy presented by Kenda) 105th, Kevin Massicotte (Jet Fuel Coffee-Norco Bicycles) 111th, Marc Antoine Soucy (Equipe du Quebec) 123rd, Frederico Marchiori (Team H&R Block) 129th and Samuel Gagnon (Equipe du Quebec) in 137th place.
The racing continued on Saturday at the Stage 2 Community Hospital Road Race where the elite women raced 90 km. Canuel won the race ahead of Kirchmann in second and Ramsden was 9th in the stage. Canuel took over the race lead ahead of Wiles and Neben, and Kirchmann moved into 6th place overall.
Varabei won the elite men’s 135-km race and Langlois placed 5th. Clment Chevrier (Bissell Development) moved into the overall race lead after placing 9th in the stage. Roth slid into 14th place overall.
Sunday’s Stage 3 ended the stage race at the San Dimas Classic Criterium. Kirchmann, the national criterium champion, won the bunch sprint ahead of Kendall Ryan (Tibco to the Top) and Jessica Cerra (Spy Giant Ride presented by MRI).
Canuel finished the criterium in 14th place and solidified her win of the San Dimas Stage Race title ahead of Wiles and Neben. Kirchmann placed 4th and Ramsden 15th overall.
In the elite men’s race, Daniel Holloway (Athlete Octane) won the final stage ahead of Bobby Lea (Pure Energy Cycling) and Fabrizio Von Nacher (KHS). Marchiori finished the criterium in 11th place and Samuel in 18th.
Chevrier won the overall title ahead of Coulton Hartrich and Daniel Eaton (Canyon Bicycles-Shimano). Roth placed 14th, Varabei 19th, McLeod 20th, Cheyne 21st and de Vos 23rd overall.
