Rally Cycling win opening day of Chico Stage Race

Rally Cycling’s Women’s team continued their strong start to the 2018 season today, winning the first stage of the Chico Stage Race in northern California. An aggressive strategy of attacking off the front all day paid off, as the Rally squad delivered Summer Moak to a sprint victory in the four day stage races opening event, the Thunderhill Circuit race.

Gillian Ellsay started things off for Rally, breaking away from the pack mid-way through the race. The young rider from Courtenay, B.C. held a gap that grew up to a maximum of 40 seconds advantage over the main field. Behind her, there was a lack of organized effort, or willingness to chase until 10 laps to go, when UnitedHealthcare and Sho-Air Twenty20 assembled to chase, closing down what was then a 30 second gap.

As soon as the two teams pulled Ellsay back, Rally’s Heidi Franz launched a counter attack. With five laps to go, though the race had all come back together. Heading out on the final lap, the Rally train was assembled at the front of the race, and looking well positioned to take advantage of the work Ellsay and Franz had put in earlier in the day.

FINAL lap! Just received word that @GillianEllsay will be in the Points jersey at the end of the day! ? #chicostagerace #RallyCats #FieldSprint pic.twitter.com/8oyKPE0zwa

— Rally Cycling (@Rally_Cycling) March 16, 2018

Vancouver’s Sara Bergen led out her teammate Summer Moak for the win, with Bergen holding on to finish third on the stage.

@summermoak14 WINS!!! So that’s what she was doing on the back of the sprint train! #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #chicostagerace pic.twitter.com/RpVbGep4V7

— Rally Cycling (@Rally_Cycling) March 16, 2018

Rally Cycling ends the day with Moak taking the stage win and leaders jersey, with Bergen behind her in third, and Ellsay wearing the races points jersey. Racing continues tomorrow with the 90 mile Paskenta road race. You can follow along at on the Chico Stage Race Twitter feed.

@summermoak14 with stage win and leaders jersey, @GillianEllsay in points jersey and @_SaraBergen in the third spot! #chicostagerace #rallycats #podium #leadbyexample #rallygrateful #procycling pic.twitter.com/LpYA2CGpDe

— Rally Cycling (@Rally_Cycling) March 16, 2018

Maggie Coles-Lyster (Macogep-Argon18-Girondins p/b Mazda) of New Westminster, B.C. is making her return to racing at the Chico Stage race. It will be the Jr. Points Race world champions first event back since a serious crash at Copenhagen Six Day track event, where Coles-Lyster went down in the final scratch race of the Omnium. Coles-Lyster finished 26th, one second back from Moak’s winning time.

Chico Stage Race 2018 Pro Women : Day 1 Thunderhill Circuit.