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Will Routley wins Chico Stage Race

March 24, 2014
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Canada’s Will Routley (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies) won the overall title at the Chico Stage Race on Sunday. The race included four stages held from March 21 to 23 in Chico, Calif.

The racing started on Friday with the Thunderhill Twilight Circuit Race. The race was held on a nearly 5-km loop of an auto racing track at the Thunderhill Raceway Park. Canada’s Kristofer Dahl (Team SmartStop) placed third, behind stage winner James Laberge (Mike’s Bikes) and Mike Friedman (Optum presented by Kelly Benefit Strategies).


On Saturday, the racing continued with the Paskenta Hills Road Race. The peloton raced on a hilly 72-km loop that included 6.4 km of gravel roads. Routley won the elite men’s 144.2-km race ahead of his teammate Friedman and Max Jenkins (Marc Pro-Strava). Dahl placed 7th on the day.

Routley moved into the overall classification lead heading into the final two stages.

The stage race concluded on Sunday with two stages. The first was the River Road Time Trial, a 16-km, flat, out-and back-course on Chico River Road. Routley placed 3rd in the event behind his teammate and stage winner Tom Zirbel. Ben Jacques-Maynes (Jamis-Hagens Berman) took second.

Chico Downtown Criterium ended the stage race with an L-shaped course that had six corners. Dahl placed 8th in the field sprint and Routley placed 21st.

Routley won the overall classification ahead of his teammates Zirbel and Friedman. Dahl finished the race in 9th.

Other Canadians in the final classification included Stuart Wright (Team H&R Block) in 13th, Christopher Prendergast (Team H&R Block) in 32nd, Kyle Buckosky (Team H&R Block) in 36th, Adam de Vos (Team H&R Block ) in 38th, Simon Pierre Gauthier (Equipe du Quebec) 44th and Ryan McDonald (Team H&R Block) in 47th overall.

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