Stage 2. May 17th – Ontario to Mt. Baldy.

Words and Photos by Kathryn E. Styer.

The ride from Ontario began with sunshine and scattered clouds and temperature in the mid to low sixties. The road leading up to Mount Baldy was populated by riders turning over the pedals in earnest, like a populist vanguard for the pro pelotons that were to snake up the same roads in the latter half of the day. Jerseys flew colors of local teams that had organized rides for the day, RCC being the most prominent. The higher you go on course, the worse the pavement became and the more intense the hairpins became, ever sharper and at more extreme elevation changes.

All manner of fans line the road, dressed in costume to commemorate the event: a cookie monster, a woman dressed as Captain America, and a Superwoman. One rider dressed in a pink kit hunched over her bike with both feet on the ground, cracked and taking a break on the side of the road. About a few dozen women riding up the mountain amidst hundreds of men, sweat drips down their noses, mouths agape and torsos swing to and fro as they grind ever up. The roadside pop-up tents were erected and cooking by eleven in the morning, one grill emitting a significant amount of smoke that caught the attention of a National Forest ranger who had pulled his mint green truck to the side of the road, ticket book in hand. The peak of Mt. Baldy was barely visible in the late morning though the sun stayed out long enough for the pro women’s peloton to ascend through the yucca and manzanita into the pine trees at the top of the Angeles National Forest. Residents of the area participated in the spectacle, setting out tables to vend and posting up signs in front of their house. One read “Mt. Baldy, our Alpe d’Huez.” With the rocky mountain ridges rising on all sides of Glendora Mountain Road and Mt. Baldy Road, the landscape is 100%

When the women’s pro peloton was about seven kilometers from the start, the live announcers began their play by play of the leaders. It was Katie Hall and Anna van der Breggen of the Boels-Dolmans team up the climb for a one-two finish, followed by Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (CCC-Liv) for third. As team members rolled across the line, two Boels riders found each other in the finish area and learned that their team took the top two steps of the stage two podium. A job well done for Boels, and especially for Katie who took the win with her family watching.

Trek Segafredo rider, Ruth Winder commented that the plan was to get Lizzie Deignan and Tayler Wiles up the road to set them up for the climb but it was not to be today. The Trek-Segafredo riders came in 14^th and 12^th on the day. With Tayler 1’53” off Katie Hall’s magnificent climb and Lizzie at 2’11” off the finish. Ruth came across the line 31^st at 6’42” off the lead. At the stage’s end, the fog started to roll in around the ridges of the Mount Baldy peak, filtering through the pine trees and brought colder temperatures with it and the riders shivered throughout presentation. After van der Breggen was being presented with second place finish of the stage, a fan reached out wearing an orange shirt, the color of Anna’s homeland reading “Richmond” with a picture of Anna and the fan. A send up to van der Breggen’s silver medal ride in Richmond, Virginia at the UCI World Championships for the road race and the time trial. Anna posed for a picture with her superfan and gifted her winner’s bouquet. One podium for her stage one wine, she also tossed the bouquet she was presented with, wedding party style. The gusty wind however, had other plans.

The GC standings see Anna van der Breggen holding her first place, with Katie Hall moving into second at 29” off the lead and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio in third at 1’06” off the lead. Clara Koppenburg of the German team WNT Rotor (who’s teammate, Lisa Brennauer, is a former world champion time trialist for the individual and team. Lisa is just over ten minutes off the lead and might be called upon to do some heroic work in stage three) is sitting in fourth at 1’25” and fifth is the former Polish national champion and winner of this year’s Amstel Gold race, Kasia Niewiadoma of Canyon//SRAM. It remains to be seen in any of the top GC teams can wrest a win from Boels-Dolmans during the third stage. At 8^th place, the time gap increases to two minutes, held by Isreali national champion and Canyon//SRAM rider, Omer Shapira, stage two’s blue jersey winner for most courageous rider.

On Saturday the riders begin their third and final stage. The women will race 71.8 miles from Santa Clarita to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The course heads into the Angeles National Forest to climb 1,471 km then back down to the Rose Bowl but not before another climb at 1,086km. The stage is predicted to be very active with a field sprint in the bowl, and will be the longest stage of the three. This will perhaps provide an opportunity for riders just outside the top three to make a move and make up some time. The weather on Saturday is forecasted to be seventy and sunny from Santa Clarita to Pasadena with little wind to speak of.