Stage 1. May 16, 2019 – Ventura, California.

Words and Photos by Kathryn E. Styer.

The first stage of the women’s race leaving Ventura, California started ten minutes early at high noon rather than 12:10pm. The call to move the start time up was made by the race officials due to wind gusts of seventeen miles per hour blew out of the southwest, tossling tents and palm trees. Riders hunkered in tight circles near their team cars as they discussed team plans, ate snacks and stretched before signing in on the stage.

Moolman Pasio received a call up to the start line for stage one but did not take her place on at the front of the peloton. She told CyclingNews.com editor Kirsten Frattini the day before at the Team Presentation event that she was recovering from a back injury at an earlier race.

The women’s peloton is comprised of five champions from the nations of Isreal, South Africa, The United States of America, Italy, Colombia, Finland and the Netherlands along with the reigning Olympic road race gold medal winner as well as ton of former national champions. The peloton at this year’s Amgen Tour of California Women’s race is one of the most talented fields the race has ever seen.

The Northern California and Nevada Cycling District is seen as the most competitive cycling district within the USA Cycling districts. It’s not uncommon for women who spend time racing in the NCNCA to ascend to professional ranks. The peloton during this year’s tour of California has Katie Hall (Boels-Dolmans), who is the defending Women’s Tour of California champion and former Metromint rider. Ruth Winder (Trek-Segafredo) who won her first national championship as a junior in 2009 and in 2011 raced for the team of her mom Margaret and sister Fiona, HDR p/b Lombardi Sports. Liza Rachetto (Hagens-Berman Supermint) often participates in NCNCA races and is part of the Amgen TOC’s six women squad.

The sun shone on the starting line after a night of rain in Ventura. The only challenge that remained were the crosswinds that reached 28 miles per hour by 1:00pm. While the racers made their way back to the start-finish line, the Amgen TOC workers adhered the Lexus logos to the asphalt directly in front of the blue Amgen threshold. It took nine people working together to adhere one logo (approximately ten feet long) to the ground. It usually only takes two. A mariachi band played while the finish area was made ready for the racers return, followed by ballet folklorico dancers.

Television coverage of the women’s race was less comprehensive than the men’s. At approximately 13k to the finish line Russian racer Olga Zabelinskaya (Cogeas-Mettler Look) launched an attack and had over a minute on the peloton. As the racers drew near to the finish line, the gap was closed and Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen (Boels Dolmans), world champion and Olympic gold medalist took the lead and held it to the finish line, winning stage one with twenty-five second on the field. Thus putting her squarely into the lead for the next race.

The women’s peloton will only race for three days compared to the men’s seven. The group that challenged the Mavericks surf competition for not allowing women to race in their competition, which the group said, violated California state law.

At the press conference after stage one, USA rider Lindsey Goldman, winner of the most courageous rider jersey for stage one, racer and owner of the Hagens-Berman Supermint women’s team said that she would support equal days for men and women if there was an economic model that made business sense. USA rider Tejay Van Garderen (EF Education First) and GC leader replied that given how tired his legs were, he would happily give two of his stages to Lindsey, to which Lindsey replied, “I’m good, thanks.” Which begs the question, why not? Would this truly hurt the event to have two less days for the men and two more for the women? Would it kill the event and ruin women’s racing for everyone?

Today’s stage ended with Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans) in first at 2h’36’04 with Italian Elisa Blasamo (Valcar Cyclance) in second at 25” behind and the Cuban rider Arlenis Sierra (Astana Women’s Team) at 27” off the lead, coming in third. Trek-Segafred rider Lizzie Deignan from the UK is currently sitting in fourth at 29” off the lead and Leah Kirchmann of Team Sunweb is fifth at 31” off the lead. The top 28 riders are all within a minute of the lead. Tomorrow when the women’s tour ascends Mt. Baldy, we’ll see mix of tactics as riders work to protect their GC contending riders while the climbers stretch out their legs on Glendora Mountain Road.

Tomorrow’s stage starts in Ontario and ends at the top of Mt. Baldy. Tomorrow’s forecast is partly cloudy to sunny with temperatures in the low sixties in the morning, climbing throughout the day along with the elevation.