Realcyclist.com & HTC-Highroad Women out to early leads as NRC gets underway with Redlands Classic

The 2011 National Racing Calendar got underway last week with the Redlands Classic in Redlands, Calif. The three-day event ended with Francisco Mancebo (Watkinsville, Ga./Realcyclist.com), Ben Jacques-Maynes (Watsonville, Calif./Bissell Pro Cycling) and Christopher Baldwin (Juwi Solar-First Solar) atop the men’s general classification while Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC Highroad Women), Erinne Willock (Pescadero, Calif./Team Tibco-To The Top) and Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./HTC Highroad Women) paced the women.

“I was really confident in my team for this race,” Neben said. “I had Evelyn by my side, which was a huge help. I knew it would be tough. I didn’t take anything for granted. This year, I had my team to help me, and without them, I wouldn’t be able to do it. They won it for me.”

For the complete Redlands Classic results, click here.

Mencebo has a 77-point lead over Ben Jacques-Maynes atop the 2011 Men’s NRC Standings. Thanks to its strong showing at Redlands, Realcyclist.com has opened a 330-158 lead over Bissell Pro Cycling Team with Team Exergy (141 points) in third place on the 2011 Men’s Team NRC Standings. Jacob Rathe (Portland, Ore./Chipotle Development Team) is the top-ranked American U23 rider, on the men’s standings, in 17th.

Three American women pace the 2011 Women’s NRC Standings, as Neben leads Willock and Stevens. Lindsay Myers (Paradise, Calif./Danbury Audi) is the top U23 Women’s rider, in 24th. On the 2011 Women’s Team NRC Standings, HTC-Highroad leads Colavita/Forna d’Asolo and Team TIBCO-To The Top.

NRC standings

Men
1. Francisco Mancebo (Watkinsville, Ga./Realcyclist.com) — 217
2. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Watsonville, Calif./Bissell Pro Cycling Team) — 140
3. Christopher Baldwin (Boulder, Colo./Juwi Solar-First Solar) — 106
4. Andres Diaz Corales (Boise, Idaho/Team Exergy) — 98
5. Cesar Grajales (Decatur, Ga./Realcyclist.com) — 80

Men’s Team
1. Realcyclist.com — 330
2. Bissell Pro Cycling Team — 158
3. Team Exergy — 141
4. Jelly Belly Team p/b Kenda — 96
5. Chipotle Development Team — 95

Women
1. Amber Neben (Lake Forest, Calif./HTC-Highroad Women) — 217
2. Erinne Willock (Pescadero, Calif./Team TIBCO-To the Top) — 130
3. Evelyn Stevens (Dennis, Mass./HTC Highroad Women) — 116
4. Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Team TIBCO-To the Top) — 113
5. Catherine Cheatley (Colavita/Forno d’Asolo) — 102

Women’s Team
1. HTC-Highroad — 391
2. Colavita/Forna d’Asolo — 319
3. Team TIBCO/To the Top — 279
4. Rouse Bicycles’ Elite Women’s Team — 53
5. Missing Link Coaching Systems/Specialized — 31