Team TIBCO opens the 2011 season with a win and two podiums in two races.

Merced, California – Team TIBCO/To the Top opened the 2011 season with a pair of races in Northern California to put into practice some of the tactics and teamwork they developed during training camp the past week. The results gave the team a strong start to the new campaign.

On Saturday, the Team worked hard to animate the Snelling Road Race with a steady string of attacks. However, the strong NorCal pro-1-2 field wouldn’t allow any breaks to establish.

“We tried to get a move going early but nothing stuck,” said Team Directeur Sportif Lisa Hunt.

Until the fourth of five laps on the roughly 12-mile circuit, when Team TIBCO’s Erinne Willock put in a dig and opened a gap with nearly 20 miles to go.

“Erinne went and never looked back,” Hunt said. The former Canadian Olympia put her head down and showed her strong time-trialing skills en route to a solo victory.

Behind her, the rest of the Team lined it up on the front of the pack and executed a perfect leadout to deliver sprinter Samantha Schneider to the front of the bunch sprint and a fine 2d place finish.