Chad Haga Wins Opening TT at 2013 Redlands Cycling Classic

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (VN) — Before the start of the Redlands Bicycle Classic this week, Chad Haga of Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies topped everyone’s list of favorites for the opening time trial. His strong ride in Thursday’s race against the clock lived up to expectations, and Haga now sits in the catbird seat in the race for overall victory.

“It’s a big win, but it is not unexpected,” Haga said. “I was expecting that I was going to do it.”

He beat out teammate Tom Zirbel — no slouch in the time trial — by six seconds. Haga rode hard from the start despite the headwind. There was not much in the way of tactics to his effort, which earned him the second National Racing Calendar (NRC) leader’s jersey of his career.

“I knew that I didn’t want to save much for the return leg because of the headwind out,” Haga said. “So I just suffered all the way out and emptied the tanks on the way back.”

Read More at VeloNews.com

Kelly Williamson Races to 2nd, Jacobson 5th at Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas

By the end of the ride Lidbury was almost seven minutes up on American Jessica Jacobs and a shade under nine minutes ahead of Snow and Williamson.

Williamson ripped through the run and made up all but 2:13 of the deficit, but that still left the American second across the line Snow would run her way to third, while American Liz Lyles also managed to get passed Jacobs to get fourth.

Read More at Ironman.com