April 1, 2008 (Redlands, Calif.) – As one of the first major stage races on the 2008 NRC calendar, the Redlands Bicycle Classic will have the big teams and the star riders ready to do battle over four days of racing, April 3-6. Twenty-six men’s teams and fourteen women’s teams will be lining up at the start line for the leg-breaking prologue time trial in the orange grove community of Redlands, California, on April 3. National champions, Olympic champions, and former world champions will all be on hand to battle for distinction as champion of the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by PossAbilities.

Confirmed Men’s teams for the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by PossAbilities:

– 5-Star Waste Vegetable Oil
– American RADD
– Bissell Pro Cycling
– BMC
– CAICO
– California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized
– Colavita Sutter Home/ Cooking Light
– Health Net- Maxxis
– Jelly Belly Team Redlands
– Jittery Joes Pro Cycling
– Kahala- La Grange
– Kelly Benefit Strategies/ Medifast
– Liquid Cycling
– Plowman Craven
– Rock Racing
– Sho Air/ Sonance
– Slipstream Chipotle H30
– Symmetrics Cycling
– Team Successful Living
– Team Type 1
– Team Waste Management
– THF Racing
– Time Pro Cycling
– Toyota-United
– U25 Devo
– ZteaM Cycling

Some notable riders in the men’s field include:

– Santiago Botero- 2002 World TT Champion; 2000 KOM winner at Tour De France; stage winner in both the Vuelta a Espana and the Tour De France
– Tyler Hamilton- 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist for TT; 2nd place winner at the 2002 Giro d’Italia
– Fred Rodriguez- 3 time USPRO Road Race champion (2004, 2001, 2000)
– Tom Danielson- Vuelta a Espana stage winner; 2005 Tour de Georgia champion
– Rory Sutherland- 1st overall at the 2007 NRC individual point
standings; 2007 RBC double stage winner
– Ben Jacques-Maynes- 2nd overall at the 2007 NRC individual point standings
– Neil Shirley- 3rd at the 2007 USPRO Road Race Championships; 2007 Edgar Soto- Memorial Stage Race champion
– Ivan Dominguez- Stage winner in the 2007 edition of both the Tour of California and the Tour of Missouri; Pan Am Games Gold Medalist (1996, Madison)
– Dominique Rollin- 6 time Canadian Road Race champion; stage winner at the 2008 Tour of California
– Andrew Bajadali- 1st overall at the 2007 Redlands Bicycle Classic; 1st overall at the 2005 Tour of Utah

Confirmed Women’s teams for the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by PossAbilities:

– Aaron’s Profession Women’s Cycling
– Bicycle John’s Serious Cycling
– Cheerwine Cycling
– Colavita/Sutter Home/ Cooking Light
– Dolce Vita Racing
– Rock Racing Women
– Team Advil/Chapstick
– Team High Road
– Team Kenda Tire
– Team TIBCO
– Value Act Capital Cycling
– Vanderkitten Racing
– Webcor Builders Cycling
– Wines of Washington

Some notable starters in Women’s Pro Peloton include

– Laura VanGilder: Former U.S. National Crit Champion and Former NRC individual Champion, with seven wins to her credit in 2007
– Mara Abott: Current U.S. National Road Race Champion and winner of the 2007 RBC stage to Oak Glen
– Emilia Fahlin: Swept the 2008 Merco Cycling Classic by winning both stages
– Christine Thorburn: Former U.S. National TT Champion – Katheryn Curi Mattis: Winner of the opening round of the Women’s World Cup of Cycling in Geelong, Australia
– Janel Holcomb: Winner of the 2008 Boulevard Road Race

With 200 men and nearly 120 women in the peloton, there is no doubt fireworks and exciting racing will unfold as each team battles for an overall win and the lion’s share of the robust purse money available to riders at the end of their four days of racing.

For more information about the Classic, including a schedule of events, visit www.redlandsclassic.com.