March 9, 2007 (Raymond, CA) — The first stage of the Bentley’s Central Valley Classic was held today in and around the hills of Raymond, California. The 100-plus women that toed the line raced two laps of a 33-mile circuit. The CVC is a stage race on time this year, and with the first stage being a road race, the winner would pull on the leader’s jersey.

The Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light team was interested in getting its GC riders into a position where they could used their strength in the time trail tomorrow to compete for the overall. The team had mountain ace Andrea Dvorak push the pace every time the course tilted upward in order to fatigue the legs of the other riders. The high pace set by the Colavita Sutter Home Team prevented any breakaways of any threat from occurring and had the group together at the base of the climb starting the second lap.

The team first sent Sarah Tillotson and then Dvorak to the front to try and launch its climbers. After the two had done their job Dotsie Bausch went to the front of the field and stretched it thin. Dotsie pulled away and a group of 15 containing Alison Powers, Alex Wrubleski and Tina Pic gave chase. Instead of spending the rest of the day out alone Dotsie sat up for her teammates.

Another group of 15 caught back on to form a lead pack of about 30 riders. As the racers covered the remaining rolling terrain a break of seven developed that contained, Feclia Gomez of Aaron’s, Stacey Marple of Tibco, Kim Anderson of T-Mobile, Mara Abbott of Webcor, Chrissy Ruiter of Cheerwine, Kristen Lasasso of Lipton, and Colavita Sutter Homes Alison Powers. Both the Webcor rider and the Lipton rider were sitting on the break dangling off of the front riders by about 45 seconds until the Webcor Team started chasing.

Then the break started attacking each other and after three attacks by Alison Powers and a strong counter by T-Mobile’s Kim Anderson, Powers was dropped by the group and the Colavita/ Sutter Home switched gears and started a lead out for its sprinter Tina Pic.

Alex Wrubleski hit the front for over a mile and brought the remaining breakaway riders into the peloton’s grasp and then her teammates formed a train that competed with the Lipton train. In the end it was Colavita Sutter Home’s Tina Pic taking the win ahead of Tibco’s Brooke Miller, with Kelly Benjamin of Cheerwine in third.

Pic’s win gave her the race leader’s jersey but also earned another $1,000 for the Sutter Home for Hope, which will go to the city of Hope and their breast cancer research.

News and information about the Colavita/Sutter Home Cycling Teams presented by Cooking Light is available at www.TeamColavita.com.

Results

1. Tina Pic (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) 3.10.02
2. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO)
3. Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine)
4. Rebecca Larson (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
5. Lauren Franges (Team Lipton)
6. Suzanne de Goede (T-Mobile Team – Women)
7. Lara Kroepsch (Team Lipton)
8. Natalie Klemko (Advil ChapStick)
9. Brenda Lyons (Team Lipton)
10. Anna Webb (AE Sport Development)
11. Katharine Carroll (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
12. Catherine Powers (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
13. Chantal Beltman (T-Mobile Team – Women)
14. Katheryn Curi (Webcor Builders)
15. Courtenay Brown (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team)
16. Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders)
17. Marisa Asplund (Team TIBCO)
18. Sarah Bamberger (Cheerwine)
19. Heather Albert (America’s Dairyland)
20. Mara Abbott (Webcor Builders)
21. Felicia Gomez (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
22. Nichole Wangsgard (Vitesse Cycling)
23. Amber Rais (Webcor Builders)
24. Jacquelyn Crowell (Cycle Science)
25. Alison Powers (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
26. Kori Seehafer (Team Lipton)
27. Anke Wichmann (T-Mobile Team – Women)
28. Dotsie Bausch (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
29. Kim Anderson (T-Mobile Team – Women)
30. Kristin Sanders (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
31. Chrissy Ruiter (Cheerwine)
32. Sarah Tillotson (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
33. Alex Wrubleski (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
34. Gabriela Gonzalez-Ferrat (Bicycle John’s Serious Cycling)
35. Moriah MacGregor (AE Sport Development)
36. Kim Geist (Team Lipton)
37. Rachel Heal (Webcor Builders)
38. Kristen LaSasso (Team Lipton)
39. Jane Despas (KLEIN Real Estate)
40. Sarah Uhl (Cheerwine)
41. Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
42. Elisa Gagnon (Advil ChapStick)
43. Stacy Marple (Team TIBCO)
44. Sharon Allpress (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team)
45. Shelley Olds (PROMAN/Paradigm)
46. Emily Van Meter (Wachovia / International Bicycle Centers) 0.06
47. Laura Yoisten (Webcor Builders) 0.07
48. Kelly McDonald (Touchstone Climbing) 0.09
49. Brianne Burgess (Team TIBCO)
50. Tracy Kubas (AE Sport Development)
51. Meredith Miller (Team Lipton)
52. Emily Zell (PROMAN/Paradigm) 0.44
53. Sally Annis (Wachovia / International Bicycle Centers)
54. Helen Kelly (Webcor Builders) 0.45
55. Mara Miller (Advil ChapStick) 0.46
56. Kirstin Robbins (Advil ChapStick)
57. Maria Monica (Touchstone Climbing)
58. Katherine Lambden (Team TIBCO)
59. Victoria Bastide (Team TIBCO) 5.52
60. Nicole Evans (Team Lipton) 25.43
61. Pat Ross (Touchstone Climbing)
62. Taitt Sato (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team)
63. Kate Ligler (PROMAN/Paradigm)
64. Yukie Nakamura (Team Lipton)
65. Joanie Caron (AE Sport Development)
66. Sarah Caravella (Aaron’s Pro Cycling Team)
67. Emily Thurston (OrganicAthlete p/b VegNews Magazine)
68. Kristin Drumm (PROMAN/Paradigm)
69. Samantha van Gerbig (Wachovia / International Bicycle Centers)
70. Amy McGuire (Wachovia / International Bicycle Centers)
71. Mackenzie Dickey (Colavita/ Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
72. Katherine Lundby (Bicycle John’s Serious Cycling) 49.02
73. Liza Rachetto (Team Lipton)
74. Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda Tire)
75. Betsy Galenti (America’s Dairyland)
76. Sandra Kolb (Bicycle John’s Serious Cycling)
77. Mary-Ellen Ash (Easton/Specialized)
78. Martina Patella (ValueAct Capital Cycling Team)
79. Tracie Nelson (Velo Bella-Kona)
80. Mary Maroon (Velo Bella-Kona)
DNF Michelle Beltran (Bicycle John’s Serious Cycling)
DNF India Sanjuan (Advil ChapStick)
DNF Abby Lyn Cooper (PROMAN/Paradigm)
DNF Beverly Harper (Webcor Builders)
DNF Heather Sborz (Arizona State University)
DNF Sarah Lightfoot (Metromint Cycling)
DNF Mackenzie Woodring (Vitesse Cycling)
DNF Reem Jishi (Advil ChapStick)
DNS Alison Littlefield (Contender Bicycles)