Alia Shafi delivers GC victory at Redlands Bicycle Classic with Fount Cycling ‘guns a blazing’ start to finish

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It has been one year since Alia Shafi (Fount Cycling Guild) finished second overall at the 2024 Redlands Bicycle Classic and decided to make her return the “top priority this year”. She accomplished her goal decisively, winning four of five stages and, once Sunday arrived, secured the GC title with a final podium in third.

Shafi grabbed the leader’s jersey on the opening 11.7-mile individual time trial, where she was second last year. Her teammates Jennifer Wheeler, also the team co-founder, and Majorie Rinaldo joined her on the podium for a sweep of the top three. 

“Redlands was my top priority this year. I had been thinking about it since last year, when we came so close,” Shafi told Cyclingnews. 

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“Jennifer asked me early in the season ‘What gets you excited about racing?’ And my answer was, ‘winning Redlands’, so this meant a lot that we actually pulled it off this weekend.”

The podium sweep in the ITT set up the team to support Shafi for the GC win and score four other podiums with six riders in the top 25. Shafi said the maturation of the entire team was evident since this was the first time in her four seasons that a full squad had returned, and the roster always evolves when developing talent moves on. 

“I think the biggest difference was our team came in guns a blazing,” she said with a small laugh. “We had really learned a lot from last year, and we just meshed so well. 

“A few additions, like Andrea [Cyr] being a road captain, made a huge impact. And Brooklyn [Raddin], who’s a very new rider, is still learning to develop. 

“If I didn’t have them behind me, there’s absolutely no way I would have dominated like I did. They protected me so well. In the past, I would have wasted a lot of energy, but I’ve learned to trust my teammates and be fresh at the end of the race.”

The biggest emerging talent came from TaG Cycling, where Sidney Swierenga finished second in the GC, 2:29 behind Shafli. Swierenga was just seven seconds better than third-placed Kira Payer (SpeedBlock pb Terun), who secured the mountains classification.

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Across the five days of southern California racing, Eder Frayre (Golden State Blazers) became the first Mexican rider to win the men’s overall at Redlands Bicycle Classic. He finished 13th or better in all five stages, with third on the new 88.8-mile Crafton Hills circuit race on the third day of racing he took over the GC lead. 

“It was really a hard race and hard course but we were ready. The gravel section was not as sketchy as we thought it would be. It was still a very hard course in the heat,” Frayre said. 

“Nearing the end of the laps, and once I had joined the break, they knew I was the biggest GC threat. I just rode as hard as I could until the final.”

Frayer finished safely in the pack to secure the overall after the 91.3-mile Sunset Loop Road Race. He won just 10 seconds ahead of Quinn Felton (CycleSport.com). Team Winston-Salem’s Owen Cole finished third overall, 1’04” back.

“I’m super happy and super proud,” Frayre said after the race on his GC victory. “I’m thankful for life, God, and my team for helping me and all my friends in the peloton. It took a long time to get here, and I’m very happy.”

The Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by the San Manual Band of Mission Indians held its 39th edition in 2025, five days of pro races from April 9-13. Cancelled due to the COVID pandemic in 2020-2021, the event is part of the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour and is the longest-running stage race for men and women in the US. 

Redlands Bicycle Classic 2025 overall results

Result powered by FirstCycling

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