The 34th annual Tucson Bicycle Classic (TBC) took place on the weekend of March 4-6 after a 2-year hiatus. In addition to the same road course and circuit race as previous years, the freshly paved prologue was one of a handful of changes the race director, Marco Colbert, introduced this year. Notably, the men’s and women’s fields raced equal distances and were awarded equal prize money. Additionally, a new rider mentorship program was implemented - based off the current mentorship program established at Intelligentsia Cup.
Given the popularity of Tucson this time of year, it was no surprise to see the presence of fully stacked DNA Pro Cycling and Instafund Racing rosters. Eager to test their early season form, approximately forty Pro/1/2 women lined up at TBC.
Day 1: The Prologue
The race weekend kicked off with a rolling, 6-kilometer (3.86-mile), “out and back”, Merckx-style, time trial. Wind conditions - strong enough to tip over a few portajohns - added some additional excitement to the day.
When asked about her experience at the Prologue, Maddy Ward of Instafund Racing commented:
“The wind was absolutely INSANE. I have never been so nervous about the potential of getting t-boned by a giant, killer tumbleweed. It was mostly a cross-headwind on the way out and then a cross-tailwind on the way back, but that didn't make the return trip any less painful… I came away with 7th place and a dry cough from the max effort.”
In spite of the brutal wind gusts and threat of killer tumbleweeds, Ariane Bonhomme of Cyclery Racing came away with a dominating 15-second lead on her competitors, with a time of 7:52.99. Instafund Racing’s Rylee McMullen and Heidi Franz stormed to second and third, with times of 8:08.21 and 8:12.56, respectively.
Day 2: The Road Race
At the bright and early hour of 7am, the women’s Pro/1/2 peloton began the road race - four laps of a 32-kilometer (19.9-mile) loop.
The road race began with Cyclery Racing’s Caileigh Filmer riding tempo on the front of the peloton for her teammate, Ariane Bonhomme (GC leader). After the bonus intermediate sprint at the end of lap one, Maddy Ward of Instafund Racing counterattacked the group of sprinters who went for the time bonuses. As she was brought back, the field began to splinter climbing up Mission. A threatening break of five was established, featuring Rylee McMullen and Heidi Franz of Instafund Racing, Cara O’Neill of UA Cycling, and two DNA Pro Cycling riders. Franz suffered from a mechanical and was forced to abandon the break and return to the peloton. As a result, the break stopped working together and was swiftly reeled back in. It was clear the race would come down to a sprint finish after a few more attempted moves, with heavy hitters in the mix, were unable to stay away.
Maggie Coles-Lyster of DNA won the sprint finish in commanding fashion. Rylee McMullen, Instafund Racing, came in a close second and Ariane Bonhomme, Cyclery Racing, rounded out the podium and safely maintained her GC lead.
Day 3: The Circuit Race
The race weekend concluded with a punchy, 9-kilometer (5.6-mile) circuit, which the Pro/1/2 peloton completed nine times.
Ariane Bonhomme of Cyclery - with the help of her sole teammate Caileigh Filmer - maintained a sizable lead going into the final stage. This left Filmer and Bonhomme with a monumental task ahead; the two biggest teams were both desperate to dethrone Bonhomme from the GC lead. The small but dynamic duo of Filmer and Bonhomme, against all odds, kept the race together and no breakaways were able to stay off the front for long. DNA Pro Cycling took control during the last lap to set Maggie Coles-Lyster up for the sprint.
Maggie Coles-Lyster of DNA Pro Cycling took the win and enough time bonuses to move into 2nd in the GC. Holly Simonson of Red Truck racing sprinted to second, with Heidi Franz of Instafund Racing polishing off the podium in third.
Kimberly Lucie, DNA Pro Cycling, made the following statement about the race weekend:
“I had a blast getting to race my hometown race with my team mates this year, it was a great way to start off the year and get to know some of the new girls. The entire women’s field was a solid group of strong ladies and having another team like Instafund there made things even more exciting!”
The Overall
After a windy and animated weekend of racing, the GC standings ended up:
1: Ariane Bonhomme, Cyclery Racing: 5:59:18
2: Maggie Coles-Lyster, DNA Pro Cycling: 5:59:31
3: Rylee McCullen, Instafund Racing: 5:59:32
If you are on the fence about adding TBC to your calendar for 2023, keep this statement from local cyclist, Cara O’Neill - who sprinted to fourth in the road race - in mind:
“TBC is a fantastic race, just off my doorstep, and has high quality competition from all the visiting pros -- I wouldn't miss it. It always forces me to step up, race strategically against larger teams, and reflect back on how far I've progressed since last year (and since I started racing).”
The Mentorship Program
Tucson Bicycle Classic Race Director, Marco Colbert, developed this mentorship program in an effort to encourage more females to compete in the sport of cycling. In its inaugural year at TBC, over twenty women signed up for the program. The HomeStretch Foundation participated, with Kathryn Bertine taking on the role of answering any and all new racer questions. Bekah Collins was the mastermind behind logistics coordination. Among other opportunities, those signed up for the mentorship program were able to have their questions answered by experienced resources at packet pickup. Additionally, the mentees had access to a group chat where they were supported by their mentors more or less around the clock. Prior to each stage, assistance was available regarding anything from warm-up suggestions to number pinning to last minute questions. Mentors, such as Ava Hachmann and Kate Lemke, rode with the novice peloton to offer support during the race (without actually interfering with the race outcomes). Refreshments and snacks were available to members after each stage.
“This program is so vital and needs to be duplicated at all local events. I did not have anything like this when I started racing and I had so many questions. It would have been amazing to have resources available to answer those questions. We all know bike racing is a trial by fire environment, and sometimes that can be pretty darn overwhelming. Perhaps for some women, it can turn them away from the sport, if they feel like they’re an “outsider”. To have a program that alleviates that ‘outsider-ness’ is such an amazing way to move this sport forward and bring more women into bike racing”. - Kathryn Bertine
Thanks for reading this edition of The Chronicle. For future race recaps and peloton insights, be sure to subscribe to the Criterium Nation Chronicle.
Loved to read about the mentorship program. What a great cause.