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JACQUES-MAYNES MOVES UP AGAIN, TAKES 3RD IN REDLANDS FINALE

Redlands, Calif. (March 26, 2005) - Wrapping up the Redlands Bicycle Classic today, the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada Pro Cycling Team pulled out all the stops to help Ben Jacques-Maynes take third in the Sunset Road Race and move up in the overall standings.

After placing sixth in Friday's time trial and earning a time bonus in yesterday's criterium to move up to fifth overall, Jacques-Maynes started the day one second behind Toyota-United's Heath Blackgrove.

L-R: Jacques-Maynes, Stewart, Schmatz in the criterium

But the Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada team leader quickly erased that deficit by placing third and taking a one-second time bonus at the top of the circuit's main climb on the first lap of the race.

The next time up the climb, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's Mike Dietrich jumped across to what became the main breakaway of the stage, an eight rider group that included Toyota-United's Chris Baldwin and Health Net p.b. Maxxis' Scott Moninger, second and third overall in the race.

"I saw the break go and it took me about a mile to get across. Once I recovered, I followed [Racing Manager Jonas Carney's] advice to conserve energy and roll through, but not drive it too hard," Dietrich recalled.

Despite Moninger sitting on to look after his teammate Nathan O'Neill's overall lead, the break stayed away for eight laps, as Baldwin worked desperately in an attempt to unseat O'Neill.

Later, with the break reeled in and the field speeding back into downtown Redlands for five finishing circuits on yesterday's criterium course, Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's Jackson Stewart shouldered the burden of bringing Jacques-Maynes into position for the finish.

"Jackson did a great job to make it over the climb the last time and keep me near the front on the finishing circuits. He brought me up to about 10th position with half a lap to go, and from there I followed Mark McCormack (Colavita-Sutter Home) up to fourth going through the last few turns," Jacques-Maynes said.

Passing one rider in the homestretch, Jacques-Maynes finished third in the stage behind winner J.J. Haedo (Toyota-United) and Brice Jones (Jelly Belly) and earned a four-second time bonus that cemented his fourth place overall finish.

Reflecting on Kodakgallery.com/Sierra Nevada's performance, Jacques-Maynes commented, "Jonas has inspired the team to ride beyond what we thought we were capable of. Mike did a great job in the break today, Dan [Schmatz] got up there for fourth yesterday, and I moved up another spot today. We're establishing ourselves as a team to be reckoned with."

Note: Yesterday's report stated incorrectly that Jacques-Maynes had moved up to fourth overall during the criterium. We apologize for the error.




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