Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 4 Wins at Redlands Classic

Four Stages, 2nd GC + Sprinters Jersey

Roanoke, VA April 15, 2026 — Spring is well underway in Roanoke, Shelley reported her first hummingbird sighting and I’m not there to see it. A big month-long block has me on the road through May: Redlands Bicycle Classic, Sea Otter, then Malaysia for the final UCI Track World Cup. After that, I’m looking forward to being back in Roanoke for a few weeks to reset and plan the second half of the season.

Redlands Classic, now in its 40th year, remains one of the most iconic races in the U.S. and this year delivered. We fielded a squad of eight, blending experience with developing talent. With several riders coming off a track focus, there were some unknowns, but the team exceeded expectations. Marj Rinaldo (USA), Kenna Pfeiffer (USA) Emmi Gilbert (USA) Ella Sabo (USA) Olivia Cummins (USA) Emily Ehrlich (USA) Sofia Arreola (MEX) and Rylee McMullen (AUS)

Across the week, we won 4 of 5 stages, secured the sprinter’s jersey, and finished 2nd overall on GC (by just 15 seconds). More importantly, it was a true team performance, where individual goals aligned with collective execution:

• Emily Ehrlich targeted the time trial, she delivered, winning by 36 seconds.
• Olivia Cummins set her sights on the sprinter’s jersey and, with full team support, achieved it.
• Ella Sabo, racing on home roads, aimed for two stage wins and took three, backed by committed teamwork.

There’s something powerful about athletes being willing to say their goals out loud. It creates accountability and requires the team to fully buy in and this group did exactly that.

It was also special to have Cathy and Alex Kim join us as guest directors. Different perspectives are invaluable in athlete development, and they added a lot to the week. “Cotton Sox Sports is proud to sponsor the Twenty28 team, and directing the team at the Redlands Cycling Classic was a great experience. The dedication and commitment of all eight riders and staff made the week incredibly rewarding,” said Catherine Fegan-Kim

Behind the scenes, our staff of Racer Gibson, Rafael Meran and Mike SanJose were outstanding, managing long days and the added complexity of building up our first batch of STROMM bikes right before the race. Thank you to Cid Breyer and Jess Sabo for hosting the team, you make it feel like a hometown race for all of us!

Photo above: Ella's first win of three By VeloImages

A highlight within the highlights Ella Sabo. She joined us as a junior, and to see her progression over five years culminate in three stage wins at Redlands, in front of family and friends, was incredibly rewarding. After a breakout 2024 with a U23 National Road title, this felt like a true arrival. And in true Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 fashion mid-stage race, I also proctored her O-Chem exam… which she passed.

This week reflected what this program stands for: individual goals achieved through collective effort, and a team committed to doing things the right way.

Thanks for reading, Nicola

"This week at Redlands is something I’ll never forget. Growing up in Redlands, the Redlands Bicycle Classic was always known as “the cyclist’s Christmas.” I remember watching the pros come into town and fly past as I stood along the barriers at the downtown crit. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d one day be racing that same crit, let alone winning it.

The Redlands Classic is truly where I first began to see this as something I wanted to pursue. My family hosted teams at our house, and I used to line up for the downtown kids races just for fun. To come back now, ride alongside those same kids racing downtown, and win three stages feels incredibly full circle. Being able to share those moments with my friends and family on the sidelines made it even more meaningful.

These wins are just as much a reflection of my team as they are of me. They rode selflessly all week, believed in me, and put me in the perfect position every time. I truly couldn’t have done it without them, and I’m excited to build on this momentum for the rest of the season!" -Ella Sabo

Stage 1 - Lake Perris Time Trial

"The Lake Perris time trial has quickly become one of my favorites because it has everything in it that makes a time trial fun. It almost feels like every section is another opportunity to go harder and harder, and it never relents. I'm happy to come away with a victory with a large margin, showing the fruits of my current focus: time trial training." - Emily Ehrlich

Photos: Emily Ehrlich wins stage 1 - By Velo Images

Stage 2 - Trek Hanger 24 Circuit Race

With Onyx Summit closed for the year, Stage 2, the Queen stage, shifted to a circuit race, featuring multiple sprint points and valuable time bonuses throughout.

The team raced beautifully, executing the plan with precision. They set Olivia up perfectly for the intermediate sprints and the final, while also delivering a strong lead-out that gave Ella her first stage win of the race. Olivia backed it up by sweeping key points in second, making it a highly successful day all around. Kudos to Rylee, Kenna, Emmi, Marj, Emily and Sofia for a tactical masterpiece.

"It was an awesome experience to finish second behind my teammate, Ella Sabo, in the stage 2 circuit race. It was inspiring and super rewarding to help Ella take her first stage win on her home roads, and to finish second behind her was just the cherry on top of an amazing team effort." - Olivia Cummins

Photo below: Ella Sabo takes stage 2 with Olivia Cummins in 2nd by Cathy Fegan-Kim

Photo above: Emmi Gilbert Lieutenant to the GC leader Emily Ehrlich by @redlandsdarkroom

Stage 3 - Crafton Hills Road Race

Stage 3 saw a shake-up in the GC. Stephens’ win moved her into the overall race lead, opening up an 11-second advantage over Emily Ehrlich. It was a tough day for the team, with Emily left isolated and only Emmi Gilbert able to support her and limit the damage.

“Redlands stage 3 is by far one of the toughest of the 5 days. We had a team goal to keep Emily in the leaders jersey and to chase down any moves that stuck. The undulating course did not give much time for recovery, which made it difficult to try and chase all the attacks that went. It was definitely an unforgiving, but fun, course. Being able to help Emily as much as I could during stage 3 was keeping me motivated to work on my positioning so I could be as useful as possible to the GC leader. Unfortunately, a break got away during the later half of the stage and I could not reel it back in. Fortunately, we went on to win 4 out of the 5 stages of Redlands and secure the green sprinters jersey. I am unbelievably proud of this team and all the work everyone put into every day to get the best possible result. I wouldn’t trade this team for any other.” - Emmi Gilbert

Photo below: Ella wins the Downtown Redlands Criterium by VeloImages

Stage 4 - Redlands Downtown Criterium

The Redlands criterium is a tough, technical course, and our goal was clear—win the stage and continue to secure Olivia’s green jersey. We controlled the race from the start, and after a couple of sprint points, we sent Emmi Gilbert up the road. She built a gap of up to 45 seconds, forcing the rest of the field to chase.

We love racing crits, and while we launched the leadout a touch early, the team stayed committed and it paid off, with Ella taking her second stage win. The support from friends, family, and the Redlands crowd was incredible and made the day even more special.

"The crit always seems to be the teams favourite race day. The team work we showed throughout the race was really special to be part of. We secured the green jersey for Olivia and Ella finished off a great day with the win!" - Rylee McMullen

Photo below: Ella and Kenna by @redlandsdarkroom

Stage 5 - Sunset Road Race

The legendary Sunset Road Race closed out the week—always one of the most unpredictable stages, where anything can happen. This year, the rain added another layer of challenge. Just a few hundred meters into the race, Olivia went down in a crash. There was a moment of concern, knowing she needed to complete the required laps to retain the sprinter’s jersey. Kenna and Marj did an outstanding job, staying composed and guiding Olivia back into the third group. She dug deep, made the distance, and successfully secured the jersey.

Up front, Lauren Stephens and her team kept a close watch on Emily, who was sitting just seconds off the GC. Emily made efforts to break free from the Aegis team, but they were quick to respond and kept things tightly controlled.

As the race unfolded, the focus shifted to setting Ella up for the stage win. Despite a brief miscommunication with three short laps to go where Ella sprinted early, thinking it was the finish, the team stayed calm, regrouped quickly, and reset. When it counted, they executed again, and Ella delivered, sprinting to take the win.

A fitting end to a dynamic and hard-fought week.

Women's Stage 5 Results

1 Ella Sabo - Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28

2. Skylar Schneider - L39ION Of Los Angeles

3. Katherine Sarkisov- CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group

4. Jette Aelken - Collegiate All-Stars

5. Amaia Ervin-Arambarri - TaG Cycling Race Team

" - Ella Sabo

Olivia Cummins and her team battled for the sprint points all week! Photo By Cathy Fegan-Kim

Sprint Competition

"I came into Redlands this year with the main goal of winning the Points Jersey. I won the jersey my first, and last time racing at Redlands in 2022 so I set the goal to win it again! I of course couldn’t have done that without the unwavering efforts and support of the team. They really came together and supported my goal and were there for me throughout the week helping me get the points I needed to secure it." Olivia Cummins

General Classification

1. Lauren Stephens - Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment (00:00:00)

2. Emily Ehrlich - Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28 (00:0015)

3. Jamie Chapman - Aegis x Leaders of Enchantment (00:01:08)

4. Katherine Rusch - CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group (00:01:31)

5. Katherine Sarkisov - CCB Kenetik p/b Levine Law Group (00:01:32)

"The GC battle for Redlands was intense. I didn't anticipate fighting very hard for it, but when it became evident that I might have the fitness to battle on the climbs, we quickly pivoted to give it all I could to win it. Despite a huge team effort, I wasn't able to stay attached with the would-be leader on the important climbing stage and lost just enough time to find myself in second on the GC. The team gave every bit of effort and sacrificed everything they could. I'm very grateful for everyone's effort, and couldn't be more proud to ride my best for them." - Emily Ehrlich

"This was my 4th Redlands and first with Team Twenty28. It was awesome getting the chance to race with such a well supported team. Without Onyx the time gaps were pretty close and everyone in the team fought hard every day for the team goals. Excited to do it again in 2 weeks at Tour of the Gila!" - Marj Rinaldo

"My first ever Redlands Classic and I got to do it with the most dominant team in the field. I learned what it was like to ride selflessly for a teammate and see how their success can impact everyone. I feel like I grew even closer with my teammates this week and we all worked together so well. The whole event was very well organized and the stages were so fun!" - Kenna Pfeiffer

Thank you to Oscar's of Redlands for supporting the team with delicious Mexican food!

Photo below: Cathy Fegan-Kim

Gratitude to our Partners

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge, Virginia is for Mountain Lovers, Zwift, STROMM Cycles, Cotton Sox Sports, Violich Farms, Domestique Foundation, Precision Fuel & Hydration , Vittoria Tires, Oakley, PACE Ranch, Velo Saddles, Training Peaks, Arundel Cages, Presta Cycle, Seasucker Racks, Sock Guy, SRAM, The Original Stick, USA Cycling Foundation, Victory Circle Graphix, KX3 Performance Coaching, Riverdale Roanoke. Pro Cyclist Foundation,

About TWENTY28 Pro Cycling

When the team was formed in 2005, the goal was to create a pathway for athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. In 2009 the team name became TWENTY12 changing every 4 year cycle, followed by TWENTY16, TWENTY20, TWENTY24 and now TWENTY28 representing the LA 2028 Olympics.

The TWENTY28 program is responsible for developing many of the most successful American female cyclists to date. Creating opportunities for elite, junior development and para-cycling athletes. TWENTY28 has established a consistent athlete talent pipeline for road and track cyclists and additionally providing opportunities for athletes who excel in the virtual world of Zwift eSports and the new dynamic discipline of gravel racing. 

What We Do

Develop high-performance athletes and the next generation of competitive cyclists. Success in aligning student-athletes with college scholarships through cycling. Support of the multi-discipline athlete. Adaptive, dynamic, versatile, resilient and committed to growing diversity in the landscape of women’s cycling.