Fahlin sprints to victory at the 2009 Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium

(Photo: Ken Conley)

Stage 1 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California featured the second-annual Women's Criterium presented by the Redwood Regional Breast Center.  Emilia Fahlin (SWE), the youngest member of Team Columbia, won the criterium race with an impressive performance besting an outstanding field of international competitors.

The first event of the 2009 season on the National Racing Calendar (NRC), the Women’s Criterium took part over portions of the Stage 1 men’s finishing circuit in Santa Rosa.  The second-annual event consisted of a field of 88 riders competing for more than $15,000 in prizes.  Set as a category Pro 1,2 race and with a limit of eight riders per team, the Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium showcased some of the world's top professional women's cycling teams, including defending champion Brooke Miller of Team TIBCO, who finished 15th overall.

“The 2009 Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium was a huge success,” said Laura Charameda, race director, Amgen Tour of California Women's Criterium.  “We had an amazing representation from the top women’s teams.  With the support of AEG, which believes in building great events for both men and women, I look forward to the opportunity to help grow this event into the most important race in the world for professional women cyclists.”

Emilia Fahlin, overall winner of the Women’s Criterium and current National Champion of Sweden, took several important wins in the 2008 season, including the Merced Criterium and Merco Cycling Classic Road Race.  Fahlin also took a stage win in the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic.  In 2007, she took second place in the Sparkassen Giro Bochum.

“When I was here last year, I finished third,” said Fahlin, winner of the second-annual Amgen Tour of California Women’s Criterium.  “I really enjoyed the race last year with the big crowds, so I wanted to do better.  Getting to win here was really fun and great way to start the season; very motivating.”

Rounding out the top three were Lauren Tamayo (USA) of Team TIBCO in second and Rachel Lloyd (USA) of Proman in third.  Tamayo took first in the 2008 Women’s International Challenge and the 2008 Atlanta 10K Classic.  Lloyd won the 2008 Single Speed World Championship Mountain Bike Race.