UPDATE: Bennett, Cliff-Ryan Win Road Races in Beaumont Stage of 27th RBC

Up-and-coming riders won the men's and women's road racing stage of the 27th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic on Friday in Beaumont, while veterans retained their yellow jerseys as overall leaders of the Classic after two days of competition.

John Bennett, 20, of Berkeley, won the 120.5-mile men's race in about 4 hours 20 minutes.

"The heat wasn't as bad, today was nicer," Bennett said before taking the podium.  "But it wasn't easy. It was fricking hard, a 120-mile road race."

Theresa Cliff-Ryan won the women's 72.3-mile race in about 3 hours.

"It was definitely hotter today," Cliff-Ryan said. "It was difficult, anything with hills is hard for me."

Men's time trial winner Francisco Mancebo, 35, of Avila, Spain, a mountainous region near Madrid, retained the yellow jersey as overall Classic men's leader.

Women's time trial winner Amber Neben, 36, of Lake Forest, also kept her yellow jersey as overall women's leader.

Races started and finished Friday in front of Beaumont City Hall. It was the first day of racing in this year's Classic after individual time trails Thursday in Redlands.

There were at least three crashes reported involving riders in the first two laps of the men's and women's competitions, volunteers with the Riverside County sheriff's Mounted Posse said.

The start and finish were at 6th Street east of Beaumont Avenue.

The PossAbilities Handcycle Circuit Road Race started at 7:45 a.m.

The City of Beaumont Circuit Road Race for Men started at 9:15 a.m.

The City of Beaumont Circuit Road Race for Women started at 9:25 a.m.

The circuit loop in Beaumont covered 24.1 miles. Men rode 5 laps to total 120.5 miles, and women rode 3 laps to total 72.3 miles, according to race officials.

More information is available at www.ci.beaumont.ca.us and www.redlandsclassic.com.

For updated information about the Beaumont races, please contact City Hall at (951) 769-8520.

A printable race route map is attached to this report in PDF form.