PHOENIX, AZ – The L39ION of Los Angeles and Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 teams dominated the 34th annual Valley of the Sun Stage Race, held February 13-15 in Arizona. Tyler Williams of L39ION secured the overall victory in the pro men’s category, while Marjorie Rinaldo of Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 claimed the top spot in the pro women’s race.
Both teams showcased remarkable consistency, sweeping all three stage victories with individual performances. For L39ION, Cory Lockwood, Tyler Williams, and Cory Williams each earned a stage win. On the women’s side, Ella Sabo won two stages for Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28, following Rinaldo’s victory in the opening time trial.
The men’s race began with a 9.9-mile time trial in Buckeye, where Lockwood set the fastest time at 19:03. Williams finished just five seconds behind, tying for third with Albert Taylor (TaG Cycling Race Team) and Jack Diemar (Kelly Benefits Cycling). Stage 2, a 94-mile road race in Casa Grande, saw Tyler Williams take a bunch sprint victory over Alejandro Che (Kelly Benefits Cycling) and Logan Unger (Speedblock p/b Terun). Lockwood’s strong performance kept him close in the general classification, placing him second overall.
The final stage, a criterium in Phoenix, saw L39ION further solidify their dominance. Cory Williams took the win, followed closely by teammate Tyler Williams, with Alejandro Che rounding out the podium. Tyler Williams maintained his overall lead, finishing 13th in the criterium, securing the general classification title. Lockwood finished second and Diemar secured third place.
“A winter of doing the training that I need to do. A team that bought in, and believed. This feels and looks right. Happy to be back with the L39ION of Los Angeles squad and feeling good on the bike again,” Williams said on Instagram, reflecting on his return to the team after two years with other organizations. He finished sixth overall at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race last year.
In the women’s race, Rinaldo set the tone with a commanding performance in the opening time trial, completing the 9.9-mile course in 21:22. Teammate Emmi Pfeiffer finished second, 33 seconds back, while Ellexi Snover (SpeedBlock-Terún) secured third place. Sabo, the USPro women’s U23 road race champion, initially finished sixth.
Stage 2, a 62-mile road race, saw Sabo claim her first stage victory in a bunch sprint, besting Cara O’Neill (Team S&. M CX) and Minori Minagawa (Speedblock p/b Terun). Unfortunately, Pfeiffer crashed on the final straightaway, impacting her overall standing. Sabo’s win propelled her to third in the general classification.
Sabo continued her strong form into the final stage, a criterium on a one-mile course in Phoenix, securing her second stage win of the race. Rinaldo finished tenth, enough to maintain her lead and secure the overall victory. Sabo’s performance moved her into second place three seconds behind Rinaldo, while Emmi Gilbert and Claudia Ferreira of Monarch Racing completed the top five.
“I was beyond excited to take the win in my first race wearing the U23 stars and stripes,” Sabo said after winning stage 2. “Winning the crit and finishing second on GC behind Marj was the perfect way to cap off the weekend! Emmi worked tirelessly for the team, and Marj controlled the race perfectly, setting me up to sprint for the win. I’m so proud of our small but mighty squad for winning every stage and taking 1-2 GC together.”
Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28’s victory marks their fifth consecutive overall title at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race, extending a streak previously dominated by Emily Ehrlich, who had won the event record four years in a row.
The Phoenix-area stage race awarded a $14,000 cash purse, split evenly between the top 20 finishers in the pro men’s and pro women’s categories.
