Now in its ninth year, the San Dimas Stage Race opens Friday with a deep start list of pro men and women. Originally called the Pomona Valley Stage Race, San Dimas has served as the season opener for domestic racing for years.

Although not an NRC event this year, San Dimas still draws most of the teams who will line up at the Redlands Bicycle Classic on April 3.

American women have already had four NRC events — Santa Rosa Grand Prix, the Sequoia Cycing Classic time trial and criterium, and the Susan G. Komens Cycle for the Cure — but Redlands will be the first men’s NRC event.

San Dimas opens Friday with an uphill 3.8-mile time trial, followed by a circuit road race Saturday and a criterium in Old Town San Dimas Sunday.

Lipton dominated the 2007 women's event.

While past men’s winners Tom Danielson (now Slipstream-Chipotle) and Chris Horner (now Astana) will not be present, Scott Moninger will. Of course, the veteran who won last year for BMC will be working the race from a car this time, as assistant director for Toyota-United.

Here are the pro men’s and women’s top 10 GC riders from last year. The 2008 start list for the men's and women's races are here and here, respectively.

2007 GC, Men's:
1. Scott Moninger, BMC
2. Phil Zajicek, Navigators Insurance, at :21
3. Matt Cooke, BMC, at :24
4. Ian McKissick, BMC, at :26
5. Ben Brooks, Navigators Insurance, at :32
6. Scott Nydam, BMC, at :37
7. Corey Collier, Einstein’s, at :59
8. Chris Walker, Time, at 1:15
9. Kyle Wamsely, Navigators Insurance, at 1:17
10. David Vittoria, BMC, at 1:21

2007 GC, Women's
1. Meredith Miller, Lipton
2. Lauren Franges, Lipton, at 1:11
3. Kori Seehafer, Lipton, at 01:31
4. Anne Samplonuis, expresscopy.com, at 1:39
5. Kristen LaSasso, Lipton, at 1:53
6. Jill McLaughlin, Touchstone Climbing, at 2:49
7. Jessica Phillips, expresscopy.com, at 2:56
8. Alison Testroete, expresscopy.com, at 3:09
9. Jennifer Joynt, Metromint Cycling, at 3:21
10. Lara Kroepsch, Lipton, at 3:35