Globalbike was represented in all men’s categories except III, and our team we’ve had some good results.
Currently, Ben Miller is sitting on top of the Pro I/II category with 8th and 3rd place finishes. Team manager Josh Whitmore and Boyd Johnson are within striking distance of the top 10, at 12th and 13th respectively. Saturday’s pro race at Donaldson was an exciting one, and included a breakaway that included three Globalbike riders, Josh (6th), Ben (8th) and Boyd (10th).
In the Masters 45+, Steve Sperry sits in 2nd place in the omnium, two skinny points out of first with 2nd and 4th place finishes last weekend.
In Saturday’s Cat IV race at Donaldson, Dave Curran proved to be the workhorse, going on a solo break that saw one rider bridge up. It failed to develop, however, as we Cat IVs tend to chase anything that moves. Both Joel Toms and Rick Taylor rode aggressively, with Joel marking a number of breaks and Rick trying to initiate a break in the last lap. In the field sprint, Dave gave a great lead-out to Wade Greene, our designated sprinter, who place 4th — good enough for 9th in the weekend’s omnium results.
On Sunday, Dave went off the front early in the race at BMW. This time, a number of riders bridged up to form a lead group of eight or nine. The rest of the Globalbike riders were intent to sit in, as were the members of Colavita, who also had a rider in the break.
In the final lap, the pack’s pace ramped up and we caught the breakaway at the finish line, for a dramatic field sprint. I was fresh, having only chased one brief break early, and was able to work my way into 15th. Dave, who worked incredibly hard to maintain the breakaway, was able to hang on for 17th.
Next Saturday’s race is on the state championship course at Fork Shoals. It’s a tighter, more technical course with significant hills, so look for climbers to initiate attacks.
Sunday, we’re back at Donaldson.
Come out next weekend and support the racers! Even if you don’t race, bring your bike and turn it into a workout! The courses are open and you can rider counter-clockwise, get in some miles and watch the packs roar by!
Ben Butler - Club Team
