The Aaron’s Cycling Team turned in another successful weekend with wins at the Jacksonville Cycling Classic and Gainesville Georgia Cup. First, the Aaron’s Pro Women’s Cycling Team traveled to Jacksonville for another early season tune-up before they kick off their NRC schedule. Despite extremely windy conditions at the twilight criterium in downtown Jacksonville, Aaron’s set out to control the race from the start. They launched numerous attacks and the field brought them all back until Catherine Powers launched a blistering attack into the wind in a solo breakaway. With Candice, Shannon and Mackenzie monitoring the front, Catherine was able to hold off the field and came down the final stretch in front of a cheering crowd with an arm in the air and a big smile on her face after a tiring 40 minute solo effort. Shannon handily won the field sprint for an Aaron’s 1-2 sweep.
(Catherine in break)
Also while in Jacksonville, the team stopped by Store 115 to meet employees and take some pictures.
Gainesville Georgia Cup
Meanwhile, the rest of the Aaron’s Cycling Team focused on Gainesville, Georgia for the second leg of the Georgia Cup. While the pro women’s team was in Gainesville, the regional elite women’s team was in Gainesville with Tracy Sproule making her 2006 debut. Tracy started things off by crushing the field in the time trial (without any TT equipment). Then in the criterium, Tracy controlled the pace by pulling the field around for the entire race and then won the field sprint with ease, as teammate and Georgia Cup Leader, Lee Anne Asbury sat on her wheel for second place. Another Aaron’s 1-2 sweep.
(Tracy strings out the field)
The men were focused on taking the leader’s jersey for Ty Tagami and the team set a blistering pace in the men’s Competitive field. The result of the Aaron’s demolition was junior racer Joey Rosskopf coming off with the win, just ahead of Ty and a fourth place Dave Nassick. Sticking with the theme for the day, Aaron’s again went 1-2! In the men’s pro race, John Allison pulled out another top ten finish (6th) with no support and against several large regional and national pro teams.
Sunday’s road race course was particularly hard with a tough climb every six miles. Again, the men’s Competitive field was looking to work for Ty and get him into the overall leader’s jersey for the season. As with the previous night’s criterium, the team came through with Ty earning a hard fought second place. With this result, Ty won the weekend’s omnium and is now in the Georgia Cup Leader’s Jersey. The Aaron’s Competitive team is now committed to retaining the jersey for the rest of the season.
In the men’s Elite race, Mark Burroughs decided to take matters into his own hands and went on a break with two other riders only two laps into an 8 lap race. Mark and his breakaway companions increased their lead over the field for every lap. Going into the last climb before the finish, Mark went for the win and attacked. Unfortunately, one of the other guys jumped on his wheel and Mark ended up second. Mark also ended up taking the King of the Mountains jersey in the process.
The team is now focused on preparing for two of the most important races of the year, Athens Twilight Criterium and Roswell Criterium on April 29th and 30th.
