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United Youth Sports cyclocross race
By Melinda Steele
United Youth Sports (www.uysinc.org) held the 7th cyclocross event of the TXBRA'cross season at Richard Moya Sports complex in Austin, Texas. After a season of warm and pleasant cyclocross conditions racers were treated to rain, mist, fog, and cooler temperatures.
The Masters racing kicked off the event and saw a tough battle emerge between Troy Pope (UYS), Eric Jordan (Lone Star) and Andrew Yates. The trio worked together for the duration of the event with Yates moving to the front and holding off Jordan for the first exciting finish of the day.
The Juniors race saw a record number of entrants from the local UYS club as well as Team Nova and the Austin Parks and Recreation team. After a start that saw several lead changes, mountain bike racer Ben Pifer rode off the front only to soon have a mechanical. Pifer overcame a tedious wheel change to regain his lead and take the win over Steen Rose (Southern Elite/Sun & Ski Sports).
What had started as a classic day of racing was even further highlighted by a storm so severe it threatened to delay the start of the final race of the day. The elite men's A race began admist thunder and blowing rain with temperatures in the low 50's and dropping.
After a furious start led by Canada's Chris McNeil, a lead group emerged comprised of the Austin based duo Jason Sager (Team Diabetic) and Scott Henry (Polycom Cycling Team). The two settled into a rhythm that drew themselves from the dwindling chasing group.
Conditions continued to worsen as rainfall brought portions of the circuit under flowing rivers of water and mud. Sager edged out Henry for the win who was then followed by Team Diabetic teammate Nathan Phillips.
Robert Gilbreath/Texasbiketrails.com sent in these pictures.
Men's A 1 Jason Sager (Team Diabetic) 2 Scott Henry (Polycom Cycling Team) 3 Nathan Phillips (Team Diabetic) Men's B 1 Eric Pendland (Woodlands Cycling Club Race Team) 2 Bruce Allen (Unattached) 3 Chris Grusendorf (Texas A & M U Cycling) Men's C 1 Thomas Pekowski (Unattached) 2 Derek Franks (Texas A & M U Cycling) 3 Tom Mahnke (Unattached) Women's A 1 Melanie Black (Lone Star Racing Team) Juniors 1 Ben Pifer (UYS/Bicycle Sports Shop) 2 Steen Rose (Southern Elite/Sun & Ski Sports) 3 Marcus Torres (Unattached) Masters 35+ 1 Andrew Yates (Unattached) 2 Eric Jordan (Lone Star Racing Team) 3 Troy Pope (UYS/ Bicycle Sport Shop) Masters 45+ 1 Ruben Solis (Southern Elite/Sun & Ski Sports) 2 Joe Buno (Unattached) 3 M Chris Thibodeau (Violet Crown Sports Assoc)