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Nebraska Cyclocross Championship - Pioneers Park, November 19, 2006
By Sean Weide
Brian Jensen made it look easy at the Nebraska Cyclocross Championship weekend. Riders enjoyed favorable weather conditions both days, with sunny skies, virtually no wind and temperatures in the low 50s. Sunday's race doubled as the Nebraska State Cyclocross Championship.
Jensen, of Lawrence, Kansas, hopes someone will take notice of his victories from Saturday and Sunday's Cat 1/2/3 races at Lincoln's Pioneers Park."I'm still looking for a team for next year," Jensen said after changing out of his Jelly Belly team kit for the podium presentation. The 2006 season was his first as a professional after winning 20 races as an amateur in 2005. Sunday's race was his third cyclocross victory of the season to go along with nine wins on the road.
"I don't have the skills for cyclocross when it comes to the turns, so I was lucky we had a straightaway where I could make up time on the asphalt," Jensen said. "Each race, I seem to be getting a little bit better." Jensen beat Trek/VW's Bill Stolte by 30 seconds Sunday and by 32 seconds on Saturday when the fast, dry 1.5-mile course included 12 trips up "Hooligan Hill."
"Bill's a good rider and he's never easy to beat," Jensen said. "He had a bit of a mishap Saturday early on so I got a gap and was able to hold him off."
On Sunday, Lincoln rider Tony Wilhelm of Trek/VW, who finished fourth overall (47 seconds behind Jensen) won the gold medal. It was a remarkably stronger performance than Saturday when he faded from third to 12th in two laps. Lincoln Plating-Lemond's Aaron Pool took home the silver and Troy Krause of Slimenundgrossen/Trek Of Kansas City won the bronze.
The Nebraska women's cyclocross crown went to Lincoln Plating-Lemond's Sydney Brown, who also won on Saturday. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native only took up cycling in July, but has won 11 races since, including the Nebraska state road title.
"You get a little success so you want a little more so you work a little harder," Brown said. "I've been fortunate to have a lot of support from family, friends, and especially my team. Everyone has been so willing to share their knowledge and even equipment with me."
Other Nebraskans who won state championships Sunday were Kevin Limpach (Cat. 3/4), Bill Becker (Cat. 4), Eric Brown (Junior Men), Marc Walter (Masters 35+) and Randall Crist (Masters 45+).
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by John Peterson
- Tom Price (Trek Store of KC) won the Masters 45+ race to win the Nebraska State cyclocross title in his age category.
- Sydney Brown (Lincoln Plating-Lemond) led from the start on the way to winning the Nebraska State women’s cyclocross title.
- Kevin Wilkins (left) and Tom Price chatted it up in the Trek Store of KC team tent between races.
- The field for the Men’s I-II-III race started in bright afternoon sunshine and finished just before darkness set in.
- Bill Stolte (Trek/VW) was faster negotiating the barriers, but couldn’t make up ground lost on the long, fast straightaways on the pavement.
- Aaron Pool negotiates a corner.
- The victory was the third of the cyclocross season for Brian Jensen (Jelly Belly), who also won nine races on the road in 2006.
- Extremely dry conditions led to a dusty run up Hooligan Hill for Monkey Wrench Cycles’ Darin Schlake (right).
- Adam Mills’ slow start kept the Trek/VW rider from challenging the leaders.
- A good-sized crowd gathered around the 1.5-mile course on a day when temperatures were unseasonably warm for the middle of November.
- Brian Jensen (Jelly Belly) made quick work out of "Hooligan Hill" to widen his lead on each lap.
- Ethan Froese (Team Labor Power) rode to a respectable third-place finish after winning the Masters 35+ race earlier in the day.
- Lincoln Plating-Lemond’s Aaron Pool showed no effects from taking the entire month of October off after spending the 2006 season in Europe.
Results
Men Cat 1/2/3
1 Brian Jensen (Jelly Belly) 1.00.00
2 Bill Stolte (Trek/VW) 0.30
3 Ethan Froese (Team Labor Power) 0.38
4 Tony Wilhelm (Trek/VW, Lincoln) 0.47
5 Aaron Poole (Lincoln Plating-Lemond) 0.49
6 Troy Krause (Slimenundgrossen/Trek Of KC) 1.05
7 Bill Marshall (Team X Cycling) 1.12
8 Darin Schlake (Monkeywrench Cycles) 1.16
9 Mark Studnicki (Cow Town Cycling Team) 1.34
10 Adam Mills (Trek/VW) 2.47
Women
1 Sydney Brown (Lincoln Plating-Lemond) 45.00
One lap down
2 Jennifer Herrell (KCOI Boulevard)
3 Janna Vavra (Ciao Baby)
Men Cat 3/4
1 Chris Hansen (Team 14 Productions)
2 Josh Taylor (Slimenundgrossen)
3 Todd Davis (KCOI Boulevard)
Men Cat 4
1 Elliott McCalley, (The Wheel Cyclery)
2 Chris Wallace (Team X Cycling)
3 Mike Gaherty (Billy Goat Midwest Summit Racing)
Men Junior
1 Eric Brown
Men Master 35+
1 Ethan Froese (Team Labor Power)
2 David Hejduk (Team X Cycling)
3 Steve Songer (Team X Cycling)
Men Master 45+
1 Tom Price (Trek Bicycle of KC/localcycling.com )
2 Andy Lucas (Team X )
3 Randall Crist (Omaha Velo Club)
