Winfield and Fior de Frutta double in North Carolina

By Janet Trubey

Day two of the North Carolina Grand Prix UCI races, held at the same venue in Hendersonville, saw a repeat performance by Diedre Winfield and team Fior de Frutta in the men's race. A new course was prepared overnight that sent racers in the opposite direction in many sections, while keeping some of the pivotal elements like the step-up run-up and the infamous 'wall.' Michael Cody, winner of day one, said the course was "fantastic with short powerful burst sections and a fun course design." With a cold front moving in the temperatures dropped from Saturday's races as the increased wind provided an extra test to the racers' power.

The men's race began with Jon Hamblin (RGM-Richard Sachs) taking the hole shot. However, Matt White (Fior de Frutta) stated that, "today I was not going to play nice" made a huge move on the 180-degree turn after 'the wall' and by the end of the prologue section of the course had already established himself as the leader. Midway through the first lap, he held a 22 second lead over an eight-man chase group. With a few from the group not content racing for second, gaps began to open up during the second trip up 'the wall.' Michael Cody (Fior de Frutta), winner of Saturday's race, was the first to break out of the group. Tristan Schouten (Trek-VW), Adam Myerson (Nerac), Charlie Storm (Inland Construction) and Hamblin followed.

Read the entire North Carolina Grand Prix #2 race report here.