Pan-Am Champion Eric Brunner wins opening race at Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross

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Twenty-four hours after defending his Pan-American title, Eric Brunner (Blue Competition Cycles p/b Build) took another solo win at the C1 opener of the Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross.

In an identical podium to the previous day's championships, Curtis White (Steve Tilford Foundation) finished second and Lance Haidet (L39ION of Los Angeles) third.

"I didn't like where I attacked yesterday, through pit one, and ended up having to hit the brakes. I thought about it a little more today and attacked the straightaway, and that worked out better," Brunner said.

"I was two-thirds of the race on my own, but it was a harder start today, and that helped me tire people out earlier. I had a puncture on lap seven, which always makes you a little nervous, but I had a big enough gap, so just had to ride on it for a little while."

Serving the New England cyclocross community, Really Rad Festival of Cyclocross offered the field barriers, a sand pit, off-camber rocky steep descent, and a set of stairs that transitioned into a technical descent. 

Brunner, White and Haidet were all part of the lead group at the end of the second lap, along with Caleb Swartz (Giant/ENVE), Scott McGill, and Scott Funston (Blue Competition Cycles p/b Build).

McGill led the race seeing five laps to go with Brunner and White on his wheel, then Funston, Swartz, Michael van den Ham, Andrew Stromeyer and Haidet at seven seconds back.

Brunner then hit out on his own to open a sizeable lead with White at roughly 15 seconds back with four laps to go.

The Pan-Am Champion pushed his lead out to 30 seconds as he flew through the last two laps, with White safely in second. 

The race for third was between Haidet, Schartz and Funston. Haidet attacked several times and finally got the gap he needed on the last lap to take third.

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