Jensen leads team one-two

Brian Jensen (HRRC-Trek Stores) caught the peloton off guard when he attacked a late-race breakaway to capture the victory at Riverside Criterium, the third and final race at the Tulsa Tough Omnium on Sunday.

Jensen attacked his four late-race breakaway companions to take the solo win ahead of teammate Adam Bergman, Zachary Davies (Groove Subaru Cycling) in third and Stefan Rothe (Hotel San Jose-Mellow Johnny’s) in fourth.

Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) won the Tulsa Tough Omnium title by virtue of winning the opening two events at the Blue Dome Criterium and the Brady Village Criterium. Huff’s teammate and lead-out man Sean Muzich place second overall ahead of Jeremy Wiscovitch (Williams Cycling-SCVelo) in third.

It was an aggressive end for the professional men at the Tulsa Tough weekend at the Riverside Criterium, an 80-minute race held on a three-corner circuit. Several teams were on the hunt for a breakaway that included Hotel San Jose-Mellow Johnny’s, Texas Road House, HRRC-Trek Stores among others.

The late-race move contained Rothe, Bergman and Jensen, who worked well enough to gain a 10-second lead with 10 laps to go. The breakaway swelled to four when rider Davies successfully made his way across.

The breakaway beat the bunch to the line by a mere eight seconds. Isaac Howe (Mountain Khakis) won the field sprint for fifth place.

Rivera gets her Tulsa win; Purcell takes overall title

The young Coryn Rivera (Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12) wowed the crowds with a winning sprint from a late-race breakaway at the Riverside Criterium, the third and final round of the women’s National Racing Calendar (NRC) Tulsa Tough Omnium. The junior talent outpaced Amanda Miller (Tibco) who placed second and Christina Gokey-Smith (Veloforma) in third.

Jennifer Purcell (MSU Racing) won the overall Tulsa Tough Omnium title by placing on the podium in two of the criteriums. She placed second in both the Blue Dome Criterium and the Brady Village Criterium to take top honors ahead of runner up, Coryn Rivera and third placed Christina Gokey-Smith. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) placed fourth and Amanda Miller (Tibco) placed fifth overall.

The final showdown took place on Sunday afternoon at the Riverside Criterium. The circuits had only three corners, but was warned to be the omnium’s most dangerous circuit. The women’s 60-minute race ignited with a flurry of attacks from teams Kenda, Tibco, Team Type 1 and Vera Bradley Foundation.

A breakaway set sail with 10 laps to go that include Rivera, Miller, Gokey-Smith along with Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom), Alison Testroete (Vera Bradley Foundation), Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1), Jennifer Purcell (MSU Racing) and Magan Gaurnier (Tibco).

Three riders in the breakaway attacked each other several time over the final three laps. The break barreled to the finish line a mere several second ahead of the peloton. Rivera won the sprint to the line as the main field barely caught the remaining breakaway riders.

Results