Youth Is Served As High-Schoolers Best Olympians and National Champions.
Men
In unusually cool temperatures and the threat of rain, Nature Valley's Fixed Gear Classic bicycle racing at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine began its three-day run with an evening of hot racing. Elite men and women track racers from around the country contested both sprint and endurance events.
In the men's field, the surprise of the evening was the performance of Colton Barrett (Texas Roadhouse), the local speedskater/bike racer. This is Barrett's first year in the elite men's peleton after national honors as a junior in 2009. In two of the three race finals, the Miss and Out and the 60-lap scratch race, Barrett outsprinted 2008 Fixed Gear Classic winner Emile Abraham (Aero Cat) for the win. Matt Baranoski (Alliance Environmental), a 17-year old took the Keirin in convincing fashion.
Women
The women started with a flying 200 M time trial to seed match sprints. A stiff wind from the north made the backstretch a slog. Cari Higgins (Peanut Butter & Co./TWENTY12) logged the best time of 12.62 seconds for 1st Seed. Higgins, Maddie Godby (Trek Stores), Dena Eaton (She Pedals Cycling), and Liz Carlson (Classic Cycling Essentials) advanced to the semifinals where Higgins rode over Carlson and Godby held off Eaton. In the bronze medal race, Carlson tried to pin Eaton to the balustrade. Eaton was able to drop underneath but Carlson responded in time to get the sprinter's lane for 3rd place. In the first gold medal race, Higgins led the race at a leisurely pace until, with 400 meters to go, she started the sprint from the front and held Godby off to the line. In the second gold medal race, Godby led the first lap at a moderate pace and upped the speed with 500 meters to go. In the last lap Higgins attacked from behind and won it at the line by inches to take the 2 of 3 gold medal series.
More on this story:http://www.naturevalleybicyclefestival.com/Festival/Fixed-Gear-Classic/June-11th-Results.aspx
