New Track Champions Crowned
The track? The Giordana Velodrome, in Rock Hill (of course). The omnium had a morning session of time trials and a late afternoon session of group racing. While the paper-thin divisions yielded some uncontested medals, the combination of the states and divisions produced some exciting racing. Additionally, some out-of-state (and ineligible for medals) Lees McRae racers helped mix things up.
The closest omnium competition was the South Carolina Men’s 1/2/3 class. Darin Marhanka (POA Cycling Team) took the gold. Winning the Points Race gave him a small lead going into the final race – the Scratch race. Darin marked the 4km Pursuit winner Tyler Karnes (BMC Hincapie) to assure the overall. Karnes got the silver and Kyle Knott (Athletix Cycling Benefitting Global Bike), with wins in the Kilo and the Scratch, earned the bronze.
Marhanka, a multi-time State Champion from Indiana, is heading to Manchester, England for the UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships next month. “I’ve been racing track for twenty years. It’s mostly experience and not so much brute strength and pure speed. Using the banking is a big thing. The more you can stay up on the banking… if somebody attacks underneath, you can shoot off the banking and you’re 15mph to 30mph within meters.”
“This is one of the best tracks I’ve ever been on. I’m just glad this is so close to me, I can get on it all the time. It means a lot [to be State Champion]…anything to promote the track and make it more appealing to the masses.”
Jocelyne Belanger is the new North Carolina Women’s State Track Champion. She raced in the training series, here at the Giordana Velodrome on Thursday/Friday nights, and came out to win the state title. This was a comeback for her, as she’s been out of road cycling for several years. “I’m new on the track, so it was a learning experience and a good one. It feels good. We need bigger fields – and that’s why I came out. I want to encourage women to come out and race and I wanted to show them that it’s possible.”
Chris Knetsche (Hincapie Veloshine) took on the largest class to win the title of South Carolina Masters 45+ State Track Champion. Chris Sugar (Modry/Evergreen) won the North Carolina Masters 35+ State Track Championship by sweeping all 4 events.
2012 State Champions:
2012 North Carolina State Champion Mens 1/2/3: Chase Presioso (Queen City Bicycles)
2012 North Carolina State Champion Masters 35+: Chris Sugar (Modry/Evergreen)
2012 North Carolina State Champion Masters 45+: Chris Knetsche (Hincapie Veloshine)
2012 North Carolina State Champion Masters 55+: Dean Lyons
2012 North Carolina State Champion Women: Jocelyne Belanger
2012 South Carolina State Champion Mens 1/2/3: Darin Marhanka (POA Cycling Team)
2012 South Carolina State Champion Masters 35+: Bernard Cobb (Unilin-pb Beard Bikes)
2012 South Carolina State Champion Masters 45+: Chris Reinke (Rock Hill Bicycle Club)
2012 South Carolina State Champion Women: Olga Weeks (SVMIC Cycling)
2012 South Carolina State Champion Juniors 15-18: Andrew Weaver (Carolina Break)
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