This past weekend was the Chuck Pontius Omnium with a Road Race on Saturday and a Criterium on Sunday. With riders taking on the tough day of racing on Saturday’s Road Race, the Criterium would see Ulises Castillo (KHS-Maxxis) take the win in the Road Race and the overall lead heading into the Criterium in the Pro 1/2 race.
With near perfect weather for the day, the Criterium was going to be a fast. However, there were some tired legs from the riders that raced in the previous day’s race, while some riders that showed up just for the Criterium and skipped out on the Road Race had fresh legs.
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Photos by Frank Sarate / SoCalCycling.com
The field being of good quality riders made for a fast but tactical game of racing. With some teams having three to five riders things got off to a fast start with Brandon McNulty (LUX Racing) starting the action off and was a man on a mission for the day! The attacks came for the first half of the 60 minute race with nothing really sticking and then mid-way through the race a formidable break got up the road that had some serious horse power and all of the right players except for the Race Leader Ulises Castillo (KHS-Maxxis), who had his teammate Fabrizio Von Nacher in the break.
With the break gaining time on the pack, Fabrizio had orders to go back and help Castillo (KHS-Maxxis) to bridge as Castillo was charging hard to get across solo. Once Castillo (KHS-Maxxis) teamed up with Von Nacher (KHS-Maxxis) they worked together for about a lap and a half and bridged, but while doing so Kayle Leogrande (Surf City Cyclery) and Brandon McNulty (LUX Racing) split away and put time on the break. This would be the winning move as the duo just kept the gas on leading the field by 40+ seconds with the chasing group of five about 15 to 20 seconds back.
As the two came around the last corner in the finishing strait, Leogrande (Surf City Cyclery) didn’t contest the sprint and handed over the victory to McNulty (LUX Racing) for a well deserved win of the day.
Above Photo – Brandon McNulty (LUX Racing) takes the victory at the Chuck Pontius Memorial Criterium.
Report by Frank Sarate / SoCalCycling.com
