NUVOnation in Bloomington

It was all NUVO all the time in the Bloomington crit (results) as the Indy based team brought the full team and dominated all aspects of the Pro/1/2/3 race. The race started aggressively with Erik Hamilton taking the first two primes and after 10minutes the race was essentially decided as a powerful group of five rolled off the front. NUVO were represented by the Bloomington Eric/ks Young and Hamilton whilst Steve Broglio (Verizon Masters), Jason Fowler (Zipp) and Kevin Vanes (unattached) made up the remainder of the break and they worked together well with Hamilton taking some monster pulls to ensure its ultimate success. Eric Young took the mid race $75 prime before the break lapped the field. Two other NUVOians jumped away from a docile field (Jonathan Jacob and Weston Luzzader) to take 6th and 7th places. In the finale NUVO sat on the front for the final 5 laps with current state crit champ Aaron Hubbell leading out of final corner to allow Eric Young to win both the field sprint and therefore the race. Steve Broglio put up a fantastic fight to finish 2nd with Jason Fowler in third. Ryan Knapp and Mike Sherer battling like crazy all race to try and pull back the break and were scantly rewarded with 8th and 9th. Arguably the best moments of the day were a head-to-head sprint for a $20 prime between Young and Sherer and also the latter securing the much-coveted Kilroys gift card.
NUVO start to set up the sprint
The developing sprint. Knapp (L), Hubbell (C), Young (R), Sherer (yellow helmet far R)
Winner- photo by Chelsea Merta
A very encouraging field of 28 women took to the line resulting in an aggressive and entertaining race. The field was whittled down through constant accelerations due to many primes on offer that were mostly won by Ashley James (Team Kenda). No breakaways were successful so it came down to a large sprint between approx 12 riders. Sydney Hatten (Nebo Ridge) led the majority of the last few laps and yet it took a major effort from Bri Kovac (Alderfer Bergen) to overcome her by half a bike length on the line. Marilyn Hartman (Texas Roadhouse) and Pam Loebig (Alderfer Bergen) rounded out the top 4.
Hatten leading Kovac and Loebig- photo by Chelsea Merta
In the other races the well-drilled Papa Johns squad took gave Curtis Tolson an armchair ride to the final corner from where he finished off the Masters race with some ease over a ZIPP duo of Mike Sherman and Brian Gavette.
One of the highlights of the day was the first lap Kilroys prime sprint between Baxter Burnworth (Alderfer Bergen) and Zach Lusk (Dogfish) in the Cat3/4 race. Naveen John and his Sustainable Cycling team-mates took control of this race with John leading for the last 4 laps enablingly team-mates Cody Hardley and Blake Voges to claim the top two positions.
Naveen John dominated the Cat3/4 race
There were a LOT (65) Cat3/4s- photo by Chelsea Merta
An impressive 50+ riders started the Cat4/5 race and it was an aggressive race that rapidly culled the field. Ultimately Greg Fraze took the inevitable bunch sprint over IU Phi Psi Miles Johnson.
All Photos unless stated by Brian Drummy