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FROM STAFF REPORTS

This weekend’s Carter County Omnium registration is up 74%. This year there are competitors from 25 states, including California and Colorado. Online registration closed Wednesday.

Bicycle racing is a team sport. Teammates expend energy in the early parts of a race so the team leader can conserve energy by riding in their draft. Then when they start up Roan Mountain the leader’s strength is put to the test.

This year the Pro 1-2 field has seven teams with two to five members.

First Internet Bank Cycling has five riders on this year’s Omnium team. FIBC has produced several Pro Omnium winners, including Stephen Bassett in 2019. Bassett is in the Omnium again this year, riding for Rally Cycling, and has one Rally teammate with him, Nate Brown.

The Rally team will be at a numbers deficit, but Brown’s strength and experience should balance out. Brown completed the 2020 Tour de France and has raced all the major European stage races.

The local Pro team is Robinson Forensic p/b Milligan Elite. They have five in their Omnium team. All but one of them are new to this race. They have the benefit of training in this area, including cycling the Roan.

In the Women’s Pro 1-2 field, there are three teams. The Robinson Forensic p/b Milligan Cycling team has five riders including, Krystal Burnham and Jennifer Caicedo from last year’s Omnium. Burnham finished sixth overall.

The Supra Functional Food Bars team with three members returns including the 2020 winner Debbie Milne and her daughter Caitlin. They are bringing more support from last year with an additional teammate Claire Windsor.

Milne is looking forward to racing here again and said, “I love this event-such a beautiful part of the country! I’ve been road racing for over 20 years. … solidly challenging courses with really good payout and a family-like feel to it.”

A team new to the Omnium this year is the Classic Cycling p/b B-Line. One of their four teammates, Katy Sorrell finished fourth overall in 2020 and is looking to improve with the support of this team.

The other amateur category races will also be challenging with current and past National Champions, along with under 18-year-old racers rising fast in their results.

Three under 18 racers placed in the top eleven on the Pro 1-2 Omnium in 2020. A 17-year-old won the Category 3 Omnium with a 16-year-old second, while an 18-year-old won the Category 4 Omnium.