Team Kaos' Jarred Berger coasts to the finish line to win the Nebraska State Road Race as teammate Ian Gray (right) celebrates. Photo by Jean Farnham.

Murdock, Neb. – The history books will show that Team Kaos’ Jarred Berger won the 2006 Nebraska State Road Race Championship.

But when it comes time to engrave the gold medal, Berger might want to add more than just his name to the back. That’s because it took a total team effort for the Gering, Neb., native to capture his first Nebraska Category I road title. Ian Gray, who joined Berger in a late-race escape to the finish, finished second while Tim Farnham made it a Team Kaos sweep of the state medals with a fourth-place finish (behind South Dakotan Cody McCullough of Powerade-Independent Fabrication).

Team Kaos' Rich Pearson's victory in the Masters 55+ race over Omaha Velo Club's Fred Galata will go down as the most stunning upset of the season. Pearson secured his first Nebraska state road race title by beating the Omaha Velo Club racer who had won every Nebraska Rider of the Year event up to that point.

“We had a really, really good team showing today because everybody did something,” said Team Kaos President Marco Vasquez.

In all, Team Kaos took home 11 medals – more than any other team.

Murdock, Neb. -

Morgan Chaffin will attempt to sweep state titles in all three disciplines (road, time trial, criterium) for the second consecutive season. The Omahan already has 12 victories to her credit this year.

Team Kaos' other defending champions are Gary Schmidt (Masters 55+), Theresa Blume (Women's Cat. IV) and Matt Farnham (Juniors 15-17).

Saturday's races begin at 9 a.m. Complete results will be posted Saturday night.

Morgan Chaffin (right) won last year's state road race as a Cat. IV competitor. Photo by Bud Shaw.

Eugene, Oregon – Team Kaos’ Ian Gray knew exactly how much time he needed to have in hand to win the Eugene Celebration Stage Race.

The magic number was 23 seconds.

That was the amount of time separating him from the Cat. III race’s overall leader, Joel Wilson of Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life Cycling Team. Wilson had won all three stages (road race, time trial and criterium) leading up to Monday's race.

Gray had already tested his legs several times during the 34.3-mile stage that climbed the switchbacks of McBeth Road three times. The five-mile climb gains 800 feet in elevation and has previously served as the site of the Oregon State Hill Climb Championships.

“On the second lap, midway up the hill, I put in a small surge,” Gray said. “I picked up the pace just enough so that I wasn't hurting too badly, but those that were still with the lead group were getting shelled.”

Gray finished ninth in Sunday morning's three-mile time trial, conceding only 23 seconds to the winner, Joel Wilson of Paul's Bicycle Way of Life Cycling Team. In the afternoon criterium, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate finished 17th in the pack sprint, receiving the same time as the winner.

"I felt strong and I'm excited for the challenging switchbacks that McBeth road has to offer," Gray said, referring to the 34.3-mile McBeth Circuit Race that serves as the final stage for the three-day, four-stage race. "The race will come down to climbing and breakaway strategy - not too early and not too late."