Steve Tilford has raced long enough to recognize a winning move when he sees one. So when two of his teammates surged ahead early in Saturday's 65-mile Dave Babcook Memorial Road Race, Tilford didn't hesitate to catch up with them. At an age when most professional bicyclists would be retired, the 44-year-old from Topeka, Kan., won a four-rider sprint to capture the Pro/I-II category United States Cycling Federation event.

At an age when most professional bicyclists would be retired, the 44-year-old from Topeka, Kan., won a four-rider sprint to capture the Pro/I-II category United States Cycling Federation event.

Nearly 150 cyclists from across the Midwest competed in 10 categories under overcast skies on a course around the North Omaha Airport on the first day of the Omaha Race Weekend.

Racing action continues today (Sunday) with the Nebraska State Criterium championships in downtown Omaha. Racing begins on the 1.2-mile course in the Old Market at 7:30 a.m. with the juniors category. The Pro/I-II race starts at 1:45 a.m. and lasts for 90 minutes.

Tilford, riding for the Kansas City-based HRRC/Maclaren/Bikesource team, covered the 65 miles in two hours and 38 minutes, an average of nearly 25 miles an hour. At the 12-mile mark, he made his move with Jeremy Sartain of Team Bianchi/Grand Performance on the six percent climb up Highway 75, just north of the I-680 junction.

Working together, the pair bridged up to Tilford's teammates, Brian Jensen and Bill Stolte, who had caught early soloist Joe McWilliams of Team Kaos. "The first time up the hill didn't seem so hard, but that was a headwind stretch," Tilford said. "When Jeremy went to join Brian and Bill, I wasn't planning to move up, but I could tell the field was hesitating."

The group of five soon became four, when McWilliams couldn't keep pace. "We were going about 30 miles an hour," Tilford said. "It would have taken a pretty concerted effort to chase us down in the wind." Outnumbered three-to-one by HRRC/Maclaren/Bikesource team members, Sartain opted to surrender his own chances for the win and settled in for the remaining 50 miles.

"He could have drifted back into the field and tried to pull his teammates up, or just sit on the back of us and get third, which was fine," Tilford said. Nearly six minutes after Tilford's group finished, Bill Stolte won a pack sprint for fifth place, helping the HRRC/Maclaren/Bikesource team finish 1-2-4-5. The best-placed local rider was Omahan Chris Spence of Team Kaos, who finished seventh. Team Kaos riders captured three other races Lincoln's Steven Muhle won the Category 3 race, Elkhorn's Tim Farnham won the Category 4 event and Omahan Stephen Griffin was first in Category 5.

Bicycle Racing

Results Saturday

Dave Babcook Memorial Road Race

At North Omaha Airport

USCF Pro/I-II

1, Steve Tilford, Topeka, Kan., HRRC/Maclaren/Bikesource
2, Brian Jensen, Lawrence, Kan., HRRC/Maclaren/Bikesource
3, Jeremy Sartain, St.Paul, Minn., Bianchi/Grand Performance.

Category 3

1, Steven Muhle, Lincoln, Team Kaos
2, Phillip Todd, Raymore, Mo., Bicycle Shack Racing;
3, Cody McCullough, Lincoln, Lincoln Plating/Specialized.

Category 4

1, Tim Farnham, Elkhorn, Team Kaos
2, Michael Munson, Omaha, LBC/Highgear;
3, Walter Bleser, Merriam, Kan., KCOI Racing.

Category 5

1, Stephen Griffin, Omaha, Team Kaos
2, George Green, Lincoln, unattached
3, Jim Robidoux, Ankeny, Iowa, DMOS Mortgage Solutions.

Masters Men 35+

1, Jay Thomas, Lincoln, Cycling Club of Nebraska
2, Jeff Luedtke, Omaha, Husker Road Club
3, Kevin Burke, Lincoln, Lincoln Bicycle Club.

Masters Men 45+

1, Louis Waugaman, West Des Moines, Iowa, QCP/Trek
2, Doug Larson, Omaha, Husker Road Club
3, Ron Nelson, Lincoln, Revolution.

Masters Men 55+

1, Scott Dickson, Manhattan, Kan., Kansas City Bicycle Club
2, John Cox, Baltimore, Md., Chesapeake/King Pawn
3, Robert Sack, Grand Island, unattached.

Women

1, Molly Vetter, Columbia, Mo., Big Shark
2, Marie Neville, Lincoln, Team Kaos
3, Theresa Blume, Bellevue, unattached.