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NORFOLK, Neb. -- Brandon Fenster and Ashton Lambie of Team Kaos/Alegent Health swept the men's Cat. 4 races this weekend at the Norfolk Classic. Fenster escaped with teammate Jon Protaskey in a four-man break to take the 64-mile road race on Saturday. Lambie uncorked a winning sprint to take Sunday's Nebraska State Criterium Championship in downtown Norfolk. John Vondracek took the Men's Cat. 1/2 40-plus championship.
Both days' races featured dark skies, chilly temperatures and rain. When riders rolled to the starting line on Saturday, a strong wind was whipping out of the east as a steady rain fell. The men's Cat. 1/2/3, as well as Cat. 4, riders had a 64-mile race ahead. Halfway through the first lap of the Cat. 1/2/3 race, the peloton split after a number of attacks. Two riders got away and were chased down by a group containing former Team Kaos rider Ian Gray. No Kaos riders made the split, and Justin Maresh, Bryan Redemske and Chris Spence finished with the pack. Vondracek finshed a few minutes back after flatting in the early miles. Gray finished third after catching and then dropping the initial breakaway group. In the Cat. 4 race, Fenster escaped off the front with Vaughn Pierce (The Bike Way). Duane Blair of Elkhorn Valley Cycling attempted to bridge the gap, and was followed by Protaskey. The two joined Fenster and Pierce and stayed away the rest of the race. When it came time to sprint, Protaskey took the reins and cranked up the pace as Fenster launched away for the win. Pierce was second, while Blair was third. Lambie was fifth, while Rich Pearson followed in sixth. Jeremy Eisenhauer was 12th, while Mike Miles was 14th. Sunday morning dawned cold, brisk and wet once again. After a Cat. 5 race that saw heavy rain -- and hail -- Kaos' Cat. 4 team lined up in hopes of snagging a Nebraska criterium championship. Lambie launched off the front from the start and stayed away for around 10 laps. Though he was eventually reeled in, Kaos launched attacks the rest of the way and wore down the pack. Fenster took the lead with two laps remaining. Lambie took control on the final lap and didn't let up until he sprinted across the line for the victory. It was Lambie's third win of the season -- in only five starts. Eisenhauer was sixth, Protaskey was ninth, Pearson was 11th and Fenster was 14th. The Cat. 1/2/3 race featured a fast field and and early split. Maresh made the split, while Joe McWilliams, Vondracek and Redemske were left behind. Former Team Kaos rider Jarred Berger was driving the pace along with Dan Porter. The lead group eventually lapped the chase pack, setting up a sprint between Berger and Porter. It was Porter who came out with the victory -- his second of the weekend -- and Berger who claimed the Cat. 1/2 state championship. Paul Webb (Midwest Cycling) won the Cat. 3 state title. Maresh was seventh, while Vondracek was 13th to take the Cat. 1/2 40-plus championship. McWilliams was 20th and Redemske was 21st. Team Kaos will be back in action on Saturday at the State Time Trial Championships, held on an out-and-back course south of Yutan.
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