News

May 22, 2008

CRCA/Sakonnet Shows Spring Speed!

April 26-May 4, USA Crits Speed Week (GA, NC, SC)

CRCA/Sakonnet’s Jake Keough quickly established himself as one of our country’s bright new talents by finishing in the top ten in six of the seven Speed Week races.

In the first event, the prestigious Athens Twilight Criterium, (Athens, GA) Jake sat comfortably in the top twenty for most of the race before moving up to the front and finishing seventh in the field sprint.

Three days later, at the Beaufort Memorial Classic(Beaufort, SC), Jake showed that his Athens’ result wasn’t a fluke by placing fifth in another wildly contested field sprint, won by Toyota-United’s Hilton Clark. Jake continued to impress by placing fourth at the Walterboro Cycling Classic (Walterboro, SC) and then third at the Uptown Greenwood Cycling Challenge (Greenwood, SC).

These results placed both the U25 jersey and the leader’s jersey on his young shoulders. What could have been a fairytale ending went horribly wrong at the crash-marred Steadman Hawkins Cycling Classic (Spartanburg, SC), when Jake and his younger brother Nick were taken down by a rider after the free lap rule had expired. Jake, realizing his predicament, quickly jumped onto his injured brother’s bike and finished the event in an attempt to score as many points as possible.

In the last two events, a classic “David vs. Goliath” struggle ensued between Mark Hekman and his Toshiba Santo team and Jake and his CRCA/Sakonnet team, as Dylan O’Sullivan and guest rider Adam Branfman tried to protect and support their injured sprinter. A sixth place at the Historic Dilworth Criterium (Charlotte, NC) tied Jake with Mark Hekman, leaving the series to be decided in the final event.

At the Sandy Springs Cycling Challenge (Sandy Springs, GA), CRCA/Sakonnet went out with guns blazing, as Jake took a one point lead midway through the race. Unfortunately, Mark Hekman and his team proved to be too powerful, beating Jake by half a bike length in the field sprint for eighth place, thus taking the overall by a mere four points. Jake was happy with 2nd place Overall for Speed Week but first overall would have made the long drive back to Massachussetts easier to handle.

However, there was good news for CRCA/Sakonnet, as Jake had clinched 1st Overall in the U25 classification.

May 6, Floyd Bennett Field Tuesday Night Series (Brooklyn, NY)

In local news, CRCA/Sakonnet’s Gavi Epstein won the second race of the Floyd Bennett Field Tuesday Night Series. Gavi also won the first race in April. Gavi, having recently returned from competing at the Volta do Sao Paulo, a week-long stage race in Brazil, showed the type of form that comes with completing an 1100 kilometer at an average speed of 43 km an hour.

May 20 - Bloomfield Classic Circuit Race

In other New York news, CRCA/Sakonnet’s Cheyne Hoag was second at the Bloomfield Classic Circuit Race. In an Email Cheyne described the race as “having a pretty small field, around 30 or so. There was one major team (prefered care) and they had like six or seven guys so it made it hard. They sent a man up the road early and he was never to be seen again. Basically they just wouldn't let anything else get away. In the end the lead chase I was in had about six riders, three were preffered care. I drilled it up the last hill before the finish and gapped everyone for second place.”

Interview with Jake Kough, Speed Week 2nd Overall and U25 winner, by DS Matt Koschara

Matt- Jake, it has been a real pleasure having you race for CRCA/Sakonnet. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself.
Jake- Well, I’m 20 and I live in Sandwich, Massachusetts, with my mom and dad and my four brothers.

Matt- How long have you been racing?
Jake- I have been racing since I was six.

Matt- Six???
Jake- Yes, I started racing BMX at six.

Matt- That explains why you are so good at criteriums. When did you start racing road bikes?
Jake- This is my fifth full season on the road.

Matt- And what do you think?
Jake- I love racing on the road. Coming from BMX where bike handling and explosive power are a premium, racing criteriums feel very natural to me.

Matt- Yes, I realized that while watching you at Speed Week, you seemed a natural. Tell me about your goals for this season.
Jake- The short list? To do well at Athens (he was seventh), Somerville, and win U23 Nationals.

Matt- You won the cat 2 race at Somerville, last year, right?
Jake- Yes.

Matt- Cool. How are you feeling?
Jake- I have good legs- I just did 55 miles of motorpacing- hit 45 sprinting.

Matt- Wow!
Jake- I want this weekend to go well.

Matt- A few more questions.
Jake- Fire away.

Matt- Favorite color?
Jake- Black’s not a color- but black.

Matt- Last book read?
Jake- The Ruins, horror. I liked it, but it was a little depressing.

Matt- Favorite band?
Jake- I’m a big fan of punk- old bands like the Sex Pistols and I have been listening to Circa Survive- but they’re difficult to place in any particular genre of sound.

Matt- Favorite racers?
Jake- I like Boonen and Cavendish- one is established and the other is on his way.

Matt- How do you feel about someday racing in Europe?
Jake- I want to establish myself as a domestic pro, first. I want to make a career here before I tackle Europe.

Matt- Where in Europe?
Jake- Best place for me to start would be Belgium or Holland. The weather is very similar to where I live (the cold and rainy coast of Massachusetts)- and the wind- it is very windy both places.

Matt- Last question, what do you do besides ride your bike?
Jake- After training, I like to spend time with my family, having fun.