Powless Wins At Merced; Brown Runner-Up In Georgia

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By Sean Weide
19 Mar 16

Axeon Hagens Berman Cycling Team's Neilson Powless won for the second time Saturday in Northern California while Jonny Brown earned runner-up honors at a criterium in Georgia.

Powless captured the UC Merced Road Race after breaking away with two others on the second of four laps around the Almond Blossom road race course. With less than 25 miles to go in the 96-mile race, he attacked several times to make it a two-man race with Kyle Murphy (Jamis-Sutter Home). Powless started his sprint from about 300 meters out on the slight uphill drag to the finish to earn his second victory of the season. Jason Gandzjuk (Echelon-Storck Development Team) was third.

"I am feeling extremely confident," Powless said. "This was at the end of an intense block of training and I was still breaking power records in today's race."

Powless also won the Copper Town Square Circuit Race on Valentine's Day and was runner-up a week later at the Snelling Road Race. He followed that up with fifth place overall at the Chico Stage Race.

Brown Earns Season-Best Result

Brown raced to his best result of the season in finishing runner-up to Brendan Rhim (Holowesko-Citadel) at the Mayor's Bike Race in Union City, Georgia.

Fifteen minutes into the 60-minute race, he attacked with Rhim and Brendan Cornett (LITESPEED-BMW Cycling). The trio lapped the field with eight laps to go on the triangular course through Downtown Union City.

"On the last lap, Rhin hit it pretty hard and opened up a small gap," Brown said. "I got close to closing it but fell short in the sprint."

Sunday, he will compete in the 73-mile Union City Road Race.

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