-Anniston, AL-
Quickly gained recognition as one of the top Criterium races in the country, the Sunny King Criterium last weekend saw huge fields, hot weather, and a ton of locals who turned out to watch the top pro teams battle it out in the nightcap.
But before the pros hit the course, Andrew Lockwood and Gabe Denes made an appearance in the black and orange for their final tune-up before next week’s SECCC Championship held in Macon. With director sportif Kevin Roberts on hand, recently out of action due to tendinitis in his right knee, Lockwood took the course first in the Category 4 race that featured nearly 60 talented riders from across the southeast, including entries from SECCC schools Florida State, Alabama-Huntsville, and University of Alabama.
Racing from the back of the field, Lockwood moved up throughout the first few laps of the 45 minute race, carrying himself to as high as 10th in the large peloton, but struggled with positioning on the fast four-corner course.
“I really like the outside groove on the circuit, but there were always surges within the race on the inside, so positioning was a tough battle throughout the race,” Lockwood said following the race held in the 87 degree weather.
“I gave it my best effort, but I wanted to use today’s race to prep for the SECCC Championship next weekend as well as the Criterium races throughout the next month. The result wasn’t what I was necessarily looking for, but I was glad to finish with the lead group,” Lockwood added.
On the last lap of the race, Lockwood would fall to the back of the lead group to cross the line in 24th position.
Gabe Denes would then represent Mercer next in his first Category 3 race since moving up a category following his recent win in Dalton. Stockpiled with talent, the Category 2/3 race featured over 100 riders on strong regional teams including Macon’s own Georgia Neurological Institute cycling team. After a crash midway through the race, Denes, along with fellow Maconites Jake Andrews, Trey Crisp, and Drew Slocum, were placed back in the race with 40 other riders to effectively change the course of the race. The Spine team’s John Stowe put a large gap on the field until the last two laps in which he was reeled back in by the field. Denes would place 26th in the bunch group at the conclusion.
Local pro rider Christian Parrett would finish at the back of the Pro-1 field after moving to as high as 2nd with three laps to go in the event’s finale.
