Furman University played host to collegiate racing this weekend which included a team time trial, road race and criterium. In sunny weather, yesterday’s road race was held on the Fork Shoals  course, the same loop used during the Hincapie Spring Training Series. However the weather didn’t hold and the racers were subjected to sporadic rainfall, drenching the .75 mile course held on the beautiful Furman University campus.

In the men’s “A” race nine rider break went off the front and stayed away for the duration of the hour plus five lap race. With ten laps remaining an Emory rider shot away. Soon he was joined by a Lees McRae rider and the two escapees looked like they were going to stay away. But on the bell lap a determined chase from a hard charging Clemson rider brought the racers together and on the jockeying for position began.

From around the final traffic circle the nine riders started their sprint for the finish line. Kyle Knott from Mars Hill College came out from the pack crossing the finish line with a clear victory. This was Knott’s first win as a collegiate racer.

“Honestly I thought it was going to be a sprint for third,” said Knott. “I was confident in fifth or sixth spot [in the break away] and I was able to come around for a clear shot for the sprint.”

Video courtesy of Boyd Johnson of Boyd Bikes