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SRAM RED eTAP HRD gets first pro wins

  • Ron 

Wout Van Aert (Crelan-Vastgoedservice) and Jeremy Powers(Aspire Racing) both stormed to victory over the weekend and scored the first race wins for SRAM RED eTap HRD, SRAM’s most advanced groupset to date featuring wireless electronic shifting and hydraulic disc brakes. Van Aert’s win came at the Brico Cross Geraardsbergen race in Belgium, while Powers scored a pair of wins at the UCI C1 races in Rochester, New York, USA. The warm, dry, high-speed race conditions at both venues created a perfect opportunity for attacks that made for spirited racing.

Van Aert’s race got off to a slow start, but the World Champ made a pair of hard accelerations halfway into the race to take the lead with Michael Vanthourenhout (Marlux – Napoleon Games) in tow. A chase group of four caught the breakaway a couple of laps after Van Aert’s attack and the game of chess began. Van Aert tested the group with periodic accelerations but was unable to open a significant gap and dropped back to third position to conserve energy for the final push. On the last lap Van Aert made a blistering attack that no one in the group could match and secured the win over Vanthrourenhout by four seconds.

Powers had his work cut out for him on both days of racing with intense competition from Jamie Driscoll (Raleigh Clement) & SRAM 1x athlete, Stephen Hyde (Cannondale P/B Cyclocrossworld). Day one came down to a sprint finish with Powers barely edging out Hyde by just half a wheel at the line. In day two Powers clawed his way back to the lead in the final two laps after Driscoll opened up a 15-second lead. Powers eventually bested Driscoll in the final lap and cruised to victory with a five second margin. Hyde finished in third.

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