The A race at the Sussex County Fairgrounds on Tuesday night has been a handicapped event for years. Cat 4s, 5s, 50+ masters and women get a head start of almost a mile before the Cat 1,2,3 riders are unleashed in pursuit. Sometimes the chasers catch the first group in six or eight laps, sometimes more. But it is axiomatic-the 1,2,3s always reel in the handicapped group. Until, Tuesday night, May 17, 2005, that is.

Lead by Skylands Cycling's burgeoning Cat 4 Kevin Keane, who pulled the pack tirelessly for miles, the Cat 4,5s, masters and women stayed away for the entire race. Action Outfitters' Jon Kameen, winner of the B qualifier two weeks ago in the Race Up Sunrise Mountain, won the field sprint, while Pat Kennedy of Liberty Cycle-winner of the masters race--was second. Multiple masters champ Joe Saling nailed third. It was an unusual evening, as none of the contenders in the A season standing scored a single point.

For a change of pace, the B event was a points race. Riders competed for points on every lap, keeping the tempo brisk throughout the six lap race. Skylands Cycling's sprinter Barry Zeek outscored teammate Kevin Keane, who showed no sign of tiring in the B race, despite his Herculean effort in the handicap race. Kevin, who last week ended up in a breakaway group of five elite riders after the 1,2,3s caught the handicapped group, seems to have a bottomless gas tank. Angelo Macelli of Newton rounded out the top three.