Tim Regan said he would have preferred letting teammate FrankMoak win Friday’s criterium in his hometown of Brookhaven. Regansprinted to victory, holding off two riders from the Plano, Texas,team and captured first place, keeping the title in the Herring Gasfamily.

Regan, from New Orleans, sells software to architecture firmswhen he’s not racing bicycles. He posted a time of 52:07 in the45-minute plus 5 lap race and avoided a major wreck during thehotly-contest race.

“I would have like to have seen Frank win his hometown,” saidRegan. “Frank led for at least 10 minutes of the race. It almostworked out for him.”

Moak and Regan were in a tight struggled with two Plano riderswhen the bell (final) lap arrived. Regan gained a burst ofadrenalin and wound up winning by two bike lengths. Moak finishedfourth.

Regan said the team had planned on helping their veteran teamcaptain win the race. “Originally, we planned to let Frank win. Itook it upon myself to win the sprint.”

Regan complimented two of his teammates, Troy Porter and ChrisAlexander. “They just drove it for the last couple of laps sonobody could catch us.”

Moak accepted congratulations from several local residentsbefore he began thinking about Sweated morning’s 70-mile road racewhich ran a route along Lake Lincoln and the Heucks Retreatcommunity. The Human Performance Company Mississippi Gran Prix racefeatured a Saturday evening time trial and a Sunday morning circuitrace around the Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus.

“We had a good race,” said Moak. “I was happy to see Tim win itfor Herring Gas.”

The 6-bike wreck happened in front of State Bank, near thecorner of Railroad and Cherokee St. A tangled wreckage of brokenhandle bars, broken frames and bent titanium wheel rimsintermingled with blood-spattered riders. Ben Schuler, a student atLSU, was transported by ambulance to Kings Daughters MedicalCenter.

Schuler apparently injured his foot and leg in the mishap.Another rider sustained an elbow injury.

Two ambulances responded to the accident.

Stein Rose, a 22-year-old racer from San Antonio, Texas, missedlast year’s Brookhaven race because of a broken collar bonesustained during a World Cup qualifying event held in Houston. ACategory One rider, Rose is a member of the Hotel San Joseteam.

Rose was riding solo in the 44-man field. He’s a student atTexas State University in San Marcos.

“Brookhaven is a beautiful town to race in,” said Rose. “Weappreciate the people letting us race downtown.”

A Texas state champion, Rose rode a stationary training bikeprior to the start of the criterium. He wiped sweat from hisbrow.

“I like track racing and the criterium,” said Rose. “Any day thegood Lord allows me to race, I have a good time.”