Greg Oravetz Wins Cycling Competition

Greg Oravetz of Huntington Beach, the current U.S. professional road race cycling champion, led a breakaway group of three riders across the finish line Sunday to win the Christopher Columbus Criterium at Seward Park.

With about seven laps to go, Oravetz broke from the main group with riders Kurt Stockton of Santa Barbara and Steve Speaks of Walla Walla, Wash. Oravetz’s winning time for the 60 kilometers--50 laps around the 1.2-kilometer course--was 1 hour 27 minutes 33 seconds.

Steve Hegg of Dana Point, the 1984 Olympic individual pursuit gold medalist, made a solo breakaway midway through the race, but maintained the pace for only a few laps before he was caught by the pack.