BY BRIAN WHITT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
bmwhitt@mail.roanoke.edu

FRANKLIN—More than 165 bikers participated in the second annual Franklin Omnium race on Saturday and Sunday, including Chris Karmilovich and Taryn Hains, both of Franklin, and Franklin native Mark Brewbaker.

“We had an extremely good turnout,” said Dan Netzer of Celerity Cycling, the event sponsor. “There will definitely be a Franklin Omnium next year. We like how the format worked out so we plan to keep the three types of races from this year’s race.”

Last year’s race included 150 riders.

The weather was beautiful during most of the event, Netzer said. Saturday evening’s rain resulted in a few accidents. He didn’t know how many were hurt, but Karmilovich heard there were four accidents and two riders were taken to a hospital for a broken collarbone and wrist.

This was Hains’ second year to participate.

“I think it went really well,” she said. “The team organizing it did a fantastic job.”

Hains placed fourth in the time-trial and criterium, fifth in the road race, and fourth overall despite having recently recovered from riding injuries.

“The police were very helpful,” said Karmilovich, who placed first in the time-trial, fourth in the criterium and road race, and second overall.

Brewbaker came home from Washington, D.C., to participate and placed fourth overall. Brewbaker came with his team, VTV Outreach, which raises awareness and money for the victims of the April 16, 2007, shootings at Virginia Tech that left 23 dead.

“I thought the event went really well,” Brewbaker said. “I could definitely see it growing in the future.”