Race Recap Archive
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Navy weekend
March 4-5, 2006
Race Review by Kevin Crosby
Despite the siren's call of spring break and races in Greenville, Virginia Tech was able to assemble another strong roster of 12 riders for this past weekend of racing at the Navy. We left Blacksburg early Friday afternoon to ensure that everyone got a good night's rest before their races on Saturday. Once on the road, Donny revealed that his secret to getting motivated before a race was to listen to Jim Croce's "Cat and the Cradle" and other assorted light rock hits. Here I've been wasting my time with Westside Connection...
The team was very graciously hosted for the weekend by Pat and Garry Lindsay, Michelle's parents, and their neighbor, Ken Johnson. When we arrived dinner was waiting for us, and after a quick meal, we all staked out our spots and turned in for the night. Saturday was quite cold and windy, which, coupled with Navy's technical course, meant we were in for a challenging day. Steven Baker rode in his first cycling race in the Men's C field, and despite going down in the 180 degree corner (known widely as the "Widow Maker") was able to finish in the top half of the field. We had three women in the B race, including newcomer Sara Hanson, and all rode well, with Carly, Sara, and Rhonda finishing together in spots 9th through 11th. The Men's B race started off with what has become typical: a crash in the first 200 meters. However, things quickly settled down. Kevin rode in tail-gunner position, while Matt Phillips and Matt Lester mixed it up in the pack. Eventually, Kevin got bored and used the short hill to launch an attack, managing to stay away solo for 4 laps while the entire Navy team pegged it on the front trying to chase him down. He was brought back with seven laps to go, and what was left of the field stayed together until the end. Kevin managed to position himself well enough in the final turn to place 5th, while Matt Lester came across the line in 25th.
The Women's A race had a larger then average field, 16 riders, and Tech was represented by Michelle Lindsay, who describes her experiences: "It was very windy and it's a technical course but I felt much more prepared after riding a few warmup laps with Donny and getting expert tips from him. Every time we came up the hill I got in the front so I was out of the way of crashes in the sketchy corner. They seemed to cut our race short - the first time we saw laps on the counter it said 8 to go. I knew nobody was really tired yet and I didn't want it to come down to a big field sprint. So I waited until after the 3rd prime when everyone was a little tired and after taking 3rd place in that I just kept hammering on through. I looked back at the field as I was climbing the hill and it was cool to see how I had caused gruppo explodo. Only a couple girls were with me, including the Navy coach who was shouting directions at her girls. The last lap through the windy section I realized how tired I was but I kept pulling. 2 girls went around me on the hill but I knew I wasn't gonna be able to outsprint them anyway. I was happy that I had turned up the pace enough to secure my 3rd place. I was very proud of my finish since crits are nowhere NEAR my specialty and I can tell between this year and last, that even if I haven't gotten a lot faster, I have gained a lot of confidence."
The Men's A race wasn't until the afternoon, and despite Mary Dean's lectures, a couple of the riders (i.e., Eric and Charles) decided that breakfast at 6am would be sufficient. Eric attacked from the gun, and after two laps, had depleted his energy reserves and blew sky-high. Charles was out of position and unable to counter. After a few laps, a strong two-man break, with Maryland's Adam Fung and VT alum (now with UVA) Mark Hardman, got free. This turned out to be the winning move. Donny tried to bridge with two other riders, who proved to be much weaker and were eventually dropped, but was unable to close the gap to Adam and Mark. Meanwhile, back in the field, Eric, who had apparently put on a Navy jersey under his Tech one, crashed twice, the second time practicing his superman move while narrowly missing a tombstone (the course ran around a cemetery) which could have had his name on it. Mark Hardman eventually left Adam Fung behind, lapped the main field, and finished first. Donny held on for third, while Charles and Eric finished 13th and 15th respectively. Owen, who was recovering from a stomach bug, valiantly hung on for 18th.
Cold and weary, we headed back to Michelle's for lots of lasagna and a good nights rest. The time trial the next day was along a fairly rolling 17 mile course. Tech's riders did pretty well, with Kevin Crosby and Matt Phillips placing 2nd and 3rd in the Men's B, Rhonda Phillips and Sara Hanson placing 3rd and 7th in the Women's B, and Donny (with his new lower seat position and LeMonde style TT bars) placing 8th in the Men's A. Charles and Eric rounded out the A field with 11th and 15th respectively.
William & Mary and Wake Forest weekend
Feb 25-26, 2006
Race Review by Kevin Crosby
After a long off-season, this past weekend marked the beginning of the much anticipated road season. Saturday featured a road-race organized by the College of William and Mary, while Wake Forest hosted a criterium on Sunday. Virginia Tech brought a solid, balanced team to both events and by the end of the weekend it had become painfully clear to the other teams in the ACCC that they would be racing for second place.
It was a group of nine men and three women who assembled late Friday afternoon to begin the drive to Williamsburg. Four others, who were planning on racing only one of two weekend races were planning on driving separately. Such a large turnout was quite encouraging and it is hoped that attendance continues to be high. The drive itself was relatively uneventful, with the exception of Matt Lester being dismayed at the dearth of beverage choices when we stopped for dinner near Richmond. Despite his protestations, he was forced to contend with stale, unsweetened ice. Once in Williamsburg, we made short order of getting to sleep, as we would need to rise early for the Men's C and Women's B races.
We had two first time racers in the Men's C race: Jonathan Frink and Patrick Hummel, and
two more newcomers in the Women's B race: Carly Correll and Rhonda Phillips. Jonathan describes his rookie experience well, "[We] didn't really know what to expect. There were perhaps 50-60 riders in our group, most of which seemed pretty jittery and nervous. So off we go at the whistle to who knows what. After one mile we hit a downhill into a left hand turn onto a narrow bridge with potholes everywhere. It turns out they were everywhere on that part of the course. Even at the front things happen, so I went down when the rider in front of me went down in the turn upon hitting the pothole leaned over on his bike. Five to ten others went down, but I managed to get up and continue up to the peloton in a few minutes. I stayed up there for the entire first lap of 20 miles until seven to eight guys tried to stop in the middle of the road at the bottom of a hill. By the time I got around them. I was off the back and trying to fight the wind by myself. I managed to pick off ten stragglers in route to a finish two minutes back of the main field" As it was, all four of our beginning riders preformed very well, Carly and Rhonda picked up some valuable points for the team in their race.
The Men's B and Women's A fields started together, Matt Philips, Matt Lester, Matt Shelburne, and Matt (Kevin) Crosby representing Tech in the Bs and Michelle Lindsey pinning it down in the Women's As. It quickly became apparent that with the exception of those in maroon and orange, most the riders had busily spent their winter forgetting how to steer their bikes, with the first crash occurring barely two kilometers into the race. Despite getting tangled up with that incident, Kevin joined an early break of seven riders that had all the major teams represented. Seeing this group as having a real possibility of staying away, Kevin encouraged everyone to get organized and the break rode strongly for about ten minutes before all but three of the riders decided they didn't feel like working and gave up, dooming the escape attempt. After that, the expected "gruppo explodo" on the much feared Col du Carwash failed to materialize and it became clear that the races was going to end in a bunch finish. Racing down the final three miles into a blistering head wind, Matt P, Matt S, Kevin, and Michelle were all positioned towards the front (Matt Lester had an unfortunate encounter with a pothole, broke his lever, and caused him to fall off the back. He blames his mechanic). Phillips, although apprehensive before the start, not having raced 53 miles before, is probably the strongest sprinter among our riders and was well positioned. "At mile 49 I was feeling good," he relates, "and had myself in the front part of the peloton and had planned to move up to the top 10 before the one mile stretch of closed road. That didn't end up happening as some moron from Towson crossed wheels one bike ahead of me and took five of us down with him. We went down hard and I sustained substantial road rash along with a scuffed up bike and a tacoed wheel. By the time I got back on the bike, the peloton was long gone. The silver lining is that I now know that I can be competitive in the B field." That left Tech's two spindly climbers, neither of whom have the legs or the stomach for bunch sprints, who both finished out of the top 15. Michelle was also caught up in the crash, but managed to borrow a spare wheel from one of the UVA riders, so that she could still finish second in her field.
The story in the Men's A field was one of teamwork and total domination. Four riders for Tech took to the start line: Donny Autore, Owen Nielson, Eric Charbot, and Matt Janeway. Donnie would later sum up his feelings about the A squad, saying "In my five years at VT this was the most cohesive and team-oriented group I have seen." Donnie went early, establishing a good gap on the main field, eventually two other riders bridged up to him, forming a group of three. Back in the main field, there were several unsuccessful attacks from UMD, before a chase group finally got away. Owen made that move, and Eric seeing the group start to ride away, showed his strength by bridging the 20 second gap to join on. By the third lap, the chase group was able to catch Donny's group of three, and the newly formed group of 10 was able to build a seven minute lead on the rest of the field. Tech was clearly in a strong tactical position with three riders in the lead group. The Hokie riders played their cards perfectly, in the last three miles, Eric ramped up the pace into a 30 mph headwind, holding off any attacks that might come from the group. On the final stretch, Eric led out the sprint from 1k to go, before peeling off and allowing Donnie to launch Owen to a convincing victory in the final sprint. Owen and Donnie placed 1st and 2nd, and Eric, although sacrificing himself for the team in the lead out, still managed to pip two riders to place 8th.
After congratulations all around, the team piled back into the vans and hit the road once again (thanks to the some scheduling brilliance on the part of the ACCC, we had another 5 hr drive to Winston-Salem ahead of us). Matt Lester and Jonathan Frink deserve kudos for taking one for the team and driving the vans while most of the rest of us dozed off. The high-point of the trip was the unexpected tour of beautiful downtown Winston-Salem that was necessitated by a Mapquest snafu (apparently just typing "Winston-Salem" as the destination causes you to be directed to the exact center of town). We finally arrived at our hotel at around 11.00pm and wasted no time in turning in for the night.
The next day was considerably colder and the winds were quite fierce. The team roster was supplemented by Chris Anderson (C), Charles Gallagher, and Reid Beloni (who spend Saturday celebrating his birthday, much to the chagrin of Eric who was uninformed of the festivities). The Men's C race started bright and early at 8.30. Our riders, Jonathan, Pat, and Chris, performed well, as is related by Jonathan, "Pat , Chris and I started off pretty well, with Pat putting in a monster pull off the front at the beginning to string out the whole field. After about four laps I fell off the back and proceeded to do the same as the day before. Pat and Chris worked together to get Chris into 4th. Which could have been 2nd save for an inopportune pedal hop in the final turn by a fellow rider. Anyway, Pat powered through for 10th and I rounded out the positions with an 18th." This was a great showing by the three rookies, who will no doubt only get stronger as the season progresses.
Carly and Rhonda again raced Women's B, both doing very well, gaining both valuable points and even more valuable racing experience. Carly got tied up in a late crash, but still managed to place very well. Despite her crash the previous day, Michelle rode to a strong 4th place finish in the Women's A field.
The Men's B race saw four Tech take the start line: Matt Lester, Matt, Philips, Reid, and a very reticent Kevin. Reid describes how the race unfolded: "I sat in for close to the first half of the 40 min race. The pace was moderate with no too many accelerations. On the back stretch I slowly ramped it up to test the field. No one came with me at first so I did a lap solo. Then one man bridged up. We started to work together but not as good as I would have liked. I was pulling in the headwind for the most part and he was pulling on the back stretch. I wasn't really able to break this cycle and it was wearing me out. At this point we had been out for close to 6 laps. The field was completely strung out in chase with three people trying to bridge individually. As soon as they caught us the field was on us. I was able to remain in the top 10 once they did that and soon began to move back up towards the front. Kevin countered as soon as I was caught. He was solo for maybe 3 laps when he too was caught. I didn't have enough to counter which is what I wanted to do. I ended up sitting up front and chasing attacks and getting some pace lines running in the head winds. There was only me and Kevin left from Tech at this point. With one to go we caught a three man break that had slipped out for a lap or two. I didn't have much left for the sprint but Kevin secured a top ten finish."
The Men's A race was once again a story of strength, teamwork, and tactical acumen. Almost every attack was initiated by a Tech rider. Eric got away with an NC State rider (who had trouble keeping Eric's pace to the point that Eric had to slow down a bit for him) for twelve laps. When Eric's break was brought Charles countered, and in a supreme display of "manning up", stayed away for almost 20 laps while the other Tech riders controlled the field and marked every attempt to bridge up to him. Finally a UNC rider manage to cross the gap, but Eric was right on his wheel. The new group of three worked together briefly before the field came together. Charles proved strong enough to counter another attack, before the pack compacted for the final laps, which were completely controlled by Virginia Tech. In a spectacle reminiscent of the Fassa Train at its finest, it was all maroon and orange at the front. Eric and then Matt led out the pair of Donnie and Owen into the last turn, at which point it victory was a fait accompli as the jets were fired and Owen sprinted to victory with Donnie coming across in second. Charles, despite his time out front alone, still had enough in his legs to grab a wheel for 5th, and Eric and Matt came across in 10th and 11th respectively. As a sign of how tightly VT controlled the race, our riders placed 1st and 2nd in every prime offered.
The afternoon was filled with USCF races, in which all our riders preformed well. But by the end of the day, we were all eager to return to Blacksburg. After a short dinner at Fazolie's we hit the road and arrived back at Virginia Tech exhausted, but happy and looking forward to continued success at the next weekend of racing.
"Greetings from the Great White North"
2005 Cyclocross Nationals
Dec. 9-11, 2005
[pic of Dave (L) and Mike]
Race Review by Mike Seek
Cross nationals were held Friday Dec 9 to Sun Dec 11 in Providence, RI.
The mens collegiate race was to be held at 3 on Friday so Dave, Steph
and I left Blacksburg around 6:30 Thursday morning to ensure that we got
to Providence at a decent time (its takes about 12 hours to drive with
the gas pedal floored in a Subaru station wagon loaded down with 5
bikes, 20 wheels, three people and a dog). Sometime early on in the
drive we decided that it would be funny to pretend to be Canadian so
that became the underlying theme for the weekend. And it was funny, at
least to us.
After double parking at the host hotel around 7, we found the collegiate
race check and found out that they would be requiring collegiate
eligibility forms this year. Steph miraculously had Bob Broyden's (our
faculty advisor) home number on her cell phone so we called him up, he
pulled some strings, and we had a signed eligibility form faxed to us
the next day. Because we are college students (and because it was sold
out), we did not stay at the posh race hotel, but instead selected the
ghetto Days Inn in Cranston to save 15 bucks a night. I should have
known when it took them 30 minutes to check us in that we were in for a
bad hotel experience. Our room was freeeeeezing and the heater didn't
work. They gave us a space heater which tripped the breaker for our
room every 30 minutes or so. We all huddled together, watched a little
Mtv, and talked about what beauty weather they were forecasting for the
next day, eh.
We woke up early to find a light snow with about an inch of accumulation
so far. We planned to pre-ride the course during the open course
practice from 8-9. We found the course after a couple obligatory
U-turns as I learned to drive more aggressively in New England. The
course was in a city park just south of Providence surrounded by a
neighborhood of Victorian houses. We got out on the course for a few
hot laps and it was beauty. Lots of pavement, grass, downhill
off-camber turns with 3 barrier sections and a set of steps. With the
fresh course, pretty much everything was rideable. That however would
soon change.
We went back to the hotel for a little pizza and to watch the Maple
Leafs on the TV. The nice snow turned to rain around 11 am. As we were
loading bikes to head back to the course around 1, the rain turned to
sleet. All of the sudden, the winds picked up, the temperature dropped
to minus 5 celcius, it started snowing sideways and the visibility was
less than 2 meters (and because the Canadians use the metric system,
that's funny only to us). We had the car completely unloaded and were
starting to set up trainers when we found out our race was postponed.
Dejected, we dug ourselves out of the rapidly accumulating snow (Dave
almost lost his Zipps in the snow) and went back to the hotel to try to
warm up in our heaterless room. After, calling the front desk every 15
minutes to have the power turned back on in our room, they moved us to
another room and gave us a second space heater. Within about an hour,
we had that room up to a toasty 40 celcius, eh.
The collegiate mens race was rescheduled for 9am Saturday morning. We
got up around 6 with a goal of leaving the hotel around 7 to give us
plenty of time to preride the course. What was an awesome course on
Friday was a killer on Saturday morning. Overnight, the temperature
hovered around - 5 celcius so the course was frozen and a learned a new
term: ice rut. The tire wide ruts that had been left from the previous
day were frozen and covered with about 3 inches of fresh snow so you had
no idea where they were. When you got in an ice rut, you had absolutely
no control over your bike, you went where the course wanted you to go.
One minute you could be sailing along fine and the next picking snow out
of your ears. Staying in control was a long distant memory. The start
of the collegiate race was pure chaos. 70 or so guys racing down an icy
stretch of pavement to a right hander that put you on a stretch of grass
that was completely riddled with ice ruts. Bikes that were going in a
straight line would all of a sudden dart left and right with their
riders hanging on for dear life. As funny as it was to be in the middle
of it I am sure it was hilarious to watch from the sidelines as bikes
and bodies flew in every direction. Once things stretched out, I
managed to hook up with Dave and we rode together, alternating crashes.
By about the 3rd lap, the course was softening up and Dave and I were
starting to dial it in. We had a pretty clean lap and were starting to
bring people back when they pulled us. Brent Brookwalter (Lees McRae)
was flying and getting ready to lap us. He lapped probably 2/3 of the
field so I don't feel too bad. Dave ended up 33rd and I 35th I think.
Physically, I wasn't that tired, the course was just so demanding
physically. We headed back to the hotel to try to rest before we had to
race the Elite race at 3.
The sun came out and the temperature reached 2 or 3 Celcius, melting the
some of the snow and saturating the course. What was pristinely white
in the morning was a muddy mess as Dave and I lined up on the back row
for the elite race. The right hand side of the road was pretty clear
while the left was an icy mess. Naturally, I lined up on the right
where it was clean not thinking that that was the line everyone would be
racing to. There was a good 30 rider pileup in the first 100 meters
that I got caught up in. What I found when I got out on the course was
that there was a racing line about half a meter wide that was muddy and
slick. If you got bounced off that line, you were in an ice rut hell.
The hills and runups were covered in a nice layer of soupy mud that hid
potholes and roots very well. The course was so slick the slightest off
camber would take the bike out from under you faster than the gloves
come off in a hockey fight. My afternoon ride was probably more ugly
that the morning ride and there were 10 times as many people there to
see it. After about 3 laps, Wells, Treefarm and Johnson were already
about to lap me so the UCI official told me I was done. I gladly
obliged him.
We celebrated our survival with a nice Italian meal and a few adult
beverages, but called it an early night because Steph was set to race in
the women's killer B's at 8:30 Sunday morning. It was cold overnight
and the course again froze. Every footprint and tire track was frozen
in the mud. Dave and I prerode the course with Steph and I was so glad
I didn't have to race on it. It is one thing to crash in snow, it is
another thing to fall on mud that is frozen into the shape of a giant
cheese grater. Steph almost missed her start because the announcers
were saying that the race was on delay while the officials were lining
the girls up. Steph put her technical skills to work and gradually
moved herself to the top 15 and was knocking on top 10 when she flipped
over the bars. She ended up finishing 17th. Probably the coolest thing
I saw all weekend was watching this tiny 13 year old girl COMPLETELY lit
up two other women in the final sprint to take second.
We had to pack it in right after Steph's race to start our epic trek
back down south. It was definitely a blast a good learning experience.
The atmosphere was so great and so mellow. There were tons of
superfans, cowbells, horns and the Pope even blessed us with his
presence. I will definitely be there next year.
"Chopping Wood"
West Virginia University Race Weekend
March 13 & 14, 2004
Race Review by John DeLong
Morgantown West Virginia. "Wild and Wonderful" may describe Virginia Tech Cycling Team's experience this past weekend. It started out as a beautiful spring weekend, with potential for some great racing in the hills of northern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania. Luckily we were able to fit in one great day of racing before a snowstorm hit and iced up any chance of racing.
Day one, Saturday April 3rd, WVU Road Race. The race course was shaped like a lollipop; it began traveling out the handle to the circular lap course. The thirteen-mile course consisted of two climbs. Climb one was a gradual climb that steadily got steeper before cresting to a false flat. Climb two was a steep switchback climb.
After a hearty team breakfast at Bob Evans the team was fueled and ready to rip some legs off with the exception of Mark Hardman who snuck away from the team to eat at McDonalds because he was not used to eating semi healthy food.
The first races of the day were the Men's C race and the Woman's B race both about 30 miles. As the C's and B women rolled out the lollipop handle Mother Nature threw her hand into the race. A tree fell across the course about five minutes before they arrived at a blind sweeping turn. The road was blocked and races could not continue. The race organizers took matters in their own hands and went on the local residents looking for chain saws and anything else that would help with clearing the road. Before long there was a pack of cyclists, four locals, two chain saws, and a pick up truck working on clearing the road. After about 30 minutes of chopping wood, one lane of the road was cleared and the races finally started. The C's did one lap of the course and the VT riders rode strong, tearing apart the field with their aggressive racing style. Colin Beaber and Matt Janeway finished 2nd and 3rd only because they didn't know where the finish line was.
The Men's A, Men's B, and Women's A race starting with the men's B field started at noon. The VT A team consisting of seven riders for the weekend unleashed their top secret team time trial from the gun plan. This consisted of every member chopping through a pace line as hard ass we could until the race blew apart and then we would see what was left and try to form another plan to maybe win the race. By the top of the first climb most people were on the rivet and anyone who was not in shape was dropped or about to be. The plan went flawlessly until the top of the first climb, when the stronger riders in the field rode away without any VT riders. Luckily these fit riders were not ready to race so early in a road race and about 5 of the VT riders were able to scramble back to the front. As the group was forming back together VT started sending riders up the road again. Their goal was to make the race as hard as possible so the strongest may win. For the next four laps the VT team rode aggressively if they were not attacking or driving the pace the rest of the field awaited nervously for the Pain Train to start chugging again. The finish came down to nine riders, the Tech riders were pretty shot from the aggressive racing, most everyone else was hurting from covering moves but the two racers looking the smoothest were from NC state and UVA. They were rested because they had been abusing riders from other teams to chase down the VT attacks. Mark Hardman with the McDonalds fuel was the last hope for VT and tried an attack with three miles to go but his lack of experience, this being his first year racing got him disqualified when he crossed the center line of the road. The race finished with the two strongest sprinting for the win while everyone else suffered up the final climb. I do believe I heard a rider admit that the race was the hardest effort he had ever done on his bike. To me that was more gratifying than a win.
The Men's B Race and Women's A races went well for VT also. Michele Lindsay drove in for a strong second place after hanging with the men's B field for part of the race. The Men's B race was also a strong battle with VT coming in with some strong results. The B race consisted of a long all-day breakaway that was caught about one mile from the finish. The race came down to a sprint and Brian Baitis of VT was able to take third.
Day Two, Sunday April 4th, WVU circuit race. The course was a four-mile loop with three short climbs on small narrow roads. It would have been a beautiful race but due do snow the race was canceled. I know I am looking forward to this course next year. Keep riding and I'll see you at the races.
NC State Race Weekend
March 20 & 21, 2004
Race Review by Rich Saunders
The Virginia Tech Cycling headed down to the lovely weather of North Carolina for their third straight week of cycling action. This week's challenges included a rolling road race and individual time trial on Saturday, followed by a Criterium on the campus of NC State on Sunday. We rolled into town with a hit squad numbering over 20 deep to try to defend our tied-first place status in the conference and perhaps put a hurt on UVA and Navy.
The first round of this three-race weekend began with a road race just south of Chapel Hill. The course involved a 7-mile loop around rolling terrain with 4 turns and an uphill finish. The Men's A race began the day's festivities with a quick venture of 72 miles around this course. The VT squad put the hurt on early with Donny Autore and John Delong going on a flyer 2 laps in to get the field moving. The pack stayed together for almost 8 laps until Donny and Mark Hardman decided to make a move. This turned out to be the decisive move of the race, as most of the VT attacks did this weekend. This strung out the front of the field with numerous chasers, and blew plenty of people off of the back as well. Donny pulled in 4th place and Mark held on for 5th. Owen won the uphill field sprint to take 10th place, and Matt and Rich held down the 12th and 13th positions.
The Men's B race went for the next round of action for a total of 54 miles of racing. Brian Baitis made his move up into the B's after demolishing the C field last week, and showed he can race with these guys by taking 14th place. Mike Seek and Brian Segal came in at 23rd and 25th in a big field again this week.
The Men's C race raced for 5 laps around the course for a good effort of 36 miles. Colin Beaber lead the VT effort finishing 4th, and Andy Wolf was close behind at 12th place. Major congrats go to the other VT racers making their debut at this race: Matt, Chris, Michael, and Daniel…good job, fellas.
After a morning full of a big road race, what would fit nicely into an evening agenda? A nap? A nice meal? Oh no…how about another race?!?! So race we did…time trial style. Virginia Tech put the speed down for the second time in one day for this individual time trial around a 9 mile rolling course. Matt Shelburne posted the fastest time for Tech on the day at 21:52, good enough for 8th place. Rich "didn't get caught" Saunders laid down the second fastest time at 22:16 with two unnamed UVA riders breathing down his neck, followed impressively close by Mark Hardman at 22:17. These times were good enough for 11th and 12th places respectively, and Donny Autore came in at 13th place with a time of 22:20. Way to finish close together, fellas.
In the B race, our esteemed president Barrett Airaghi showed a few people the strength he can bring on a fixed gear. He placed 19th overall at 24:28 on a circa 1990 Centurion steel frame setup as a fixed gear time trial bike…bullhorn bars and all. Now that's a sight. Next year, unicycle baby.
The Men's C time trial had a very strong showing again from the Hokies. Colin Beaber made his attempt at the title of sandbagger by bringing home 3rd place, and Andy Wolff was right behind him at 4th place. Matt Janeway finally got his bike to cooperate with him to take 11th place. Excellent effort and some much needed points.
After a night of cooking, sleeping, ice cream, and general laziness at our fantastically overpriced hotel (stupid desk manager), the Hokies showed up rested and ready to go for our second day of race action. Sunday featured a Criterium race around the campus of NC State in Raleigh. The weather initially looked treacherous, but turned out to be almost perfect if it weren't for the wind on the back stretch. I'll take sunny and 65 any day…are you taking notes, Navy?
The Men's C field started the day off yet again in impressive fashion. 3 Hokies finished in the top ten, with Colin at 2nd, Matt Janeway at 4th, and Andy Wolff at 6th. These guys worked together in a pack riddled with NC state riders that didn't seem to know the meaning of the word teamwork. These 3 riders tore through the pack and controlled the pace for the majority of the race…muy bueno.
The Men's B team finally got tired of making other people feel good about themselves and decided that this was the day they fought back. The race went fast from the gun littering tired B riders across the course like yesterday's garbage. The Brians Baitis and Segal, along with Mike Seek, worked in the pack to maintain tempo, while Barrett somehow got stuck with the only chase group to be found. It's not his fault they can't chase. Baitis pulled in a strong 8th place, while Segal and Seek took 14th and 15th places.
The ultimate in teamwork, strategy, leg shaving, and raw caffeine was laid out by the Hokies' A team at NC State. Oh yeah, the pain train was resurrected this weekend for sure…you kill the joe, you make some mo'!!!! Things got started by John Delong going off the front in the first few laps, a feat he repeated multiple times during the race. I think the competition liked his skin suit…that's why they chased so hard. Rich was in the mix to contest a few primes with Owen, and tried to make a break happen mid-way through the race. Unfortunately, the big names in that group didn't want to do any work. Mark Hardman went on an 8 lap flyer into the wind to make everyone feel the pain. However, the honors go to Owen Nielson on the day for playing his position all day during the attacks to take the final field sprint in impressive fashion. Rich and John took 13th and 14th places after getting swamped in the final chicane. Wheel rubbing isn't a good way to position for a sprint.
And the team results for the NCSU weekend have yet to be posted, however we have a strong feeling that VT will remain at the top of the conference after such an impressive weekend of racing. Bravo, fellas.
ASU Race Weekend
March 13 & 14, 2004
Race Review by Rich Saunders
The Virginia Tech cycling team showed up strong for the second race weekend of the ACCC season hosted by ASU and Lees-McRae. This weekend served as a combined weekend with the SEC, so we saw new competition from Clemson, UF, UGA, GSU, and Georgia Tech. This meant huge field sizes and more competition. Hey Florida, have you ever even heard of hills like these before?
The carnage began early Saturday morning with a road race up Valle Crucis and Beech Mountain. All told, there were over 8 miles and 3500 vertical feet of climbing during this race alone. And yes, there were even some A riders spotted walking up Beech mountain. Now that's quality hill climbing. And no, we didn't really have to wake up before 6am since the races were delayed by over an hour. Thanks…we didn't need that extra sleep.
The first round of races started with the Men's C team heading directly uphill. Brian Baitis showed them how the Hokies climb by taking first place. Colin Beaber picked up the pace to finish at 4th place, and Tuan Pham rounded out the scoring at 12th place. How's that for quality?
The men's B team suffered from a lack of participation during this race, but Brian Segal stuck with it on a solo effort to finish 30th place out of a field of over 50. Way to hang in there, Segal.
The men's A team had a strong showing out of another 50+ man field, with Matt "I should have dropped those guys" Shelburne pulling in 3rd place, and Mark Hardman crossing at 13th place. Rich Saunders finished 20th after working hard through Banner Elk between climbs to catch the lead group, only to see them climb away up Beech as soon as he caught them. Hey GSU, take some lessons on how to chase. These places were good for 3rd, 10th, and 14th place points in conference standings.
The next round of brutality began later on Saturday on the campus of Lee's McRae College in Banner Elk. Somehow someone decided that it would be a good idea to host a Criterium with over 50 people in each field on a .5 mile course with a 10ft wide road. The said road was surrounded by either rock walls or steep drop-offs on both sides, and had countless potholes and drain grates to challenge our ability to remain vertical. Plus, they found a way to fit in a "selective hill" up to the finish line, so the total amount of sprinting was very limited indeed. We later discovered that "selective" is Lee's McRae language for "friggin' huge" after racing on it.
Brian, Colin and Matt Janeway hit the course first to test it out during the C race. Brian "sandbagger" Baitis pulled in yet another first place finish after passing the only 2 contenders on the climb of the final lap. Did I mention that these guys can climb? Colin also held down the standings with another 4th place finish, and Matt Janeway held strong at 11th place after a ton of solo work.
The Men's' B race saw Brian Segal finish strong at 5th, and Mike Seek pull in 13th place. This is especially impressive due to the size of the fields. Since the roads were so narrow and technical, the fields had to spread out on the first lap just to fit through the turns. Then the riders who didn't get to the front at the start line were forced into chasing the entire race. Did I hear "slinky effect" somewhere? Chasing was especially hard due to how technical the course was, so the fields turned out almost the same at the finish as they were after the first two laps.
The Men's A race went off in much the same fashion as the B race with way too many people on the course. However, the blistering pace helped the process of natural selection weed out almost half of the original racers. Donny Autore made his season debut finishing as the strongest Hokie at 8h place. Rich and Dan Peairs pulled in 9th and 10th places, even after being forced to finish twice. Call me crazy, but one lap to go means one lap to go, right? Thankfully the refs figured it all out and put the people who passed them back in their rightful places.
The action Sunday involved a team time trial starting from Blowing Rock and traveling over to Grandfather Mountain. The 15 mile course featured 3 miles downhill followed by a bit of flat stuff before climbing the final 8 miles up to the finish. The twisting course and rolling terrain made it quite a challenge for team time trial.
The men's C finished off an impressive weekend by pulling in first place yet again by covering the course in 43:15:43. This came even after Brian Baitis flatted and had to switch wheels with Tuan. Tuan gets the team-player award for the weekend…bravo. The men's B team saw Barrett, Mike Seek and Brian Baitis hold on to a strong 3rd place finish at 43:12:00 minutes. The men's A team had Matt, Mark, and Rich pull out a 39:34:00 to finish at 3rd place only 20 seconds behind first. The ladies' A race was dominated by our lone representative Michelle Lindsay pulling in first place by more than a minute over the second place Navy team. That's right, first place with a solo effort against other teams from both the ACCC and SEC. Now that's impressive, folks.
Overall, these efforts were good enough to place 2nd as a team in both the road race and Criterium on Saturday, and first place by a long shot in the team time trial on Sunday. The VT cycling team is now tied at first place with Navy overall in the conference, with another huge weekend of racing just ahead at NCstate.
Criterium Double Header: Navy/UMD Race Weekend
March 6 & 7, 2004
Race Review by Rich Saunders
The weather welcomed the Virginia Tech cycling team into the 2004 racing season in a fashion that should be expected: rain. One too many riders got their bikes all shiny and clean, and thus invoked the wrath of the weather to spite their efforts to show up with the cleanest bike. Quite a different mentality from the mountain biking season which ended not so long ago.
The tech squad showed up with 16 of their finest men and women ready to do battle with the rest of the competition from the ACCC. The course featured two very technical turns, one at almost 180 degrees, to challenge our bike handling and sprinting ability. The nice glaze of rain made things downright treacherous going into most of the turns. All of the fields experienced mishaps and crashes of some sort; however nobody required intense medical attention. This was especially fortunate since Navy somehow got away with staging this race without any medical staff onsite. Bravo.
The first race to go off was the Men's C, as is customary, to get the course mopped up for the later events in the day. It was hard to miss the new riders sporting the snazzy new team jerseys in bright orange around the course. Virginia tech had a strong showing with three riders placing in the top 10. Andy Wolff took 6th, while Jung Lee and Brian Baitis took 9th and 10th. Colin Beaber, Matt Janeway, and Tuan Pham all had strong showings for their first collegiate races.
The Men's B race went second on the day, and Virginia Tech didn't fair as well as they would have liked. Only having 3 riders in such a large pack makes team tactics a little hard to execute. Plus, the blistering pace set by the main pack left only half of the original pack still in the race after all was said and done. Mike Seek hung onto the pack and finished strong, while Barrett and Brian Segal got pulled with only 5 laps to go. C'mon refs, show some sympathy.
The women's races were again combined into one field for both the A and B race. Our lone VT representative Michelle Lindsay hung onto a strong 3rd place finish in the A race (even after taking a spill) to bring the team some much needed points. She proved that her triathlon skills do transfer over to road racing, so all of the women who skipped this race better beware.
The title bout between the Men's A racers was postponed due to a torrential downpour that came through just after the end of the women's race. The roads had to drain water that was flowing higher than the curb, and I think someone spotted an ark floating by in the bay. After the waters subsided, the race was on, and the sun actually came out and dried the roads for the majority of the race. Virginia Tech had 4 riders in the main bunch helping to control the pace and keep some of our known targets at bay. Somehow, a group of 4 riders escaped the front of the pack and weren't seen again until the finish, much to everyone's dismay. Tech still finished strong with newcomer Owen Nielson showing his sprinting strength to pick up 8th place, while in the pack tech had Rich Saunders at 13th and Dan Peairs at 17th.
The second day of crit racing proved to be much more picturesque than the first day, with sunny skies and temperatures reaching somewhere around the mid 60s by the end of the day. The course on the campus of the University of Maryland featured three technical turns, with one long hill on the backside to break things up. And we had the privilege of onsite medical attention…excellent.
In the C race, things turned out a bit differently than the previous day. A stiff wind kept the packs working hard and made sure anyone off the back couldn't catch back on. Colin picked up the slack for the sick Brian Baitis, and helped control the pace of the pack with excellent teamwork from Andy. Colin and Andy finished 6th and 7th overall, and Matt Janeway picked up 13th.
The Men's B race got a bit of a break from the wind to show off some of their speed on the course. Both Mike Seek and Brian Segal worked together in the pack to give Tech 11th and 12th place finishes.
There was a much larger turnout for the women's races, and three VT riders showed up to help round out the fields. Unfortunately, a mishap on the backside chicane delayed the action near the middle of the race. Michelle had another excellent race and pulled in an impressive 2nd place finish with a lot of solo work. Abby Turpyn and Anna Sablik worked the B field for respectable 5th and 6th place finishes.
The men's A race was off at a blistering pace this time with the same 4 riders helping to lay down the law. Dan and Rich went on separate flyers to make the pack work a bit, and Owen took in points in 3 different primes to show of his sprinting skills yet again. Owen took 4th place in the final sprint from an unnamed NC State rider, and Rich took 6th place overall. Dan pulled up and finished 16th after working hard for the team the entire race.
The racing efforts on both days were enough to bring a 2nd place team finish for the Navy Criterium, and a 3rd place finish for the UMD Criterium. Overall, the team is now tied for second in the conference with UVA, and right on the heels of a strong Navy team. Definitely an excellent effort by everyone involved, but just wait until we bring out our entire A team next week…
VT RR and TT
April 12-13, 2003
Race Review by Brian McCormick
After second place team finishes at the WVU Road and Circuit races, the Hokies returned home to host the Clover Hollow Classic and Narrows Time Trial. After a week of cold, rain, and flooding, Saturday morning began with a beautiful sunrise and the promise of a warm spring day. Indeed, by the afternoon races, it was downright hot.
The men's C race went off first with the Hokies taking 4th (Rich S.), 8th (Max S.), 13th (Brian B.), and 14th (Dave T.). Props to Tim "I just want to spend more time on the bike" R. for riding out to the course in the morning. While driving for the women's race I passed quite a few riders walking up the wall -- Oh, and NCSU, I don't think you're supposed to draft off the Women...
Tech had a strong showing in the Women's B race finishing 1st (Missy), 3rd (Mary Dean), and 5th (Stephanie).
The A race went off at 1PM with 31 starters. The course was difficult enough however that only 20 riders crossed the line after the final lap. Hokies placed 5th (Dan P.), 13th (Darroch W.), and 19th (Jesse N.). Props to Darroch for taking one for the team and riding while sick. Props also to Jesse as I saw him riding back over Brush and Gap mountains on the way home after the race.
After the requisite comments from Navy about friggin "tickets to the gun show" the men's B race was off. Jim F. went on a 3+ lap solo breakaway at the beginning -- probably just warming up for Sundays time trial. The 5 climbs up the wall really humbled the B peleton as no one wanted to push the pace through Clover Hollow on the last lap. The B field also experienced natural selection as only 19 of the 28 starters finished the race. The peleton held together until the final climb where a break group of 10 riders got away at the top of the wall. Matt S. finished with a strong 2nd followed by Brian M. (10th), Barrett "If you're going to lead me out, I'm going to sprint" A. (11th), and Mike S. (15th).
Special thanks to the Wall Devil and America Man for their encouragement. These folks will remain unnamed as I think Navy is ready to send a few Trident missiles their way.
The time trial was held Sunday along Wolf creek in Narrows, VA 40 min west of Blacksburg. (It is the nearest flat road we could find -- really). Sunday was another beautiful day with a mild headwind on the return leg of the course. Tech riders pulled together for a 1st place team finish.
The Tech Women rode strong finishing 1-4 in Women's B (Anna, Laura, Missy, and Mary Dean) and 6th (Alix) in Women's A.
Dan and Dave (insert decathlete jokes here) led up the Men's A with 3rd and 2nd respectively. Unfortunately, the number of teeth on Dave's big ring is still classified information. And if you didn't think it was possible to get lost on an out and back time trial course... keep paying those taxes.
After his warm up on Saturday, Jim F. dominated the Men's B field finishing 1st in just over 34 min. He was followed by Matt S. (3rd), Ben "those parts were just extra weight" W. (7th), Brian "Mother Goose" M. (10th), Barrett "G. Salad" A. (13th), Mike S. (14th), and Brian "off road" S. (16th).
Men's C was led by Rich S. (7th), and Andrew W. (10th).
Special thanks to Alix for organizing the races and to all the volunteers who spent the day blocking traffic, sweeping corners, spinning tunes, and especially cheering.
UVA Uphill TT
March 29, 2003
Race summary by Brian McCormick
The Hokies made a strong showing at the UVA Uphill Time Trial in Beech Grove, Virginia on March 29th, 2003. Though some of us either made the mistake of running the numbers on the course (elevation gain ~1800ft, average grade 7%, average grade over last mile 12.5%) or previewing the course, everyone climbed strong. The course took us up the face of the Blue Ridge to Reeds Gap in Nelson County, VA on Beech Grove Road. For Blacksburg locals, this climb is comparable in grade and elevation gain to Doe Creek road up to Mountain Lake.
Though we drove through rain on the way to the course, by the time riders began the climb the sun was shining and the road was dry. VT made a strong showing with riders in the top 10 of men's A, B, and C fields. Missy showed off her climbing skills on her birthday pulling in a 3rd place overall for the women.
Men's A riders were led by Dan (who surprisingly didn't do any running at the top) Pearis (5th), followed by Darroch Whittaker (7th), Dave "I'm not a climber" Allen (10th), and Dan Watts (18th).
Men's B were led by Matt "sandbagger" Shelburne (1st), followed by Brian "no longer sandbagger" McCormick (3rd), Barrett "powered by Krispy Kreme" Airaghi (9th) and Reimund "Mr. Wattage" Klemm (12th). I'm passing along the title of sandbagger to Matt Shelburne as he finished over 2 minutes faster than the second place finisher in the B field and had the overall second fastest time of the day. There is still some debate towards Matt's actual time up the mountain as he was climbing so fast that Newtonian physics no longer applied.
Rich Saunders (with the big R on his jersey) led up the Men's C (1st) followed by Dave "kangaroo" Tompkins (11th) and Jason Fitzgerald (21st).
And of course, what goes up must come down. The 60mph descent made all the suffering on the way up worthwhile.
Navy & UMD Road Race weekend
March 22-23, 2003
Race review by Dave Tompkins
After a ‘Strong Show of Force’ at the NCSU Criterium, the ‘Spearhead’ known as Hokie Cycling met with ‘Strong Resistance’ at the Navy Criterium / UMD Road Race Weekend. ‘Ruthlessness’ was deemed as the term for the weekend.
Spring weather broke for a beautiful Saturday at Navy. In fact, there was so much sun that several riders took on some extra Hokie coloring of orange and red. Moral was high and excitement was in the air… or maybe that was just the Midshipmen practicing Navy Seal tactics before the race. None the less, we were all anticipating the pile-ups at the sharp switchback at the bottom of the hill. Little did we know, the ‘ruthlessness’ of sprinting out of corners would make for a course full of intervals and no rest.
In the Men’s C, Brian-sandbag-McCormick easily reeled in another 1st while Rich Saunders pulled up the pace to grab 4th. Where the rest of the pack placed, we may never truly know. Seems the officials had a hard time discerning who the pack was and who had been lapped. I know I never heard any of the lap bells.
The Lady Hokies had the true ‘ruthlessness’ of the weekend. While Alix McLearen (3rd) battled in the A’s, Missy Petty (3rd) and Mary Dean Coleman (4th) held strong in the B’s. Unfortunately, Missy and Mary got to experience the “Aggressive Blocking” tactics of an A rider that was in the B pack ?!! Props to Missy for getting back on the bike after digging a hole in her new jersey and her shoulder.
Men’s B was not so lucky with the top 10 standings. However, there were several Hokies in the top 20. Hang in there guys.
Men’s A figured out how to beat the pace by just plain slowing the whole thing down. Lap times varied dramatically from super fast to almost human. Good job to Dave Allen (4th) and Darroch Whitaker (9th).
Thanks to all family and friends who showed support at the race!
But the ‘ruthlessness’ continued with the UMD road race on day two. We were all tired despite the rest and picnic at the Smith’s. Thanks to the Smith’s for being great hosts!
Personally, I don’t remember much about Sunday other than tiredness but sheer determination of the Hokies. Despite the wounds, Missy P. kept the spirit and took 5th while Mary Dean C. and Alix M. both took 3rd. The Hokies were looking strong for most of the Men’s C race but began to fade in the last lap. Even Brian M. slid to 2nd, but Remund Klemm held strong for 6th. The facial expressions came out for the Men’s B race as Barret Airaghi and Ben Webster worked hard to not get left behind, but Brian Segal ignored the ‘ruthlessness’ and grabbed 7th. Unfortunately, the ‘ruthlessness’ grabbed Jim Fazio by the rear tire and threw him to the ground. Not wanting to let the Hokie Bird down, Jim got back up and finished the race anyway! Men’s B weren’t the only ones with the facial expressions, though. The hurt was on in Men’s A and Darroch W., Dave Allen, and Jesse Norris were feeling it. Good job to Darroch W. for hanging in for 10th and Dave A. and Jesse N. for working together outside the pack to pull 11th and 12th.
ACCC Mtn. bike Conference Championships
Sept 14th, 2002
Morgantown, VW and Wisp Ski Resort, MD
Race review by Laura Young
What a wrap up to the mountain bike season! The final race weekend was full of mud, blood, broken bikes, and rain- mountain bike racing at its best. Eric Fonville (former pres) made a cameo appearance and hung out with us all day although he didn’t participate in the mudfest!
The weekend started with the hill climb at Wisp. The course was covered in sticky mud that looked like dirty rubber cement. VT rider Darroch Whittaker rode to a strong 2nd place finish in the Men’s A competition. I got schooled by Jen Lawrence of WVU in the Women’s A hillclimb.
The most extreme part of the weekend occurred on Saturday afternoon at Wisp- the dual slalom competition. The course was short, muddy, and full of impossible jumps. Justin Rest had some impressive matches, but his climb to the top of the B field was quickly thwarted by- yes- a broken frame. I guess carbon fiber cross-country frames aren’t all that versatile. Even duct tape couldn’t stop the unraveling. I had a great first run, gaining a few seconds over Jen. The second run, I wasn’t so lucky. Right after Jen crashed behind me, I turned my wheel into the mud and ate it hard, landing hard on my knees. My fork ended up on backwards and the crash pulled out my rear derailleur cable and splintered my housing. Darroch was confused about how that could even happen. I just started beating the ground with my fist until the adrenaline rush wore off. Andy says that his frame was too !@@#%# long and that was his main comment about the dual slalom.
The highlights of the day, however, were the adrenaline junkie exhibitions from NCSU. Those guys are crazy and they do have skills. We watched them get huge air and shear their frame bolts, jump off the roof of the main building, and launch over the picnic tables. Umm- yeah. They were nuts. Andy showed off his mad trials skills on the skate park, proving that you can have mad skills and not kill yourself showing them off.
The cross country race day started with dark and cloudy sky. Darroch had a strong start in the Men’s A race, being 2nd going up the second road climb. The course was much shorter than any of the riders anticipated, however. None of the classes except Men’s A raced over 10 miles. The trails were slick, slippery and rocky. By the end of the race, it was pouring. The forest took on the appearance of a rainforest. I watched someone eat it on a wooden bridge. It didn’t look like much fun. I caught up with Andrea from ECU for a while, but she proved the better rider by the end of the race. Jen Lawrence from WVU (3rd) showed major improvement in her first season of racing, and should have a great race at Nationals. Nick was more than a little fumed about the short course, since he went into enduro mode from the start. Maybe we should have a collegiate endurance category next year!
Overall, WVU put on a great race despite some last minute setbacks. We had a great time and got good and muddy. Now its bike overhaul time!
Hokie Classic Mtn Bike Race, Sept 14th, 2002
Out of weeks and weeks of sunny, warm weather it makes sense that it would rain during the four hours that VT hosts a mountain bike race. The lingering, torrential tropical storm made the already-difficult course almost impossible, with slick-as-ice rock gardens and waterfalls for downhills. But would that stop a bunch of mountain-biking Hokies? No way! Everyone showed great determination and crossed the finish line with a smile (from what you could see under the face masks of mud). A few minor falls kept the competition exciting. The racers consisted of about 60 bare-boned and crazy collegiate cyclists who love pain as much as the Tattooed Woman. Good job to all who raced!
The highlight of the race was the free food that attracted zombie-like, mud monsters. Much thanks to our sponsor, SYCAMORE DELI for their kick-ass subs, cookies and chips. They were devoured as fast as we could bring them out. And a note on the planned bonfire/cookout/check-out-my-battle-wounds campout: would have been fun if the field hadn’t turned into a swamp. Maybe we’ll get to fry the marshmallows next year. Thanks for a great race Laura!!
Wake Forest and the Monkey Chucker Mtn Bike Races, Sept 28th, 2002
What a fun-filled, action-packed weekend for the VT squad. It all began on Saturday in the swamplands of Wake Forest. The rain from the end of the week made the course a consistent tangle of slippery roots and mud pits. Everyone did very well for such an interesting, back-and-forth, easy-to-get-nauseated singletrack with quick uphills and did I mention the roots? I guess none of our bikes liked it too much because throughout the race, Nick taco-ed his wheel (it looked like it got hit by a truck!), John’s cranks wouldn’t stay on, Justin’s carbon frame broke, an ECU girl’s shifter fell off and my rim blew out. So after a necessary trip to the bike shop and 4 hrs of getting lost in North Carolina, we were ready for ECU’s Monkey Chucker Race on Sunday.
What an odd name for a race, eh? According to the race flier, territorial monkeys inhabited the forest we would be racing in, so we were to watch out for flying debris from overhead. Fortunately, no mountain bikers were taken out by these vicious creatures and the only dangers came from other racers falling over in front of you on the course. A favored demolition point for the fans was a natural half pipe with a root placed right at the top, ensuring a massive pile-up. The only groups making it through smoothly were the A’s (because they were just that good) and the Women (because we had planned to walk the steep face ahead of time because we’re just that good). Overall, a very fun course with a few roots (dry this time!) and oopty oops. Official definition of an oopty oop: a small, quick ravine ensuring the same feeling you get from going over the top of a roller coaster. Great job to all the racers and thanks to the humane society for keeping those pesky monkeys out of our hair!
2001 Road Season in brief
by Eric Fonville
NC State
I love racing a fast crit in the rain. Don’t you, especially with what seemed like a busload of sketchy NAVY riders? All 3 women raced really well. Chris N. crashed and totalled his new Rolf Sestrieres (ouch! that hurts the wallet). There was a field-splitting crash in the B race, but Andy, Eric, and Bryan avoided it, and Jesse did an awesome job chasing back on after tossing some Navy shmuck’s bike into the grass who caused the crash. Ben and Jason showed the A field their strength, both placing well.
W&M
I don’t know how, but the crew at W&M found not one - but two hills for their crit course! (I thought Williamsburg was flat...) Anyways, Laura and Alix both worked really hard in the women’s race, getting some quality points for the team. Chris N. was in top form for his hometown crowd, running away with the C victory. Chris S. showed everyone why clip-in drills are a good idea for C riders. Tom and Matt moved up to B’s and helped work over the field before scoring some mad points. Eric must have been tired from the USCF race the day before, because he got beat at the line. We had the full A team there, and welcomed a triathlete to the dark side...but seriously, Dan, Jason, Ben, and Alex all worked hard to keep up with the relentless attacks from Tricky Dickey and Stinky Bill’s domestiques. On the ride back, Dan showed some ladies his better half, and then some...
App St
We start out the weekend with a hillclimb up Beech Mtn. The Tour DuPont went up this mountain, and so we thought we could too. Foolish college boys...I don’t know about the other racers, but I think I could have done better with my mountain bike, I ran out of gears about 2 yards after the start. We started out with a 6-mile climb up into Banner Elk, then a little rest before they broke out the oxygen tanks for the climb up Beech Mtn. A’s and B’s raced first, for a change. Jason and Dan didn’t have too much trouble, both placing well in the A race. Matt and Tom broke away from the B field on the first climb, and really showed their climbing prowess on the steep sections, taking a 1-2 finish. Chris N. (who said big guys can’t climb?) and Vinnie placed well in the C race. Somehow, a Navy rider sheared off his seatpost binder bolt and his saddle fell off halfway up the second climb, so he rode the rest of the way standing up. Kathryn and Laura also raced really well for the women. We finally got Laura to race aggressively, as she caught a C rider and outsprinted him at the line. The women and C’s got a surprise at the finish - fog rolled in between the earlier race and theirs, you could hardly see 20 yards ahead of you! Sunday’s road race/circuit race got snowed out. Wasn’t it 60 degrees yesterday?
WVU
These guys claim to be party animals, but it sure didn’t seem that way. WVU has an awesome road race with 2 big climbs per lap, so selection is made early. Fortunately, this year’s race was completed without oil slicks or cattle on the course. Laura, Kathryn, and Alix all proved that girls kick ass, with strong performances on a hot day. Chris N. turned in yet another great ride, finishing 2nd in the C race. This guy has proved that his climbing skills weren’t a fluke at ASU. Matt, Tom, and Josh placed well for the B’s. Dan brought out the big guns for the A race, getting in a breakaway with Stinky Bill and taking a hard-earned 2nd. Sunday brought together tired legs and a fast time trial. 3 miles downhill, 3 miles back up = 10 minutes of pain (how high is your threshhold???) Girls did good. Jason and Dan placed well in A’s, Tom and Matt continue to rough up the B field. Chris N. has first sub- top 3 finish since NC State. What happened to those guys who went out partying last nite?
Mexico City
Umm, we don’t really remember how we did at this year’s crit in Mexico City, either. Or how we got there. We definitely didn’t take motor pool vehicles, because Chris S. would have killed the whole team by the time we hit Tennessee. Must be the time zone that is affecting our memory
Navy Crit + 2-man TT
Navy always has a carnage-filled race. It’s a great race, except for that 180-degree turn at the bottom of the hill, complete with differing pavement levels and manhole cover to spice things up. Laura and Alix kicked some butt in the women’s race. Chris N. returns to top form, winning the C race, with Vinnie hot on his heels in 3rd. Chris S. was off the front, until he crashed (maybe his name should be Crash S. instead...) Eric broke away from the B field, until Tom chased him down and brought the field with him. Eric was able to recover and go with a second breakaway group that stayed away, picking up 3rd. Tom, Jesse, and Bryan also garnished some good points with great sprint finishes. Dan and Jason continue to place well in the A races.
Maryland Circuit Race
Alix pulls out an impressive performance, minus any of her female teammates. Chris N. gets nipped at the line by some WVU dude, while Chris S. and Eduardo turn in strong support performances. In the B’s, Eric got away with a breakaway, while Jesse, Tom, and Bryan helped block. Ben pulls out an outstanding sprint to take 4th in the A’s.
VT/Conference Champs
We begin the conference championships with the much-feared road race. With only a single climb per 11-mile lap, it would seem to be a rather innocuous course. That is, until you actually ride the climb. A nice, gentle 4 or 5% grade for a mile or so kills any momentum the riders have, then they hit The Wall - only 300 yards long, but incredibly steep, and only the strongest riders can stay with the leaders. Kathryn and Alix race hard, even as Alix is held up for 20 minutes by some incompetent UVA dudes helping her change a flat. Vinnie and Chris N. run away with the C race, attacking the first time up the climb, never to see the field again. Eric takes 3rd in the B race, while Jesse and Bryan make sure no chase group ever forms. Dan and Jason both turn in impressive finishes with the A’s, as well. We think the WVU squad came early and were rustling up the cattle, as they were out on the course when the setup crew arrived - hey, we gotta have cows on the course in at least 1 race a year!
Sunday brought a tired, saddle-sore bunch of riders out to the Smart Road. Ruth almost had a stroke when she saw the course. So a modified course was put together, and everything went smoothly from then on. It’s a good thing the race promoter wasn’t armed, because we might be looking for a new conference director...Alix was the only VT hottie to race, taking 3rd and locking up a 4th place overall after a solid first year of racing. Chris N. crashed while off the front, but he had built up enough points to have 1st overall in C’s easily. Vinnie took 3rd in the race, bumping him up to 3rd overall in the standings. Eric took 2nd in the B’s, with Jesse and Bryan again blocking the field to keep the breakaway up the road, then placing well themselves. Dan and Jason both put in impressive performances, but were unable to hold back Stinky Bill and Tricky Dickey from duking it out in the sprint one final time. In the afternoon, the remaining teams somehow pieced together time trial groups for the final race of the season, the team time trial. This seems to just be a cruel end to the season, demanding all-out power from riders who have been punishing their bodies all weekend, and all season. The VT girls - Kathryn, Alix, and newcomer Natalie Bordeaux whooped up on the women, beating the 2nd-place Navy team by over a minute. C team takes 2nd, B men suffer to a 5th place, and the A men take 4th. All in all, an awesome weekend by all.
Appalachian State University Race Weekend
March 31, 2001
by Ben Lepene
On Saturday March 31, 2001 we made our assault on the town of Boone, North Carolina, home of Appalachian State University. The race was a 12 mile point to point hill climb race that finished atop Beech Mountain. This was the same hill that Lance Armstrong rode with Bob Roll when he decided to make a comeback after surviving cancer. We climbed the first hill and descended into the town of Banner Elk and then proceeded to ascend into the fog on our way to the top of Beech mountain. The climb was absolutely amazing, but incredibly steep. One long section of the road was marked as being a 26% grade. I am not sure that I believe that, but I had a hard time turning over my 39x24 gear ratio. I am definitely going to have to travel back to Boone just to ride up this hill every once in a while.
The A-race began slowly, but Dan Peairs of VT quickly ramped up the pace on the first climb. At the top of the climb most of the field had been eliminated including myself. Several groups were able to chase back up to the leaders, but in the end it was Steve Gergely from WVU taking the win. Jason and Dan finished 6th and 9th respectively.
In the B-race Matt Shelburne and Tom Bronson showed off their incredible climbing abilities. They attacked on the first climb and built up a huge lead. They were easily able to carry the lead to the finish in first and second place. Nice work guys!
Chris Nusbaum, Vinnie, Chris Sandor, and Bob (Scott) all had great climbs. Chris N. finished in third place after a strong attack on Beech mountain. Vinnie also launched an attack on a couple of riders with less than a mile to go and finished in a respectable place.
In the woman's race Kathryn Brown had an outstanding ride and finished 5th in the highly competitive Woman's A field. Laura also finished well in 6th place even though she was a little under the weather.
On Sunday morning around 7Am I awoke to the ringing of the telephone. It was cadet Fonville with the morning orders. Before I had even gotten out of bed we already had the first April fool's scheme of the day planned out. Let me just say that Vinnie was the victim of the weekend. It was going to be a good day even though I felt like buttress from the previous day's ascent on Beech Mountain. After completely ransacking the Holiday Inn's continental breakfast we were off to the races. On our way to the the road race course I noticed that one of the WVU's trucks was ahead of Eric's Van. I radioed the good news to the lead van and they effectively executed the "sighting". Just as we rolled into the parking lot the downpour began and before long the rain had changed over to wet snow. After some debate, the race was cancelled and we were on our way back to the north. We finished in (to be added asap) place for the weekend and we are now in x place on the season with three weekends of racing left.
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