Race Report
Saturday
Friday the team (all three riders and single cheerleader) left for Boston. After a 7 hour drive the team arrived at the red roof in to find 3 foot snow piles between the parking lot and doors to our room. With fear of snow the next day this was not a great sign. Waking up at 5:30 the team loaded bikes on cars while the first snow flakes of the day began to fell.
Time Trial
The time trial was staged in a middle school parking lot. Men's C were the first to go off at 8:00 AM. By now snow was falling pretty heavily. The time trial course was an 8.27 mile loop. It was not flat with grades reaching 10%.
Men's C
Charlie represented our men's C team this weekend. The cold air and snow took a toll on Charlie's lungs. He finished with a time of 28:15.25.
Men's A
After driving 7 hours Joe decided to sleep in the car avoid the snow and save his legs for the road race. This left winning the TT up to Brett. With snow still falling Brett finished the TT with a time of 22:05.69 placing 10th grabbing 26 points for Penn State.
Road Race
Unfortunately the snow did not stop falling. It actually began to fall harder. With the continual snow fall the road race course had to be altered to keep the racers on roads not covered in snow. From what I understand (no one really knew what course we were doing while on the start line) we were racing the TT course.
Men's C
Charlie started the Men's C race at 11:00 after a half an hour snow delay. He was able to stick in the first lap. Unfortunately a mechanical prevented him from shifting to the big ring causing him to fall off the back and get pulled from the race.
Men's A
For Joe and Brett the sun actually peaked through for a very brief second as they got to the start line but immediately got taken back over by more heavy snow as the race began. From the gun attacks were trying to get off the front knowing the conditions would blow the field up. Joe attempted to bridge up to an early attack but got swallowed up by the pack. Brett managed to bridge up to the front group and spent the rest of the race in the front of the race. He finished 9th pulling in another 30 points for Penn State. After a hard attack up a hill Joe was dropped off the back. He worked with other fallen riders finishing 18th in a group of two.
Sunday
Criterium
The crit was held on Tuft's campus. Today the sun was shining with not a cloud in the sky. The crit was a 6 corner criterium representative of the frat row crit shape. Turn 1 turned to a down hill for a very fast smooth turn two. Turn 3 and 4 made up the chicane with a slight up hill leading to turn 5 which put the riders in to a pace slowing bumpy punchy climb. The finishing straight was in to a head wind with 3 cobble stone cross walks which add for bunny hopping fun throughout the race.
Men's C
With 67 starts the Men's C field was massive. As soon as the race began the down hill and quick second turn strung out the field to a very long line. Two Dartmouth riders sat on the front and pushed the pace stretching it out much more. Before the race was half over the front of the peloton had caught the back of the peloton. This resulted in most of the field being pulled and placed. With bad officiating and confusion in the field all but 4 riders were pulled and placed. Charlie again had a mechanical with his front derailer and was not able to finish the race.
Men's A
Brett and Joe both started the Crit. Joe was dropped from the front group fairly quickly but worked and stayed in till his group was pulled and placed. Two queens riders were on a two man break away for almost the entire race. They were together perfectly and lapped the entire field. Brett finished in the chase group. He placed 7th pulling in 36 points for penn state.
Written by: Joe Halo
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