2017 Road Series: Route One Rampage/Hostetter-Wagner RR (4/1-4/2)

With this weekend’s ECCC race hosted by UVM and Dartmouth unexpectedly cancelled due to severe snowstorms, Bucknell Cycling’s guest appearance in the ACCC became a bit of a trendsetter. The Herd was joined down south by other central-PA friends from Shippensburg Cycling and Lehigh Cycling, as well as a few other ECCC teams who decided to make last-minute changes to their plan. Six racers from Bucknell came down to enjoy some fun in the sun!

Alex sprinting out of corner #4 in the Route One Rampage crit.

Results - Route One Rampage Criterium

Steve & Matt at the start

A partly-cloudy day in College Park, MD with warm sun and cool winds welcomed Bucknell Cycling to the ACCC. The Route One Rampage was a clockwise four-corner crit with a punchy hill to test the legs for about half of the 0.6 mile loop. First to tackle the course was first-year and first-time racer Andrew Hawk in the Men’s D race. In the true spirit of bike racing, Andrew was all smiles throughout the race and put in some excellent work! Next up was senior Ellie Perry racing in the combined Women’s B/C field. Two crashes in less than 15 minutes shook up the field, but Ellie narrowly avoided them both and sat firmly in the front half of the field split even after the race was stopped with 3 laps to go, where the field was recombined and the race restarted. In the end, Ellie matched last week’s crit result with a 4th place finish from a reduced field.

A pain-faced Andrew Schlicht....

In the Men’s A crit, senior Alex Breakstone became the engine of a strong chase group that also included a friend from Shippensburg Cycling. Alex finished strong in 15th place. The Herd rested for a few hours and enjoyed the local festivities before the excitement returned with a late-afternoon Men’s C race, featuring first-years Andrew Schlicht and Matt McGauley, as well as senior Steven Robare. A solo breakaway in the first few laps left the majority of the field to push a hard, but ultimately unsuccessful chase. Andrew fought toe-to-toe with the best of his field, crushing the climb and finishing in the top half. Full results for the criterium can be found HERE. (will be updated shortly when results are posted!)

Results - Hostetter-Wagner Road Race

Ellie looking out for the Men's A finish

In White Hall, MD, the road race followed a beautiful six-mile course featuring two notable climbs for a 600ft elevation change per lap. The morning air was still chilly when the Men’s C (30 miles) squad of first-years Andrew Schlicht and Matt McGauley and senior Steven Robare hit the course, followed closely by the Men’s D (24 miles) field featuring Andrew Hawk. A mechanical ended the race early for Schlicht, while Matt, Steven, and Hawk fought through the windy, rolly course. A second congratulations is in order for Andrew Hawk for competing in his first-ever road race!

Shakas from Hawk!

Once again the Men’s A race (61 miles) saw senior Alex Breakstone powering a strong chase group, fueled by no-bake cookies from Country Cupboard, the team’s favorite baked goods sponsor. Alex put in a phenomenal effort throughout the 10-lap race, finishing 10th. Just as the sun came out, senior Ellie Perry rolled on course with the combined Women’s B/C race (shortened - from 24 to 18 miles). By the end of the first lap, the podium was just about decided, with Ellie solo-chasing a solo-leader from Lehigh. Ellie finished in 2nd place, unable to chase down the leader, but a solid few minutes ahead of the group. Full results for the road race can be found HERE.

Other News

A Schlichty Burrito - "warming down"

The camaraderie was strong this weekend, both within the Herd and between Bucknell Cycling and close neighbors Shippensburg Cycling. The team would like to thank them for cheering on our racers as well as their own, even when competing together, and we hope they heard us doing the same! The team was blessed also with the therapeutic presence of Lilly Bravo this weekend, the black lab of team president Eli Bravo, as well as the support from his parents Dave and Susan. A superb baked-ziti dinner Saturday night was generously brought to the course by the Schlichts, who were also unmistakeable to find on course both days with the ringing of their cowbell! Thanks always to Papa K for being at the start line for every race and waiting with burgers and ‘dogs at the finish, and thanks to sophomore Eli Bravo and Bucknell alum Andrew Ovrom (‘15) for supporting the six racers in so many other ways.

Bucknell Cycling returns to the ECCC next weekend at the Shippensburg Scurry with legs and lungs
ready to tackle the infamous Horsekiller climb!

2017 Road Series: Nittany Classic (3/25-3/26)

State College, PA was kind enough to hold off the imposing rain for both days of racing, as if showing mercy for those with the strength of will to tackle the lung-bursting climbs and face-melting speeds of the Penn State road race and criterium. Bucknell Cycling fielded six racers each day to experience the 1874 feet of climbing per lap of the road race and all six corners of the crit.

Steve and Schlichty focused at the road race start, grey skies overhead.

Results - Black Moshannon Road Race

Jorden off to tackle Black Mo!

A staggered start of Women’s C (19 miles) followed by Women’s D (19 miles) sent two Lady Blues to be the first from Bucknell to tackle Black Mo - senior and second-year racer Ellie Perry (C) and senior and first-year racer Jorden Sneed (D). With a 6th place finish to match last week’s road race, Ellie picked up 9 points for the team. But the effort was especially impressive for Jorden, for whom the legendary climb was her first-ever road race.

Evelyn flying down the Black Mo descent.

Senior Alex Breakstone was next on course with the Men’s A (62 miles), followed by senior Steven Robare and first-year Andrew Schlicht with the Men’s C (41 miles). Both of the C boys completed the massive climb twice, with Andrew leading the two in the first lap and Steven leading through the finish line. Sophomore Evelyn Korbich was the last on course with the Women’s A (41 miles), and also completed two impressive laps over Back Mo, scooping up 12 points for the team with a 14th place finish. Full results for the road race can be found HERE.

Results - Penn State Frat Row Criterium

Steve through the chicane in the Men's C chase group.

The Men’s C squad, composed of senior Ward Prescott, senior Steven Robare, and first-year Andrew Schlicht, were the first to race the crit for the Baby Blues. The pace was brutally fast, with only 14 of the 39 starters finishing the race. Steven put an impressive effort in the chase group, but ultimately the boys still had Black Moshannon haunting their legs.

Second on course was senior Ellie Perry with the Women’s C race. After repping the baby blue with her nose out in the wind for a few laps, Ellie earned 10 points for Bucknell Cycling with a fourth place finish from a seven-woman bunch sprint. The Women's​ A crit saw sophomore Evelyn Korbich as the driving force in a continually-growing chase group as riders popped one by one from the relentless front group led by the ECCC yellow jersey. She picked up 9 more points for the team with a second 14th place finish for the weekend.

Senior Alex Breakstone sat firmly in the bunch for the first half of the 60 minute Men’s A crit, but suddenly had every Bucknell Cycling fan on their feet when out of seemingly nowhere he came around a corner alone off the front, pushing for a solo breakaway. An unfortunate crash in the next lap left Alex with only superficial road rash and some torn kit, but left his fans with broken hearts. We look forward to next weekend, when hopefully luck will be on his side! Full results for the criterium can be found HERE.

A Stone in the Zone... (Alex)

Other News

Innovation at it's finest, feat. Ward,
Papa K, and Alex's wheel.

The grill came out for the first time this race season over the weekend (and so did the minivan seats - see at right), with Papa K making every team in a 50 foot radius jealous of the delicious hotdogs and burgers traditional for Bucknell Cycling. The team devoured those as well as the leftover Panera bagels from last weekend and more delicious treats from Country Cupboard, and, as usual, plenty of twizzlers and G-mix.

Bucknell Cycling will be making a guest appearance in the ACCC (Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference) next weekend, for the UMD Route One Rampage Criterium in Hyattsville, MD and the JHU Hostetter-Wagner Road Race in White Hall, MD.