Army 2012 – Bucknell Cycling Domination

Four Podiums – President Tino’s Final Race

One Weekend… ARMY 2012

Bucknell’s trip to the US Military Academy in West Point, NY can easily be marked as a defining moment of this year’s season. The atmosphere amongst the team was calmer than usual on Saturday morning upon our arrival at the course, and as the weekend wore on, I got the feeling a torch was being passed. Everyone on the team knew it was going to be President Tino’s final race, so that contributed to the feeling, but I think there was more lying beneath the surface. After a long and hard fought year, the early carefree rides of fall were long in the distance past, while the punishment from a long season was definitely being felt in everyone's legs. Thankfully, the team’s immense success on the road at Army made the weekend bitter-sweet. It will be hard to arrive at the DHLC next year for “Tino Monday Ride,” with Brian no-where in sight. Yet, for one final weekend, we had our President alongside us, who despite his Voodoo-ness, did a great job this year leading the team. I’m definitely going to miss this year’s team, and the tightly knit bonds we created along the way.

In total, six Bucknell racers set out to compete at Army: Tino, Sam, Kelly, Christine, Zander, and myself—joined of course—by Papa K. Friday started out like usual, full of jokes and laughter as our four hour car ride got underway. As tradition has dictated throughout this season, Friday is the night for pizza and conversation. There was plenty of both to go around. Kelly even had the chance to stop off at “T.G.I. Maxx” to look at some dresses for graduation. Sam's description of her shopping style was that it was “fast and authoritative.” Kelly knew what she was looking for, and after a fast military style sweep of the store, she wasn’t satisfied. The team finally arrived at a 5-star palace of a motel, booked perfectly by our President himself. Despite the grumbling about the accommodations, I think that a sub-par hotel brings the team together, and definitely adds to the experience—so thanks President Tino, for keeping us on our toes.

Saturday morning brought the Team Time Trial. Zander, Sam, Tino and I set out on the 15 mile course and put forward a respectable time in mens B, allowing us to collect 24 points toward the team standings. Zander did great in his first TTT, sticking with the three of us for the majority of the race. Tino and I set the pace up the climbs, while Sam bombed it down the descents. Again, I felt some sadness come over the group at the finish. It would be the final time I compete alongside President Tino, and he put in one hell of an effort to get Sam and I to the finish. Thanks to my mom and some others, we have some pretty nice pictures of the TTT:

Following the Team Time Trial, it was time for the circuit race. Similar to the Yale circuit from the week before, the circuit race was essentially a hill-repeat session, paired with a nasty and tricky descent that was full of pot holes and the occasional bit of rough road. Zander and I lined up for the combined C circuit with success in mind. After a hard fought first few laps, I settled in to a nice rhythm at the front of the main pack, while Zander lead the second main group on the road that had split off about two thirds into the race. The circuit ended up being 8 laps long, full of violent crashes, with some tough climbing along way. The course suited me perfectly, and my legs felt fantastic heading into the final sprint to the finish. I accelerated after two riders in the final dash to the finish and came in for 3rd in a combined field of about 80 riders. Little did I know, I ended up winning the C2 category, a “win” that I still wont accept, as two C1 riders did finish in front of me. Zander did a great job as well, putting himself well into the pain cave to finish off the race in 15th among C2 riders. Zander left the circuit slightly disappointed, and it showed on Sunday as he took it to the C2 field with some exciting racing in the crit.

In the men’s B circuit, Sam and Tino lined up for what would end up being a brutally fast race. One rider established a huge gap on the rest of the field, followed behind by three or four chasers, and then the main pack. Sam consistently controlled the front of the main field for the majority of the race, hanging in despite his recent troubles with climbing the past few weeks. Tino was exhausted from the TTT in the morning, sticking with the main field for about half of the race before tailing off in the end. Both rode just ok on Saturday, but they made up for it on Sunday with some awesome racing in the Army crit. I’ll get to that race later, it was a exceptionally exciting race by both Tino and Sam. 

The Women of Bucknell were up to the challenge of the circuit as well. In the womens intro race, the ever-cheerful Christine did well to pick up three points for the squad, placing 7th. She also did a fantastic job as navigator for the weekend…allowing Zander, Sam and I to be bums and sleep in the car…so thanks Christine! Kelly took control of the Women’s A/B race, again asserting her force on the best of the ECCC women. In a long 55 minute circuit, Kelly placed and impressive 2nd overall, way in front of the series' top female: MIT’s Katie Quinn. All those Tuesday Torture Rides definitely paid off for Kelly in this one, as she looked cool, calm, and comfortable in navigating the climbs. Here are the top Bucknell men and women at the West Point circuit race:

Sunday brought two more races, the ITT and the Army Criterium. The individual time trial was essentially two miles straight uphill—a brutal course. All one needs to know about the ITT is that I beat every other Bucknell rider and picked up some bragging rights for the rest of the day. Everyone else was saving their energy for the criterium, which turned out to be quite exciting in every category. Look to the left, everyone is so happy that I kicked their butts up the climb! The scenery for the Army Criterium was fantastic. The backdrop is detailed below thanks to my mom’s photography. Many parents joined us on Sunday, including my parents, brother and dog, President Tino’s parents as well as Christine’s parents and Kelly’s parents. It was great to have everyone there to enjoy the racing. In the first Bucknell crit of the day, Christine picked up the 3rd podium of the weekend for the team, sprinting her way to 3rd place in a hard fought women’s intro race. Zander and I witnessed the finish while we were lining up and were definitely thrilled for Christine who put in an outstanding race in front of her parents. In the men’s C2 crit, Zander came out for revenge following his disappointment with his result the day before. We went into the race with a plan to pick up some major sprint points, as we both felt we were two of the stronger riders in the pack. A crash midway through the race spoiled my chances during the first sprint lap and caused me to have to go to the pits to take a free lap. Zander and I re-organized however, taking 2nd and 3rd in the second sprint lap. And in the third sprint, Zander picked up 4th. Throughout the race, a few solo breaks came off the front, but thanks to Zander and I on many occasions, we were able to reel them all back. In the final sprint to the finish, I got boxed in despite the fact I felt like I had the legs to win. Zander was in much better position, scrambling his way to the finish to barely edge out another podium for the team in 3rd place. I was right behind in 6th. Both of us were happy about the effort, and Zander definitely showed that his mountain biking background is really coming to fruition during the criteriums. In two crits, he has two podiums. This would end up being my last race in Cs, as I will be joining Sam this weekend at Easterns in the B field. I wore some special socks for the occasion, and yes, they technically may be women’s dress socks, but you know what, they look awesome.

The men’s B criterium was one of the most exciting races of the year. It would be the last time President Tino kitted up for a race in the ECCC, and he and Sam came to play for the occasion. Early in the race, attacks were fast and furious, with a three man group establishing itself early on. Before the break broke free, Sam and another rider from UNH blitzed the field on the first sprint, allowing Sam to take 2nd. On the second sprint lap, Sam flew off the front of the field in a mad dash for points. He rode solo behind the 3 leaders, screaming the whole way with his face wide open in pain taking 4th in that sprint. In the third sprint, he took 3rd. The one thing I admire about the way Sam races is that he only has one gear: full throttle. He goes as hard as he can, moving to the front, destroying the back of the pack even if he knows he may have nothing left at the end of the race. Tino sat in behind Sam, often using his draft to conserve energy, lowering himself in typical Tino fashion into his aerodynamic position when the race became tough. The two were often in the top five places in the main field every time through the finish line. At the finish, Sam came around the final corner in 6th, falling to 11th at the line. Tino’s final stand had him taking 14th. Both men placed in the points, and were praised by the ECCC commentators for a hard fought race. It was a exciting way to send the President out.

Last but certainly not least, it was Kelly’s turn in the womens A/B criterium. Kelly would later describe this race as one of the toughest she has ever done, but she didn’t show it. Cheered on by the entire team, she and the rest of the field pulled back a few Katie Quinn breaks and allowed the race to come down to a field sprint. Along the way, Kelly picked up two placings on the sprint laps, while at the finish, Kelly was 6th in the combined field. Here is Kelly in the crit. She was definitely helped by the great night sleep she had gotten the night before, amidst the world-class beds at the motel.

In conclusion, this was one great weekend. I stand by what I said at the outset of this essay-of-a-post. This race was definitely bitter sweet. With the departure of President Tino, Kelly, Christine, Billy, Josh and our other seniors, the sadness began to come over the team this weekend. The racing is not over yet, as Sam, Kelly, Lazer and I will be attending Easterns at UNH this coming weekend. Nevertheless, I am thankful for all that the cycling team has given me this first year: a great group of friends, an opportunity to escape the Bucknell bubble, and the chance to race at a competitive level all across the northeast.

From the pizza, to the antics of Papa K, to the exceptional racing this season from the Bucknell team, I could not help but describe this season as an overwhelming success. For those of us who are attending next weekend, lets have this year go out with a bang. For those who are finished, the team thanks you on behalf your contributions to the team this season. President Tino: I cant wait to have you come back next season so you can have the opportunity to get your behind handed to you on your precious climbs like Supplee and Stein. So train up, for this season is almost over, but the pride of Bucknell Cyling never ends.

On to Easterns!! – CaseRace

A Yoga Session?!

Visiting Bucknell yesterday was Adam Kahler, Papa K’s son, former A rider for Bucknell, and as I found out in meeting him, a rather nice guy.  President Tino, Grimes, Lazer and I, took Adam or “Crowbar” out for a nice mountainous journey around Tino Monday Ride, and upon arriving back to campus, we saw a mass of women performing yoga on the front lawn.  After Adam left, we all thought it would be fun to do some yoga behind everyone.  So, here is your shot of the day.  I'm not sure if I’m embarrassed or proud.  Nevertheless, I guess that’s Bucknell Cycling for you.

Big thanks to Grimes for sacrificing himself to capture these photos.  Also the Army post will be up soon, I’ve been slacking and I once again apologize to my readers for being slow on the weekend updates.

- CaseRace

Yale 2012 – “Lux et Velocitas”

One of the greatest aspects of the sport of cycling is that the playing arena is boundlessly variable.  One weekend, the courses are flat and windy, made for those big power-diving cyclists who can put it in their big ring and hammer out a victory in a closely contested pack sprint.  Other weeks, the courses are made for the nimble and agile climbers, who can softly petal away in a steady cadence, shedding all the big guys off the back.  Whatever the terrain, nothing beats a beautiful course that touches the hearts of all the cyclists that ride it.  At Yale, the team was presented with a spectacular arena to show off.  That course was called: “The Rock.”  It’s one of those races that conjures comments from riders following the race like: “wow those switchbacks were awesome,” or, “that decent was so smooth, fast, and fun.” 

For the sixth weekend of the ECCC season, Sam, Lazer, I, and Papa K made the 4 hour trek out to New Haven, Connecticut to set our rubber wheels to this great arena, and we did so with much success.  After stopping off for the usual pre-race meal of pizza late Friday afternoon, we arrived at the hotel stuffed to the brim and fully satisfied. Upon our arrival, Papa K made a keen observation: “never book a hotel room on the highway side of the building.”  This complaint eventually turned into was a long list of observations made by Papa K that would expand throughout the weekend.  We wrote them all down on a piece of paper as the days wore on, eventually compiling a pretty funny list of ideas. 

Friday night I had a horrible dream that we had missed the Saturday road race because we had arrived over an hour late.  I’m not sure if this dream was facilitated by Dan’s cuddling with me all night, or if it just spawned on its own, but whatever the case, I woke up Saturday morning with a fear that we had slept in and missed the race.  Acting upon this dream, I was pretty paranoid Saturday morning, insisting that we get to the race early to ensure our spot in the field.  From this, the second Papa K observation of the weekend was made and recorded: “many believe CaseRace to be a prophet.” 

In the time trial, Dan rode very well, motivated by his quest for the C polka-dot jersey at the conclusion of the weekend.  He battled to 14th place on the road, while I mostly used the TT as a chance to feel out the climb for the road race…or so I would claim afterword…for my time was pretty abysmal.  I think its fitting to describe Sam’s time trial with the following three pictures…can anyone pick out the one that doesn’t belong?

 The Time Trial…

The road race later in the morning was one of the most difficult and painful I have done thus far in the collegiate season.  With only a 45 minute time span set for the C circuit, Dan rightfully calculated that for him and I to do well, we would have to push the pace on the first lap up the climb to increase the amount of total laps, and thus increase the total amount of climbing in the race.  I mostly thought this was a joke, but apparently, Dan was dead serious.  Heading up the rock the first time through I was shocked at how fast the pace was going.  Then, I looked up ahead, only to observe my buddy Lazer sprinting off the front of the field and screaming up the climb at a vicious pace.  Dan influenced the field speed so much that the race organizers announced an extra lap had been added to the race on our first trip through the staging area. Our pace continued to increase up the climb on the 2nd and 3rd laps.  My eyeballs were popping out and riders where being shed of the back on our way up the climb left and right.  The C2 pace was so fast that we caught the C1 field that had started over 5 minutes in front of us.  On the final accent to the finish, Dan tried hard to stay with the lead riders, coming in 4th place, while I followed right behind in 8th.  The polka-dot jersey had alluded both of us at this point in the day, but we both agreed that our efforts had made that race one of the hardest paces of the season for the C field. 

When Sam finally woke up following his day long slumber, it was time for his B circuit.  I supplied Sam with two CLIF brownie flavored granola bars, insisting that with all of the sleep he had gotten, there was no excuse for him to loose contact with the pack.  From this, Sam informed us all with a smile that he “never recalled ever being dropped” at any point in his racing career. This quote was of course added to the Papa K list of observations for the weekend.  Still feeling his way into his climbing legs, Sam stayed with the pack for the first half of the race, and then dropped into a chase group later on.  After 8 or 9 trips up the rock, Sam finished in the twenties after a hard fought 90 minute race. 

The picture of the Bowdoin rider below is my friend Andrew that I used to race with back home on my old junior team.  It was nice to have him in the pack with us for the first time this season. 

The Criterium set for Sunday was somewhat technical and was therefore often marred by many unnecessary crashes due to the poor conditions of the roads in some areas.  In only his second true criterium of the season, Dan controlled a great deal of the pace in the combined C Crit.  I hung out in my usual top twenty position, yet still tucked away from the wind.  In the final field sprint, the mere mass of Vermont riders were too much.  They sent a man off the front with about 1 to go, stretching the field out and making it difficult to move up.  I sprinted for 11th overall, while Dan followed my wheel through the traffic for 15th.  We got some awesome pictures of this race.  Check out Dan and I:

In the B Criterium, Sam was awfully busy.  From leading a few laps, to chasing down breakaway riders, and bringing back hard attacks, Sam was all over the road, causing havoc and making himself known amongst the B riders.  Dan and I passionately cheered Sam to a solid 23rd place finish in Bs, right in the center of the pack.  Sam’s finish was slightly less than expected due to bad positioning coming into one of the final turns of the race.  Yet, throughout the past few weeks, and especially this weekend at West Point, Sam has been riding awesome in the crits.  Here are some pictures of Sam, on and near the front…at Yale:

Overall, the Yale weekend was one of the best of the year.  Papa K, Sam, Dan and I had endless fun.  From making a trip to Best Buy to marvel at the big screen TVs, to “borrowing” a few of Yale’s race signs, to enjoying some quality racing from those in the baby blue, Bucknell can surely chalk the Yale weekend up as a success.

Other Papa K observations that I haven't mentioned previously include:

1. Sam Snores…and is constantly sleeping.

2. We should really bring folding chairs to the races.

3. The Yale race has great facilities…especially the bathrooms.

(Papa K I know I am forgetting some, so I can add the rest I am forgetting later on when you have a chance to remind me).

I will leave you all with a few more pictures from the weekend, and as always, the full slate of pictures courtesy of Papa K can be found on the facebook page.  Happy riding everyone.  Spring is definitely here, as if it never left.  The Army recap will be coming soon, a race that featured 4 Bucknell Cycling podium finishes, so keep a close eye out for that.  Until then, adios amigos, and RAY BUCKNELL!

– CaseRace