ZIPCAR HOOKED US UP
The team ended up a finalist in Zipcar's "Students With Drive" promotion, and rallied the troops to get out the vote. When the dust settled, we had won! So Zipcar is providing the team with $5500 in credit towards use of Zipcars, which gets us to races. Many thanks to Zipcar for the opportunity. [Zipcar, check it out]
WE GOT SICK NEW KITS
This year, we went with Garneau as our kit supplier. The kits arrived just in time for the first race weekend, and they are SWEET. See pictures below. Some (limited supply!) extras are available to alumni and friends! Email cycling at gwu dot edu and you can get hooked up.
We're really into these kits. FINDING OUR FAST FOR THE WEEKEND
Racing season comes early to the ACCC. Maybe not quite as early as it does in warmer locales, but early nonetheless - this past weekend kicked off the season with NCSU's Wolfpack Classic. While not everyone could make it, John, Chandler, Andrew, and Nick headed south to spend the weekend suffering in the saddle.
Saturday's race was the Wolfpack Classic Open - both collegiate and USAC fields racing in Jordan Lake, NC. GW's day started off with Chandler, in his very first bike race. He described the day as "a pretty big learning curve," saying that he rode around for two laps (the course was approximately 12 miles), then led the field into the final uphill sprint, where his legs were burned out already. He still ended up 5th, a fantastic result for a very first race.
It looks like he is winning, but he is in 5th. It's still a cool picture. As the day continued, John and Andrew got ready for the Cs, and Nick prepared for the B race.
Our guys were hanging out in the pack in the Cs, when "all of a sudden someone from NC State brought the hammers and the field reacted," according to Andrew. Shortly thereafter, a crash split the field, and Andrew was able to chase back up to the main pack, while John was not. John spent the rest of the race chasing, while Andrew got burned off of the pack as the speed picked up in the final mile.
Check out our swag.Nick, meanwhile, was doing his best to sit in the B pack and conserve energy. For the first two laps of his race, he tried to stay near the front, and did a bit of work keeping the pack together, as it would periodically string out. However, as the race wore on, he allowed himself to move back to save for the field sprint. When the time came, however, he found himself in poor position, all the way at the back. Never put off by a challenge, he crushed the final hill, sprinting to 4th place - only getting beaten in the field sprint by a tire width, by a rider who had jumped on his wheel.
They both almost caught the Hopkins rider in 2nd.
By the way, sweet flames helmet cover contributed by alum Colin.
They both almost caught the Hopkins rider in 2nd.By the way, sweet flames helmet cover contributed by alum Colin.
The team then adjourned for showers, and dinner at a place filled with TVs called the "Sports Porch."
On Sunday, the schedule was changed slightly, so that Chandler, John, and Andrew all raced at the same time, with Nick starting a few hours later. Sunday morning it was COLD with a capital C - about 26 degrees when we all got to the venue.
Andrew and John were first off on the day. They saw Saturday's same pattern play out, only faster - both got shed from the pack by increasing speed, and could not catch back on anywhere on the windswept course. Both ended up in small groups, working their way to the finish line. When he got there, John won the sprint out of his group by a tire width.
Chandler, meanwhile, had a "much more interesting race," as Sunday's course had a little bit (not much, but enough) more uphill. He stayed at the front as the D pack splintered, only to go for a roll in the dirt with about 4 miles remaining - a botched reach for a bottle put him on his back going up the hill on the back side of the course. "Apparently you have to focus in a bike race." However, Chandler reached into the suitcase of courage and chased back up to the front group. When it came time to sprint for the finish, he ended up 4th. While he bettered his position from the day before, he finds himself regretting starting to sprint too late. We're sure he will get 'em next time.
So close. So very close. Nick bundled up and started off not long afterward. He had one goal, after getting dropped on the course last year: don't get dropped. Quite the opposite happened, actually - after putting in some probative attacks in the second half of the race, he sat in and completely destroyed the field sprint, taking 3rd overall.
The triumphant return of "the face."
Just, truly a great picture. It was an exciting weekend for the team. John made new friends, and is excited for more criterium races. Andrew is pleased with fitness better than last year's, and pledges to fight for wheels like a rabid junkyard dog, "even if it means barking at, and possibly biting, other riders." Chandler is planning to race smarter and pedal harder. Nick only wants to SMASH.
Everyone agreed that Friday night's Chicken Parmesan pizza (turns out you can put that on a pizza) was a highlight.
While a few riders might trek down to Wilmington this weekend, you can expect to see a fuller squad back in action at Duke next week.
Some photos by Michael Evans, some photos by John Macchione.
