GW Cycling

GW Kicks Off 2012

2012-02-15T13:10:00.000-05:00

2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for your Rolling Colonials. Contest victories, sweet new kits, and strong performances in the ACCC opening weekend have punctuated the year so far.

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.

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.

WHAT A GW MOUNTAIN BIKE RACER?!?

2011-10-18T14:31:00.002-04:00

Straight from Phil Zap -

GWU Cycling Team- 2011 MTB Racing takes 2nd

After a busy schedule of racing every weekend rain or shine in Sept and Oct the GWU Cycling Mountain Bike Team has taken 2^nd place in the Division 2 standings at season’s end. Trumped by a stellar performance by a large, strong team from the College of William & Mary, GWU was able to best 4 other schools (Wake Forest, Campbell University, University of Richmond, and Duke) to maintain a second place seat with a one man team. Chasing an MS in Systems Engineering in addition to the racing circuit Phillip Zaprzalka has sported the Buff and Blue of GWU in all available MTB disciplines available this year. From the rocky drops of Downhill and Super D courses, to the individual sprints of uphill and wooded Time Trials, spinning laps in the pack for Short Track, and wrapping up every weekend with an enduring Cross Country the GWU logos got calls out from the crowd. “Gee-Dub” cheers were shouted upon the one man team also known by “chops” for his ever extending sideburns. As the events were held around the Atlantic Conference Region primarily in the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains, it does make for a difficult travel schedule, but taking classes at the Newport News satellite campus has offered ease of access for racing and most effectively for opportune location for studies. Perhaps with the upcoming Cyclocross season in November and December students from the Metro and satellite campuses can build strong team dynamics and shared performance gains. All Said: Congrats Gee-Dub, and keep the rubber side down!

Your one-man wrecking crew. What an animal.

What We Have Been Doing For The Last Month

2011-04-12T13:01:00.001-04:00

Some of you may be asking, what has GW been up to? That jerk that writes all their blog posts seems to have forgotten about it. So here is what we have been doing:

Some of our guys raced in the ECCC a few times. John went to NYC for the Grant's Tomb race and both him and Josh went to Philly for the Phlyer. They seemed to have a good time.

We had a miserable weekend at Wake. It was raining and cold most of the weekend, Matt had what turned out to be a mild case of strep throat and was generally just awfully sick, and everybody got dropped all weekend. Ben had somebody put their skewer into his wheel and shred it. Nick discovered that he was not ready for the As. The drive took forever. A bright spot came in the form of Josh scoring a top 10 in the C crit.

Then we got a weekend off.

Which brings us to this past weekend. We all had a great time in West Virginia. Here is the synopsis:

-Managed to get out of town on Friday, we thought before rush hour, but we were wrong. Drove through clouds, past dudes burning piles of furniture, and without the benefit of GPS navigation to get to Morgantown, where we:
-Stayed with a WVU rider who graciously hosted the 7 of us. Friday saw us making a giant pot of spaghetti, playing various beverage-related games (and First to the Line!), cramming 4 people into the loft area of this house, and generally having a good time.
-Got up Saturday and headed for Clarksburg. Prepped for the crit.
-C race: Josh 14th, Ben 22nd, Andrew 24th, John 26th.
-B race: Nick 8th, pal-of-the-team Nate DNF.

-3/4 race: Nick 10th, Andrew 23rd, alum Dan crashes and goes to the hospital (Nick goes with).Nick, Andrew, and Dan at the line for the 3/4. GW representing DC.

-5 race: Josh 5th, John takes a prime for some sandwich action.Josh and John clip in during the 5 race.

-Team gets dinner and yuks it up.
-Return to host housing, everybody too tired to do anything.
-Sunday begins early. Adventures on the way to the RR include: extraordinarily limited visibility (flying by instrument down the interstate, almost); single-lane dirt road that Matt's car can only just barely clear (Nick gets out to spot and spends the rest of the path calling out holes like a rally navigator), thanks google maps.
-C race. Nick, Nate, Matt spend half an hour throwing rocks into and racing sticks down a creek. Ben makes front group, Josh and Andrew in chase group, John tries to quit and is harassed into riding another lap. Ben finds himself off the front with a VT rider who promptly crashes, Ben sits up. Josh and Andrew hang on, Andrew manages to surf wheels in the same way that he did last year to a top 20 finish.

-B race. Nick and Nate are dropped, join a chase group and claw their way back to the field, get dropped again, join the gruppetto, and enjoy what has become a beautiful day on a scenic course.Nate climbs the hill in his sweet plaid.

This face tells you everything; fellow area racer Vinny chases Nick up the hill.

-Sheetz milkshakes.

We had a good time. WVU were good hosts.

Your rolling Colonials are now mentally steeling themselves for this weekend's ACCC championships at VT. By all accounts, the RR course will be killer.

Photos by John the III

Bridging Gaps Across Teams - Duke Weekend

2011-03-07T19:17:00.000-05:00

This weekend's rolling Colonial contingent went to Durham and had a pretty good time, generally.

SATURDAY: ROAD RACING IN SCENIC "BAHAMA"

The RR Saturday was in Bahama, NC. Our guys had mixed results.

The Ds were first again - Josh, Ben, and John set off with a field in which almost everyone had trouble clipping in up a slight incline (though Josh got his correct). At the beginning of the race, John had a slight mechanical that sent him to the back of the field, while our other two set about following the motion of an uneasy peloton. The most prominent climb on the course was approximately 2 miles from the start/finish, and with the Ds only completing one (14.25 mile) lap, the hill provided most of the crucial action of the race. Up the hill, Ben took off, Josh stayed more or less where he was, and John fell off the pace. Ben dropped some knowledge on the field down the finishing stretch to take 2nd, while Josh finished 9th and John 18th.Josh and Ben get ready

Ben charges down the stretch to take 2nd

Andrew showed the C field what another week of training gets you, and finished 27th, performing better in the field than the previous weeks.

To finish up GW's day of racing, Nick took to the streets in the Bs. He was having fun and executing his plan of sitting in all day in the large field, but if you thought the D pack was nervous, well, hey, you haven't met this year's B field. Nick made an attempt to chase back on, along with the UNC rider that went down as well, but the two decided to just watch the finish instead.Nick has way too much fun with this

No, that isn't any of our guys crashing, but this is nuts

Your heroes then adjourned to the team hotel.

However, Saturday was made much more fun by the post-race activities: GW went to dinner with the guys from William and Mary staying down the hall, and then spent the evening hanging loose with the other teams at the Days Inn - WVU, UMD, and Hopkins. Fun was had, noise was made in the courtyard, and maybe, just maybe, a children's bike was ridden into a pool (we will neither confirm nor deny this statement). ACCC teams bonded over bicycles and hilarity.

SUNDAY: MAYBE IF WE ASK NICELY, IT WILL RAIN A LITTLE HARDER

Sunday was a technical parking lot crit, on a course which went from "wet" to "wetter" to "underwater" as rain picked up over the course of the morning.

The Ds kicked it off. Josh discovered his big chainring and the concept of "hairodynamics" (we are not sure what this means either). Ben went on the attack (Josh did some blocking and said it made him feel "super pro all over") but paid for it, as he bonked a little more than halfway through the race and fell from OTF to OTB. Josh hung tough and used his newly discovered big chainring to win the group sprint for 3rd! John hammered the entire way to finish 8th. Ben rolled in at 13th.

The Cs started racing with Andrew and Luke, who rolled in at 9:24 for a 9:30 race. Because the officials knew him, they allowed him to race numberless and told him to sort out his registration later. Luke stayed in the top 10 of the strung-out field the whole race, keeping various doomed solo attacks in sight, and finished 6th. Andrew moved up from the day before, to finish 23rd.

Look closely! There are 2 GW racers at the starting line of the C race!

Just before the B race, the rain started. Nick toed the line in the downpour and tried not to worry too much about it. However, the sheets of rain and puddles of water proved too much for his twice-crashed psyche, and he watched the race ride away from him in each of the 9 corners of the course, unable to pull back enough on each straightaway to make a difference. When he took his gloves off after the race, he was able to wring absurd quantities of water out of them.Nick was carrying his glasses in his mouth?

Everyone's bikes got clean in the rainstorm that the team then had to drive home through.

The GW Ds have been putting up some sweet results. If you see them, tell them to upgrade.

The team now heads into a rest weekend, created by the void left in the ACCC schedule by the cancellation of the GW home weekend, which is really too bad.

Photos by John. Body by milk.

In Which It Is About A Million Degrees Warmer For The Navy Weekend Than The Year Prior

2011-02-28T22:32:00.000-05:00

Do you guys remember last year's Navy weekend? Where it was snowing while our first guys were warming up for the TT? And everybody was miserable for the crit? It was SO COLD.

Well, this year's crit was a little bit warmer. Not much, but enough to make a difference. The TT, however, saw the sun coming out and temperatures hitting a downright balmy 60+. Seriously, it got hot.

Without further ado, a summary of our efforts:

NAVAL ACADEMY CRITERIUM MADNESS

Matt looks around pensively

-Josh and John in the Ds. The pair did some (hush falls over the room) attacking! Our D racers are growing up. John thinks he could have attacked harder, and expressed surprise that people would try to dive-bomb the hairpin turn in the Ds. Josh seemed to really enjoy himself, as well - he made it into the front group despite staying in his small ring the whole race (with the team yelling at him to shift up) and managed a 6th place finish. John finished 9th.

Andrew fights the gorilla

-Andrew in the Cs, who described his effort as "a poor showing." His "poor showing" still netted a top 20 finish, though he expressed that his fitness right now lacks a "pointy end" for following accelerations.

Nick looks over the effects of his post-crash attack

-In the Bs, we had Nick and (sort of) Nate, our Notre Dame guest rider/tagalong. Nate "caught a huge case of stupid" and found himself at the back, where he soon fell victim to the relentless accordioning of the pack on the narrow course. Despite a strong "TTT effort" with Chris from Georgetown and a few other riders, Nate got pulled about halfway through the race. Also about halfway through the race, Nick, who had been working his way up through the pack, "got involved in an incident" wherein another rider hooked his bars and he crashed spectacularly. Fortunately, he got back up mostly unscathed, and was able to muscle his way to a 7th place finish.

Trina soaks it in

-Last for the day was Trina, competing in her first race ever, in the Women's C! She had fun, and said it was really hard. However, with the team cheering her on, she was able to outsprint her race-mate and finish 4th!

The team decamped to their own homes for the evening, to return with a vengeance for the time trial the next day, though not before stopping for burritos in scenic Annapolis.

THROW YOURSELF AGAINST THE WALL TIME TRIAL INSANITY

More GW riders lacing up for the time trial. EVERYONE, without fail, cited the awesomeness of the "SHUT UP LEGS" chalked on the road about 2km from the finish line. We don't know who did it, but we thank you. It helped everybody.
-Trina apparently was not dissuaded by one day of pain, and came out for the time trial, riding to 5th place!
-Josh steps up for his first time trial and claims to hate it - but ends up finishing 8th in the Ds, the highest-placed GW D rider.
-John hammers for 3 1/2 miles and then drops his chain, and loses 90 seconds to it. Finishes 9th but feels he could've done better absent his chainsplosion.
-Ben discovers his dislike/hate for hills as he rides to 12th. He swears to be ready to do many hill repeats in Rock Creek Park.
-Andrew puts his grind-it-out fitness to good use, riding ("hammering long and hammering hard") to 11th in the Cs and his best finish so far this year. He promises "major renovations to the pain cave."
-Catherine makes an appearance in Women's A, pedaling hard but "not hard enough" as she rides to 2nd. She pulls a "Rich" and tastes her breakfast a few times along the way.
-Nate is the first B rider out of the gate, thanks to his status as a new out-of-conference dude. He uses the VT girl who started in front of him as a rabbit to ride to 12th, earning some points. Then on the way home we introduce him to Sleigh Bells, which has been rocking our faces off in car rides for months already.
-Nick listens to his legs, feels the sensations, and pedals a supple cadence in riding to 4th, completely blocking out the yelling of his teammates at the finish line and the snot, sweat, and drool running off his face.

Following the race, the team restocked the pain cave with some Mexican food on the way home, in preparation for next week's visits to it at Duke.

Ready, set, ride. Weather is predicted nice for most of the rest of the week - get out and enjoy it!

Colonials Go To Williamsburg, Break A Bunch Of Stuff

2011-02-22T22:06:00.007-05:00

Well, the biggest casualty was the wheel previously mentioned, but if you add it all up:

Wheel (inc. tire, tube, rim, spokes, hub. Skewer might still be OK).
Jersey
Tire/tube
3 skinned knees
One ripped chin

Chronologically:

SATURDAY - RR + TT
1. Men's Cs start, featuring the GW debut of Guy.
2. Men's Ds start, featuring the first races of Justin and Ben, as well as John.
3. John crashes, taking out approx. 1/3 of the D field, including Justin.
4. Guy hammers.
5. D field (including Ben and Justin) rolls by start/finish, prompting GW team leadership to wonder "where is John?"
6. Ds finish, with Ben in 9th (in a "super green" uphill sprint).
7. John blames rider in front of him for crash.
8. Guy hammers.
9. Guy crashes 2 mi from finish.
10. Men's Bs start, featuring Nick.
11. Nick spends first 2 laps snacking.
12. Nick hammers.
13. Nick finishes race with pack, instead of bonking.
14. Expeditionary party seeks out lunch. Nick and Ben bask in sun.
15. GW riders eat lunch.
16. GW riders continue to bask in sun, watch Men's A race.
17. D riders begin to prepare for TT.
18. Guy and Nick begin to prepare for TT.
19. Justin, Ben, John hammer.
20. Guy hammers.
21. Nick hammers.
22. Nick gets off bike, nearly falls down a few times.
23. Team retreats to hotel.
24. Team viewing of helmet cam footage of D race.
25. Team disappointed that video of crash ("evidence") has mysteriously disappeared.
26. Team raids Ruby Tuesdays' salad bar, has awkward interaction with waitress.

SUNDAY - CRIT
1. Team arrives at crit site, searches high and low for bathrooms.
2. Results from TT posted - Ben 2nd, Nick 4th, John 8th, Justin 9th.
3. D crit, Ben hammers, John chases own teammate, Justin not feeling well.
4. Ben hammers into front group, manages 3rd in sprint of 5.
5. John finishes 7th.
6. C crit, Guy hammers.
7. Guy hammers up through disintegrating field.
8. Guy is so intense he rolls his clincher tire (seriously), flats with 3 laps to go.
9. B race, Nick hammers.
10. Navy rider escapes B field, Nick hammers.
11. Nick finishes 8th.
12. Team departure delayed as Nick negotiates state of glycogen depletion.
13. Team eats Bar-B-Q lunch, departs for home.
14. Wawa milkshakes.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a good time, even though 3 of 5 GW riders crashed. Ben posted some fantastic results for his first race weekend ever (2nd, 3rd, 9th), Justin enjoyed his first time racing a bike without having swam first (even though he said everyone was "twitchy"), and Guy had a blast in his first real crit.

By the way, Ben is now in 4th in the ACCC standings (D) and Nick dropped one place to 5th (B), while GW dropped to 3rd in the team standings.

(Photos: John, Matt, Justin from ASU)

And Then This Happened

2011-02-19T21:42:00.006-05:00

Well, we are still waiting on results for the time trial today, and 3/5 of our riders crashed during their road race, but we had a rather entertaining Saturday in Williamsburg (technically, Croaker), VA today.

You see, this man-child:

did this:to his front wheel.

We hammered pretty hard:
and time-trialed so fast you can't even see us

(but we don't know how fast it was in relation to everyone else yet).

Colonials Begin Season Again, Have Pretty Decent Weekend

2011-02-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

GW Cycling kicked off the ACCC season today with the (well-run) NCSU weekend. All in all, we count it as a success.

The squad this weekend: Andrew, John, Nick, Sam, Matt, Josh (with what is obviously Sam's bike, right?).

SATURDAY:
Early start Saturday with the Men's D field setting off at 8:10. Staged on the line were Josh and John for GW - Josh in his first bike race, and John in only his 3rd mass start. From what we hear, a crash marred the neutral rollout, but our boys trucked on, enduring the early morning cold and some field splits to come in at 11th and 15th.

Nick and Sam then rolled out at the same time in the combined Men's B and Women's A field. By their start, the weather had warmed up a little bit. Nick enjoyed riding at the front of the field until he suffered the consequences of what he describes as "poor race planning" and cramped up, getting himself dropped. Sam, on the other hand, vanquished most of the women in her field for 2nd place!

Last up for GW was Andrew, who found himself behind what he said was "two simultaneous but unrelated crashes" and took a bike part to the shin.

The team then decamped to the hotel (with Sam setting off to visit some friends from her days living down North Carolina way), and set off eventually for the local Ruby Tuesday's to attack the salad bar and some burgers. With Sam not around to make sure we did not get into trouble, the rest of us spent the evening "broing down."

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY:
Sunday was another early morning for the Colonials. Men's D started at 8, and the team hotel was about 40 minutes away. The criterium course that made up Sunday's race was a very short 4-corner loop on the NCSU campus, smooth and scenic, if a little narrow.

The D men started off in the still-cool morning air, and the field quickly broke up, with lapped riders leading to confusion all over. However, our guys looked out for themselves: Josh made it into the first chase group behind a 3-man breakaway, and John settled into a group behind him. When the smoke cleared, Josh had finished 5th (in his first criterium, with his wife and son watching!), and John 7th.

Andrew was next in the C field. Unfortunately, he got off to a rough start, and couldn't make up enough ground to avoid getting lapped. Because the course was so small, officials were pulling lapped riders pretty quickly, and Andrew fell victim to it.

Sam was next up for the Women's A race. WA is always a small field, and Sunday was no different, with only 6 riders lining up to race. The ladies worked together for the whole race except for the last lap (though Sam complained that some of the rotation was a bit choppy), and Sam took 2nd in a close sprint finish, with a late push through the middle of the group.

Nick was the last GW racer of the day, in a sizable and excited Men's B field. The race started off fast, remained fast, and finished fast, and he stayed near the front the whole time, helping chase down attacks and keep the pace high. At the end of the day, an App. St. rider managed to open just enough of a gap on the last lap to stay off the front, but Nick sprinted off the front of the field to take a definitive, and hard-earned, 2nd place.

During the B race, the team gathered in a corner and yelled "HAMMER" at Nick throughout the race, which he appreciated. Following the race, the team went across the street to the "I heart NY Pizza" and stuffed their faces in an effort to replace glycogen (Nick was a little woozy for a while there).

Go team! Everybody had fun, and GW did well enough for 2nd among D2 teams on Saturday, and 1st on Sunday! GW is tied with Duke for 1st in the conference team standings, and the racers are excited for next week.

In overall standings, Josh is in 7th in Men's D, John is in 9th in Men's D, Sam is in 3rd in Women's A, and Nick is in 4th in Men's B.

Rolling Colonials Begin Anew... 2011 Storylines To Watch

2011-02-09T14:50:00.000-05:00

(Cue dramatic music)

The snows of winter have abated (for now, our fingers are crossed) and the sun is starting to show its face around Foggy Bottom again, sometimes, when we are lucky.

ACCC racing begins this Saturday with the Sanford Road Race, put on by N.C. State. 7 racers are currently scheduled to head south to begin the season's clashes for the ACCC titles. Over the course of the season, we should see up to 14 different Colonials pull on the Buff and Blue and take to the roads.

That said, here are some interesting things to keep an eye on (and keep reading here for):

THE GW RACE WEEKEND
Will it happen? Won't it happen? We are really trying. Really, really trying. We have one day set. Second day... well, we're working on it.

NEW FACES, FIRST RACES
Every team has its rookies each year. Let's see how ours do - Kean, Ben, Guy, Justin, Josh, Chris, and John, who really still counts after only doing 1 race last year. This weekend, we will have Justin, Josh, and John after it on the roads of Sanford and Raleigh. It looks like we will have a stronger category D squad this year than anytime in recent memory.

THE TEAM'S LACK OF CARS THIS YEAR
We might be hitchhiking. Or possibly riding to some races.

NICK'S MARCH TO MADISON
The man has a goal - 2011 Collegiate Road Nationals - and he will not rest until he accomplishes it. Fortunately, if he doesn't get there this year, he still has one more year, so he probably won't break anybody.

WILL MATT RACE?
The answer SHOULD be "yes," but he needs some encouragement. He has a new bike! And the seat tube isn't cracked, like his old bike! Please leave your encouragement in the comments. Crowdsourcing!

NEW SPONSORS TO HELP US ALONG THE WAY
GW has some new sponsors providing us "sticky bottles" of equipment and support this year, as well as some that stuck around. Check out, when you get a chance:
DeFeet, for socks, warmers, and anything woolen
Clif, for nutrition
Rudy Project, for helmets and glasses
DZ Nuts, for "saddle-area needs"
Pelican Resource Group, for automotive and consumer lending
Bicycle Pro Shop Georgetown, for your friendly local bike shop
and November Bikes, for your friendly seasonal bike shop.
We like our sponsors! You should too!

Group Ride Essentials - The Saddle Bag

2010-09-21T10:34:00.011-04:00

Since a number of folks (and many novices) just joined the GW Cycling team, we wanted to go through a few essential items you should bring on our group rides. Consider this a friendly public service announcement from the fellow riders in your group: in one way or another, these items prevent you from becoming a liability.

(If you're reading this via link from GamJams.net, forgive us for pandering to the masses. This information is general enough that it is useful for most new roadies.)

- BRAIN BUCKET. Skid lid. Cranium container. Call it what you will, but the GW Cycling requires riders to wear helmets. No discussion. For vanity's sake, leave your visors at home if we're riding on the road.

- HYDRATION. You always need at least one full water bottle - or two for our longer weekend rides. Heck, there's no reason not to bring TWO bottles to every ride just in case. You'll figure out what you like, but I recommend one bottle with water and one with sports drink. If you're bike doesn't have bottle cages yet, you can get them for a few bucks at any bike shop. After every ride, wash (or at least rinse) your bottles so they don't become petri dishes.

- FOOD. While you're at it, bring an on-the-bike snack, too. Clif Bars are neat, cheap-o granola bars suffice too. Bring some calories so you don't bonk. I bring at least one snack for every hour I am riding, but I always bring at least two or three things: Clif Bloks, Clif mini or kid's bar, and a gel.

- SPARE TUBE. Bring a spare tube, or you're buying the post-ride lunch for whichever teammate gives you theirs. That's the unnofficial rule I'm starting right now. Everyone should have at least one tube with them. For most standard road bikes, you'll want a 700x19-25 or similar tube because your tires, whether your know it or not, are probably 700x23 or in size (diameter x width - check the tire's sidewall). If you want to get even more technical, make sure the tube's valve length is long enough for your wheel's rim depth. I recommend at least 40mm for ease of use with most pumps.

- INFLATION. All the spare tubes in the world will not help you ride if you can't fill them up with air. I recommend bringing at least one CO2 cartridge in combination with an Air Chuck for group rides because they are a very easy, quick fix. They'll get the group riding again within minutes. If you ride alone often, you should also have a mini-pump and either an extra tube or tube patches, too.

- PRESSURE. While we're on the topic of air, you should check your tire pressure before EVERY ride. (The explanation for most pot-hole-induced pinch-flats is best expressed by David Bowie & Queen.) It takes less than a minute to fill a pair of tires and is a great way to prevent flats aside from having tires made of anything besides silk. Depending on your tires and how much you weigh, you probably want to run 100-115 psi. Heed Freddie Mercury's unspoken advice, fill 'em up before every ride.

- TOOLS. At a minimum, you should have a pair of tire levers and a 5 mm allen (hex) wrench. In the long run, you'll want a small multi-tool that includes a chain-breaker. The levers help you change a tube quickly; the 5mm key allows you to adjust countless components on your bicycle at any moment. The chain-breaker allows you to temporarily fix a broken chain. I also ride with a spare SRAM Power Link in my saddle bag; it's tiny, costs $5, and makes chain repairs much easier - and permanent.

- EYE PROTECTION. Glasses while riding aren't just to protect your eyes from the sun. There's a lot of crap in the air (bugs, splashing water, and road grit, etc.), especially when you're bombing down a hill at 40 miles per hour in group of cyclists on a wet hill. If you ride in the evenings, interchangeable lenses are convenient, though sometimes cost-prohibitive. Go to a hardware store and get some cheap safety glasses for pennies. They aren't Oakleys, but they'll keep the bugs out of your eyes.

- CA$H MONEY. You never know when you'll need a few bucks, whether it's cash or credit. Maybe we're stopping for snacks and a bottle re-fill, maybe we're having lunch after the ride, or maybe you're paying your teammate for that tube you forgot. Bring some green. I also ride with my metro SmartTrip card in case the worst happens and I need to use public transit to get home.

- PHONE. C'mon, they're small enough to fit in a jersey pocket - just don't text while riding, mmmkay? You might as well bring it for emergencies or finding out where everyone went after you dropped the group and missed the next turn. Two notes: Unless you really want your teammates to hear your Lady Gaga ringtone, minimize the noise polution and keep the phone quiet. And, unless you're tragically antisocial with a spider-sense for cars approaching from behnid, you probably shouldn't ride with headphones/earbuds in a group.

- IDENTITY. Bring some form of identification **just in case.** You've probably seen their commercials while watching the Tour de France on TV - check out RoadID.

- -

So, now you know why cycling jerseys have three pockets on the back. If you have any questions, though, ask any of the veterans on the team. GW Cycling team sponsor Bicycle Pro Shop is on M Street in Georgetown, across from Key Bridge. They'll surely be good advisors for the contents of your saddle bag. Hint hint, they're open 'til 7 p.m. on weekdays.

If you have your own quick-fix for rides, whether you're a daily commuter or budding Cat 5, you're welcome to leave additional advice or questions below.

GW Begins Siege On The Fall

2010-09-15T22:50:00.002-04:00

The rolling Colonials have officially taken to the streets again!

Upcoming:
Lots of riding!
Nick and Sam (and hopefully at least one more) set out for ACCC cyclocross action!

In the meantime, you can find the rolling disciples of George at Kogan Plaza, across from the Marvin Center, at 8 PM on Wednesdays (bring your lights!) or at 10 AM on Saturdays.

GW Cycling Returning Racers 2010-2011

2010-08-05T08:56:00.005-04:00

Here's what you've all been waiting for: the team as it returns for another siege on the ACCC.

Name: John B. Macchione III
Vitals: 6’0”, 208 lbs.
Hometown: Tewksbury, NJ
Program: Undergrad
Major: Business Administration
Year: Sophomore
Racing History: Started April 2010
Sweet Ride: 2010 Cannondale CAAD9/Shimano 105 components and wheels
Sweet Ride’s Name: Amanda
2010-11 Plan: Race Road unless I win the lottery and can get a ‘cross bike
2010-11 Goals: Win one road or crit race and dominate ITTs.
Racing Category: 5/D
Type of Rider: Rookie/aggressive/TT
Favorite ACCC Race: The upcoming GWU crit (ed. note: fingers crossed!)
Favorite Pro Rider: Sylvain Chavanel
Favorite Food: Anything Italian or that I actually have time to make
Only Weakness: Busy schedule and lack of sleep
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Skillet – Hero

- -

Name: Samantha Rynas
Hometown: Morehead City, NC
Program: Master’s (Pfeiffer Univ. 2009)
Field: Forensics
Year: Second
Racing History: 4 seasons
Sweet Ride: 2010 Cannondale Six Feminine/SRAM Rival
Sweet Ride’s Name: None
2010-11 Plan: First ever ‘cross season
2010-11 Goals: Get muddy dirty and have some fun in the ‘cross races
Racing Category: 3/A
Type of Rider: Endurance
Favorite ACCC Race: Wake Forest downtown crit
Favorite Pro Rider: Tom Boonen
Favorite Food: Anything mexican
Only Weakness: Hills
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Jack’s Mannequin - Dark Blue

- -

Name: Matt Kapuscinski
Title: President
Vitals: 6’3”, 210 lbs., 21 years old
Hometown: Summit, NJ
Program: Undergrad
Major: International Affairs
Year: Senior
Racing History: N/A
Sweet Ride: 2005 Orbea Onix/Campagnolo drivetrain
Sweet Ride’s Name: None
2010-11 Plan: Put on a successful race; get more people to join/ride for the team
2010-11 Goals: Same as above
Racing Category: 5, technically (Matt doesn’t race)
Type of Rider: (Drives the SAG wagon and we love him for it)
Favorite Pro Rider: Magnus Backstedt
Favorite Food: Beef
Only Weakness: Hills
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Zebrahead – Get Back

- -

Name: Nick "Smash" Sachanda
Title: Directeur Sportif
Vitals: 6’4”, 239 lbs. and falling
Hometown: Hinsdale, IL
Program: Law (Case Western Reserve Univ. 2009)
Year: 2L
Racing History: 1 season
Sweet Ride: 2010 Cannondale CAAD9/Shimano Dura-Ace, 2011 Ridley X-Ride/SRAM Rival
Sweet Ride’s Name: “Stealth;” and in a tip of the hat to a teammate, the ‘cross bike is named after someone but I will never tell anyone who it is
2010-11 Plan: 2011 Road, at least one 2010 ACCC ‘cross race, 2010 MABRA ‘cross season
2010-11 Goals: 2011 Road Nationals, drop down under 200 by the end of the collegiate season
Racing Category: 3/B (hopefully – if not, then 4/B)
Type of Rider: Sprinter/breakaway artist: all about speed – hot, nasty, badass speed
Favorite ACCC Race: W&M Road Race
Favorite Pro Rider: Fabian Cancellara, Tom Boonen
Favorite Food: Clif Shot Bloks, because they mean that IT IS ON; also, hummus
Only Weakness: Jelly Belly jelly beans, long climbs
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Brand New – You Won’t Know

- -

Name: R. Andrew David
Vitals: 5’11”, 172 lbs., Taurus
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Program: Master’s (Univ. of Virginia 2007)
Field: Health Services Administration
Year: 2012
Racing History: 1 season
Sweet Ride: 2007 Specialized Allez/Shimano mix, silver and black with white bar tape
Sweet Ride’s Name: Lucy
2010-11 Plan: Road
2010-11 Goals: Chalk up my first W
Racing Category: 4/C
Type of Rider: TT/sprint
Favorite ACCC Race: Wake Forest RR, short yet sweet, decent, fast 2K run into the finish
Favorite Pro Rider: Tom Boonen
Favorite Food: Beer?
Only Weakness: Climbing, or maybe beer
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Buckcherry – Lit Up

- -

Name: Mike Taylor
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Program: Undergrad
Major: Civil Engineering
Year: Junior
Racing History: 5 seasons
Sweet Ride: Blue RC8/Shimano Dura-Ace
Sweet Ride’s Name: No name
2010-11 Plan: Road
2010-11 Goals: Get back into racing, got burnt out in high school but I think I’m done taking a break
Racing Category: 5/D
Type of Rider: No particular type but not a climber
Favorite Pro Rider: George Hincapie
Favorite Food: Pasta
Only Weakness: Hills
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Survivor – Eye of the Tiger

- -

(Photo credit: Bruce Buckley)
Name: Catherine Miller
Hometown: Savannah, GA
Program: Law, L.L.M.
Field: Intellectual Property
Racing History: 4 seasons
Sweet Ride: Specialized Tarmac Pro SL w/ DA 7900, Specialized Roubaix S-Works SL w/ DA 7800; DT Swiss Mon Chasseral or MAVIC Carbone SLR wheels.
Sweet Ride’s Name: Sigfried (the White Tiger); Friedrich
2010-11 Plan: Whatever
2010-11 Goals: Whatever
Racing Category: 3/A
Type of Rider: Rouleur/time trialist
Favorite ACCC Race: NCSU Crit
Favorite Food: I don’t really discriminate
Favorite Pro Rider: Spartacus
Only Weakness: Boredom in the pack (leads to ill-conceived attacks), mountains, sprints

- -

Name: Mona Herold
Hometown: Flemington, NJ
Program: Undergrad
Major: Biology
Year: Sophomore
Racing History: 1 road season
Sweet Ride: Cannondale, red
Sweet Ride’s Name: None yet!
2010-11 Plan: Road
2010-11 Goals: Be competitive in the Bs
Racing Category: 4/B
Type of Rider: I like climbing hills
Favorite ACCC Race: W&M
Favorite Pro Rider: Sabine Spitz
Favorite Food: Mango
Only Weakness: Don’t want to fall
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine - never gets old!

- -

(No picture)

Name: Michael Carlson
Hometown: Bloomfield, CT
Vital Stats: 5’8”, 135 lbs.
Program: Undergrad
Major: Undecided
Year: Sophomore
Racing History: Rookie
Sweet Ride: 2010 Cannondale CAAD9 w/ Shimano 105
2010-11 Plan: Road
2010-11 Goals: Gain racing and riding experience and hope to win a race
Racing Category: 5/D
Type of Rider: Probably will prefer hilly road races because of weight
Favorite ACCC Race: GW’s planned race
Favorite Pro Rider: Andy Schleck/Tony Martin
Favorite Food: BBQ ribs & lobster
Only Weakness: Rainy days
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare

- -

Name: Sigberto “Bert” Garcia
Nicknames: Siggy; Sig-Sauer
Title: “Alumni Advisor” (Cranky older dude who yells at rookies.)
Hometown: Dumfries, VA
Vital Stats: 5’8”, 145 lbs.
Status: Alum, GW School of Engineering 2006
Racing History: First raced in August 2005, got serious in 2008.
Sweet Ride: 2007 Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL/DA7800, Mavic Carbone SLs for crits/TTs, Easton EA90 Aeros for the climbs
Sweet Ride’s Name: "Let’s just say you don’t know her"
2011 Racing Category: 2 (Cat 3 in 2010)
2010-11 Plan: Resist Rich’s attempts to make me race cross; survive Cat 2
Type of Rider: Hills/all-arounder (As former GW Cat 2 racer Mark Parrett said, "Like Paolo Bettini, he's not particularly intimidating, but keeps beating the sprinters in the sprints and the climbers in the climbs.")
Favorite ACCC Race: Johns Hopkins Road Race circa 2006
Favorite Pro Rider: Sylvain Chavanel, Phillipe Gilbert, Alexander Vinokourov
Favorite Food: Potbelly’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Five Guys burgers
Only Weakness: Cornering, early mornings, and ice cream
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Blind Melon – Time

- -

Name: Rich Hohenbrink
Hometown: Oak Ridge, TN
Status: Graduated (MA in Security Policy 2010) (Univ. of Tenn. 2006)
Racing History: 3-ish seasons
Sweet Ride: Nude carbon, 6700 Ultegra, red lipstick
2010-11 Plan: Road/cross/whatever
2010-11 Goals: Score in the MABRA CX series
Racing Category: 4/4 CX
Type of Rider: Generally slow
Favorite ACCC Race: Navy weekend
Favorite Pro Rider: In the fall, Tim Johnson, Niels Albert; in the spring, it's just all about the Saxo boys
Favorite Food: Stuff that tastes like meat but doesn't have meat in it
Only Weakness: Not winning, embrocation addiction
One Song on Repeat for 60 Miles: Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

- - geedub - -

It's Still Summer...

2010-07-28T14:21:00.005-04:00

Some students see summer as a time to just sit around and do nothing.

Well, at GW, we're clearly a lot more motivated than that.

Nearly the entirety of the GW team has been racing this summer.

Nick, Andrew, Catherine, and Sam have been tearing up the roads of the Mid-Atlantic. John raced at least once back home in NJ. Scott has raced as well, but mostly has been busy being a dad.

Alumni Bert, Dan, Rich, and Lauren have been joining in the MABRA battles.

Start getting excited for 2010 Cyclocross (where we will have competitors) and 2011 Road (in which we will be again laying siege to the ACCC)!

And stay tuned to this channel for profiles of the returning two-wheeled Colonials in the next week or so!

~GW

Summer Updates

2010-06-02T19:09:00.003-04:00

Well, several weeks have passed since the ACCC championships, and life has gone on for our riding Colonials. It's about time we heard about what everyone is up to:

Dan somehow managed to graduate GW and has been riding, moving, and adding his skills to Bicycle Pro Shop's Alexandria location. He has also been racing, even occasionally as a "bonus member" of NCVC's elite squad in 1/2/3 races.

Sam has gotten her hands on a sweet new bike from BPS. Most of the time, she's been riding or racing - when she's not studying for her summer classes.

Andrew is around DC, racing occasionally and helping set up some kind of certificate program in GW's Department of Health Policy. None of us really understand what he does, but he seems to enjoy it.

John has been racing for a team back home in Jersey and trying to coordinate the GW team's fall recruitment efforts.

Mona is home for the summer (in NJ) and has been eating, working out, and sleeping - but claims she needs to spend more time on her bike.

Scott is now a proud father! He's currently trying to get his legs back after taking a break for that exciting event, and is looking forward to riding the Tour de Cure later this month. We're all looking forward to him showing up to group rides with a kiddie trailer on his bike.

Matt has been home in Jersey and working on GW's race weekend next year, when he's not working at a company which deals with Audi accessories (because he's obsessed.) He is also in the market for a new bike to replace his beat-up Orbea.

Dan L. is studying for bar exams in NY and NJ.

Catherine is still in DC, working and working on her thesis. She's been racing, though she fell victim to the tacks at the now-infamous Leonardtown Crit and has taken some time off to heal. She remains optimistic, especially now that she is finally almost back to normal.

Rich was awarded his Master's and has been racing, though he has been exceedingly busy since he managed a top 10 finish at Poolesville. He fills his time off the bike sending resumes, though he did also move to a new quadrant of the city.

Nick survived 1L year intact and has filled the time while waiting for his actual summer job to start by racing, working at BPS, and going for absurdly long solo rides on weekdays.

Mike has been taking summer classes and trying to get back on the bike.

Alumni Updates:

Seth has been proudly showing off his GW jersey regularly in Egypt.

Bert has been tearing up MABRA - he is halfway to a cat 2 upgrade and is sitting in 2nd in the BAR standings to a guy who has already upgraded.

Hopefully we'll all have some stories to share come fall.

The team also elected new officers:
Matt is president/figurehead/string puller.
Nick is VP/directur sportif.
Catherine and Sam will share the responsibilities of overseeing our small budget.
John is helping set up our recruiting efforts.

As always, the team is excited to have new members in the fall! No experience required!

Keep it real,
GW Cycling

ACCC Championships

2010-04-19T20:46:00.017-04:00

GW Cycling's rolling conquerors had an exciting weekend at the ACCC Conference Championship races, hosted (and hosted well) by VT.

Saturday
The weekend started off with a road race deep in the hills of Virginia.

The day started off cold and gray, the roads still wet from the previous night's rain. However, the Colonials were not deterred, as Dan, Catherine, and Sam all started off in the combined (OK, a couple minutes of separation) Men's B and Women's A field.

The several miles of climbing as well as an early crash (which cracked several teeth of a friend of the team) split up the fields - Dan rode with a pack chasing a breakaway in the B field for much of the race, while Catherine and Sam were caught behind the wreck and worked with another racer for the rest of the race (which was cut short after the officials elected to pull half of the Women's field after 2 laps when the race thoroughly split in two). Sam, in fact, had to "run into the grass" to avoid the crash and had to chase Catherine up the hill and down the backside of the course in order to hang on. Catherine reported that she climbed better than she did her last time on this course. Both rode the last lap of the 16 mile course anyways after the officials ended their race. Sam followed this by collapsing in the sun. Catherine cited "more bad RR karma," in light of some mismaneuvering in the pack following an encounter with some oncoming traffic and the crash, though as she said, "I kept all my teeth, so it's all good." Catherine, in a show of toughness, raced despite fighting sinus issues all week. Catherine finished 6th and Sam 9th.

Meanwhile, Dan fought hard within the pack, eventually winning the field sprint behind the breakaway and a chase group, placing himself in 10th. He described the course variously as "hard," "difficult," "terrible," "awesome," and "beautiful."

The next set of GW starters were Rich, Andrew, and Nick in the Men's C field. The race calmly stayed together until they hit the climb on the first of their 2 laps. At that point, the field broke apart, as Nick fell off the pace of the leaders, Rich passed him, and Andrew continued to ride his usual conservative and consistent pace. On the windy, winding back side of the loop, Nick caught back on with Rich and then launched an effort to bridge back up to the pack, catching up near the start/finish. Andrew caught up to Rich's group, and the two worked together through the rest of the race, while Nick tried to help keep the pack together. Eventually, Nick took second in a pack sprint, for 7th place, while Rich out-sprinted his group for 16th while Andrew rolled in not far behind, in 19th. The field was the biggest of the day, at 41 racers.
The final GW starters in the road race were Scott and John in the Men's D field. Scott found himself in no-man's-land halfway through the section of climbing, in between the lead pack and the chasing group. After being caught by a few riders, Scott worked with them for the rest of the race and outsprinted them to the line, saying that he thought back to his hard training and knew he could do it. He led his group to the line for 16th. He was very pleased with his effort on the hills and at the finish. John, meanwhile, was caught up in the excitement of his very first race. Excitement, however, can't prepare you for hills, and he found himself off the back after the climb. Eventually, he encountered another rider and the two fighting each other to prevent drafting. The other rider clipped John at the line and he finished 28th, after swerving his bike precariously in front of the crowd at the finish line. He did certainly achieve his goal of not finishing last, and had a great time doing it.

The last GW effort of the day came in the team time trial, as Rich, Andrew and Nick donned aero helmets and raced to 2nd place in Men's C. The team caught up to a squad of Navy riders within 2 1/2 miles of starting the course, and caught the NC State team not long after (they also caught Duke), while ASU's team caught them en route to first place. The three worked together well, taking advantage of Rich's swift climbing, Nick's hair-raising descent speed, and Andrew's irrepressible tenacity in holding wheels to beat several 4-man teams. GW - we're a small team, but feisty.The team then retired to their EconoLodge to find out what the problem with Dan's car was (it had required some service, and thanks to the University BP in Radford was back in action by late afternoon), find a place to eat dinner (much pizza was eaten), and send delegates to the conference meeting (GW will be hosting a race weekend in 2011!).

Sunday
Sunday was the criterium, on the VT campus.

Scott and John started the day off for GW in the Ds. Scott felt the effects of the previous day's racing and found himself falling off the lead pack after several times up the course's not insignificant hill. He did, however, get to bear witness to John experiencing his first crash due to, as Scott saw it, "not paying attention." John failed to follow rule #1, Protect Your Wheel, and paid for it by getting intimate with the pavement in the false flat at the top of the course. Bloody, jersey ripped, bike tweaked, wheel disastrously out of true, he trucked on to the finish. John (after discovering the free lap rule), finished 18th and Scott 19th, the race a promising beginning and satisfying end, respectively, to two collegiate careers.

The Men's C field rode next. Nick followed his race plan of "stay up front but out of the wind," Rich followed his of "stay on Nick's wheel," and Andrew hung on for dear life. At the end of the day, Nick's leadout was foiled by Rich's pedal coming unclipped 50 meters from the line. Nick went on to take the sprint victory, while Rich came in 7th place (screaming obscenities, possibly, and pedaling one-legged, possibly - no one is sure). Andrew came in behind the sprint in 16th. Looking back, Rich is not upset with his finish, while Nick only regrets that he couldn't physically drag Rich to the line.Dan raced next in the B field, taking 3rd in a field sprint for the line. After the race, he pulled up to the team, said the course was hard, expressed gratitude for the cheering that was going on, and said "I think I'm gonna yak," before walking up the rise at the side of the road and beginning to dry heave - a throwback to Rich's time trial philosophy from earlier in the season. His finish was hard-fought and well-earned in a very close B race. He is now trying to find a GW graduate program to apply to in order to continue racing.

Last for the day was Sam in the Women's A race (Catherine was feeling under the weather). Following an early attack by a VT rider, the field stayed together and rotated through in a battle to stay out of the wind. Sam described it as "recovery on the backside and attacks up the hill." Eventually, the race came down to a field sprint and Sam finished 5th following what she called an "awesome sprint" by a Pfeiffer rider.

Part of the team stuck around for the awards ceremony - GW was 4th in Division 2, and Nick was 2nd overall in Men's C. Many thanks are due to the GW fans who made it out for the weekend (especially to those who provided us with a tray of brownies).

All in all, it was a season to be proud of. Most of the core group of the team will be racing over the summer. The team is very excited for the opportunity to play host to the ACCC next spring. Over the summer, hopefully we can bring you updates on the team's activities both on and off the bike, on progress towards the race weekend (March 12-13, 2011! Mark your calendars! Also, please volunteer!), and on the prospects for next year.
It's been real. Keep the rubber to the road and the skin on your elbows and knees.

Colonials Ride Into Hills, Nobody Bonks - ACCC Championships Results

2010-04-18T23:22:00.004-04:00

Results from the weekend -

Saturday (Road Race/TTT):
Scott 16th, John 28th Men's D
Nick 7th, Rich 16th, Andrew 19th Men's C
Dan 10th Men's B
Catherine 6th, Sam 9th Women's A
GW 2nd, Men's C TTT
Matt 1st, Vehicular Support

Sunday (Crit):
John 18th, Scott 19th, Men's D
Nick 1st, Rich 7th, Andrew 16th, Men's C
Dan 3rd, Men's B
Sam 5th, Women's A
Catherine 1st, Remaining Cheerful Despite Illness
John 1st, Crashing Bikes
Nick and Dan 1st, Driving Into Traffic Jams
GW 4th, ACCC Division 2

More details to come at a later time when the author is less exhausted. (Update posted - see main page.)

Colonials Discover Mountains - WVU, Day 2

2010-04-12T20:54:00.005-04:00

This past Sunday, the two-wheeled Colonials took on the WVU Road Race, a challenging 12.2 mile loop featuring 2 climbs, one of which was gravel.

The day started off with Dan and Catherine starting in the combined Men's B/Women's A field.

Catherine and Dan get ready for the rollout.

Both described the course as difficult, though their races went differently. Dan hung on to the pack after the climb splintered the group, finding himself working with a small chase group for most of the race and ultimately finishing 12th.Dan drives the pack on the first lap.

Catherine ended up spending a lot of time in the wind again. She was working with a chase group for some time until several members of the group abandoned the race, leaving her to time trial a large part of the race by herself. For a large part of that time, she could see a group ahead of her, but couldn't quite bridge up. She did, however, note that she rode up with the guys until the road got steep, saying that it was all she could expect on that course.

Both returned to the GW camp with tales of the difficulty of the course.

Next up was the Men's C race, featuring Rich, Andrew, and Nick. The field in the C race was 1/3 Navy riders, but they were not deterred. The race started slowly, but quickly sped up when riders hit the first climb. The field split quickly, with Rich accomplishing his goal of putting himself in the breakaway (from 15th wheel - not a small feat), while Nick ended up in no man's land trying to catch the riders dropped off the break and Andrew rode with the pack. Rich rode with the breakaway while Nick and Andrew rode in the pack, at least for a little while. At the end of the second lap (of 3), Nick suddenly felt his legs cramping and dropped off. Rich, meanwhile, lasted until mile 26, when he similarly cracked and fell off. Andrew, on the other hand, "rode to survive," jumping from wheel to wheel as riders attacked the pack, all the way to the finish line. At the end of the day, Andrew crossed the line 12th, Rich 13th, and Nick 15th.

The final races of the day for GW stemmed from the combined Men's D/Women's C field. Kirk, Prashant, and Mona lined up at the start. Mona may have enjoyed the course the most out of the entire GW squad - referring to the climbs as "a good challenge" rather than cursing their existence. She finished 3rd in her field.

Kirk and Prashant battled through the D field, ultimately finishing 12th and 17th, respectively. Prashant noted afterwards that he needs to figure out how to climb hills. Prashant hangs loose at the finish line.

The team is now bound together by another common thread: everyone is excited for next weekend's ACCC conference races. Hopefully, GW will be at full strength for the outing - and we will even have some cheering fans along the sidelines of Sunday's criterium. See you there.

GW Rains Fire Again - WVU Day 1

2010-04-10T16:34:00.007-04:00

It's been an excellent day for the GW Cycling team. Our riding Colonials saw an action-filled day and made their mark on the day's criterium races in downtown Clarksburg, WV.

Pictures are limited this week, but we've got some.

Welcome to Clarksburg. Dan met the Mayor.

First up was Mona, racing in the combined Women's B/C field. The field shattered and got really confusing, but she powered through her first criterium for 3rd place.

Intimidating the line.

Next up was Kirk, who hadn't raced in a few weeks, but still managed 12th in a hard-fought D crit. He claimed that eating Cracker Barrel the night before was a bad idea.

Look at those glasses. Kirk might be from space.

The next race was Men's C, featuring Rich, Nick, and for the first time, Andrew. It was actually a fairly relaxed race, for the most part. Following the first prime, Nick found himself in a 4-man break with two Navy riders and a UMD rider. Rich and Andrew remained in the pack. While Nick drove the break, Rich spent some time countering ASU moves and made an attempt to bridge. However, in doing so, he burned himself out. Rich and Andrew finished with the pack, coming in 16th and 14th, respectively. Meanwhile, in the break, Nick worked with the other racers to build up about a 30 second gap on the field (no doubt aided by the blocking efforts of Navy). He attacked halfway through the last lap, immediately dropping the 3 other riders and riding to victory.Nick crosses the line triumphantly, mid fist-pump.

The next GW racer was Catherine, riding the Women's A race immediately following. Following the inevitable Navy move, she tried to hang on, but found herself working with a chase group. Though they tried to follow, the group seemed to freqently leave Catherine hanging out in the wind at the front, and she finished 6th.

GW also posted victory in the Men's B race, as Dan (our fearless leader) won convincingly out of a field sprint. The race was close, as the wind-battered pack stayed together (a variety of VT attacks failed to get away thanks to the wind), but Dan again demonstrated his mastery of crit racing, sitting out of the wind to unleash at the end.

Dan was too busy winning to look into the camera.

Of some help in the B race were Nick and Rich, who doubled up and jumped into the B race. In their second race of the day (quote at the start: "this is going to be terrible, I think,") they managed to not get dropped (permanently, at least; there was a lot of bridging going on); Nick even managed to provide some valuable draft for Dan ("step into my wind tunnel").

The team is now resting up, doing schoolwork, sleeping, playing Pro Cycling Manager on the computer, and wondering when they can eat as they prepare for tomorrow's RR. Supposedly it has a section of dirt.

Backup Rolls In - VCU/UVA Day 2

2010-03-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay.

A summary of the day for your Cycling Colonials during the 2nd round of VCU/UVA racing near Richmond:

The team was extended for Sunday - Dan and Sam drove down to get in on the action.

First up was Scott, racing again with the Men's D field.
[For some reason, pictures of Scott cannot be found at this time.]
Scott made up for being caught off-guard by the start whistle, pushing himself hard to help catch a 2-man breakaway and finish 6th, placing 3rd in one of the primes. He even managed to employ the ProTour-tested strategy of yelling at his legs to push harder. He was excited to continue moving up in the placing and looks forward to his next shot at putting himself on the podium.

Next up for GW were Rich and Nick, bringing the heat to the Men's C race. They did indeed bring some heat - Rich won one prime, while Nick placed second, third, and third in the three of them. Rich was just happy that he "crossed the line first on a lap of consequence," which he said was a first for him. Nick, on the other hand, learned again that prime sprints tend to cost finish sprint power, nearly finding himself off the back before fighting his way back up to finish in the points (Rich finished 9th).

Nick, despite his best efforts to be "aero", continues to be a favored locomotive of the C field.

Rich, on the other hand, must dangle Clif Bloks from his bib shorts in order to attract a following.

Riding next for our two-wheeled conquerors was Dan, making his play for the B race.

Dan reaffirms that looking "chill" is pro.

After a hard-fought race, Dan finished 8th - a good follow-up to his high finish in the previous day's MABRA race.

Finally, Sam made the lone contribution for the GW women -
Sam clearly knocked over those cones by the force of her shock wave passing by.

The Women's A field was small this week. Following a 2-girl break, the remainder of the field, by Sam's account, began working together to catch them. While they began to make up the gap, the breakaway was not going to let them and eventually managed to catch them coming around - lapping the rest of the field with 2 laps to go. Sam, however, took a valuable lesson away from the experience, and now vows to better react to the moves - and not miss the break next time around.

The team will be limited, at best, for this week's Boone-Roubaix. However, expect a full showing at WVU, whereupon the rolling Colonials will again be looking to make their marks upon the ACCC pelotons.

On your inside, on your outside: VCU Day 1

2010-03-20T12:12:00.009-04:00

On this gorgeous Milan-San Remo Saturday, our rolling Colonials fielded three riders in two races of the VCU/UVA home race weekend. By the end of the day, it was clear that the sun shone brighter than any of the legs in buff and blue.

Scott led off the race day, flying solo in the Men's D field. The first attack came from Pfeiffer, but didn't last. The bunch stayed together for most of the day. Scott said he felt strong, in only his second crit. He also managed to grab a handful of prime points before finishing 9th at the line.

Bridging up to the break early

Chasing back on with a VT train

Forty-five minutes later, Nick and Rich lined up for the Men's C start. The pair had a simple plan: blow up the field immediately, then share the podium from that or another--later--break. Rich sat on Nick's wheel as "Horsepower" (thanks Brandon & VCU) attacked out of the last chicane of the first lap. A UNC rider and a Maryland rider followed on. Thanks to the high maneuverability of a four-man group and the raw power of our Colonials, the quartet built up a 20-30 second lead within the first four laps. Unfortunately, poor cooperation brought the blistering speed of the break down to a catchable pace, and the field reeled in the then-quintet. The break was clear for 11 minutes.

Our heroes at the line

The break begins

Railing corners to a 30 second gap

The gap expands

The five-man break expands...

before being caught

Nick spent the rest of the day countering all other moves off the front, and paid for it by taking 9th (?) in a field sprint. Rich trailed in around 11th. That's bike racing.

More to come from tomorrow's races, where we'll have another racer in both the Men's D and B fields.

- The George Washington University Cycling Team

GW Cycling Swag Blowout Sale

2010-03-10T22:55:00.007-05:00

Team members, esteemed supporters, GW Alumni, friends, followers, and fellow cyclists, we have an important announcement.

There's spandex for sale.

Not, it's not that used chamois sorta junk you see on ebay. This is our 2010 racing swag, and the stuff is fresh. After months of staring at the box of new spandex next to the shelf full of spare bicycle parts, the time has come to eliminate the stash.

Here's the final List of the GW Cycling swag we've got left.

Jerseys, $60 alumni/$52 team members
- (1) Women's Extra Small, Short Sleeve Full-Zip
- (1) Women's Medium, Short Sleeve Full-Zip
- (3) Men's Medium, Short Sleeve Full-Zip
- (5) Men's Small, Short Sleeve Full-Zip

(This Large jerseys went unclaimed by the person who reserved it.)

Bib Shorts, $75
- (1) Women's Extra Small, Elite Fabric
- (1) Women's Small, Elite Fabric

Shoe Covers, $24
- (2) Small, Lycra (not thermal)

Arm Warmers, $21
- (1) Medium (pair is one blue/one white to match jersey)

You might notice that we charge alumni and supporters a few extra bucks for the jerseys. That's because we're required as a club sport to do some "fundraising." In addition to the sponsorships, we ask this small donation from alumni to fulfill that obligation to the university.

Even adding 8 bucks, it's still a bargain for the jersey. You can purchase everything else at the same cost that team members pay. (Check out the old post for pics of the shoe covers.)

We use Voler as a supplier and their swag is top shelf. All of the jerseys are race cut (tapered to fit) with a full-length zipper. Of course, they do have the necessary three pockets on the back.

As noted above, we still have some left over jerseys in size Large because some folks that had asked for them never paid up. That's just fine, because that means we've got the size for you've been waiting for.

Please contact cycling@gwu.edu if you'd like to make a purchase (cash or check made out to GW Cycling only) and we'll iron out the details. We can even ship you the kit free of charge, meet you on the road for a ride, or pass it to you on campus.

If you're not sold on the spandex yourself, trust us, your GW Alum cycling pals will love it. Stock up for the spring season and give 'em a birthday gift.

- geedub -

Colonials' Williamsburg - W&M, Day 2

2010-03-08T19:50:00.013-05:00

While wandering around Old Town Williamsburg late Saturday afternoon, our cycling Colonials happened across a group of guys wearing tricorner hats with white wigs built in. Inspired, the team stopped what turned out to be "the only bachelor party in the history of Colonial Williamsburg" to ask where they got their hats, so that the team might have posed for a hilariously literal interpretation of "Colonials." But alas, the hats were purchased on the internet and could not be so easily attained by our heroes.

Instead, the team just made their presence felt in Sunday's races. 1 victory, 2 more podium spots, 2 more top 6 spots, and 2 more top 15 spots helped the team to a 3rd place finish on the day, marred by 2 flats for hard-charging Colonials.

Action began with the Men's D race, which saw Kirk and Scott sprinting up the hill in the lead group to take 2nd and 6th, respectively.

Andrew was, unfortunately, caught behind a crash (he emerged unscathed), but he pushed up the hill to finish in 12th place.

The next GW competitor to finish was Mona, who in her first road race (in Women's C) took 3rd, even after being relegated to the back of the group for a centerline violation.

Next up was the Men's C race, featuring Rich and Nick. Following a fast-paced 3 laps of the course, Nick outsprinted the field up the hill for a victory in his first C road race. Rich was struck with a course of bad luck, however, and picked up a nail in the center of his rear tire with just over 1KM to go. He emerged from the carnage of a wreck at the bottom of the hill running, with his bike on his shoulder.

Catherine fell victim to the same fate - a nail in her tire. She had to return to the staging area in the wheel truck, unable to catch a break in this season's road races.

Sam, however, finished the Women's A race with the main group, taking 5th place.

The final GW racer of the day was Dan, who finished in 15th in Men's B, still fighting off an illness.

Each racer was asked to pick out their most poignant moments of the weekend, one for each day. Though Kirk could not be reached for comment, the experience of the GW team reflects very well that of a team with a wide range of experience and all seeing gains in performance as the season goes on.

Mona accomplished her main goal: not to crash or get dropped. She also learned firsthand a lesson about the centerline rule. However, happy with her performance in the time trial (and still on the podium both days), she enjoyed the weekend spent with the team.

Andrew was able to feel the improvements he's made already this season on Saturday, able to sustain a pace good enough for 2nd place. Though understandably frustrated to be caught behind a crash on Sunday, preventing an attack, he noted that he was happy not to have crashed himself, emphasized his refusal to ride in the SAG wagon when his bike still worked, and looks forward to racing next week in the C category.

Scott made a mental jump this week, transitioning from racing just to finish to racing to race. He kept pushing through pain during the time trial and was able to see tactics in action during the road race, doing what he could to help his teammates and using his increased confidence to stay at the front of the group.

Sam particularly noticed the "carnage" at the end of the time trial - racers grunting, screaming, and puking (except for Rich this time). She was very happy Sunday with how she was able to respond to the attacks in the Women's A field, and enjoyed covering the inevitable Navy break.

Rich couldn't help but come out of the time trial feeling like he could have finished the course 20 seconds faster with just a little bit more focus. While he rode Sunday feeling great, he didn't stay quite at the front of the group and as a result got caught behind a crash on the back side of the course; however, his huge (and successful) effort to bridge back up to the field ("during which the very flames of hell coursed through my motor") convinced him that with some better luck, future races will turn out differently.

Catherine particularly enjoyed getting to wear an aero helmet roughly the size of her on Saturday. Sunday, she didn't let a flat tire prevent her from taking a lesson away from a break-shattered race ("Go, go, go! Rotate! We're losing sight. Moto comes up alongside, says the gap has grown to 30 seconds. There are 3 of us working, being slowed down by the 2 Navy riders, who caught back on. 45 seconds. What's going on back there? Did someone drop back for Sam? 2 minutes. 35 miles to go.") While there was nothing she could have done about the nail in her tire, she still wonders what would have happened had she attacked first rather than chasing the breakaway - you can't miss the move if you initiate it.

Nick came away from Saturday convinced he could have pushed himself harder and wondering where to find more power in his legs. On Sunday, however, his entire day came down to the moment when, sprinting as hard as he could up the finishing hill, he knew that no one could beat him.

Dan also left the time trial feeling like he could have found more in his legs. While he felt much better Sunday, his weekend seemed to be more focused on the team around him - he cited seeing Kirk (also his roommate) finish 2nd and Nick 1st as the best moments of his weekend. He was excited to say that "GW cycling is on the fast track."

Your two-wheeled Colonials will be in action again this weekend at the University of Maryland. Until then, look out for them enjoying this kick of beautiful spring weather around the District.

Raining Down Fire - W&M, Day 1

2010-03-06T18:54:00.003-05:00

For the second week in a row, GW has taken first in the team standings in a time trial. The 90 points added to their ACCC Division 2 standings points (enough to move the team into 3rd by a comfortable margin, and only a few points out of 2nd place) was the end result of a day that saw GW take 3 podium finishes, 3 more in the top 6, 2 more top 12, and all riders in the top 20.

Top finishers on the day were Andrew (2nd in Men's D) and Mona (2nd in Women's C), two novice racers who are having great success at the beginning of their racing careers.

Sam finished 3rd in Women's A, only a few seconds ahead of Catherine (4th) as GW exerted its dominance over the Women's A field.

Our riding Colonials also threw down all over the Men's C field, as Nick finished 5th and Rich 6th at the bunched-up top of the largest field of the day. Rich was only 25 seconds behind the winner (and Nick only 21) as the top 6 opened a huge gap over the rest of the field.

Scott and Kirk rounded out the Men's D field, finishing 10th and 11th. Both continue to improve their finishes every race - Scott keeps making big jumps with every weekend.

Dan, after manning up to drive down despite a vicious fever at the end of the week, still finished 19th; strong work by a guy feeling ill.

Some of the team - Catherine, Rich, and Nick - were aided by aero helmets generously lended by NCVC teammates. GW thanks you!

The Colonials now will rest up (and find a restaurant to eat a copious amount of pasta) in preparation for tomorrow's road race.

Dividing and Conquering - Navy Race Reports

2010-03-01T18:21:00.005-05:00

Our cycling Colonials showed up in much greater force this weekend, spread out over a wide variety of categories and ready to go, picking up a huge number of individual and team ACCC points.

Saturday - USNA Criterium
Racing began Saturday with the Men's D race, featuring GW's own Scott, Kirk and Andrew.

Scott and Andrew warm up

Scott was competing in his first criterium, while Andrew sought to build on his success at WFU the previous week. The race was hard-fought but saw the D field splintering out over the particularly technical course. When the smoke cleared, Andrew again finished in the points, crossing the line 8th, while Kirk and Scott found themselves near the end of the pack, finishing 26th and 28th, respectively.

The Men's C race included Rich, experienced but harboring a disdain for crits and Nick, competing in his first C race as well as first crit.

Nick dwarfs the field as the two prepare for the whistle

The C race also saw many lead changes and frenetic jockeying for position by the racers. Rich won a point on a prime and fought to place himself in a breakaway executed (and then killed) by the immense Navy team, while Nick focused on learning to navigate technical corners in the pack and attempted to break the Navy block. The very end of the race saw 2 riders crash in the final turn, and our GW riders sprinted to top 10 spots, Rich finishing 5th and Nick 9th.

Sponsor pitch - a riding FoBoGro ad

Next up was Men's B, with GW's fearless leader Dan racing.
After a smooth race in which he appeared to remain "chillaxed" at all times, Dan outsprinted the field for 3rd, only giving up ground to a 2-man breakaway supported by a blockade of Navy guys planting themselves at the front for several laps. Dan's summary can be found below.

Outgunning the competition

The final GW race of the day was the Women's A race, which included Sam. The race saw a limited field split in half, forming lead and chase groups. Sam found herself in the chase group and worked diligently to help bridge the gap, but couldn't quite pull it off. She finished with 2 prime points and in 6th place.

Thanks are due to Matt for hanging around providing moral support and Scott for taking pictures.

Sunday - Navy TT (Davidsonville, MD)
On Sunday, GW had even more riders. While Kirk could not be roused to join the forces in battle, Catherine and Mona trekked out to help wreck the other teams of the ACCC.

Scott was the first to start, and was made nervous by the snow falling as he warmed up on his trainer. Despite an occasional hindrance (inattentive road guards, a turnaround confused by other road guards), he fulfilled his goal of not being passed by another rider, powering to an 18th place finish.

Andrew took off next, fighting the wind and the rolling hills to an 11th place finish in Men's D.

Rich was the next GW rider off, and created for himself the most excitement of any GW rider - he pushed himself so hard in his 4th place effort that he actually puked. On himself while riding, in snowbanks afterwards, in the water fountain inside, and in front of his car. He claims that it consisted mostly of water, with some Clif bar for good measure. However, his risky (and somewhat nasty) strategy worked, as not only did he catch his minute man (his goal) but he caught 3 others. In his words, "the burning that's still hanging out in my throat TOTALLY WORTH IT."

Nick found himself in a sprint to the finish of his TT - with the rider who started a minute ahead of him. While the Navy rider won the sprint, Nick had the last laugh, though they both had caught 2 other riders and been passed by the ultimate winner of the C category. Nick's time was good enough for 6th place.

Dan was next out of the start tent, and pushed himself out and back along the course for 9th place in Men's B, building his stock of points in the season-long B competition.

Mona started next, riding in her first-ever race in the Women's C category. Her effort along the course put her in 4th place - an excellent first showing - and she had a lot of fun riding the hills and curves.

Sam was next, followed by Catherine, both competing in Women's A. Catherine provided an illustrative summary of the effort required of a time trial:

I had a feeling that I’d be racing for 2^nd place by the way a certain Navy rider is dominating the women’s A field this season, but I toed the line intent on giving it my all with my #1 goal being: do not get passed. I like having someone to chase, but with a 4 minute gap between the last WB rider and my start time, I knew I was going to be playing a tough mental game with myself for somewhere between 14.5 and 15 miles. I had the benefit of being the first to hit the turn-around point, and I kept an eye on my competition as I went by them. I saw said Navy rider had passed all but my minute man by the U-turn. She had started 5 minutes behind me. Uh oh. DO NOT GET PASSED. I dug in deep and alternated between cursing every time a big wind gust hit me and giving my body a pep talk. The wind forced me to choose a heavy gear, and my legs were aching. “Come on, legs!” “F*** wind!” “Don’t puke.”

Catherine's intense effort put her in 2nd place. Sam finished 5th, after passing a rider from UMd. halfway through the course, getting through the difficult final 2 miles by telling herself that everyone else was hurting just as much and that "all I needed to do was push it that little bit harder over the hills."

The team then cowered in the cold waiting for results.

In the end, the team's weekend was exceptionally successful: within the ACCC's Division 2, GW finished 2nd on Saturday and 1st on Sunday, earning a huge number of team points. Empowered by this success, the team eagerly awaits the opportunity to take on another road race and another ITT at William and Mary next weekend.

Podium Report: Navy Crit, Men's B

2010-02-27T17:16:00.004-05:00

A race report from Schlomo (aka Dan Schwartz), a Cat 3 / collegiate Men's B racer and the president of the GW Cycling team.

- -

Rolled out of the spot with Kirk today around 8am. Gotta love a race that’s only 45minutes away. We were making perfect time halfway to Annapolis when I noticed that we had passed like 20 car accidents so far. It had snowed a bit last night but the roads didn’t seem too bad. Sure enough, a couple miles up the road we came upon the scene of a huge accident and were confronted with a full road closure. We were diverted off the highway and onto some random MD roads. After driving 10 miles out of the direction (and pass the defunct trade zone course) we were able to find our way to the race. It’s time to buy a GPS.

Driving over the Severn River bridge is always awesome. We arrived at the Naval academy and were greeted by the sight of the infamous downhill-off-camber-pothole and sewer plagued-180 degree turn. That got the nerves going and seeing the more than occasional crash in the early morning races contributed to a bit of anxiety.

The start and first couple laps of the B race were fast and I’m sure everyone was feeling pretty warm despite the strong, bitter wind on the back-side of the course. Felt pretty good and tried to stay in the top 6 or 7 wheels throughout the race. While its always more fun to roll with teammates, riding solo reduces the pressure to do work on the front. I let the big teams do the work and rarely felt much wind today —the windiest criterium course I can think of. The course is all about accelerating hard out of the 180—if you’re too far back it can be almost impossible to move up.
About halfway through the race a VaTech dude flew by the field on the right hand side on the descent and I knew he was going to eat it in the turn. I’m pretty sure he made it through the turn but in the ensuing chaos another VaTech rider was on the ground. A rider from UVA was doing a lot of work on the front throughout the race and with three laps to go he and a Navy rider got a small gap on the short hill. I was in 3rd wheel before they made their move and I had the feeling it was going to be decisive but I didn’t have it in the legs to go with them.

Two Navy riders got on the front and blocked and the gap opened up to a solid 10 seconds. The break was definitely going to stick and the pace slowed a bit going into the final lap. I moved to the front on the hill of the last lap and carried some good speed into the 180—just where I wanted to be.

With no one in front of me I was able to get the perfect line and didn’t have to scrub too much speed. The GW crew was loud throughout the race and I heard them cheering as I led in the field sprint for 3rd. The Navy guys rode a smart race and they put on a great event every year. Bummed that I won’t get another chance to race the crit. It would require additional years in college… or applying to grad school. Not in the cards just yet.

- -

Stay posted: Rich & Nick will post race reports on the team's other racers, too. GW had many strong results at the Navy Crit!

Wake Forest Day 2

2010-02-25T10:32:00.009-05:00

Day 2 of Wake Forest weekend saw action in the parking lot of BB&T Field. After an "epic" crash and an exhausting drop on Saturday, the GW squad was a one-man-show on Sunday.

Andrew David lined up for the D crit at 9am Sunday, his first. After the race, he reported that the course was "sandy and icy, especially coming into the final turn." Even as the field dropped a handful of riders, Andrew stuck with the group. A 7th place finish earned Andrew a trifecta for the weekend--scoring in each of his three races. Here are the weekend's overall results:

Andrew
TT (D) - 4th
RR (D) - 4th
Crit (D) - 7th

Prashant
TT (D) - 16th
RR (D) - 25th
Crit (D) - DNS

Rich
TT (C) - 8th
RR (C) - DNF
Crit (C) - DNS

Saturday's DNF turned into a Sunday DNS

Andrew on the start line for the Men's D crit

An early, failed breakaway attempt

The Naval Academy Midshipmen put on an impressive show, on and off the course

Men's C start line, sans GW presence

The crisp sunshine illuminated cold weather gear

Wake Forest Day 1

2010-02-20T18:12:00.003-05:00

GW is rolling pretty thin this weekend. The team is going 3-deep with Rich in the Cs and Andrew and Prishant racing Ds. Today's action included a 3.75 km prologue in the morning and a gently rolling 21 mi/32 mi road race in the afternoon.

Time trials are hard to gauge, especially when results still aren't posted. Rich rode first, catching his :30 man with over 1 km to go. Andrew felt strong and neither passed nor was passed, and Prishant was caught by his :30 man.

Both road races began around 1:30 this afternoon after a thirty minute delay. The D race played out remarkably similarly to the NC State RR. A Duke (?) racer took off on a flyer during the first of two laps and finished well ahead of the field. Andrew again hung with the first group, this time mustering a 4th place finish, even as he was "boxed in in the sprint." Prishant was dropped when the first major splits shattered the field during the first lap, and said after the game that he's simply unprepared for this level of competition.

The C race also played remarkably as it did at NCSU, as a battle of attrition through gently rolling hills. Navy, Duke, and App State once again rode very strongly as teams, and Rich rode strong with the front group of 30 for the first 29 of 32 miles. Late in the second lap, he was instrumental in breaking through a Naval Academy blockade at the front of the bunch as two Midshipmen attempted a 3-man break. He fell off the back of the pack for a painful moment of recovery, only to bridge back up. During the third lap, the C racers began to catch dropped riders from other races. Due to an unlucky touch of wheels, Rich got a mouth-, forehead-, hand-, elbow-, hip-, and knee-full of pavement, ending his weekend with a DNF in his second of three planned races.

More to come in the next few days from Sunday's crit (including pictures, now that GW has a designated photog).

Rubber side down.
- The George Washington University Cycling Team

[update: when I put "pictures" in the title, it was because I slammed my head against pavement 6 hours ago. There are no pictures on this post.]

First Race, First Win - N.C. State

2010-02-16T13:16:00.006-05:00

Nine GW cyclists traveled south to North Carolina for NC State Wolfpack Cycling Classic - a weekend of racing that included two road races. Though the first race was canceled because of snow, we had a great training ride on Saturday.

Sunday's "Top of the Hill" road race was game on, and the team had a slew of riders eager to test their legs.

First Blood

In the Men's D event, the team had five competitors. Kirk Scheffler dabbled in a few races last year, but Andrew David, Lyle Greenberg, Scott Kaplan, and Nick Sachanda were all pinning on race numbers for the first time. It would surely be a taste of first blood for the team's upcoming novice racers.

To protect himself, Scott's plan was to stay in Nick's wind tunnel of a draft as long as possible, but that was not to be. "When Nick pulled away there was no chance of staying with him," Scott recalled. Sachanda swung for the fences early, a big risk in anyone's first race, or any race at all. He simply rode his favored pace (read: really f*cking fast) up the first long hill, and nobody kept up.

Sachanda looked back once, then kept looking forward.

Nick's attack panicked other school's racers who just did not expect such a bold move so early in the race. The ensuing chase caused surge after surge - all futile attempts to catch the former football player. In the midst of this battle of novices, the other GW racers could catch a free ride in what was left of the peloton.

But nothing comes without a price.

The pace shedded many racers each lap, and the first of the GW cyclists to retreat from the main battle was Lyle. Soon after, Scott's legs begged for mercy. Kirk's legs gave way only on the final lap, when the field crumbled entirely.

Nick's long, solo attack wasn't without difficulty. On his second lap, Nick's bike would not shift back into the big ring after hills. (Mark the calendar: Until this moment, nobody had ever witnessed Nick use his little ring. Ever.) "I spent the entire lap in my small ring and fidgeting with the barrel adjustment trying to get it working again," Nick said. In the post-race winner's press conference (held via e-mail), he showed his off his Pro demeanor, "The entire race, I was relaxed and focused. No matter what happened, I was just going to keep pedaling."

Cresting the second to last hill on his second lap of three, Sachanda also dropped his water bottle. As he did with the rest of the racers, he left that fallen soldier behind with only the finish line in mind.

A lap later, Nick would wave goodbye to hill fallen comrade (the water bottle) and power up the final climb with the little energy he had left - admittedly not much. "By the time I got to the final climb, I had almost nothing left. I kept thinking 'get over the top and the race is yours'."

The race did belong to Sachanda, who finished first over a minute ahead of the next competitor.

Andrew protected himself perfectly throughout the race, surviving in Nick's leftover table scraps of a peloton. "When the first hill threatened to split the men from the men with shaved legs, I tried to move up every chance I got," Andrew said. "I was left on the back end of the course in a long line of riders strung out from the lead group. Some guy from King College and I leap-frogged to the group where I found Kirk, but no Nick, to my surprise. I stayed there the entire race."

The antsy attacks didn't affect his legs until the final lap, when two other riders finally created a gap. "I just hung with the group and tried to follow every attack people were making on the run into the finish line. Damn hills." Andrew would cross the line moments later in fifth place. A stellar result for his first race.

Also in Nick's wake, Kirk powered through his final lap, mostly alone, for 11th place. Scott, who at 36 is twice the age of many of his competitors, worked with three other racers for the majority of his stint merely chasing l'arrière du peloton to no avail. Doing most of the work himself, the weenies outsprinted him to the line, but he was proud to finish his first race in 16th place.

Lyle had significant alone time during the race, unfortunately off the back. He passed by on his second lap spitting out the words "drop" and "out" in the same sentence. The many expletives yelled by his spectating teammates ("don't you f*#@ing stop!") were all the encouragement he needed. Greenberg finished his final lap to place 19th, admitting, "I need to ride my bike more."

Overall, the team's results for the Men's D field were stellar and promise future sucess. Out of 30 starters and only 23 finishers, GW placed:

1st - Nick Sachanda
5th - Andrew David
11th - Kirk Scheffler
16th - Scott Kaplan
19th - Lyle Greenberg

For Sachanda, the winning hurt so good. During the first race of the season and his first bike race ever, Sachanda won the race after a daring move that paid off. "Looking back, though I attacked for a reason, I feel no desire to try another huge solo break." It would be a bold move if he did try it again. Sachanda already received his upgrade to the more competitive Men's C category.

The GWomen

Concurrent with the Men's D race, GW had two women competing in the woman's A field. Catherine Miller and Samantha Rynas both competed in a combined field that included all of the day's female racers. The woman's open field (Categories 1-4) was combined with the collegiate woman's A/B/C fields. It was a large group of women on bikes, arguably the largest race many of these women will participate in all season.

The narrow, rough, hilly, bumpy, and pothole-filled roads victimized both of GW's racers. Rynas would be the first to beg for mercy. Both Rynas and Miller would officially be posted as DNF, though the acronym for "did not finish" only doesn't tell the whole story.

"After a few back to back attacks I got dropped off the back of the pack," Rynas said. Our most diminutive teammate was previously an undergrad racer at Pfeiffer University, where she learned to tough it out. "I hung in and chased for a lap and a half. Every time I felt like quitting it seemed like the group eased up and I was gaining on them, so I just kept at it."

While Rynas was chasing, Miller was holding strong. "The attacks had gotten mellow, so I wasn't doing much work at all."

Her bike, unfortunately, could not say the same. She hinted that every racer's equipment was taking a beating. "Just after a friend from Navy told me that I was 'taking those potholes like a champ,' I hit a huge one hard, which knocked my hoods loose on my bars and pulled my brakes closed."

Some would call it a pothole, though rumor had it these depressions in the pavement were so deep they were passages through the center of earth to China.

By the time Miller "yanked the hoods back into place," the pack was far away. Miller was forced to pull out with mechanical issues, while Rynas completed all but her final lap.

The GW women know that there are more races to come, so the attitude of experience shows. Miller saw the light at the end of the pothole: "That's bike racing. At least I didn't get caught up in the bad crash on the final lap."

Schlomo's Breakfast (Revisited)

Team President Dan "Schlomo" Schwartz entered the Men's B event, which was painfully combined with the Master's field. Masters may have a minimum age (usually 35+), but the classification includes experienced racers across all categories.

Schlomo's race was brutal from the start. Three racers (including two masters and a collegiate racer from Duke) took off from the field on the first hills. Within two laps, the breakaway had over two minutes advantage on the pack. Racers in the main bunch were cleverly hesitant to waste energy in a futile chase, though a second group of three (another pair of masters with one collegiate racer) did attempt a bridge and finished well ahead of the pack.

Like the majority of the legs and lungs in the Men's B racers, Schlomo's body fell victim to the ruthless pace of a combined collegiate/master's field.

Halfway through the beginning of the fifth lap, the hills took their toll, and the price was Schlomo's breakfast. After stopping to sacrifice his sustenance on the side of the road (with an appropriate war cry I'm sure), Schlomo would place a respectable 16th among a shattered collegiate field.

Fighting Solo

In the late afternoon, Rich Hohenbrink competed in a large Men's C field. Like most races, the hilly course and quick tempo caused heavy attrition lap after lap, though it didn't visibly affect our bearded compadre.

No news is sometimes good news in a race of attrition. Rich crossed the line near the back of the front group in yet one more spread-out and shattered field, also for 16th place.

- -

Photos from the weekend are on alumni Bert Garcia's zenfolio page: Saturday's team photo shoot is here and pictures from Sunday's races are here.

- geedub -

Fun with [Team] Photos

2010-02-14T01:18:00.001-05:00

Though the team journeyed through hours of traffic on Friday afternoon and evening to leave the snowy streets of the nation's capital for the year's first races at NC State, the dismal weather followed all of the area cyclists heading south. The team was welcomed Friday night in Sanford, North Carolina by 4 inches of snow.

On Saturday morning, the Wolfpack Road Race was canceled.

By the early afternoon, the girls sought out snacks and the guys suited up for a ride under bright blue skies. The gents rode from the hotel to loosen their legs on Saturday's race course for Sunday's raid. A solid two hours of training did the trick. (To their credit, riding back to the hotel we crossed paths with the ladies, who were starting a ride on the same route.)

The team has been lacking any photos resembling anything "official" in the new kits. Suited up in perfect uniform and looking sharp (albeit tired by this point in the day), we sneaked behind the hotel and used a dumpster as a backdrop for some team pictures.

More team pictures are available on team alumni Bert Garcia's public photo album here. You are welcome to download your sexy mugshots and post them all over the internet. (Team president Dan is also posting a facebook album, to include pictures from Sunday's upcoming race. Stay posted.)

Of course, we'll also report back with updates from Sunday's races!

RealCyclist.com Supports GW Cycling

2010-02-08T22:48:00.003-05:00

Shameless plugs forthcoming. You are forewarned.

The GW Cycling team is happy to announce that we've recently added RealCyclist.com as a new sponsor for 2010.

Backcountry.com, the parent organization, made an offer that we couldn't refuse.

Though the team is still proudly sponsored locally by Bicycle Pro Shop, RealCyclist.com offered to fill the voids of any products or softgoods (read: clothing!) that the shop doesn't stock or have in the correct sizes. For the small or tall racers who may have trouble finding swag in the shop, that's a God-sent gift.

And the plug:

RealCyclist.com is the nexus for dedicated roadies, the kind who tune their bikes and bodies to absolute perfection. From the industry juggernauts like Shimano, SRAM, and Campagnolo to reclusive artisan framebuilders, European apparel designers, and the smallest component production houses, we know them all and we’re bringing them to you on a polished titanium platter. RealCyclist has everything you need except a stretch of pavement and the desire to push yourself.

Backcountry.com is a parent organization of the following websites that you should check out for the latest and greatest outdoor swag and gear:

www.Backcountry.com
www.Dogfunk.com
www.RealCyclist.com
www.HucknRoll.com
www.SteepandCheap.com
www.WhiskeyMilitia.com
www.Chainlove.com
www.Bonktown.com
www.Brociety.com
www.Explore64.com

GW Cycling team members can contact cycling@gwu.edu for information on how to take advantage of our new sponsor benefits.

- geedub -

Guest Blog: Big Mike’s Race Bag and Prep Routine

2010-01-28T21:18:00.009-05:00

About a week ago, GW Cycling held a pre-season meeting to teach our novices how to prepare for their first race. In this post, we invited a GW alum and supporter to provide a summary of his race-day preparation.

Mike Brindza graduated from the George Washington University, where he was on the crew team, in 2004. At the University of Maryland, he made the common endurance sport transition from rowing to cycling while completing his Ph.D. Now, he’s doing doctoral work in one of our country’s bike-loving states, Oregon. Oh, and of course, he still rides a lot (for Life Cycle Racing), and then brags to us about how great the terrain is on the left coast.

As a registered USA Cycling Official, Mike's been there and done that, so unless you get attacked by a hawk (scroll to the bottom), your first race of the season will surely be more of a success than his last year.

- - - -

This is mainly an introduction for things a new racer needs to think about over the first few race weekends. You’ll find that some things work better for you than me, and some of the things I do don’t make sense, but this is a primer for your bike preparation and what to bring to the race.

1. The Bike

First, I’m a large guy who is harder on his equipment than you, so I like to pay special attention to having a working rig. Nothing spoils a weekend like driving a few hours to NC State only to not be able to race there. Two days before your race is a good time to clean everything (paying special attention to your drivetrain, rims and don’t forget to sand down your brake pads a little). Make sure the bike shifts fine, your spokes are all evenly tensioned, and the brakes work. Typically, as long as it shifts and the brakes work, the bike is fine to race. Don't make any last-minute adjustments that could fail spontaneously in a race.

Let a professional mechanic deal with the wheels and other complicated moving parts. Agonizing over wheel and tire choice is best left to racers who've been doing it awhile, so pick the setup that you think is least likely to fail. If you have new tires, take them out for a spin to get the wax worn off. Then put it out of your mind.

2. The Race Bag

A good race bag has 3 partitions (or 4 if you have a helmet pocket). Two vented pockets on the side (one for smelly wet shoes and socks, the other for food and drink powders). You’ll want to pack a second set of clothes for after the race everyday. Take at least twice as much food as you intend to eat during and after the race, in case teammates have forgotten. For a 1 hour or less criterium, you can get away with no food, but as your road races get longer in length, having adequate on-the-bike calories is a must. A good rule of thumb is drinking a water bottle every 45-60 minutes. It’s very nice to have one with sports drink, and one with plain water for spraying your head. It’s not a fancy drink, but Gatorade makes single serving powder packs. Most races you need to bring your own water, so I typically have at least 2 bottles plus an extra gallon in the car. Remember to hydrate after your races, too – don’t lose on Sunday because you didn’t drink enough after Saturday’s race.

Aside from those essentials mentioned above (don't forget your shoes!!), the main part of your race bag should hold:

- Jersey and bibs

- Extra kit if you have it. Definitely bring 2 pairs of everything for a collegiate race weekend

- Arm/knee Warmers

- Sunglasses (bring dark and clear lenses if possible)

- Extra tubes and CO2 (Side note: For your first road races it’s a good idea to take a small flat kit with you in a pocket. Should you get dropped and flat while chasing behind the wheel truck, it WILL NOT come back for you!)

- Towel (great for “skirt” changing and drying off after wet races)

- Gloves (cold- and warm-weather)

- Cycling cap or beanie/ear warmer

- Clear Rain Cape

- Safety pins - when you show up to register for your first race, grab a few extra for the upcoming races.

- Toilet Paper. Picture this: two porta-potties for 500 racers. TP runs out by midday.

- HELMET. Officials will fine you for even riding in plainclothes through the parking lot without one!

This sounds like a lot, but all of it will fit into a medium size gym bag. I’ve been using one for 2 years that was on sale for $15 at a sporting goods store.

3. Warm Up

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the course more than an hour before your start. Don’t be that guy running around to get ready, without time to warm up. The very first things you should do are find registration and the bathrooms. You’ll need both before your race. Go to registration, sign your waiver, and get your number and the aforementioned safety pins. Ask the officials "Which side do I pin the race number?" and then ask a teammate to help you pin it on.

At criteriums, you almost always need a trainer. So set up the bike, get dressed, and start spinning for at least 30 minutes before a crit, or a bit less for a long road race. Everyone needs a different warm up, and I do better in crits and time trials with at least 45-60 minutes on the bike before starting time. It’s good to do at least a couple hard 1-5 minute efforts to get your heart rate up; you’ll want to show up to the line a little sweaty. With no trainer (especially at road races), try to find some roads nearby. Do not skip your warm up. Likely a higher category racer on your team has one they won’t be using for a couple of hours, borrow it.

Again, this is a personal thing, but it took me a long time to figure out that drinking water is one of the most important factors in doing well in a race. During my warm up, I drink at least one bottle, and have some sugar (candy or gel). This necessitates a stop at the bathrooms 5-10 minutes before getting called up to race.

4. Line Up & Race

As a beginning racer, you’ll most likely be the first race of the day. Officials and organizers tend to run around getting things done at the last minute, and often start those fields a little late. Don’t worry about this. But know that it will happen sometimes.

If you have the chance, ride a few laps on the course. Take the corners at speed so you’ll be ready for race intensity, shed any excess layers of clothing, then line up early so you can get good positioning in the front of the pack. On the line, pay attention when the referees summarize the unique rules, conditions, or hazards for this event. Ask any questions while you have the chance.

When you’re waiting for the race to begin, take a drink of water and put your bike into the correct gear for the slope of the start. You should already have one foot clipped in while you’re waiting. When the ref blows the whistle, clip your second foot as soon as you can. If you miss it on the first pedal stroke, keep pedaling un-clipped to gain positioning and momentum, then clip in before the first turn.

Lastly, have fun and enjoy the race! By the end of the season, you won’t even think about things like this.

- geedub -

Novices reading this might also want to check out GW Cycling Alumni Advisor Bert Garcia's blog post about basic racing tactics. If you're an experienced racer reading this post, we welcome you to add your raceday prep strategies in the comments at the below this post.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Mike for his "Raceday 101" lesson.

Planning the Siege on the 2010 ACCC Season

2009-12-15T18:08:00.004-05:00

If you're a racer on the team looking forward to our upcoming spring season, there are a few dates you need to write with a sharpie on the calendar. Races start mid-February and are held nearly every Saturday and Sunday through April. Check out the schedule of events for the Atlantic Coast Cycling Conference below:

2010 ACCC Calendar:

February 13-14: NC State

February 20-21: Wake Forest

February 27-28: U.S. Naval Academy

March 6-7: William and Mary

March 13-14: Univ. of Maryland

March 20 -21: UVA / VCU

March 27-28: Rest Weekend (Jeff Cup)

April 3-4: Appalachian State

April 10-11: West Virginia

April 17-18: Virginia Tech, Conference Champs

May 7-9: Collegiate National Champs (Madison, WI)*

Throughout the season, race results, rider rankings, and team rankings will be posted on the ACCC website. Bookmark that link! You can also check the ACCC schedule should any events change.

*You must be a collegiate Category A rider (USAC Category 3 or above) to be eligible to race at the collegiate national championships. To qualify any racers for nationals, a team has to accrue points - that means having racers in all categories! Then and only then, each men's racer that wants to go to Nationals must have raced in at least two Men's Category A events.

- - - -

Race weekends commonly have two to three events. For example, NC State hosts a road race on Saturday in the boonies and an on-campus criterium on Sunday; William & Mary has a Time Trial on Saturday and a road race on Sunday; and Navy has an on-campus crit on Saturday and TT on Sunday. For some big events, race weekends include a road race, TT, and crit packed into one full race weekend.

For local events (Navy and UMD), the team will drive from campus to the event on the morning of each race, so there is no need to finagle your way out of class or work. You'll simply have to wake up early to hitch a ride to the race. After the event, we'll drive back to campus before the next day's races.

Most of the other events are more than a couple hours' drive away. For those races, team members will usually leave campus on Friday afternoon. Quite often, we drive separately to try and match everyone's schedule. We'll meet up in a hotel on Friday night before the races begin.

If your schedule is busy, you can always drive yourself to/from races at your own convenience. Plenty of times, team members have conflicting activities with either the Saturday or Sunday races. That's okay - you can always race the next event.

Whether or not you drive with the team, the team or university will either pay or reimburse racers for basic hotel fees, gas expenses, and race fees. (Save your receipts!) The only big expense you have to cover is food. You definitely want to bring some extra cash for random expenses, but you should also drag your checkbook along to pay for race fees just in case the team isn't going all-in. Races usually cost $12-20 per event in the collegiate realm.

In another post, we'll get more specific about what to expect on raceday. Do not worry about the little details just yet.

For more distant events, make sure to pack plenty of extra clothing and it is just fine if you want to bring your studying materials (although heckling racers is more fun). Dress in layers for the early-season weather, but also pack some extra outfits for before and after your races. You might not get a chance to shower until you're back in a hotel or after a long drive home, so minimize dirty-chamois time and give your taint some breathing room.

Of course, you never want to forget the basics for any race: your bike, uniform, shoes, helmet, and cash/checkbook. (Everything else you can beg for, borrow, or steal!)

- geedub -

Extra GW Cycling Jerseys & Accessories for Sale

2009-12-07T00:34:00.014-05:00

All of our team members have claimed their swag, so we're now going to offer up our spare spandex to GW supporters and alums as a fundraiser. If you're looking for a good Christmas present for your cyclist family member that graduated from GW, this is it. (Check out the 2010 kit design here.)

We have the following items for sale, but please email cycling@gwu.edu to see if we have specific sizes available for you. All of the items are from Voler, our clothing sponsor and supplier.

Here's what's available (last updated 12/7/09 at noon):

Jerseys ($60): Short sleeve, full-zip, race cut jersey. Currently, we have plenty of men's small and medium jerseys and also one woman's medium for sale. Sorry - all of our Large and XL jerseys are gone, but we'll keep you posted for our next shipment.

Bib Shorts ($75): New from Voler in 2010, these are their pro-quality "FS" bibs with their "elite" fabric and Torino chamois. Unfortunately, we only have woman's extra small, small, and medium left.

Arm Warmers ($21): "Roubaix" spandex that is lightly lined with fleece. To match the jersey, one arm warmer is white and the other is Navy blue, both with "George Washington University" printed on the side. One pair of size medium is still available.

Gloves ($17): Short-finger Voler cycling gloves with a padded leather palm and a velcro closure on the inside of the wrist. They are custom printed in the same design as the jersey. Two pairs left, one in medium and one in large.

Shoe Covers ($24): Lycra booties to match the kit for that extra "pro" look and an aero benefit for time trials. GW logo on one side and the awesome, disgruntled George face on the other. A few pairs of small, medium, and large are available.

(Note: Until we receive our next order, this list will be updated periodically to reflect what is currently available.)

- - - -

If you had previously contacted the team about purchasing uniforms, you should already have received an email with this information. Either way, email us at cycling@gwu.edu if you would like to order an item. Include the size you would like, and we'll respond on a first-come/first-serve basis with its availability, how to pay, and shipping details.

This was the team's first order of the year, but we should be receiving another shipment of short-sleeve jerseys within two weeks. If we don't get you in a GW kit now, we will try to soon.

- geedub -

The 2010 Kits Have Arrived

2009-12-03T15:05:00.017-05:00

What you've all been waiting for: The team received four big boxes of spandex from Voler last night. With minor adjustments from our original mock-up, here it is:

As a reference, the model (ahem) is wearing the long-sleeve thermal jersey and the upgraded "elite" bib shorts. Here's the view our competitors will have to get used to:

The white scheme is definitely pro. There's also a smooth touch with the DC flag on the back of the collar, thanks to some good design instincts from Dan & Colin.

TEAM MEMBERS -

If you are a current team member that already placed an order, contact the team's Vice President, Matt K (mattkap@gwmail.gwu.edu), to coordinate a pick-up of your items. He lives in Mitchell Hall and is best available during the following hours:

Monday (12/7): 12:30PM-10PM
Tuesday (12/8): 2PM-10PM
Wednesday (12/9): until 10PM
Thursday (12/10): 2PM-10PM
Friday (12/11): 8AM-2PM, ~5PM-10PM
Sat, Sun, Mon (12/12-14): All day.

Current, dues-paying team members that did not place a personal order will get first dibs at the leftover swag. If you missed the original order, contact alumni advisor Bert Garcia to purchase kit items.

The team has a number of jerseys in Men's Small through Large, two spare woman's jerseys, and just a few bib shorts. We also have a number of arm warmers, gloves, shoe covers, and thin mesh skull caps in various sizes.

ALUMNI -

Any GW Cycling donors/sponsors or GWU alumni interested in purchasing extra items can contact cycling@gwu.edu to get on our wait-list. Once all of our team members are suited up, we'll be selling the extra items as a fundraiser. Soon enough, you'll receive an email that will ask what you're looking for. We'll respond to those inquiries on a first-come, first serve basis.

As of right now, we should have a number of left-over items (mostly men's Medium and Large jerseys). In another few weeks, we are expecting another shipment of jerseys from Voler, so we should be able to make everyone happy.

- -

Rich, our token cyclocross racer, is definitely happy with the new kit. The GW cycling team found him during a Hains Point ride in which his "little hipster friend" was nearly taken out by some other club cyclists adorned in "matching shirts and shorts."

After some humorous summaries of that incident where the little hipster bashed anyone wearing a team kit, we found out that Rich himself was a GW student. We gave him a kit to finish off his 2009 racing season in school colors, and the rest is history.

Rich, who said in October that the new design was "the freshest thing since the invention of pizza," is now probably among our most excited teammates to be clad in our new spandex. In his blog-worthy text to Matt, he said the following:

"Fantastic. I'm going to spend the entire weekend in my skinsuit."

We're sure you are, Rich. And I'm sorry to let you find out this way, but this team obviously keeps very few secrets. We hope your little hipster friend doesn't disown you for matching your cycling jersey to your shorts.

- geedub -

Nicholas Sachanda: GW Cycling's Biggest Loser

2009-11-27T12:48:00.003-05:00

Big men on old bikes do not usually intimidate me, but the first time I rode with Nick Sachanda, I could not drop him.

The guy on the old, beige-colored Cannondale used to be a 310-pound front offensive lineman for Case Western Reserve University, an NCAA Dvision III program. Today, as the newest addition to the GW Cycling team, the first-year law student weighs 249 pounds – and dropping.

I was actually not trying to drop him. I was simply taken by surprise when I made it to the top of MacArthur Boulevard by Great Falls and the only one of the GW novice cyclists that had kept up with my Cat 3 legs was the big guy, standing 6 feet, 4 inches tall. It was his first ride with the team. He continued to surprised myself and GW’s team President, Dan Schwartz, on every series of hills that usually thins the pack.

After a childhood of “non-legit riding,” Nick’s tenure as a front lineman was ended by injury. To compete in triathlons, he bought the Cannondale (2002 CAAD4 with a cro-moly fork) and upgraded the components to Shimano 105. Having an athletic background has helped him adapt quickly to cycling, a sport where success is as dependent on skills as it is on endurance.

It would have taken two of me to balance a scale with Nick when he was a front lineman. Yet he has always kept an open mind and positive attitude to a little guy yelling instructions at him on a group ride. “I’ve been yelled at by enough coaches that I recognize that I actually know very little,” Nick told me.

His size is actually a huge advantage on descents, where I can barely manage to keep up with him. For a prospective racer, Nick can hang in the hills and produce enough power for a freight-train leadout. When competitiveness comes down to fitness, he has the background and the attitude. “It helps when you know how to embrace pain.”

Once you ride with him, you would not peg hills as his Achilles’ heel. Nick says that “going up hills” is a constant challenge for a person his size, though fitting into cycling jerseys can be a bigger hassle. “They are cut for skinny European dudes.”

“Ultimately, I’m trying to get down to 225,” Nick told me. “Maybe when I get there, I can use it as an excuse to buy some fancy wheels.”

From his first impression keeping my pace on the mile-long hill (not to mention the 40 more miles we rode that day), Nick showed me that he had a knack for taking up challenges.

“Running and diet” are what he attributes to helping him drop the extra pounds he built up to compete as a football player. “In the last year, up until recently, I had an average of 23 or so miles a week running,” he says. He adds that he took a “common sense” approach to his diet: “Don’t eat crappy food, and don’t eat anything besides fruits and vegetables after dinner.”

Most importantly, he says, “You gotta really want it.”

Whatever “it” is, I am not going to stand in this motivated man’s way. “My big goal is to knock 16 minutes off my time from this year’s Nation's Triathlon.” In 2009, he finished the Olympic-distance event in 2 hours, 46 minutes. “That was the goal before I even considered the idea of bike races.”

As a cyclist, he says his goal (for now) is plainly to enter a few bike races and see how he does to “get a feel for it.” His competitors will get a nice draft, but their work is already cut out for them.

“Knowing me, after one race, I will want to crush everybody.”

- geedub -

GW Cycling joins the GamJams Network

2009-11-23T17:08:00.001-05:00

Wherever you're reading this, you have obviously noticed the GW Cycling team's recent foray into Web 2.0.

By starting this team blog (link for the Facebook readers) and a Facebook Fan Page, we hope to increase the exposure of our team.

The team does not have too many activities during our current off season, so updates on this blog will be sporadically scheduled and random in topic. However, in the spring, we will be posting race results and prompt updates on the team more actively. On the Facebook page, we'll be posting updates quite often about when team members are riding, administrative announcements, photos from our adventures pedaling, and of course some bike-related literature.

Hopefully, by having a bigger online presence, we can keep team members and their families actively informed about activities and races. We also hope to bring some positive exposure to our loyal sponsors and supporters, and give the team a larger presence in the Washington, DC cycling community. Lastly, these efforts will make it easier for incoming students, prospective racers, or alumni that want to support us (or, yes, buy jerseys) to contact us and find out more about our team.

One significant step to increasing the exposure of our team was joining the GamJams network. GamJams.net, sometimes referred to as the the US Weekly of mid-Atlantic cyclists, is a website that networks local cyclists, cycling clubs, race organizers, photographers, sponsors, and the bike industry. It has become a hub of the mid-Atlantic cycling wheel: a one-stop shop for the goings-on of bike racing around the DC area and beyond.

Among GamJams' strengths is its capacity to link to the blogs and websites of the local racers, clubs, and race organizers. Some folks would even joke that you're not a bike racer in DC unless you blog about it. You'll noticed we've installed GamJams widgets on our blog. The first one lists recent posts from local bloggers (including a few GW cyclists and alums); the second widget has updates from the GamJams site.

We appreciate your support, and encourage everyone of our blog followers or Facebook fans to push back and throw us a line, too. Comment on our posts or let us know about cool bike-related events going on in the city.

Of course, don't forget to give our sponsors some love, too.

- geedub -

A Shameless Shoutout to our Sponsors & Supporters

2009-11-17T23:35:00.002-05:00

Cycling is an inherently expensive sport, and college kids are inherently cheap people. Here at GW Cycling, we've been blessed with a number of generous and dedicated sponsors throughout the team's existence. In case you didn't know, here's a bit about each one of our current sponsors.

The A-Team

The A-Team is a small group of GW Cycling Team alumni that continue to support the team through the mentorship of novice racers and their unsolicited but oh-so generous financial contributions. Most of the A-Team contributors were founding team members that helped create the GW cycling team in 2004-05 and they have continued to support the team since then.

Bicycle Pro Shop

Bicycle Pro Shop (aka BPS, www.bicycleproshop.com) has been one of the team's most dedicated sponsors since 2005-06. The shop has one of the most knowledgeable sales staff in the city and a top-notch service department. In addition to savings for cash-strapped GW cyclists, BPS has also offered part-time employment to multiple team members. BPS is located in the heart of Georgetown, on M Street, across from Key Bridge - conveniently on the way home from the team's common training routes. Stop by in a GW jersey and say hi - they'll take care of you.

Clif Bar

Clif Bar (www.clifbar.com) makes some of the best athletic nutrition products. As a product sponsor of GW Cycling for the past three years, they provide us with a nice discount on their goods. The company doesn't just make the best-tasting energy bars, though. Clif makes everything that keeps you going: electrolyte and recovery powders/drinks, energy gels, electrolyte chews, protein bars and shakes, and more.

Foggy Bottom Grocery

Foggy Bottom Grocery (known around campus as "FoBoGro," www.fobogro.com) was originally established in 1946 and is re-opening with a new image in 2010. FoBoGro is a neighborhood grocery store that also serves and delivers by bike pizza, salad, sandwiches, and tasty beverages. FoboGro is at 2140 F Street NW (between 22nd and 23rd Streets) on the George Washington University campus.

Raw Talent Ranch

The Raw Talent Ranch is run by Jay Moglia and Audrey Taucher, who provide priceless support to the team by inviting us back again and again. The GW Cycling team and local alumni take training trips to the the Raw Talent Ranch/Lost River Barn (www.lostriverbarn.com) in Mathias, West Virginia near Lost River State Park. The barn is a converted farmhouse with multiple rooms and beds, a full kitchen, common rooms with a big couch, wifi, and a basement converted into a bike shop. Jay, who often guides training rides, is a Category 1 racer and USAC certified coach that finds the roads in the Lost River valley quiet, scenic, and challenging. Check out pictures from GW's late-September trip to the barn here.

Relaxed Spa & Tan

Founded in 2006, Relaxed (www.dcrelaxed.com) is a full-service day spa and tanning salon with professionally trained and certified staff in the heart of campus at 21st and F Streets NW. A sister company to FoBoGro, Relaxed provides a unique one-on-one experience that focuses energy on making its clients feel great, look great, and enjoy themselves.

Rudy Project

A sponsor for the past two years, technology and advanced science are at the heart of Rudy Project (www.e-rudy.com). The company uses unique materials and manufacturing techniques to create lightweight, functional, and extremely comfortable products, highlighting their sunglasses (including Rx) and helmets. Rudy Project is currently offering some insanely low-priced package deals.

- geedub -

GW Cyclists Receive Late-Season Upgrades

2009-10-17T11:48:00.006-04:00

Two of GW Cycling's racers haven't let the shortened days hinder their racing. Racing through the fall, Dan Schwartz and Rich Hohenbrink both also received USA Cycling racing category upgrades within the past month.

After racing in no less than 34 races in 2009 - and finishing them all - GW Cycling's president, Dan Schwartz, has been awarded his USA Cycling Category 3 upgrade. Nick-named "Schlomo" for his laid-back personality, the senior's racing style is anything but that. Dan's season accolades include wins in two collegiate races and another in a USAC event.

Schlomo started his 2009 collegiate season as a Cat 5 on Valentine's Day at the Wolfpack Road Race, hosted by NC State. He earned his Category 4 upgrade in late April.

Among his ten top-10 finishes during the collegiate season were wins at the Virginia Tech Road Race and the Wake Forest Criterium. The consistently high placings throughout the season added a new pink jersey to his spandex wardrobe - Schwartz won the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference overall points championship in the Men's C category.

Schlomo continued his rampage on the 2009 racing season by entering the Fort Ritchie Criterium as a new member of his USAC team, the National Capital Velo Club (NCVC). It was his first Cat 4 event, and only days after straining his back in a car accident, but he won that race too. At Ft. Ritchie, Schlomo outsprinted many other mid-Atlantic cyclists on the fast-track to Cat 3 including Shaw Fici, Wes Schemph, Tim Rugg, and Tim Brown (not to mention yours truly).

Because the two collegiate wins were in Men's C events (which are Category 4/5 races), they did not qualify for Category 3 upgrade points. A number of strong finishes in non-collegiate events boosted his race resume. Among his top-10 placings were "DC's Roubaix," the Poolesville Road Race, and the Hartford Criterium in his home state.

To test the tempo of more competitive legs, Schlomo competed the Green Mountain Stage Race in September as his last Category 4 event. Not too far from his own hometown in Connecticut, he described the mountainous four-stage race as a humbling experience and nothing short of epic. Surely it will prepare him for the upcoming collegiate season and his goal of competing at the 2010 collegiate national championships, which he is now eligible for after the Cat 3 upgrade.

- geedub -

Schlomo's not the only GW team member racing into daylight savings time. Rich Hohenbrink, a new addition to GW Cycling's roster for 2009-2010, recently received his Category 4 upgrade.

Cyclists need only compete in ten mass-start races to qualify for Category 4, but the grad student included four top-10 finishes on his petition for the upgrade.

Rich's road season started with a strong finish at the Tyson's Corner Circuit race in April. He followed that with three consecutive top-10s at the Tomato Head Omnium near his hometown in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Even with a strong knack for road racing, Rich finds passion for the beer, waffles, mud, and otherwise unruly culture of cyclocross racing. Nearly every weekend in October Rich has been muddying up his swag before enjoying the flavors of 'cross.

Schlomo's impressively long racing season started in February and endured through Green Mountain in early September. Though Rich's season took an average start in April, he is among the few GW cyclists still pinning on race numbers through the changing leaves.

GW's Buff & Blue Spandex, circa 2010

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Anyone who's been on a cycling team knows that half the fun of the sport is having the excuse to wear crazy-looking outfits all around town, and feeling cool about it. There's something totally euro-cool about sipping an espresso in a city cafe all kitted up, and although we usually grab a post-ride burrito instead of a caffeinated beverage, GW Cycling never fails to make a statement with the swag.

So, long awaited, here's the design for the new GW Cycling Team kit for the 2009-2010 school year and the 2010 racing season. (You can click on the artwork to see a full-sized image.)

Jersey (front):

This year, the team decided to return to Voler as a kit supplier. It was time to try something new as well, so we totally changed the design for the 2010 racing season. By popular demand and inspired by the 2006 "summer whites" kit, we substantially and intentionally un-colored the design. Why? Because it's clean and pure, which makes it look PRO. We also chose to go with an assymetrical and contrasting design for that extra pizzazz, adding some new shoulder logos for new sponsors and supporters.

Jersey (back):

This depiction doesn't yet include some the team's sponsors on it yet. Small logos for Rudy Project, Clif Bar, A-Team, etc. will be on the pockets.

Shorts (side):

The shorts have the usual "Colonials" logo on the side, but with reversed background colors from years past.

Shorts (back):

This is the point of view our rivals will have to get used to. We threw in a bit of yellow to add more color to the kit and lower the level of indecency riding with a white butt-panel in the rain. After popular demand, however, we did bring back the popular GW "monument" logo, absent since '06.

- geedub -

Once again, the team kit was designed by GW alum Colin Herron. But you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've been. If you want to know more about the evolution of the GW kit design, check out Bert's public Facebook photo album here.

Active team members already put in their order, but the team does order a surplus of jerseys and bibs in men's and women's sizes. After any new members take their pick, we invite any GWU alumni interested in purchasing jerseys or kits to contact us at cycling@gwu.edu for more information, though the new uniforms won't be available until Thanksgiving 2009.

The Colonial [R]evolution

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The GW Cycling team was established as a student organization at the George Washington University during the fall semester of 2004. A number of racers on a few local cycling clubs realized they had more than a passion for cycling in common: they were all students at GW. The GW Cycling team was built from these foundations.

Throughout that fall semester, the new GW Cycling team, lead by the team’s first president, Mark Protacio, heavily recruited cyclists from all over campus. The team’s original membership mostly comprised of local club cyclists studying at GW, and some rowers on sabbatical the GW Crew team, although a number of novices caught on quickly: Mac Keliher, Brad Brooks, Jen Cheng, Lauren Peterson, Tyler Moore, Drew Navikas, Colin Herron, Jon D'Alba and a few guys named Sam to name a few.

Wasting no time, that winter, the team designed the first team uniforms (sans sponsors, pictured below) and registered as a collegiate club with USA Cycling within the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference (ACCC).

By springtime, the team had a number of male and female racers across all collegiate categories. In its inaugural season, the team qualified within the ACCC to attend the 2005 Collegiate National Championships in Lawrence, Kansas. During the 80-mile race, "president-4-life" Mark Protacio, a Category 4 racer, sacrificed his chances to pace Mac Keliher back into contention after an unlucky flat tire. Mac placed an impressive 8th in the Division II National Collegiate Championship Road Race.

In 2006, GW woman's racer Jennifer Cheng medaled in the Women’s Category B Overall Points competition for the ACCC. In 2006 and again in 2007, GW Cycling qualified for the collegiate national championships and sent both male and female riders to compete. At the collegiate National Championships in 2007, Jenny Bodine won the Women’s Division II Criterium – GW Cycling’s first national championship title.

Although the team has not yet returned to the National Championships, you don't call it "a rebuilding year" until you start to suck. The team has held a consistently strong, though short, roster with men and women in each racing category. As recently as the 2009 season, Dan Schwartz won two races on his way to winning the ACCC Overall Men’s Category C Championship Jersey.

With accelerated momentum, the continued support of excellent sponsors, and the dedication of a strong alumni base to see the team succeed, GW Cycling's 2009-2010 roster includes over 35 male and female graduate and undergraduate students - over half of them novices.

...and we're not about to call it a rebuilding year.