Rutgers Day 1, 3/6/2010

Rollin' up to Rutgers... Bike transit on the Turnpike.

Individual Time Trial:

'Thrilla on the Riva, Johnson Park, Rutgers

After a delicious breakfast at the Edison Diner- I suggest you roll up for their #2 special: eggs, hash browns, toast, coffee and juice for five bucks, we rolled to River Road up off of 18 in Piscataway. Our race was a 2.8 mile Individual Time Trial- 6 and a half minutes of pure pain!

D team: Mark Reimlinger and Robby Napp- both of our new racers loved the ITT; Mark loved it so much, burned so many riders that he vomited with exuberance after! That may be the first vom in Villanova Cycling Team history. Garrett took a picture, but I'll spare you with editors' discretion.

The secret to our team success, courtesy of Mark:

C: Rob Abramo and Justin Yeash. Rob smoked the C class, finishing 3rd with a time 6:33. Justin came in close at a blazing 6:46, in his first collegiate competition.

B: Garrett Olsen and James Miceli. Garrett toasted the new B field with his brand spanking new Scott Addict R2, and I clocked a 6:35, my best time in 3 years of the frozen toe.

CRITERIUM!

D: Mark and Robby performed spectacularly in their first go 'round the Rutgers Criterium. Starting in our 1 of a kind team tent:

Mark and Robby cruised around the potholed Rutgers course, each notching their first placement in a collegiate race.

Rob and Justin carried the C class, Rob finishing in the top 5 after holding the front of the pack for much of the race. Though an insane sandbagger from Princeton nearly lapped the field, Rob and Justin had a strong showing in their C debut.

Garrett and I made waves in the B class, staying with the back and forth interval workout nature of the bumpy crit, placing top 10 for me and top 20 for Garrett. Garrett said, "Doubling the duration, upping the maximum intensity (27-29MPH)... B class riders were a lot more predictable, you can trust them a lot more." Though he was apprehensive at first, he doesn't thing he's outclassed, and neither do I! Both of us stayed in contention, and are looking to perform well tomorrow!

We'll update with results from www.velocityresults.net and more pictures when they're posted.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's posting; Rutgers Day 2, RAC Circuit- this time it's business!

And the theme of our trip: U Turn- gotta be from Jersey to navigate those U-turns on Rt. 18!