Bucknell 4/3/2010

You're looking at a set of TTT winners right here.  By 19 seconds.  Heck yes.  After a nice night of sleep at the All Suites Inn, (replete with in room kitchen), we showed up nice and early at the dusty parking lot of the Bucknell Race Course in Central PA- lovely Mifflinburg.  I wasn't feeling too great before the start, but just focusing on short, complete, powerful pulls, we rode up and down the 12.1 km course.

KM you ask?  Yes.  Villanova Cycling has switched over to SI units in honor of our European Cycling brethren. Also, it makes you feel faster.  25 MPH no longer- now you're rocking out at 40KMH.

D Road Race


The course wound around a farming area near Bucknell University, by Amish farms and what-not.  The course had rolling hills and one moderate climb that made for pack racing and bunch-sprinting.  The finish was a bit sketchy, a somewhat narrow straightaway with a slight downhill, leading to a fast and furious finish.

Joe Pawelczyk led off the day in the D road race, netting an impressive 5th 4th place finish.  He held off challengers throughout the course, and maintained position at the front of the pack throughout the race.  Experiencing no contact lens difficulties, Joe saw his way through the pack to a great finish.

B Road Race


Powered by the presence of girlfriend and "Race Mom" Katie Beringer, and our bravado, Garrett and I convinced Justin to put in his upgrade to the B class for this weekend.  FOUR VILLANOVANS IN B!  Did anyone ever think it possible?

After much discussion of team tactics, we decided that we'd attempt a breakaway mid-race, working together as a team to make it happen.  Early in the race, a Penn State rider, who eventually won, broke off the front.  We maintained the gap at 20-30 seconds for a lap or two (each lap was 15 km, 75 km total race), but after lap 3, the time trialing, triatholon-ing leader had rode away from the pack.  As such, the race sat up until the last lap, until I took a monster pull off the front, for 10 km.

I wound my way down the backstretch and onto Dice Road in the front of the pack, pulling at 42.5 kmh the whole way, putting the hurting on the pack (and myself).  While this effort netted me a 13th place finish (and 14th for Justin in his first D race, Congrats!), Garrett and Rob turned the effort into 5th and 7th place finishes- a solid effort after a long day of work.  As we drove home in our rented Enterprise van along the Susquehanna, Garrett and I calculated- 6 hours on the bike on Saturday.

And I wouldn't rather be doing anything else- beautiful day, fun racing, and a great team.  Ride Bikes.  Fast.  Villanova Cycling.