Category: Race Reports

In classic Midwestern cold, clouds, and wind, the Cycling Irish took to the streets of Cleveland, OH, for Case Western’s criterium on Sunday, March 23. The course wrapped around the Cleveland Brown’s football stadium and saw temperatures in the mid-20s with snow flurries at times.

Men’s A:

The men’s A team scored Notre Dame’s first criterium win of the season and its first ever A criterium win in school history. Early in the race John Pratt (Jr.) jumped into the day’s winning 6-man break. Back in the main field, Jim Snitzer (Jr.) and Luke Tilmans (Sr.) slowed the pace at the front of the rest of the field to ensure the move with Pratt would stay clear to the finish. The team tactics worked to perfection and Pratt was comfortably in the top 6 heading into the final hundred meters. He started his sprint early and sailed to the line in front of riders from varsity programs Lindenwood, Lindsey Wilson, and Marian.  After a hard day of controlling the field, Tilmans and Snitzer finished solidly in the field with 15^th and 17^th respectively.

Men’s D:

Graduate students, Tom Frederick and Mike Lorenzen, set a fast pace at the front throughout the race. The high speed reduced the field in numbers setting them up well for the final laps. Frederick, who spent much of the day leading the race, was caught out in an untimely crash with only half a mile to go. Lorenzen managed to keep a high position going for the sprint and took an impressive 2^nd place.

Women’s B/C:

Freshmen riders Sarah Cullen, Emma-Kate Conlin, and Devin Stalker, proved to be a young, but resilient trio for the Irish in the women’s B/C category.  Early in the race, 2 riders from Michigan and Marian started a breakaway the ended up sticking until the end.  Despite attempts by Cullen to bridge to the break, the field had to settle for a sprint for third. Conlin had a strong performance finishing 8^th and helped keep Sarah at the front. In the final sprint, Sarah struck early and found herself finish a carrier best 5^th. Stalker rounded out the great day’s ride for the women’s team by finish 12^th.

Notre Dame solidified its lead of DII Team standings, while Pratt and Snitzer remain 1^st and 3^rd respectively in the individual DII standings.  John Pratt jumped to 2^nd overall in the conference after his victory Sunday.

On the weekend of March 15-16, the Cycling Irish travelled to St. Charles, MO after a heavy week of training in Longmont, CO for spring break. The Lindenwood Race Weekend featured two days of hard racing. Saturday featured a 13 mile team time trial and a road race with 3 major climbs and 1,700ft of elevation gain per 21-mile lap. Sunday’s criterium was held in downtown historic St. Charles.

Men’s A:

With the help of Freshman B rider James Pratt, A riders John Pratt and Jim Snitzer led the team time trial to 6th place despite missing key A rider Luke Tilmans and not having any aero equipment because of spring break travel. Later in the day, Pratt and Snitzer took the line in the 4-lap, 84 miles road race, the longest of the season. In a crosswind section late in the second lap, Pratt drove a successful attack that saw 14 riders get away from the main field. After several more climbs and riders being dropped from both the breakaway and peloton, it was apparent the break was going to stick. One Marian and one Lindenwood rider managed to get away from the break during the last lap and Pratt took 9th. Meanwhile, back in the second group on the road, Snitzer attacked on the last major climb of the race with a Lindenwood rider. They stayed away until the finish and Snitzer took 11th.

For the second race weekend in a row, the criterium came down to a field sprint, a rarity in collegiate A races. The strong wind made it difficult for attacks to stick. In order to place high in the sprint, you needed to be very close to the front going into the last turn because it was sharp and required riders to slow down and accelerate sharply before the finish line. Pratt entered the turn around 15th place, not a very good position if you are looking for a win. Nevertheless, he showcased his signature sprint to overtake numerous riders in the final meters and move all the way up to 6th. Snitzer finished mid-pack, 32nd.

After his 4th consecutive top-10 finish, Pratt remains in 4th place overall in the MWCCC individual omnium and 1st place in DII. Snitzer moved into 3rd in DII.

Men’s B:

After stepping up to give a tremendous effort in the A team time trial, Freshman James Pratt began the 63-mile, 3 lap road race as a top contender for a podium spot. Although the hills of Missouri allowed the peloton to gain large time gaps on the 6’3” rider from Notre Dame, Pratt powered his way back into contention after each of the first 6 climbs, compensating for his losses by gaining time on the flat sections and the descents. During the final lap, Pratt began to test the rest of the B field by setting the pace on the 7^th big climb of the day. However, the big freshman could not overcome the force of gravity as quickly as some of the competition and settled for a still-impressive top ten finish at the end of the grueling race.

Early in the criterium, a breakaway consisting of 2 riders both from Marian, formed. They ended up staying away until the finish, leaving the field to sprint for 3rd. Pratt prepared to foil the hopes of a Marian sweep of the podium. With 2 laps to go he advanced to 5^th place in the peloton and followed a strong pace set by Minnesota. After accelerating to the front of the peloton during the last lap, Pratt zipped around the final corner and hammered his sprint to a 3^rd place finish several bike lengths ahead of his closest competitors, celebrating a personal best finish in a thrilling field sprint.

Men’s D:

Graduate student’s Tom Frederick and Mike Lorenzen kicked off the weekend with a first place in the team time trial, despite only having 2 of the normally 4-person sized team. Just a few hours later, they both started near the front of the 21-mile, 1 lap road race, with Frederick setting the pace prior to the first of the large hills. Lorenzen suffered a set back during the first climb as two other riders were taken out of contention due to a thrown chain and blown tire. He was able to rejoin the group on the following climb. During the last major climb, a 2-man breakaway formed and Frederick led the chase group. Despite not being able to catch the 2nd place rider, Frederick dropped the other chasers in the final mile to take an impressive 3rd place in his second collegiate road race. Lorenzen hung on to take 23rd.

In the criterium, Lorenzen was sidelined with bike mechanical difficulties while Tom managed to work with a main group of 8 riders. After taking an impressive pull into a 25 mph headwind that pulled the 2nd place rider back into the group with one lap to go, he took 8th.

In Brief:

TTT- Men’s A 6th, Men’s D 1st

RR- John Pratt 9th (A), Jim Snitzer 11th (A), James Pratt 10th (B), Tom Frederick 3rd (D), Mike Lorenzen 23rd (D)

Crit- John Pratt 6th (A), Jim Snitzer 32nd (A), James Pratt 3rd (B), Tom Frederick 8th (D)

The team sits in 4th place in the overall team standings and 1st in DII after two weekends of racing. Next, ND travels to Cleveland, OH for Case Western’s criterium this weekend on Sunday, March 23.

Men’s A:

Notre Dame’s A team began their first weekend of racing in 2014 with a resounding performance all-around. Saturday morning’s team time trial was the first event, where Luke Tilmans (Sr) Jim Snitzer (Jr) John Pratt (Jr) and James Pratt (Fr) drove the Irish to a solid 5th place finish, beating all other non-varsity squads. The 75 mile A road race on Saturday afternoon, contested by over 50 riders, was fast-paced and aggressive throughout. Snitzer and Pratt proved their strength by making the day’s breakaway of 12 riders. In the finale, Pratt fought to an impressive 5th place finish. Tilmans rode strong in the second group on the road, pushing the pace over Kentucky’s countless climbs and finishing a career best 18th. Snitzer posted 29th after his strong start. Sunday’s criterium saw countless attacks off the front, but each one was reeled in by the charging peloton. Pratt once again fought his way off the front, but was reeled back in by the main field. In the final sprint, Pratt took 7th and Tilmans was 28th out of the highly competitive 60 rider field.

Men’s B:

James Pratt was the lone B rider for the Irish. After stepping up to assist the A’s in the morning’s team time trial, the talented freshman stayed with the lead group going into the final climb of the 50-mile B road race and took 8th over the top. He also had a strong performance in his first collegiate criterium.

Men’s D:

Graduate student Tom Frederick completed his first-ever mass start race in a very large D field. After avoiding several wrecks in the early miles of the road race and consequently missing the winning break, he fought his way back through the field. Out-climbing his group on the final climb, he took an impressive 28th out of a 70+ rider field. He also had a very successful first criterium, managing to stay near the front of a D field that was scattered by the cross winds down the backstretch of the course.

Women’s B/C:

Freshmen Sarah Cullen and Emma-Kate Conlin also made their collegiate racing debuts over the Lindsey Wilson weekend. Despite only having the 2 riders for the normally 4-person team time trial, they managed to bring in 3rd place. They each had a very strong showing in their first collegiate road race, with Cullen taking 6th and Conlin 22nd. In Sunday’s criterium, Cullen was 8th and Conlin 17th.

The cycling Irish sit in 5th overall, 1st in DII, in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference after the first weekend of racing. Next up, much of the team will be attending spring break training camp in Longmont, CO. Afterwards, they will return to racing at Lindenwood on March 15-16.

2013 Review:

MWCCC

Team Ranking: 3 (1 D2)

Men’s A: John Pratt 10 (1 D2), Joseph Magro 13 (2 D2), Andrew O’Donnell 32, Jim Snitzer 45, Luke Tilmans 53

Women’s A: Carolyn McCann 28

National Championship

Team Time Trial: 7

Road Race: Jim Snitzer 12, Joseph Magro 14, John Pratt 31, Luke Tilmans 43, Andrew O’Donnell 61

Criterium: Andrew O’Donnell 42, Joseph Magro 43, John Pratt 51

Omnium: Joseph Magro 18, John Pratt 33

Key Losses: Joseph Magro A, Andrew O’Donnell A, Carolyn McCann A, Brian Hurley B, Michael Chifala B, Josh Corcoran B, Phil Palmon C, David Pratt C, Pat Handy C, Rob Piscatelli D

2014 Road Preview

Returning Riders:  Douglas Ansel (G), Luke Tilmans (SR), August Kunkel (SR), Jason Koncsol (SR), John Pratt (JR), James Snitzer (JR), Samuel Melgar (SO), Brennan Lanier (SO), Domenic Canonico (SO), Ryan Twardzik (SO), Paige Handy (SO), Emily Kunce (SO)

Newcomers:  Thomas Frederick (G), Mike Lorenzen (G), David Berno (SO), Jon Leslie (SO), Martin Duchossois (SO), Joe Mueller (SO), Emma-Kate Conlin (FR), Sarah Cullen (FR), James Pratt (FR)

Schedule

 Season Outlook

A young Irish squad enters the 2014 road campaign aiming for an unprecedented 4th consecutive MWCCC D2 team title. Another league championship is no certainty though, as Notre Dame will arrive in Kentucky without 10 contributing athletes from 2013, and their 27 combined years of collegiate racing experience. With 43% of the A team and 100% of the B team victim to graduation, it is imperative that ND’s large freshmen and sophomore classes continue to develop in the C and D categories to take advantage of the tiered conference scoring system.  Despite the losses, Notre Dame does return an extremely accomplished core of A riders whose impact should not be overlooked.  Among these athletes are the 2013 D2 men’s conference champion, ¾ of the 2013 Nationals TTT team, and one of the top ranked collegiate cyclocross racers in the United States. An MWCCC stop at Notre Dame on April 12-13^th will bring some of the best collegiate cycling talent in the nation to the streets of downtown South Bend, and serve as one of the final tune-ups for the national championships. These national championships, to be held in Richmond, VA, are being billed as a test event for the 2015 UCI World Championship and return to the East Coast for the first time in over a decade.

Category by Category Analysis

Men’s A: An untested, but highly talented, Men’s A team will take the line at Lindsey Wilson looking to prove they belong with league superpowers Marian and Lindenwood. Defending D2 conference champion John Pratt will lead the team into the season, and with 2 years of A racing under his belt is not only one of the best finishers in the conference, but also more than capable of filling the captain’s role on the road. Jim Snitzer and Luke Tilmans are also set to fill vital roles on ND’s A team. A strong climber, Snitzer put the conference on notice with his unexpected 12^th place finish on the slopes of Utah at the 2013 national championship road race, while the rouleur Tilmans will step out of the shadows and into a starring role after strong contributions to the 2013 nationals TTT team. Veteran Douglas Ansel, a force on the MWCCC cyclocross scene, will also be a valuable asset when he returns to the pavement late in the season.  With skills complementing one another so well, count on Notre Dame to be a fixture in both criteriums and road races throughout the spring, as well as a strong competitor at the 2014 collegiate road national championship.

Men’s B: Although freshman James Pratt is a newcomer to collegiate cycling, he is no stranger to bike racing as he joins his older brother at the top of ND’s team. After a successful amateur summer season and a dedicated winter, expect James to have a short learning curve at the collegiate level. Holding record times up some of the most difficult training hills in South Bend, look for Pratt to strike early and often in the hillier road races on the conference schedule. Also debuting as the 4^th member of the A TTT team, Pratt looks to be embarking on a notable career with the Cycling Irish.

Men’s C:  August Kunkel is the lone returning Men’s C rider, but hails from hilly Southeastern IN and can climb with the front of this field when in form. He will enter the season hoping that many of the D riders can quickly upgrade to bolster a category the Irish have owned in recent seasons.

Women’s B/C:  The women’s team enters 2013 young, but larger than it has been in years. Two ND women are set to make their collegiate debut at Lindsey Wilson, Emma-Kate Conlin and Sarah Cullen. Conlin, a freshman at Saint Mary’s College, has raced both road and mountain in junior categories, while Cullen is an accomplished triathlete who could be a podium threat from week 1. Emily Kunce is also back in action for Notre Dame, and will look to build on a freshman campaign which saw her first ever bike racing experience. ND’s fastest B/C rider in 2013, Paige Handy will miss the spring season studying abroad, but was in tremendous shape during the fall and will return to the team in 2015. These ladies will be some of the most important contributors to the Irish this season due to the collegiate scoring system, and so far look to be up to the task!

Men’s D: In the perennial question mark category, Notre Dame will field a team of ten riders, only five of which have competed in a collegiate race. Undoubtedly one of the most experienced, if not successful, ND athletes, Samuel Melgar will continue his comeback to cycling in 2014. Working to regain the world class form he displayed at the 2010 Junior Olympic Games, Melgar will welcome the assistance of senior Jason Koncsol, who overcame a fractured arm in the second race of 2013 to become one of the breakout riders of the season. Sophomores Brennan Lanier, Domenic Canonico, and Ryan Twardzik add depth to the squad, while new graduate students Mike Lorenzen, an iron man, and Thomas Frederick have both put in huge training hours over the winter. Joe Mueller, Jonathan Leslie, and David Berno all have extensive triathlon experience, and should adapt quickly to road competition this spring. All eyes will be on the D squad throughout the season, as their collective progress towards upgrades to the C category will be critical to repeating the team’s school record 3^rd place conference finish in 2013.

On the weekend of October 11-13, the Notre Dame Cycling Team held its annual Blue-Gold-Green Race. Splitting the team into three squads and racing against ourselves, it makes for some good competition during our offseason from road racing. Festivities got underway with Friday’s (no aero equipment) 6 mile individual time trial. On the women’s side, grad student Lillie Romeiser narrowly took the win with a time of 17:08, just five seconds faster than sophomore Paige Handy and freshman Sarah Cullen. The best time of the day was set by junior Jim Snitzer, at 13:54, with grad student Andrew O’Donnell and junior John Pratt taking 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Saturday’s 21 mile road race made for some very exciting racing with large time gaps. Despite missing the winning break, freshman James Pratt (5th) and sophomore Joe Mueller (6th) put in very strong performances and showed good promise for the future of Notre Dame Cycling.

After a successful attack with about 2 miles to go, John Pratt managed to stay away from chasers Snitzer and O’Donnell to take the win. Handy was the first woman to cross the line.

Sunday, the final day of racing, saw John Pratt take his third consecutive Blue-Gold-Green criterium title ahead of O’Donnell and Mueller, who finished 3rd in his first ever criterium. Sophomore Sam Melgar K (4th) and grad student Tom Frederick (5th) also performed well. Romeiser won the women’s crit, while freshman Emma-Kate Conlin took 2nd. Congratulations to David Berno, Joe Mueller, Martin Duchoissis, John Clifford, Jon Leslie, Tom Frederick, Lillie Romeiser, Sarah Cullen, and Emma-Kate Conlin, all of whom made their Notre Dame bike racing debuts during the Blue-Gold-Green weekend.