We would like to extend an invitation to all incoming or current Notre Dame undergraduate and graduate students interested in cycling to join our team for the 2019-2020 season! We are focused on development at all levels, train and race as a team, and strive to represent our University at the highest level. If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to us at bike@nd.edu for more information!

With cycling’s finest descending to Dusseldorf for the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France in just a week, it is time to enter the Notre Dame Cycling Fantasy Tour de France League!

Entry is simple. Create a (free) Velogames account, build your team of 9 riders, and then enter the ND Cycling League code to join our league.

League Code: 450075715

Prizes for Podium winners!

For questions regarding entry please submit questions to bike@nd.edu

AWARDS AND WINNERS

2017 Legacy Awards: 

“Joe Magro Golden Cog Award” Winner: Tony Pratt

“Luke Tilmans Cool Shoes Award” Winner: David McKenna

“John Pratt Smile Award” Winner: Theresa Smart

“Jim Snitzer Hot Rod Mountain Award” Winner: Declan Kerwin (not pictured)

“Nathaniel Lee Award for Handsomeness” Winner: Ron Mau (not pictured)

2017 Team Awards: 

“Officer of the Year Award” Winner: Sarah Cullen (Treasurer)

“Teammate of the Year Award” Winner: Sam O’Melveny

“Rookie of the Year Award” Winner: John Caffarelli

“Most Improved Rider of the Year Award” Winner: Anthony Hall (not pictured)

“Manager of the Year Award” Winner: Christine Pajewski (not pictured)

2017 Senior Awards: 

“David McKenna GoPro Award for Innovation and Technology” Winner: Zach Llorens                                                                                         

“Sarah Cullen Best Female Rider Award” Winner: Kate Ginsbach (not pictured) [notable accomplishment: 2017 Fat bike National Champion]

“James Pratt Dunked On Sprint Award” Winner: Sam O’Melveny

Notre Dame Day is this weekend! This marks one of the best opportunities for us to raise money through donations. Help us reach our financial goals to offset the costs of next year’s club travel, equipment, and competitions.

With ND Day fast approaching, it’s time to sprint to the finish line! Through giving donations and casting votes, donors can help the cycling club to acquire a share of the $1,000,000.00 ND Day fund pool. The more votes we receive, the more money we acquire. It’s like ND Day makes the money you give to the cycling club multiply! That is pretty awesome!

For the first $10 donation, you may cast 5 votes for any club, and for any additional $10 donations, you may cast one vote. We ask that you cast whatever votes you have for our club. This will help us defer the cost of transportation, uniforms, and racing expenses for next academic year.

To donate now and support the ND Cycling Club, Click Here:  https://notredameday.nd.edu/campaigns/cycling-club-1

Please share this with your friends and family, as well as with anyone who loves Notre Dame or anyone who loves the great sport of cycling.

Thank you for your support!

Yours Truly,

Notre Dame Cycling

Name: Sam O’Melveny

Graduation Year: 2018

Major: Civil Engineering

Minor: International Development Studies

Favorite Quote: “There are 50 grams of protein in this bag of tortillas” -Green Machine

I have been riding bikes for the last 5 years or so but started racing this year after James Pratt convinced me to help the team. One thing led to another and all of a sudden I was shaving my legs the night of my 21st birthday before the Michigan Criterium.  Although I love the Sunday morning group rides, I have found that there is nothing quite like being in a sprint you know you shouldn’t be in but thinking you’re gonna win. Being from Southern California people may expect my to be a surfer dude that wears Lulu Lemon shorts. While I do own a pair of Lulu Lemon shorts, I don’t think I fit the California boy mold. Off the bike I try to read a lot. I love reading American classics as well as about American history. If you need a good book or have one, please let me know. Next year my goal is to work with sponsors to start building a team infrastructure that lends itself to team building. I also plan to spread the Green Machine Bible: Big Gear, No Fear.  And remember, brakes are only for those who can afford them.

Name: John Caffarelli

Graduation Year: 2020

Major: Environmental Science/Pre-Med

Favorite Quote: “There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend” -Bob Ross

Born in the year 1997, I began development of my natural cycling talent through 11 years of baseball, 8 years of cross country, and eighth grade volleyball, then decided home was on the bike going fast, and sometimes even fast up hills. After my first year of racing last summer (2016) my development has been accelerated through motorpacing behind Tony Pratt and I now race as a competitive B (Cat 3/4), my top finish being tenth in a tough road race at Miami-Ohio. My greatest moment in cycling was a hard fought victory from a breakaway at Michigan’s Strade Bianche road race when my only competitor dropped his chain allowing me to solo to the victory, which I dedicated to my ancestral homeland Italy and residence hall, Keenan Hall. I have only resided in the state of Illinois, known for its endless mountain ranges. I am working this year with the other officers to push our club/team to the next level in terms of development and infrastructure. Growth of the team and its culture,as well as our A teams are my goals. Off the bike I am a passionate outdoors man, loving pretty much any activity in the wild. I also have been running the Twitter feed, which has been a good outlet for unused jokes and my vast (as some have described it) cycling knowledge.

Name: Anthony Pratt

Graduation Year: 2019

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Favorite Quote: “If you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” -Henry Ford
I am a Category 1 cyclist who has been riding/racing for 7 years. I started racing because my older brother was and it looked like fun. It has been so much fun, and, even though I’ve gotten stronger over the years, it’s never gotten easier. Racing is the best part of being a cyclist, but the training rides have an appeal of their own, offering a break from the intensity of racing and school. Most importantly, they help us prepare to ride harder at the next races. My goals before graduation are to podium at Nationals, win the individual overall in the MWCCC a second time, and to win a Collegiate race.

Name: Elizabeth Boyle

Graduation Year: 2020

Major: Political Science & Peace Studies

Minor: International Development Studies

Favorite quote: “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” – C.S. Lewis

Hello all!  My name is Elizabeth Boyle and I am a rising sophomore at Notre Dame. I am originally from Salt Lake City, Utah but have grown up in Manhasset, New York.  Coming from a family of avid cyclists, I have been called to the bike ever since a little girl.  This year will be my first full year on the team and I am thrilled to be serving as secretary!  Outside of cycling I am a member of the Notre Dame Folk Choir, I serve as Vice-President of Breen-Phillips Hall, President of the Model UN club, and a member of Student Government.  Being the ¼ of the officers who haven’t crashed, my goal is to keep up that statistic for the next year.  Go Irish!!

After a tough few days of training in the hills around Nashville, the team moved north to Oxford, Ohio for the second week of MWCCC racing. Miami-Ohio’s course at Hueston Woods was a tough 8.6 mile loop featuring 3 signature climbs, the final two within a mile to the finish. The morning started with the team time trials and then moved into an afternoon of road racing. Highlights include a top-5 finish for the Men’s A TTT and a top-10 finish for newly upgraded B rider, John Caffarelli.

Men’s B

The 52 mile affair featuring David McKenna and freshly upgraded John Caffarelli started slow with Marian riders content to spin out the legs. At the foot of the first of 18 climbs, attacks flew off the front as various teams worked to establish the breakaway. The chaos continued for the next two laps until the 18-mile mark when a 5-man break escaped on the flats. The chase was on for those whose teams were not represented, but soon the pace dropped as the gap became insurmountable. Both McKenna and Caffarelli were content to stay in the field after a tough training camp in Nashville. A group of two pushed up the road mid-race making for 6 men up the road (one of the original 5 dropped back to the field). The sprint for 7th place started on the penultimate climb of the race with a soft attack that worked to wither the field. On the final climb, Case Western took to the front and didn’t look back. Caffarelli followed the move, making the selection for the final sprint. Caffarelli finished 10th, a great showing in his first B race.  McKenna finished in 19th.

Women’s A
Sarah felt the training load of the week in her legs and was  dropped by the field on one of the early climbs of the day. Sarah was eventually pulled from the race after 34 miles, but could not have been happier about it.  Sarah was scored as 10th place, earning points for the team

Men’s A

TTT

The quartet of Tony Pratt, James Pratt, David McKenna, and John Caffarelli hit the road with a passion right from the start ramp and started to build rhythm and a sense of flow behind the diesel engine of Tony Pratt. Trouble came within the first two miles as McKenna found himself struggling to hold on after the first climb.  The trio of Pratt, Pratt and Caffarelli continued to push on, but moments later James Pratt suffered a front flat. Wheels were swapped, but the race was effectively over, the boys deciding to cruise into the finish, saving energy for later in the afternoon. Thanks to a poorly marked corner and other misfortunes, the team still managed a 5th place finish. Look for great things from this quartet later in the season.

RR:

The 68 mile road race with 3,000 feet of climbing was not suited for James and Tony Pratt,  both on the very tall side for cycling (over 6’), however they managed well. ND was represented in the early split of the day, but the field came back together during the second lap. For the remainder of the lap attacks were constant, but futile as no group found enough space up the road. However, on the third lap, the pack lost focus and a select group of 9 riders escaped, the day’s breakaway was established. They gained time on the main field quickly, ending the race with almost a 10 minute lead. James and Tony missed the break, and preserved energy for the final sprint.  Positioned well,  James finished 2nd and Tony 3rd in the field sprint for the line (12th and 13th overall). A breakthrough day for James, as it was his first RR finish in the Men’s A field. Overall a great day for the A boys on this challenging and hilly course.

Schedule of Events:
Men’s D  8:30 AM    (30 minute race)

Women’s C  9:15 AM  (30 minute race)

Men’s C  10:00 AM  (30 minute race)

Women’s B  10:45 AM  (30 minute race)

Men’s B  11:45 AM  (45 minute race)

Women’s A  12:45 PM  (45 minute race)

Men’s A  1:45 PM  (60 minute race)