Finals Week Flashback: 2012 Road Season

With Notre Dame student athletes preparing for finals week, now is a perfect time to remember the history of ND Cycling.

2012 Season Highlight Video

Led by senior captain Nathaniel Lee, the 2012 Irish cycling squad was arguably the most complete in school history. 10 riders from this team would race in the A category before their careers concluded, with upperclassmen Joseph Magro, Douglas Ansel, Andrew O’Donnell, Brian Hurley, Patrick Handy, Carolyn McCann, and Brian Boyle, forming an experienced core. The team was augmented by current MWCCC defending champion John Pratt’s sparkling freshman season, and also saw the emergence of  transfer Luke Tilmans coincide with the beginning of freshmen James Snitzer and Michael Chifala’s decorated ND careers. David Pratt,  and August Kunkel both won races for Notre Dame that spring, while Phil Palmon, Patrick Handy, Josh Corcoran, and Rob Piscatelli all scored multiple top 5’s for the team.  When the dust settled at the first ever MWCCC Conference Championships to be held in South Bend, Notre Dame had amassed 15 individual and team wins throughout the season, with an unprecedented 50 top 5’s. Easily reclaiming the school’s second MWCCC DII team crown, Joe Magro also collected his second MWCCC individual title.  To cap the 2012 season, Notre Dame Cycling was named the Notre Dame student club of the year, in recognition of their partnership with the Ara Parsegian Medical Research Foundation, charity initiatives throughout the South Bend Community, and work to bring corporate sponsorship to ND club sports.

Since 2012, Notre Dame’s cycling program has continued to grow, and the 2015 spring season promises to bring even more excitement to the ND community. With the largest women’s team in years, and multiple National Championship qualifiers returning, the 2015 team has high hopes to bring home the school’s 5th consecutive conference team title!

 

 

Cyclocross at Hilton Indian Lakes, Chicago Cross Cup

Bloomingdale, IL — On Saturday, November 15, 1st year graduate student Andrew Koch represented the cycling Irish in the collegiate B race at Hilton Indian Lakes. The race was part of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. Due to good results at previous races, Koch started in the front and never looked back. His win marked the first of the 2014-2015 season for Notre Dame. Despite having already raced, he also competed in the category 4/5 race immediately afterwards and took an impressive 3rd place. Koch is a new addition to the team after graduating from Furman University last year and coming to ND for a Masters in Sacred Music. He will also be competing on the road, starting in the Bs this coming spring.

2015 Kit Order

The 2015 pre-order has closed. Check back in late-January for extra inventory we will have for sale.

For questions regarding the ordering process or anything else, please email bike@nd.edu.

Velocity (race fit) Jersey $110.00
Axis Rx (club fit) Jersey $95.00
Velocity Bibs $100.00
Velocity Long-Sleeve Jersey $110.00
Element Windtex Polar Jacket $120.00
Element Windtex Vest $75.00
Velocity Long-Sleeve Skinsuit $130.00
Element Arm Warmer $33.00
Element Knee Warmer $33.00
Element Rain Shoe Cover $35.00
Velocity Race Glove $30.00
High Cut Socks (5″ Cuff) $8.00
Cycling Cap $10.00

VelocityJerseyAxisJersey  LSJerseyBibshorts JacketSkinsuitqVest Gloves     ArmWarmersKneeWarmersSoxCyclingCap

Pedal Cab

Notre Dame Pedal Cab

During every home football weekend for the past few years, the Notre Dame Cycling Team has offered the pedal cab service to campus visitors. It is one of our premier fundraisers for funding travel, lodging, and other expenses for our racing season. This year we are teaming up with the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation and donating 10% of all the money we raise to this great cause.

“The Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding medical research projects to find a treatment for Niemann-Pick Type C (NP-C) disease. The Parseghian Foundation is named in honor of Ara Parseghian, the much beloved and well-known Notre Dame Football Coach, whose three youngest grandchildren were diagnosed with NP-C in 1994.”

Top 5 reasons you should take a ride on the Cycling Team pedal cab:

  1. It is the fastest, greenest form of transportation on campus.
  2. You won’t have to get tired walking all the way across campus to see your favorite university landmark.
  3. Us cyclists need to train.
  4. Support the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation.
  5. Support Notre Dame Cycling.

Next time you are on campus for a home football game, look for one of our 2 pedal cabs!

 

Jim Snitzer named 2014 Academic All-Star

Jim

South Bend, IN — Notre Dame men’s cyclist Jim Snitzer (Jr) captured USA Cycling Academic All-Star honors when USA Cycling announced its 2014 team today. Described as an award seeking to recognize “those that go above and beyond by achieving top grades in the classroom while also competing at USA Cycling Collegiate National Championships”, Snitzer was one of 41 riders selected from 22 different schools. In order to achieve Academic All-Star status, an athlete must have attended a USA Collegiate Cycling National Championship in the specified term for that honor and have maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA for the semester during which the nationals event falls.

A Physics Pre-Med student at Notre Dame, Snitzer finished 2nd in the 2014 Midwest Conference DII standings, and was a member of Notre Dame’s bronze medal Team Time Trial squad at the 2014 National Championship held in Richmond, VA.  In 2013, Snitzer also scored a 12th place finish in his national championship debut. Serving as team president during the 13/14 school year, Snitzer is an instrumental member of ND Cycling, both on and off the bike.

As a member of the inaugural class of Collegiate Academic All-Stars, Snitzer is the first Notre Dame student athlete to be awarded this honor.

 

2014 Team Photo

2014 Team Picture (small)

Pictured (from left to right):
Top- Brennan Lanier, Mike Lorenzen, Jon Leslie, Andrew O’Donnell, Devin Stalker, Sarah Cullen, Emma-Kate Conlin

Bottom- Jason Koncsol, Luke Tilmans, Doug Ansel, August Kunkel, Tom Frederick, John Pratt, David Berno, Jim Snitzer, James Pratt

Not Pictured:
Josh Corcoran, Paige Handy, Sam Melgar K, Joe Mueller

CapTech USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships Recap

Notre Dame Cycling sent Andrew O’Donnell (Grad.), John Pratt (Jr.), Jim Snitzer (Jr.), and Luke Tilmans (Sr.) to the 2014 CapTech USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships on May 2-4. The event was held in Richmond, VA and served as a test event for the UCI Road World Championships that will come to the city in September of 2015. The collegiate courses were identical to those that will be used in the World Championships and showcased historic parts of Richmond, including Monument Street, Broad Street, and Libby Hill.

The team and individual time trials were held on the first day of racing, Friday, May 2. Despite a crash during warmup for the TTT, the 4 Irish riders paced well and finished the 31km course in 43:12. It was good enough for 3rd place amongst DII teams and the first nationals podium in the history of Notre Dame Cycling. A few short hours later, O’Donnell and Snitzer took the line for the ITT. Amongst a very strong DII field, Snitzer finished 13th (45:09) and O’Donnell 25th (47:06).

In Saturday’s criterium Pratt took advantage of his front row start from winning the MWCCC conference omnium. Tilmans and Snitzer started near the back but managed to work their way up through the field. A short, tight, and technical descent followed by a moderately sized climb along the backstrech made for a very difficult race in which over 2/3 of the field was pulled. Tilmans managed to finish in the field at 28th, while Pratt was 29th and Snitzer 64th.

Sunday’s road race, 7 laps of a 10 miles loop, featured two sections of rough cobbles: a fast descent in the middle of the city and a switchback climb through a nearby park. Unfortunately, the race saw some very bad luck for the Irish. Tilmans suffered a flat tire only 3 miles in, received a neutral support bike, but was unable to chase back to the charging peloton. Just a few miles later, Snitzer went down in a crash that took out over 20 riders. He was still able to finish 54th. Pratt, the last remaining ND rider, rode near the front of the field even putting in a solo attack during the first lap. Unfortunately, he too suffered a flat tire with 2 laps to go and had to settle for 48th.

Notre Dame Cycling thanks all of their sponsors and fans for their support throughout the 2014 road season and the city of Richmond for hosting a fantastic event. Happy riding to all this summer! It won’t be long until the 2015 MWCCC season and National Championships in Asheville, NC.

CapTech USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships Preview

From MWCCC conference director Matt Jones: “In the D2 men’s field, Notre Dame has dominated the entire season, even taking a few wins from the larger varsity programs. John Pratt has led this charge and is expected to be an active force in both the road race and criterium. This will continue into the TTT where a podium finish for Notre Dame would not be out of the question.”

See the following for a complete preview: http://www.usacycling.org/2014-captech-usa-cycling-collegiate-road-nationals-preview.htm

Notre Dame Nationals roster:

TTT- Andrew O’Donnell (Grad.), John Pratt (Jr.), Jim Snitzer (Jr.), Luke Tilmans (Sr.)

ITT- O’Donnell, Snitzer

Crit- Pratt, Snitzer, Tilmans

RR- Pratt, Snitzer, Tilmans

Follow @cyclingirish on twitter for live updates from this weekends National Championships in Richmond, VA.

MWCCC Regionals Purdue Recap

The Notre Dame Cycling team competed in West Lafayette, IN on April 26-27 in the MWCCC Regional Championships hosted by Purdue with the Division II conference title on the line. The races were held west of Purdue’s campus and began with an 8-mile team time trial on Saturday morning. The Notre Dame men’s A team represented by John Pratt (Jr.), Jim Snitzer (Jr.), Luke Tilmans (Sr.), and Andrew O’Donnell (Grad.) took a season best 4th place, only 32 seconds behind the winning time, while averaging a blistering 28+ mph pace.

Shortly after the time trial, the road races began. The course consisted of a 9.4-mile lap including a one-mile, 160ft climb followed by sections with strong winds and a fast decent. The races had riders completing between three and eight laps totaling 28-75 miles, depending on their respective categories. Sarah Cullen (Fr.), despite wrecking early on in the race, took 7th in the women’s B race after quickly catching up to the field. Mike Lorenzen (Grad.) once again set the pace for the men’s D race. He took third place after establishing himself in a four-man breakaway, providing the Irish with their first podium spot of the weekend. In the men’s C road race, Tom Frederick (grad.) was able to bridge to a seven-man break and took a season best 6th place. Notre Dame’s star freshman James Pratt was able to fend off several attacks by riders from Marian in the men’s B field, and took a career best second place in the final sprint. The men’s A road race saw an uncharacteristically large amount of wrecks, which claimed riders Douglas Ansel (Grad.) and O’Donnell as victims. However, the Irish were able to get their leader John Pratt in the day’s six-man breakaway. Both Snitzer and Tilmans worked together to cover other teams’ attempts to bridge the gap allowing the break to gain more than a ten-minute advantage. Pratt took second in the final sprint, while Tilmans and Snitzer finished 17th and 20th respectively.

Sunday’s circuit race featured a four-mile loop that included a short, steep climb, with no time to recover due to strong crosswinds and a quick descent back to the base of the climb. Cullen put in an impressive effort to grab 9th place in women’s B. Lorenzen applied constant pressure while attacking the men’s D field, eventually taking 15th.  In men’s C, an attack by a rider from Case Western established the ten-man break including Frederick in the final lap. On the finishing climb, Frederick took another impressive top ten finish grabbing 5th place. The men’s A field was shelled by the tough climb and strong crosswinds; however, John Pratt helped Snitzer establish himself in the days surviving field. Snitzer eventually grabbed 18th, Pratt 21st, Tilmans 25th, and O’Donnell 30th in a very difficult race.

For the fourth year running, the Notre Dame Cycling team emerged as the MWCCC Division II team champions. Furthermore, John Pratt and Jim Snitzer took first and second place respectively in the Division II Individual Omnium. Notre Dame would like to thank Purdue for hosting a very well organized race weekend and providing a stellar setting to help bring an end to another successful MWCCC season.

Men’s A riders John Pratt, Jim Snitzer, Luke Tilmans, and Andrew O’Donnell will head to Richmond, VA for the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships on May 2-4. The Irish will face the best collegiate riders from across the country on the course for the eventual 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

Home Race Recap

Over 200 cyclists from schools across the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference came to South Bend, IN on April 12-13 for the 4th annual Notre Dame Collegiate Cycling Classic. The Notre Dame cycling team hosted the event with the help of St. Joseph County and the City of South Bend. It also acted as a fundraiser for the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation. Saturday’s races were held south of the city, starting and finishing at the Greene Intermediate Center. Teams competed in the 7.8-mile team time trial in the morning. The Irish A team, consisting of John Pratt (Jr.), Jim Snitzer (Jr.), and Luke Tilmans (Sr. ) took 5th, less than a minute behind the best time of the day set by Marian.

In the afternoon, riders took the line in the road race, varying between 28 and 72 miles in length depending upon category. The wind picked up throughout the day, making for some very hard racing. Sarah Cullen (Fr.) set the tempo at the front of the women’s B field, but after 28-miles the peloton was still together going into the final sprint. Cullen managed to take 8th. In the men’s D road race, Mike Lorenzen (Grad.) came in 3rd, while Tom Frederick (Grad.) and August Kunkel (Sr.) were 13th and 16th respectively in men’s C. The men’s A road race saw a large crash in a crosswind section of the course in just the first of 5 laps. Thankfully, no Notre Dame riders hit the pavement. Shortly following the crash, Pratt managed to get himself into the 5-man breakaway that would eventually stay away until the finish while Douglas Ansel (Grad.), Snitzer, and Tilmans rode in the second group on the road. Unfortunately, Tilmans was disqualified for going over the centerline and Ansel suffered a flat tire. In the end, Pratt was 4th and Snitzer 15th after an extremely hard day of racing.

Sunday’s short, technical, 6-turn criterium course wound through the newly developing Triangle Neighborhood before bringing riders near the Eddy St Commons and finishing on Napoleon St. Early in the day, Emma-Kate Conlin (Fr.) and Cullen rode strongly to bring in another pair of top ten finishes for women’s B.  Lorenzen had another men’s D podium finish, grabbing 2nd with the support of teammates David Berno (So.), Joe Mueller (So.), and Sam Melgar (So.). Kunkel and Frederick both recorded season-bests 5th and 8th respectively in Men’s C. After initially being gapped by the peloton, James Pratt (Fr.) fought hard to catch back on in the men’s B race. He eventually caught the field and held on for an impressive 12th. In men’s A, the final race of the day, Pratt once again made it into the winning breakaway. Meanwhile, bake in the peloton, Tilmans and Ansel were near the front but were both caught behind a crash in the final lap, continuing their bad luck from the day before. At the finish, Pratt recorded 5th despite taking large pulls to chase down riders from Marian and Lindsey Wilson.

The Notre Dame cycling team thanks St. Joseph County, the City of South Bend, and all the volunteers that helped out to make the weekend a success. The Irish will travel to Purdue University on April 26-27 for the MWCCC Regional Championships before going to USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals on May 2-4 in Richmond, VA.