Brief Report

Men’s A

• Joe Magro 16th

Men’s C

• Michael Tonzi 18th
• Andrew O’Donnell 29th
• Josh Corcoran 35th

Men’s D

• Brian Hurley 14th

Bellefontaine OH – Road races Saturday were held on a rolling 15 mile course. With weather quickly deteriorating and wind gusts near 30mph racers battled the elements as much as one another. Sophomore Brian Hurley, Men’s D, competed first for ND. In his debut weekend Hurley rode well and finished 14th out of 51 finishers. Freshman Josh Corcoran, graduate student Andrew O’Donnell, and sophomore Michael Tonzi represented ND in the Men’s C field. The race was fast from the gun as riders jockeyed for position heading into the first climb. O’Donnell and Tonzi were able to maintain contact with the leaders over the top and into the crosswinds on the plateau above. Still in a driving rain, Tonzi slipped into a pack of 4 as the main field began to fall apart 20 miles into the race. Sprinting for the finish, Tonzi crossed the line first in his group and 18th overall. O’Donnell wasn’t far behind while Corcoran also finished near the top half of the field of 60. Graduate student Douglas Ansel and sophomore Joe Magro rode for the Irish in the Men’s A category. Much like earlier races in the day, an all out sprint to the first steep climb a mile into the course proved the defining moment of the race. Starting towards the rear, Magro passed much of the field on the ascent and crested the hill in the front group. As the temperature dropped into the 30’s and driving rain turned to sleet and hail riders strung out all over the course. Crosswinds shifted to tailwinds 25 miles into the race resulting in sustained speeds of over 40mph. Magro settled into the second group of 8 and scored more nationals qualification points with 16th overall.

Columbia KY – 45 riders were at the start of the 75 mile Men’s A road race in the hills of Columbia, KY. With 5 major climbs per 25 mile lap, Lindsey Wilson College’s course had been described as, “nothing like the rest of the courses in the conference.” by LWC cycling Coach Dave Grisby and set the stage for the beginning of the 2011 road season. Attacks began almost from the gun as both Marian University and Lindsey Wilson attempted to establish early breakaways before the road began to climb. Magro and Ansel both started towards the rear of the peloton as the field stretched into a long line with speeds touching 35mph. Midway through the first circuit a small break was able to distance itself from the field and the pace settled. With most of the major climbs located towards the rear of the loop, Magro and Ansel began to move forward in anticipation of attacks on the climbs.  Maxwell Anderson of Wisconsin-Platteville paced the field up to the start finish line with Magro sitting right on his wheel and Ansel not far behind. Cresting the climb Anderson and Magro were joined by Naveen John of Purdue and Jackie Simes of Marian. The group was able to briefly escape before an effort from Lindsey Wilson college brought the field back together again entering the valley section of the course. Anderson, a DII rival, immediately attacked again and, 20 seconds behind, Magro was forced to lead the main field’s chase.  Unable to bridge, and with little cooperation from Marian, the breakaway slowly pulled out of sight and Magro merged back into the peloton.  Crosswinds on the plateau at the beginning of the second lap saw Ansel unhitched from the field, but he was able to return to the peloton midway through the circuit. Heading into the climb at the conclusion of lap 2, Magro again rode towards the front as the field shattered on the climb. Joseph Kukolla of Marian crested the hill with a 5 second advantage over Magro, Andrew Otte of Purdue, and Jackie Simes of Marian with the field a further 10 seconds back.  Otte and Magro worked to reel in Kukolla and once together the group of 4 would not be seen again by the peloton. Slowly sweeping up the remnants of earlier breakaways, including Anderson, Kukolla, Magro, Otte, and Simes started the final climb of the day racing for 3^rd. Magro paced the group up the kilometer ascent and dropped the DII Platteville rival. Content with finishing first in DII, Magro didn’t contest the sprint and came across the line in a career best 7^th overall.  Ansel finished soon after and also recorded a career best 13^th place.

(further reports coming time permitting. midterms are here)

TTT

Men’s C 1st

RR :

Men’s A

• Joe Magro 7th
• Douglas Ansel 13th

Continue reading “Week 1 2011 Report: Lindsey Wilson”

Blue–Gold Race Results

Friday: Team Time Trial
(50) Team 1: Gold A (13:32)                    (40) Team 2: Blue A (14:15)
(25) Team 3: Blue B (16.46)                     (20) Team 2: Gold B (18.42)
Blue Team Day 1: 65 Points                     Gold Team Day 2: 70 Points

Saturday: Criterium

(6) Fast Prime 1: Matt Prygoski (G)

(4) Fast Prime 2: Brian Boyle (B)

(2) Fast Prime 3: Joe Magro (B)

(40 First: Matt Prygoski (G)

(35) Second: Brian Boyle (B)

(30) Third: Doug Ansel (G)

(25) Fourth: Josh Corcoran (B)

(20) Fifth: Joe Magro (B)

(18) Sixth: Mike Tonzi (G)

(16) Seventh: Brian Hurley (G)

(14) Eighth: Jenn Perricone (G)

(12) Ninth: Alejandro de a Puente (B)

(10) Tenth: Enrique Gorbea (B)

(9) Eleventh: Ethan Ferguson (B)

(8) Twelfth: Isaac Harrington (B)

(7) Thirteenth: Oliver Chmell (G)

(6) Fourteenth: Tom Enzweiler (B)

(5) Fifteenth: Olivia Killian (G)

(4) Sixteenth: Jose Lugo (G)

(3) Seventeenth:Julie Hamilton (G)

Blue Team Day 2: 131 Points         Gold Team Day 2: 143

Blue team Total: 196                       Gold Team Total: 213
Sunday: Road Race
(40 First: Matt Prygoski (G)

(35) Second: Brian Boyle (B)

(30) Third: Joe Magro (B)

(25) Fourth:Neil Griggs (G)

(20) Fifth: Josh Corcoran (B)

(18) Sixth: Mike Tonzi (G)

(16) Seventh: Doug Ansel (G)

(14) Eighth: Jenn Perricone (G)

(12) Ninth: Alejandro de la Puente (B)

(10) Tenth: Isaac Harrington (B)

(9) Eleventh: Olivia Killian (G)

(8) Twelfth: Oliver Chmell (G)

(7) Thirteenth: Julie Hamilton (G)

(6) Fourteenth: Vincent (B)

Blue Team Day 3: 113           Gold Team Day 3: 137
Blue Team Total: 309           Gold Team Total: 350

AND THE WINNERS ARE THE GOLD TEAM! CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE!

The 2010 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships were held in Madison, Wisconsin as the best collegiate athletes from across the country met for a weekend of elite racing. Riding for Notre Dame were Jenn Perricone in the women’s field and Douglas Ansel and Joe Magro in the men’s events.

Racing began Friday morning with a challenging Road Race through Blue Mounds State Park. Had Chicago been chosen to host the summer Olympic Games in 2016, this route would have been the site of the cycling events. Snaking through the woods of Southern Wisconsin, the course featured over 8,000 feet of vertical climbing for the 75 mile men’s race and 6,000 feet for the 50 mile women’s race including a mountain of over 2 miles and 800 vertical feet every 15 mile lap. Ansel and Magro were called to the start line at 8:40am, a steady rain serving as a foreboding omen for the racing to come. The first 3 miles of the race were run at over 40mph down the side of a mountain and Ansel soon found himself losing ground as the leading group screamed through the winding descent. Forced to chase back to the group on the flatlands before the larger climbs, Ansel ultimately was unable to move to a secure place in the field and was dropped on the first ascent of the mountain. Magro rode in the quickly shrinking front pack comfortably the first lap. On the second ascent of the mountain, Magro was uncoupled from the leaders but was able to rejoin the peloton, now down to 25 riders, on the following descent. 45 miles into race, and the third time up the mountain, Magro again lost about 20 seconds to the leaders but exhausted from the effort, and unlikely to place highly, he pulled out to save energy for Saturday’s criterium.

Perricone began her race with aspirations of a Podium finish, but the fast deteriorating weather conditions proved a bigger obstacle than any of her competition. Jenn stuck with the front group for first lap, but as the temperature dropped and rain turned to hail she had visions of her crash two weekends ago at the Conference Championships. On the descent of the mountain, Perricone was unwilling to take risks on some of the tighter corners and soon withdrew from the contest.

Hoping to improve on the previous day’s results, all three Notre Dame Cyclists looked forward to Saturday’s criterium in downtown Madison. The 4 corner kilometer long course circumnavigated the state capitol building with the only geographic obstacle being a slight rise between the 3^rd and 4^th turns. Large crowds turned out to watch the center city event making for a great atmosphere for riders and spectators alike. Perricone got the action going for Notre Dame but, still tentative from her accident at regionals, was never seriously in contention.

In men’s event, over 80 riders from Alaska to Florida gathered at the start line for an hour of lightning fast racing. As Notre Dame’s first rider called to the start line, Magro was positioned fairly well from the beginning, but Ansel was not as fortunate and began the race from the rear. The first five laps were ridden in the neighborhood of 33 miles per hour and Ansel was an early victim of his starting position. 12 minutes into the race, he finally was unlatched from the rear of the peloton and forced to abandon.  Magro rode in the center of the field for much of the race and comfortably accelerated with the flurry of attacks that marked the opening laps. Thirty minutes into the race, what was once an 80 rider field had been reduced to fifty with Magro still riding comfortably. With ten minutes remaining, Magro made a move around the inside going through turn 2 and was able to move into the top 15. His good position was short lived however, as an attack from Mesa State brought a multitude of riders to the front and past Magro. In the closing laps Magro again attempted to move into a good position for the sprint, but the speed of the field (race average of 27.5 mph) made his task difficult. At the finish, Magro came home in 36th as Mesa State’s powerful lead out train controlled the final lap and delivered their sprinter to victory.

Saturday

The rains held off long enough in West Lafayette Saturday for all the Midwestern Conference Championship road races and time trials to be run in relatively dry conditions. Notre Dame was very successful throughout the day with the team’s achievements highlighted by Jenn Perricone’s 3^rd place in the Women’s A race and resulting D2 road race championship.

Action started early in the morning for the Irish in the Men’s B team time trial. Brian Boyle, Ethan Ferguson, and Nate Lee represented ND against the other teams of the Midwest. Each rider taking turns breaking the wind at the front of the paceline, Notre Dame navigated around the 6.5 mile course in 16 minutes 37 seconds. At the finish, ND came home in 3^rd place in the conference, first among Division 2 teams.

Racing resumed in the afternoon with the road race event held on Purdue’s 8 mile course featuring two small climbs and moderate crosswinds. Nate Lee, Ethan Ferguson, Brian Boyle, Brendan Kiefer and Josh Johnson all started the 50 mile men’s B road race for the Irish. The race got off to a slow start with riders from all schools hesitant to make an attack. The slow tempo caused a bunching of the field which made for dangerous conditions. Three Notre Dame Riders, Lee, Boyle, and Ferguson were involved in a crash and while Lee and Boyle were able to chase and rejoin the main field, a damaged shifter on Ferguson’s bike made finishing the race impossible. As the competition entered its final stages, two riders were able to separate themselves from the main field and, as their advantage grew, the race became one for third. In the final dash to the line Kiefer was the best ND finisher in 11^th followed by Johnson in 19^th, Boyle in 25^th, and Lee in 27^th.

In the 50 mile Women’s A race, Jenn Perricone of Notre Dame was matched against an elite field of riders including Sinead Miller, a member of the United States National Team.  Riding strongly at the front of the field, Perricone watched her rivals until Miller made her attack. Following right in Miller’s slipstream, Perricone and Ashley James of Lindsey Wilson College were the only riders strong enough to stay with Miller and, as their gap over the main field quickly grew, it was clear the winner would come from these three riders. All three worked together until the closing miles when jockeying for position for the final sprint began. Perricone led out the sprint and was passed in the closing moments by her two rivals. However, her 3^rd place position was the best of her collegiate career and, because she was the first D2 rider to cross the line, made her the Division 2 Women’s Road Race champion.  Each week of the 2010 season Perricone’s results have improved, a trend that bodes well for her goal to win the collegiate national championship to be held in Wisconsin two weekends from now.

Racing concluded on Saturday with the 70 mile men’s road race. Both Douglas Ansel and Joe Magro were on the start line for Notre Dame, along with over 70 other competitors in what shaped up to be the most competitive contest of the season. The first 18 miles were run at a high tempo with no one able to escape from an aggressive peloton. Finally, at the beginning of the third lap, a breakaway of 9 separated itself from the field. Their advantage peaked at a minute thirty, and while it dwindled in the closing miles, these riders were not seen by the main field again. Both Magro and Ansel fought for position towards the front of the peloton throughout the race as the difficult pace gradually shot riders off the back of the field. With 24 miles remaining, another group of around 10 distanced itself from the rest of the main field on the second of the courses two climbs. Still feeling strong and wanting the chance to sprint for a high overall place, Ansel and Magro moved to the front of the peloton and began pursuit of this second breakaway. Two miles later, the field was back together again and both Notre Dame riders slipped back into the draft to recover. On the final lap, speeds reached in excess of 46 miles per hour on the descent 2 miles before the finish. With less than a mile remaining, Ansel’s front derailleur broke making him incapable of shifting into his big front chain-ring. Unable to hold the high speed with only his small ring, Ansel was left behind by a charging main field. Magro shot wide around the final turn and quickly moved from the rear of the main field to the front for the final sprint. He crossed the line in 21^st position, 4^th among D2 riders, a strong result in a field containing many professional s.  After 70 miles, the Men’s A race had averaged 25.5 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest and the longest of the entire season.

Sunday

Cloudy skies gave way to torrential downpours on Sunday and rider’s tackled the challenging .6 mile criterium circuit around Purdue’s football stadium. Each lap included a short steep climb on the front stretch followed by a fast descent on the backstretch. Conditions were made especially dangerous by the narrow roads and soaking wet sharp left hand turns at the bottom of the steep hill.

Ferguson, Boyle, and Lee all took to the start line for the Irish in the Men’s B criterium. Attacks were fast and furious at the beginning of the event as riders looked to use the dangerous conditions to their advantage. On the first descent of the major hill, Lee’s brake pads, soaked by the rain, slipped on his wheels causing a highly dangerous scenario. Lee was able to stay upright on his bike, but lost contact with the back of the field and withdrew soon afterwards. Twenty minutes into the event, Boyle also pulled out citing the dangerous conditions. Ferguson, the last ND rider still in the race, continued and as the pace quickened he too was unhitched by the field. Fighting on regardless, Ferguson was gaining ground on his rivals but was forced to quit by the race official. As only 15 riders remained in the race at this point, Ethan was credited with a 16^th place out of over 30 starters.

Perricone started the Women’s A criterium looking to build off her success of the day before. An early breakaway of three riders was established in the opening moments, but Perricone was close behind in the first chase group of only 6. Riding strongly in this group, Perricone was poised to drop her rivals and continue on after the breakaway alone when disaster struck. Screaming down the backstretch’s steep descent, Perricone slipped on the wet, glass like crosswalk paint in the intersection of the 3^rd turn. Losing control of her bike, Perricone slammed into a pole at over 30 miles per hour, and then was thrown into a tree before finally sliding to a stop some 20 meters after the apex of the curve. As the ambulance came to take her to the hospital, Perricone was more concerned about her bike which now lay in pieces next to her. The front fork and headset had been ripped off the rest of her frame while the frame itself was cleaved in two in 3 other places. Evidently, the pole had cut through her bicycle as they collided.  Amazingly, Perricone came through the accident without a scratch and after x-rays were taken it was determined she’d only suffered serious bruising to her hip, leg, and ribs.

With knowledge of Perricone’s crash fresh in his mind, Magro made an effort to ride safely in the Men’s A race. For the first two laps he was able to stay at the front of the field, but the ridiculous speeds in the corners proved too much and he soon fell to the rear and off the back. Magro was able to rejoin the main field, but 30 minutes into the event the pace quickened again and, not feeling his strongest and not wanting to risk injury with nationals two weeks away, he withdrew.

With conference championships behind them, Notre Dame now turns toward Madison, Wisconsin for the Collegiate National Cycling Championships. Perricone will race for a title in both the Women’s Road Race and Criterium while Joe Magro and Douglas Ansel will represent the team on the Men’s side. Action begins with the Road Race on May 7^th and continues throughout the weekend.

Saturday

The MWCCC stopped by East Lansing, MI this Saturday for the last road race of the 2010 regular season. Michigan State’s course was only 4.5 miles long, but featured one section of dirt road which stretched for nearly a mile of the route. This lone stretch of dirt proved to be the defining factor of the days racing for Notre Dame.

Junior Brendan Kiefer and Josh Johnson were the first of the Irish to ride, both in the 30 mile Men’s B race.  This race got off to a fast start as a Lindsey Wilson College rider attacked from the gun, but the pace soon slowed as he flatted his rear tire just seconds after turning on to the dirt section. Shortly thereafter, Kiefer also flatted and was forced to take a wheel out of the wheel van. After fixing the mechanical he attempted to rejoin the field, but the gusting winds made this task impossible. Farther forward in the main field, Johnson lost contact with the leaders after the second trip through the dirt section. Both Johnson and Kiefer finished the race, but not before Kiefer suffered another flat and was forced to ride with with one inflated tire, one not.

Making his debut in the Men’s A category, Doug Ansel didn’t find much more luck than Kiefer or Johnson. He started strongly, but the high tempo, hovering around 30 mph, carried through the dirt section, into a headwind, proved to be too much and he popped halfway through the third lap. Ansel rode the next 40 miles to the finish alone to cap off the day’s racing for Notre Dame.

Sunday

Saturday night saw racers make the short commute from East Lansing to Ann Arbor, the site of Sunday’s criterium.  The University of Michigan’s criterium course was a high speed, 4 corner track on freshly paved roads with a gradual hill on the backstretch the only obstacle riders faced besides the moderate crosswind.

With the frustrations of the day before still fresh in mind, Kiefer and Johnson looked for better luck in the Men’s B race. While Johnson rode comfortably in the main field, Kiefer was in the thick of the action at the front of the pack for most of the race. A small breakaway of three riders got free 30 minutes into the 45 minute race and were not seen again by the main field until the finish. With two laps to go, Kiefer tried to bridge from the peloton to a Purdue rider caught in the space between the break and the field, but he could not quite close the gap. Pulled back into the fray, Kiefer didn’t contest the sprint for 4^th while Johnson finished in the middle of the pack.

Jenn Perricone, Women’s A, raced after Kiefer and Johnson. Before the race, Perricone planned to attack the field early and often to un-hitch the weaker girls and shrink the group. Trying to turn her plan into reality, Jenn led the field through the first turn and onto the backstretch, but the bunch stayed largely intact. Not wanting to waste any more energy, Perricone slipped to the back and waited for an opportunity to go on the attack again. Towards the middle of the 45 minute race, Jenn again jumped off the front, this time with 2 other riders. Her attack was short lived however, and an active main reeled the breakaway in. As soon as this break was swallowed, Rita Klofta (Depauw University) took a solo flier off the front and established a 15 second advantage. For the remaining 20 minutes of competition the peloton strained to bring Klofta back, but were unable to do so. Perricone rode strongly in the closing laps and finished second in the field sprint, or 3^rd overall for her best result of the season.

Competition Sunday concluded with Magro and Ansel in the Men’s A race. A field of over 40 riders began the 60 minute race, but this number began to dwindle even in the opening laps. A stern tempo was established as rider after rider attempted to break free of the main field. Magro and Ansel both rode in the middle of the peloton in the initial minutes of the race, sheltered from the strengthening crosswind. 25 minutes into the race, a small gap formed in front of Ansel coming out of the second turn. Sprinting up the hill on the backstretch to regain contact with the field, Ansel was buffeted by the wind and could not make up any ground. Soon after he abandoned, no doubt still feeling the long solo ride of the day before and a lingering hip injury suffered at Southern Illinois. Magro continued on in a race which soon became dangerous. During the 40^th minute, a rider took turn 3 much too quickly and drifted out of his line and into the rider to his outside. The collision started a chain reaction crash in the center of the field which ultimately eliminated over 8 riders from the race. Magro came through the crash unscathed and briefly found himself in a breakaway, but the main field was soon back together again. As rider’s crossed the start/ finish line with 4 laps to go, a racer attempted to pass Magro on the left. A hole that was there quickly closed and the two bikes became tangled. The other rider smashed into the asphalt at close to 30 miles per hour, but Magro was able to correct his leaning bike and continue on. On the final lap, Magro tried to move to the front, but the high speed made advancing position near impossible. He still crossed the line in the top 15 and ensured qualification in the Collegiate National Championships to be held May 7-9 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Next weekend, Notre Dame travels to Purdue for the Midwest conference championships. Much is on the line as Perricone looks for victory; Ansel attempts to qualify for Nationals, and Johnson, Kiefer, Magro, Ferguson, Lee, and Boyle all look to score good results at the conference championships.