Princeton Circuit, Men's B

Well, that was intense. I finally have a computer on my race bike, and the numbers don't lie. something like 25 mph average, close to 30 into the headwind when the racing heated up... I have no idea how fast we were in the tailwind, because I was too busy trying to keep my heart from bursting through my throat. It was hurty.

The Rutgers men worked well together the whole time. Chris and Rich never strayed more than 10 people from the front, and they were active in chasing the dangerous breaks. Alex and I took turns attacking and counter-attacking for a while, even working together in a group of 6ish for the 30 seconds before we got caught. Rich, who had been blocking for us in a display of extraordinary teamwork and patience, took a few stabs at breaking away himself. The pack stayed together.


Going into the last few corners, I was on Chris' wheel. Rich was somewhere ahead of us, and I have no idea where Alex was. I tried to stay with Chris, but that man knows how to move through a field in the last kilometer, and before I knew it he'd put himself in great position. Typical Chris.

Alex finished 29th, Rich got 12th, and I eked out my first top-20 of the season in 20th place. Chris got 3rd, but he's 1st in our hearts.

Pheonixville Phlood

Mens C cirCRIT race

So, I was disappointed that the road race was flooded, for I was really looking forward to a tough, rainy, hilly road race. But, immediately before the C mens category, the race was reconfigured to be a circuit through downtown. In the process, the start time was delayed by 30 minutes, followed by a 45 minute experiment on how to turn cyclists into popsicles. Then, the announcement came that a 25 minute circuit race on a crit course would begin shortly.

Short race, cold and whining cyclists, inclement weather, downhill entrance to turn 3 with a snowfence barrier separating a sliding cyclist from oncoming traffic, and a slippery manhole cover in apex of turn 4... the perfect recipe for a breakaway from the gun. A strong guy from Navy took advantage and shed the field save me and a NCSU rider. Keeping that pace from a cold start HURT! The three of us worked together quite well and put lots of time into the field, especially after being joined by another strong guy from UVM. Simply, the four of us could move through the turns much faster than the field. Strength: Navy, UVM, me, NCSU Finish: Navy, UVM, NCSU me. I followed Navy in the paceline order, and he successfully shed us by accelerating out of corner four approaching two laps to go. I pulled for half a lap merely 15 feet off his wheel, but at the exit of turn two, it was over. I was hoping the increased pace might drop UVM and NSCU bringing me to a second place finish, but UVM kept my wheel. You'll never know until you try, right? I was spent after the effort and came in last of the break.

I was quite happy, for my goal for the day was to get in a break and make it stick. That happened, and I have grown as a cyclist. The only way it could have been better, is if DK had finished in 5th. He was feeling fantastic and was well placed in the chase group (where he did much more disrupting than pulling, thanks Dave!), but he unfortunately found the slippery manhole cover on the last corner and hit the pavement. Worry not ladies, DK is alright... sexy need not be brought back, Dave's still here.

Thanks to everyone that was outside cheering in the deluge. And, thank you to theJenksster and CoachKen for helping me visualize what scenarios could play out in a break.

Don's Rutgers Classic Report

What a weekend! It is definitely a challenge to put together a race, then compete in it, but I'd say our team came through with flying colors.

The highlight for me wasn't even related to racing. Set up in a long row of trainers, the Cs and Bs were warming for our criteriums on Saturday. Normally, while spinning our legs out, we would be talking strategy over the din of whirring trainers and the chatter of the race announcer.

On Saturday, though, we had a special treat... a live band! Feel It Robot drove down all the way from Bangor, Maine, to rock while we rolled. It was a rare treat, the first of its kind in the ECCC (we think), and it was a big hit with all of the teams.

Cycling Team alumnus DanFlan, featured on the keyboard and vocals, showed some alma mater pride as he sang of bicycles, parties, and of course robots. What better way to get us pumped up for our races?

As for me, I would've loved to tell you about how great my races went, but I don't want to mislead you. I got dropped like a rock in the Men's B Criterium, organizing a chase that never managed to catch the pack, but did manage to finish the race. Serves me right for riding at the back of the pack!

On Sunday, the Circuit Race went much better for me. After an hour of hard surging, aggressive cornering, and elbow bumping, I managed a respectable (relatively speaking) top-30 finish. If you squint, you can just barely see me hiding from the wind in this picture:

I'll offer my congratulations to my podium-earning teammates, but I won't tell you who they are... they'll tell you their stories in upcoming posts, here at the Rutgers University Cycling Team Blog!

2nd Annual "Accidental" Century

Last year, the Accidental Century was named because none of us realized we'd be riding 100 miles that day. Yesterday, almost exactly 1 year after the first edition, Rutgers Cycling put together a Century that was "Accidental" only in name. We met at the Brower, making this a very Rutgersy ride.
There were 10 of us on the ride. DK had proposed the idea, and Jay#1 had mapped out the route to improve on last year's. The Kassassin and BeastMasterChris, both of whom had gottenn monumentally faster since last year, were intent on getting plenty of time in the wind. Grizzly Ray and NinjaDon made sure the ride had enough beards, because if nothing else, Rutgers is a team of style. AlumnusTed joined too, having wimped out (and having been mocked for it) last year. Anthony and Charlie, both new to the team, need nicknames.

In an unexpected treat, Ken joined us for the first 30 or so miles. Ken, an alumnus who races for K2, spent more than his share of time on the front, talked training and tactics with us, and helped make the first couple of hours fly by. You're welcome back any time, Ken!

Somewhat miraculously, we only had 1 flat tire! Even better, it occurred during the steepest, longest climb, which gave us a nice opportunity to regroup and recover.

Anthony, a 1st year student, was clearly enjoying himself. By watching some of the more experienced guys and asking the right questions, he was able to noticeably improve his handling skills over the course of the ride. Now that he's got the technique to match his fitness, Anthony will be ready for the Spring Road Season.

Grizzly Ray dug deep, but he stuck it out to the bitter end and impressed us all! He says he's racing D this spring; let me the first to officially call him a Sandbagger!

This is Charlie's first semester with the team, and he's a welcome addition! Having finished his first summer of road racing, Charlie is using rides like these to prepare for the rigors of the ECCC.

DK is perhaps the most fashionable Rutgers cyclist since AngryMark... but he didn't wear a Rutgers jersey. That made us sad.

Still, the red train rolled on. More than once during the day, we were informed of how great our kits look. Even lined out on a hill, they are stunningly pro-ish.

The red train in action, on the rollers circa Mile 40.

We arrived at Bucks Coffee Shop in Frenchtown, ready for pastries, bagels, and coffee. The place was packed with cyclists and bikers, so we opted to eat outside. We're tough like that.

Just as we were leaving, the Princeton team rolled into town. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, we were on our way... but not before photographing ourselves in Pennsylvania.

(l to r): Chris, Ray, Don, Jay, DK, Anthony, Ted, Charlie, Rich

Notice that DK put his Rutgers windvest on outside his jacket. He may have overheated, but at least he got the rest of us to stop hassling him for being "too cool for school".

For the first 15 or so miles of the return trip, we were joined by another alumnus and his riding partner, neither of whose names I caught (can anybody help?). They took their turns at the front, chatted with us, and even took a jab or two at the Princeton team - that they were stopping at Bucks Coffee Shop for their tea break, for example. The Rutgers Alum was wearing the new official Rutgers Cycling kit, and it looked as impressive as you'd expect.

The pace on the way home was spirited, to put it nicely. Jay explains, "We gave The Kassassin and BeastMaster coffee, then showed them the Princeton team... of course they're going to go fast!". The two spent probably 60 miles at the front of the group, and the average speed over the 100 miles was impressive. Thanks for the pulls, guys!

We rode through beautiful farmland on the way home, encountering the roadkill versions of every animal common to New Jersey. Riding down Hamilton Street, we ran some double-paceline drills, riding in tight formation... looking so pro-ish and riding so close to campus, we were greeted by an unprecedented number of "GO RUTGERS!!!" shouts and honks.

When we got back to campus, we'd only ridden 91 miles. Like last year, we couldn't just stop short of the century, so we rode a Monday Night Loop. Another tradition from last year was the victory salute; as we crossed 100 miles, we all Look-Zip-Balled.

That this was the sort of training day for which recovery is as important as the actual ride. With that in mind, Jay, DK, Rich, Chris, Aaron, and I went to an all-you-can-eat dinner at Round Grill. The restaurant may soon enact a "No Century Riders" policy... For us, all-you-can-eat was a challenge that we were happy to accept.

The U.S. Cyclocross National Championships Race Report

The 2007 Rutgers University Cycling Cyclocross Nationals Team
(left to right: Andy, Joe, Rich, Dave, Mark, Charlie, and Don)

The course on Sunday morning for the Collegiate Men's Race.

After weather delayed the planned Thursday departure of the Rutgers 'cross team, the team arrived in Kansas City in the early afternoon on Friday. The went directly to the course to pick up their bikes, check out the course, and spin out the plane ride from their legs.

Chaz tears it up on the rutted and frozen course

Saturday morning brought snow and a chance to pre-ride the course before the U23 races. The team dialed their tire pressures and gear selection for the frozen and snow covered course. Though the team was not racing until Sunday morning, they banked on similar frozen, rutted, and slick conditions. As conditions got progressively worse through the day the team retreated back to its hotel to rest up, pin numbers, and prepare for Sunday's collegiate race.

36th place!

Mark kicked off Sunday morning in the single speed race and faced biting cold (single digits!) and a completely frozen course. After blasting through the first half of the race in the top ten, Mark suffered a series of crashes that re-injured a hip issue, but held on to top 30 for 28th.

The Cap'n and AngryMark

With his hip taking him out of the collegiate men's race, Mark took to the pit to support the six Rutgers riders in the collegiate men's race. The team faced stiff competition from the 146 rider field and poor starting positions.

Charlie tore through nearly 70 riders to make it into the top 4o riders in a stacked field and rode with some of the most elite collegiate riders in the US to finish 36th. Andy, Dave, Joe, Don, and Rich fought both the course and the enormous field to take home strong rides with Dave 65th, Joe 69th, Rich 78th, Andy 91st, and Don 101st. There's some clear discrepancies in the results, but it's clear that the team rode in the top half of the field.

The team finished 17th overall in the D1 team omnium with Charlie 26th for D1 men, Dave 46th, Joe 47th, Rich 55th, Andy 61st, and Don 68th.

The team post-race

Rutgers Cycling would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible. Special thanks to Don, Tom, Kurt, and Mike at Verge Sport for all their support throughout the weekend. Thanks also to Bob Cary and everyone from Skylands Cycling for their generous donation. Thank you also to Linda Yost and Rutgers Recreation for their financial and organizational support. Huge thanks to Rutgers Cycling president, Chris for his untiring efforts in making the trip happen.

After a much deserved break, the team will begin building once again for a successful collegiate road season.

NBX Grand Prix of CX @ Goddard Park, RI

Before we get to day 2 of action from Goddard Park, let's have a shout for the amazing host housing generously provided by Hannah in Providence.

We slept in a fort; Colonel Henery Rutgers would be proud!



Mark worked the Results



Dave and I bonded



And FroJoe, well, he slept



The bikes enjoyed socializing with some new friends from Rhode Island, so we didn't feel too bad leaving them with their new acquaintances while we went to an amazing party at the Hub.




Alright, back to the action!

The Mens C team lined up in a field of 47. With FroJoe's newly taped shoe, he stood a chance to realize his potential with many meters of sand to run per lap. Dave was as comfortable as ever as he expertly navigated the field. Less words, more pictures:









For a number of laps, Joe was caught in traffic from the B masters field that allowed a Drexel rider to get away in the clear lines in front of that pack. After hearing enough shouting from us to break free of the pack he was in, he charged through and was making up some time on the Drexel rider, but it was not to be. Had the Mens C staged ahead of the B masters (as yesterday), it could have been an amazing duel to the finish line. FroJoe came across the line in 24th position. DK had an amazingly consistent race and looked so in control from beginning to end. A UNH rider was trying to catch DK in the last few laps, and DK responded by setting the frozen course on fire to ride away from him and finish 31st. These two are primed and ready for nationals; I wish that I could watch their performances.

The B men lined up after a solid finish on Saturday and were unsure of what was left in the legs for Sunday. The course was just as fast or faster than Saturday, but instead of a few long power sections, there were many shorter straights and gentle bends to get your pedal on! This suited me well, for it was somewhat similar to the type of output that you have to put in while carving singletrack in a competitive MTB field. Mark had his technique together, but the nerve in his hip was not allowing him to put the power down on Sunday. He kept it going steady, but could not muster the power to explode out of the MANY MANY MANY corners on the course. He had a pain-free race on Saturday, but the double-header was too much. We are all hoping that he will have a pain-free ride at nationals. He is looking forward to some extended recovery after those 45 minutes of effort.

I had a better experience, for the course suited me, my legs felt great, and I made a good move early in the race. Though I staged in the back, I made up a number of spots with a good starting sprint and aggressive lines through the two hairpins that followed. Then onto the beach, where a rider to the right of me fell over onto us. I was able to get off my bike and get it on my shoulder quickly and took an aggressive line off of the beaten path up the run up. Taking this line allowed me to gain a large number of spots and get me in a pack with some fast dudes! I was able to hang with them until bobbling the bike while riding the second beach. My right shifter must have got some sand in it, and it could no longer release cable. I got stuck riding 46-25 and 46-27 for the last 25 minutes of the race. Going backwards while doing a 25 minute cool down during the race probably saved my legs from a lot of pain. The group that I was with finished 19th-22nd. That was, by far, the best 30 minutes of CX racing that I have had in a 2/3 field in New England.











In the end, I finished 40th and Mark held it down by outsprinting Bard for 37th. Way to push through the pain and get the job done!

Rutgers Back-to-Back Conference Champions!

In the final weekend of the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference's Cyclocross series, Rutgers Cycling took the team title for the second time in two years.

Even sweeter, Rutgers riders Andy, Joe, and Dave swept the C men's omnium podium. B riders Mark and Charlie took first and second in the omnium.

That makes five individual medals and one team championship cowbell for the Rutgers University Cycling Cyclocross Team!

Next weekend, the seven rider cyclocross team tackles the US Cyclocross National Championships on Kansas City, KS.

W.E. Steadman's CX @ Goddard Park, RI

C Mens Report




C mens Report

In the C men, DK and FroJoe lined up being placed in the last row as Rich Fries heckled the team telling them to go home. The ground was snow covered and thick with ice as a frigid chill stayed in the air. Prior to the start of the race it was announced that the barriers were going to be removed due to the icy conditions.

The field size was huge with a large showing of collegiate riders. Dave and Joe rode together for most of the first half of the race working their way up the field. Dave was crashed when a rider tried to pass him on the narrow single track and ended up wiping out his front wheel. That's when Joe decided to throw down the hammer and put out an incredible ride.... all without his right shoe, which broke on the second lap and fell off in the beach run. Joe ended up with a 32nd (5th collegiate) finish and Dave was able to out sprint an MIT rider at the line for 42nd (7th collegiate).

B mens Report



In the B men, AngryMark and Cap'nChaz lined up against a strong New England field. Due to the call ups and seeding by order of registration, we lined up close to the back of the field, but there were 45 minutes to fix that!

The course was both fast and slippery, with thick mud in spots, while other portions of the course were still icy as in the C-race. The word of the day was FUN! The course had so much variety that it served the bike-hadler as well as the towers of power. The start was more crowded than the last train home from New York with elbows flying everywhere. Charlie upset one or two people... sorry, well, not really. AngryMark found out that that he could still pedal. Maybe it wasn't as hard as he would like as he had to take time off due to the hip injury, but no pain today. We both spent most of the race mid-pack. Charlie pulled an MIT rider up the start-finish straight, and then punished him by intentionally over-cooking an icy off camber corner. The Captain put his foot and rear tire out, the other rider, well, he crashed. Bye Bye. Angry Mark attacked the technical sections today. He was able to drop much stronger riders. A new tool in his toolbox; look for him to wield it tomorrow and at nationals. Cap'nChaz and AngryMark ended up finishing a respectable 36 and 38th. In the Verge NE, we'll take that finish anyday. The questions are: will we be able to place that well tomorrow and will this form continue 'till nationals?

MAC Series Finale Wrapup

Rutgers wins at Reston; FarmerAndy and AngryMark lock up series titles!

DK, FroJo, AngryMark, and me (FarmerAndy) killed it this weekend for the MAC series finale and the second to last weekend of racing for the ECCC.

For starters, we rolled out to Carlisle and Reston in the pro-ish Rutgers Van complete with enough bikes, wheels (9 pairs!), and assorted spare parts to rival most small elite teams.

We started our Saturday morning the way all 'cross races should start: Belgian style with yummy chocolate chip waffles and hot coffee thanks to the Waffle House that was adjacent to our HoJo's.

It was cold and windy when we got to the Carlisle Fairgrounds for the race. Definitely one of those mornings that made us all question why we choose to wake up at the crack of dawn to ride around in muddy circles while the rest of our peers sleep in their nice warm beds.

The course was nice and swoopy with some decent short hills, some nice long stretches of pavement, and a fast set of barriers. DK, FroJo, and I killed it in the C race chock full of collegiate riders from Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, and two guys from Drexel on full suspension mountain bikes.

The first two laps for me didn't feel too good as I sat 5th wheel. As I hopped over the barriers after lap 2, I started to find my legs and though I could not catch Matt Spinks and Sam O'Keefe (who are both 14), put in a solid effort to finish 3rd overall (1st if you don't include the U19 riders) with FroJo and DK also throwing down some solid efforts to finish 17th and 20th.

FroJo tackles the barriers en route to an awesome finish! (photo: Dennis Smith)

While we rode the 3 miles back to the HoJo's to shower, warm up, and check out, AngryMark was putting the hurt on the B Field to finish 2nd collegiately.

With our racing done for the day, we were more than happy to get back in our nice warm van and cruise down to Bethseda, MD to meet up with our lovely hosts Greg and Jill (thanks guys!). Not only did we a great place to stay, Greg (former Rutgers Cycling President circa-1992) showed us his old-school RU jerseys and pictures from collegiate racing back in the day.

With the Sunday forecast showing snow, rain, and bitter, cold we were ready to face the worst, but it when we rolled over to Reston, VA for the Capital Cross Classic, it was dry and much warmer than it was in Carlisle. I loved Sunday's course, lots of places to go fast, and with no Matt Spinks in the picture, I kept on the gas the whole race for a solid win in my last race before KC Cross nationals in two weeks.

DK, FroJo, and AngryMark put int great efforts to ensure that the Rutgers 'Cross team maintains their lead in the ECCC Standings with one week of racing left to go.

FarmerAndy tries out the new TT helmets (photo: Ann Rock)

Did I mention that we picked up our new team TT helmets? They look awesome and are perfect for 'cross on those windy days. A big thanks to Efinger Sporting Goods!

Rutgers Women's Spring Preview

With Cyclocross season reaching a fever pitch, it's important to remember that there are more than a few Rutgers cyclists eagerly awaiting the Road season. In particular, the Women's team have been preparing themselves for an explosive Spring campaign.


New to the team this year is Phoebe. She's got a sweet new road bike and is looking forward to using it. Her enthusiasm for cycling has already shown itself, as she's spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of pack riding. Look for her to be moving comfortably about the pack at a road race near you.


Another new teammate is Fiona. A roadie who's not afraid of a little mud, Fiona made a strong impression on the team the weekend of the HPCX race. Two days after spending 14 straight hours on a trainer in a charity event for ALS, Fiona toed the line in the Women's 3/4 race. Clearly, this woman has the grit to survive indoor base training, and we're excited to see what develops when she returns to the road.


Seasoned veteran Jen has been a fixture on the team for some time now. Jen has been training for years, and while she has a quiet disposition, she lets her legs do the talking on the bike. Jen's strength as a time-trialist led to great results in recent seasons, so look for her off the front this coming Spring.


As a freshman, Amy turned heads in her first season as a cyclist. In fact, she never finished outside the top 2! With a background in rowing, Amy didn't know - or need - drafting. In the past few months, though, Amy has taken huge strides to improve her technique, working on drafting, cornering, and even racing cyclocross! Look for big things from this sophomore in March and April.

Having built a solid foundation following last year's success, the Rutgers Women's Cycling Team has the potential and the drive to have a great Spring season. Only four months until the Rutgers Classic weekend!

Rutgers Wins NJ Championship, rolls at Baystate Cyclocross

It was another busy weekend for the Mighty Rutgers Cycling Cyclocross Team!

Friday night, Rich, Don, and Mark headed to Sterling, MA to race the Gearworks Baystate Cyclocross, round 5 of the ECCC cyclocross series. Don met with some bad luck, but Rich and Mark both had, ahem, "sterling" rides to finish 4th collegiate in the men's C and men's B.

Rutgers took the team overall at Baystate and retains its lead in the ECCC cyclocross series!

Mark continues to hold the lead in the B men's overall standings.

The story of the weekend, however, is a little closer to home. Sophomore FarmerAndy has been showing incredible form lately with podium finishes in the last two MAC races and a commanding lead in the ECCC individual points competition. On Sunday at the NJ State Cyclocross Championships in Augusta, NJ Andy put it together to take home the NJ State Championship in the Cs! This is the second time in three years that Rutgers has won a state championship.

With this win, Andy has cemented his lead in the NJ Cyclocross Cup and looks absolutely unstoppable for the remaining races!

Rutgers returns to action this weekend for ECCC races number 6 and 7 in Carlisle, PA and Reston, VA.

Rutgers Cycling to US Cyclocross National Championships

Thanks to the generosity of Skylands Cycling, Verge Sport, and Rutgers Recreation, Rutgers Cycling will be sending seven racers to the US Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City, KS on December 13-16.

Bob Cary of Skylands Cycling Club presents Mark with a donation for Rutgers' travel to cx nationals at HPCX.

Rutgers Cycling will be fielding an impressive roster of accomplished cyclocross racers both young and old at Nationals.

2007 Rutgers Collegiate Cyclocross Nationals Roster

Charlie "Capt Chaz" Florek
(photo: Will C.)

Andy "FarmerAndy" Glaser
(photo: Will C.)

Joe "FroJo" Gilch
(photo: Don Yungher)

Dave "DK" Kim
(photo: Will C.)

Rich "The Kassassin" Kassan(photo: Will C.)

Don "NinjaDon" Yungher
(photo: Will C.)
Mark "AngryMark" Vareschi

(Photo: Dennis Smith)

Rutgers Cycling would like to express its gratitude to Bob and everyone at Skylands, Tom and Don at Verge Sport, and Linda Yost at Rutgers Recreation for their enduring financial and structural support.