The team opened the season last weekend at a prestigious and well-attended race in Greenville, South Carolina. With some of the races fielding over 100 riders, it was a great opportunity for our athletes to test the legs against some of the best regional teams and talent.
Seven Roanoke College cyclists took the start in the professional men's race alongside 120 total athletes competing in a 65-mile road race. Saturday and Sunday were contested on the same eight-mile circuit against the same teams and riders, but the weather made for a completely different race both days.
We had a plan going into day one, with a big bunch sprint likely to determine the winner on a flat course with little to no wind. Our team has been training together and dialing up tactics over the last couple of months, and we were excited to try some of those scenarios in a race setting. We knew that the size of the field and the motivation of other teams meant that 120 guys would be coming to the line at once, which always makes for a chaotic finish.
Michael Gallik and
Nathaniel Gervez did everything they could at the end of the race to position our sprinters near the front of the bunch so that they could contest the sprint. In the end, it was every man for himself.
William Dodds ended up with an impressive ninth place in his first ever professional road race with the team and teammate
Jensen Cervati rolled in just behind him for 14th.
Samuel Lang,
Alastair Amos and
Hays Edmunds worked early in the race to allow our sprinters to sit in and conserve energy for the sprint.
Day two was a completely different type of race, with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour and wind coming from every direction no matter where you were on course. It was simply a race of survival, and it made for a difficult race for anyone out on course. Only the strongest riders were left standing at the end. With more than half the peloton pulled early in the race, it bodes very well for the future that Michael, Jensen and Nathaniel were able to finish with the front of the race. The experience was far more valuable than any result, so we will put that in the bank and optimistically await another opportunity to race in these conditions.
The highlight of the weekend was
Ruby Telepak's victory in her first ever road race. She competed both days in the novice field, taking the overall win on day one and finishing fourth on day two. Lauren and
Ragan Weigel competed in the professional women's race against some of the bigger collegiate teams in our region. The sisters held their own with Ragan finishing in a solid fifth place on day one.
Aidan Snow also competed in his first ever road race and gained valuable experience toward his growth as a novice road cyclist.
Aidan Goldberg courageously suited up for the race on Saturday after being sick all week and was the ultimate teammate, offering his bike for Snow after he suffered a mechanical mid-race and would have had to abandon.
Up next, Virginia Tech Conference Racing!!
