To get primed for the upcoming ECCC Cyclocross season, MIT racers hit up some of the biggest events in the National CX calendar over the last few weeks: the Grand Prix of Gloucester and the KMC Festival of Cyclocross in Providence, RI. A mix of veterans (and alum!) and first-time racers hit the difficult courses and with fantastic results.
Matt Li comes through the paved section on Day 1 of GP Gloucester. Photo by Ernest Gagnon.Anne Raymond faces the infamous GP Gloucester run up fresh with new skills from our clinics with Adam Myerson. Photo by Ernest Gagnon.Julie remounts after the barriers.Corey Tucker rides one of the many KMC flyovers.Emma Edwards’ first CX race was on one of the toughest courses that we’ll see this season. Congrats!MIT Women after Providence
The ECCC Season is now upon us, and we couldn’t be more excited for what it’ll bring. If you’re in the area, stop by to cheer and spectate! See the ECCC Cyclocross Calendar for more details.
The MIT cycling team traveled to Rutgers this weekend for the first ECCC race of the collegiate road racing season. Having won the event last year, the team knew it would be an uphill battle this year, as none of the men’s A or women’s A riders were in attendance. Additionally, Spencer Shaber, the men’s captain and the sole men’s B rider in attendance, had injured his Achilles and could only compete (very carefully) in the individual time trial. The team of mostly rookies, aided by a few seasoned veterans, was able to capture the Division II omnium, and place second overall in the conference, just behind Penn State University. This feat obviously bodes well for the continued success of the MIT Cycling Team.
The Rutgers weekend consisted of three events, the traditional individual time trial (ITT) and criterium on Saturday, and the first ever points race contested in the ECCC road season on Sunday. The MIT team showed that they trained hard through this year’s incredibly snowy winter by taking three first places in the ITT: Katie Quinn in women’s B, Christina Birch in women’s C, and Adam Bry in men’s C. The excitement of the weekend really began, though, when Katie Quinn joined A rider Anna McLoon from Harvard to lap the field in the women’s A/B criterium. Thus, in her first ever B race, Quinn not only won her race, but beat all but one of the A riders. Christina Birch and Joseph Near also brought home victories in the women’s C and men’s D criterium, respectively. In the points race on Sunday, Quinn, Birch, and Near did a repeat of Saturday, each taking home the gold again. Quinn and McLoon lapped the field again, but this time Quinn initiated the winning break, leaving McLoon to bridge up, knowing that Quinn had the legs to win if McLoon let her get away.
Next weekend, the MIT team travels to NYC for the Columbia Grant’s Tomb criterium and a new road race hosted by Stevens.
UNH Kingman was the first MTB race for the MIT team this season. Beautiful sunny day, slightly on the chilly side in the morning. The cross country and short track courses were short and flat if you are hard to please, or “fast and furious” if you look at things from the bright side. MIT team had a great turn-out of nine racers.
A strong team of Jason Sears (G), AJ Schrauth (G), Michael Garrett (G), Yuri Matsumoto (G), Katie Lovejoy (G) and Martha Buckley (G) traveled to Colorado Springs, Colorado to contest usacycling’s collegiate track national championships. After finishing second last year to the United States Military Academy, the MIT cycling team was determined and focused to take one step up the podium this year. After organizing the ECCC track season and spending many days at the New England Velodrome and on the road, the team was well prepared for this last step up. Continue reading →
