West Point Cycling Team Newsletter

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1 Recap Since the last newsletter, the team has been involved in many things. We kicked off the cyclocross season with our home race. We ran into the MS Great 8 during practice. We even had the opportunity to race against the Air Force Team when they came up for the football game. Right now, the cyclocross team is working hard towards the goal of qualifying for Nationals. For the rest of us that means we get a break. Just kidding. Did you really believe that? No, the rest of us are working on setting a good base for the road and a few to get ready to enter the realm of BMX. Bottom line, we re all trying to get better whether that s through racing or honing our practice skills. Saturday the 20th marked the beginning of racing for the Eastern Collegiately Cycling Conference. Bias aside, I feel like we did a pretty good job setting the pace for the season. While there weren t as many racers as we had hoped for (there were a couple other races going on), the ones that came had nothing but good feedback for us. I d say that's win. The races were held out at Camp Buckner and while we kept the course the same, on Sunday we had racers ride it in reverse. Buckner makes a great cyclocross location because it has a little bit of everything. Racers had to ride over on the road, over the bridge, through sand, mud, puddles, grass, over rocks, gravel, and they had to navigate two barriers as well. This translated to a good number of falls in the sand and over the grass. Some decided to run and Home Cyclocross Race carry their bikes to save time while others decided to power through. The barriers were the most fun to watch in my opinion. It was interesting to watch some people wait till the last minute to hop off their bike and others ride straight into them to stop. Race weekends usually have enough races so that CAT 4 riders can participate in up to four races. Our race was no exception and most of our team members participating participated in at least two races. A couple rode all four that they could. If you re still having trouble visualizing the races, it s all good because cyclocross is an intense season. Races are anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes long. Some people were able to complete a lap in just single digits so if you do the math, that s a lot of laps. If you are not covered in mud by the end of the race, you will probable hear that you didn t race right because it is near impossible not to get a little bit of dirt on your jersey or bib shorts. The Rogacki s came out on Saturday to watch the races and take pictures as well as bring their famous Tailgate. For those new to the team, the Rogacki s brought food for the team for our inaugural cross race (2010) and have been coming ever since. It s a real treat to be able to eat a home cooked meal especially after a race. On Sunday Mrs. B. dropped off some pulled pork, granola bars, cookies, brownies and other various food items. Needless to say we ate very well. It takes a lot of work to put on a race and throughout our prep week and the week after it was very evident how integral everyone was to ensure that logistics ran smooth. Highlights: Recap Home Race Reader Feedback The MS Great 8 Air Force Reader Feedback If you have any suggestions on how to make the newsletter better please send them my way. Last year the feedback was mainly concerning our riders and wanting to know more about each individual. My intention is not clog inboxes or to bore people; it s to give you a greater look into the world of the cycling team.

2 The MS Great 8 A couple of weeks ago a few of us decided to ride out to Bear Mountain and up Perkins Drive. We were joined by other riders but did not find out what group they were apart of until we reached the top. Turns out they were the MS Great 8 and were riding through eight states in eight days to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis. We took some pictures at the top and they were kind enough to take a picture of us as well. I guess you really never know who you will bump into during a ride. If you are interested in learning more about the MS Great 8 Foundation, their website is listed below. Back Row: Steve Rusnak, Jasmine, Genna, Gabby, Kevin, Kenny Front Row: Lauren

3 Air Force We are all brothers and sisters in service so I think that that is part of the reason why it is so much fun to race against each other. We are both able to relate to the notion of time constraints and having to balance multiple projects at once. I feel like racing becomes not so much a matter of winning and losing but of you and a challenge because you know in this case that your competitor is not going to give up and neither are you. But...it is always nice to win and for the first time in who knows how long we beat Air Force in cycling AND football. Now that s what I call a good weekend. So, here s some pictures. Sprints by South Dock Both teams getting ready to race. Go Steve! Go Jenn!

4 Pictures

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6 Pictures Go Genna! Emily and Gabby

7 Go Lynn! Two brave cadets who decided to take on our course. Go Steve! Even a mechanical issue can t keep Jack from finishing the race.