Lehigh Mountaintop Classic Recap

Great job this weekend to everyone who raced and to all who helped make the weekend a success. The results were just posted on the conference site, and the club came in 1st place over all D-1 and D-2 schools. This is the first time in recent memory (the race has been run 6 of the last 7 years, and five consecutively) that we've beaten out the conference powerhouses like UVM, UNH, and NU. Lots of great racing by freshmen, first time mountain riders, and seasoned veterans of South Mountain contributed to the victory that capped an epic weekend of XC, DH, and Clusterhucking.

The final points for the weekend are listed below:
1. LEHIGH 248
2. Boston College 208
3. UVM 193
4. RIT 171
5. Penn State 126
6. UNH 117.5

Lehigh Mountaintop Classic

Lehigh Cycling is back in action as the team has returned to South Mountain.  Next weekend, 9/17-18, we host our annual Mountaintop Classic.  This is the longest running race in the ECCC mountain season and has become the crown jewel of the conference in recent years.
Registration is on BikeReg at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?EventID=14284
Saturday's schedule includes the grueling XC course, DH, and the awesome Clusterhuck relay for XC and DH duos.  On Sunday, racing kicks off with the STXC and team relay, followed by the DH in South Mountain Park.

Here's a glimpse of the DH course on Saturday:

Downhill 2011 from Captain Clutch on Vimeo.

Summer Racing Part 2

Here's part 2 of the summer racing suggestions.  Also check out the Mid-Atlantic Super Series for XC mountain races throughout the PA-NJ-DE-MD area.


July 3: Rodale Fitness Park Crit, Trexlertown
Same location as the weekly crits at the velodrome. Cat 1/2/3, 4, 5.
Register


July 3-4: Coatesville Classic, Coatesville, PA
Criterium on July 3rd and an 11 mile course for the road race on July 4th. Cat Pro/1/2, 3/4, 4/5
Register


July 10: JBN Race, Bethlehem
A 1.25 mile crit course in the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park. Cat 2/3, 4, 5.
Register


July 7-August 18: Rockleigh Criterium Series II, Rockleigh, NJ
A Thursday night crit series in Rockleigh (Bergen County).  Races held at the Bergen County Health and Special Education Campus.  $20 per race or $100 for the 7 weeks on BikeReg.  Mile-long course. Cat 1/2/3 at 6pm followed by 4/5 at 7pm.
Site: http://rockleighcrit.com/
Registration: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13014


Thursdays: Great Valley Corporate Center Practice Crit, Malvern, PA
A weekly practice criterium in Malvern (Philly suburb in Chester County).  There is no registration fee. Weekly turnout of 40+ riders of all abilities.  The course is oval-shaped, relatively flat with one rising section, and is exactly 1 mile long. The race begins at 6pm and lasts for 30 laps/miles. Every third lap is a sprint lap. Average speed of 20-27 mph.
Location: Great Valley Parkway
See below video for helmet-cam race coverage from 2009.

July 24: Liberty Criterium, Malvern, PA
Same course as the Great Valley Thursday night crits.  USAC event. Pro/1/2, 3/4, 4, 5
Register

Summer Racing Part 1

Hopefully everybody is enjoying their summer and getting some riding in.  Here's part 1 of a list of races and rides in the Lehigh Valley/Philadelphia area for the next few months.  Feel free to contact Eric if you want something featured here. Don't forget about the Thursday night crits at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome.

June 18: The New Bethlehem Criterium
A 0.85 mile counterclockwise course around Liberty High School on Linden St, Fairview St., Grenadier Blvd. and Elizabeth Ave. Entry fee is $27.
Registration: http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=13534

July 9: Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, West Chester, PA
The Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, is a 0.8-mile course of tight turns and straight-aways on the streets of historic downtown West Chester, Pennsylvania. The Start/Finish Line is at the intersection of Gay and High Streets, the home of title sponsor Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant.  Race lineup includes Men's Amateur (Cat 3/4) at 5:45, Women's Elite (Cat 1/2/3) at 6:45), and Men's Pro (Pro/1/2) at 7:45.  This race is part of the USA Crits series.  Over 20,000 fans pack the streets of West Chester for the nighttime pro race. An awesome experience even if you aren't racing. Entry fee is $35 (Men's Amateur), $45 (Women's), $50 (Pro).
Site: http://www.ironhilltwilightcriterium.com/
Registration: http://events.sportsbaseonline.com/IRONHILL2011/

August 8: Gran Fondo Philadelphia
Sponsored by Colnago.  This Gran Fondo (Italian for "big ride") has 31, 62, and 102 mile options.  The ride begins at the Philadelphia Art Museum and continues down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, looping around Logan Square, and heads back up the Parkway.  The 102 mile ride continues through East Fairmount Park past Boathouse Row.  The course then crosses over the Schuylkill River before Manayunk.  The ride continues northwest through Valley Forge National Park, past numerous horse farms in beautiful Chester Springs, and turns around towards Philadelphia at French Creek State Park.  The return trip cuts below Phoenixville and through Valley Forge again.  The last 10 miles run through Philadelphia's suburbs along Main Line, passing Villanova University.  The course ends with the same roads used in the Philly Phlyer in West Fairmount Park.
7000 feet of climbing for the 102 mile course.
Over 1100 riders participated in the 102 mile ride alone last year.
Entry Fee is $109. Includes a Cuore Italiano jersey, mobile tech support, aid stations every 20 miles, KOM and QOM awards, and post-ride Italian lunch. Chip timing for 62 and 102 mile rides.
Site: http://granfondophiladelphia.com/
Registration: http://www.active.com/cycling/philadelphia-pa/gran-fondo-colnago-philadelphia-2010

Further Analysis of Black Moshannon RR

For an additional account of Saturday's road race at Easterns, visit Marten's blog Slow Twitch.

Again, congrats to all who participated at Easterns and throughout the 2011 ECCC road season.

Easterns at Penn State Recap

After a grueling eight week long season that saw Lehigh riders compete every weekend, the ECCC season wrapped up with Easterns hosted by Penn State this weekend.  Nine Lehigh riders made the trip to Happy Valley, with eight of us going up on Friday night.  After fueling up for the next day's races and having a good time at the hotel on Friday night, the team headed out for Black Moshannon early Saturday morning.  The drive to the course was foggy with a light rain--an indication that the course would be slick for the earlier races.

The Women's C and Men's B teams decided to rest their legs for the upcoming road race, while the Men's D team was ambitious enough to compete in the 9.5 mile team time trial.  This was the first collegiate race for two of our riders, Brandon O. and Brian, while it was only Tom's 3rd time ever on a road bike.  The three guys put forth a strong effort, with Brandon and Tom crossing the line for a 5th place finish out of 6 in D Division 2.

Brian, Brandon, and Tom at the start of the D team time trial

Immediately following the time trial, the Men's C and D and Women's C road races began.  The course would prove to be a challenge to riders across all categories.  This soul-crushing race, as described by racers throughout the conference, spanned 21.5 miles with three Category 5 climbs before a grinding 5.3 mile ascent up Black Moshannon.  This Category 2 climb challenged riders to gain 1356 feet of elevation at an average grade of 4.9%.  Devin was our only rider in C's and it was his last collegiate race after six years of club leadership and great performances in mountain and road.  On his first lap of two, he was among the first fifteen of a field of 70 to cross the start/finish.  He finished strong at 28/70.  The D race saw freshman Brandon O. fly to a 3rd place finish, which is hopefully the first of many podium finishes in his career.  Tom and Brian finished well in the field of 31.  Kiki and Molly were our only two women racers this weekend and rode great in Women's C.

Devin on the descent on lap 1

After the temperatures rose to the mid-fifties and the early races ended, Marten, Brandon, and Eric headed over to staging for the B race which had a field of 53.  Marten quickly moved to the front of the pack, setting the pace for the first lap into the climb at 12 miles in.  The B field immediately split in two, with half the field struggling to climb the base of Black Mo and the front half breaking into smaller groups.  Marten led the charge up the mountain, with Brandon and Eric a couple of chase groups back.  He maintained the pace over the rest of the race, staying with an elite group of six riders.  After the first three places had been claimed (one of them by an MWCCC racer from U of Michigan), Marten came around the turn at the bottom of the descent from Black Moshannon with riders from RIT and Yale.  With a quick burst of acceleration, Marten blew past the RIT rider to claim the third place ECCC finish and 4th overall.  Brandon finished in 17th and Eric in 21st.

Marten on the wheel of an RIT rider who he beat for 3rd in a sprint

This was perhaps the biggest group of Lehigh riders to compete in an ECCC road race over the past 5 years. With two podium finishes at Easterns, the team was well represented and can look forward to great results next year.  In the meantime, the team can focus on preparing for its annual Mountaintop Classic mountain bike race in September.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for the Lehigh University Cycling Club. We are a club comprised of undergraduate and graduate students who enjoy riding and racing across all cycling disciplines. Our team belongs to the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) and regularly competes in conference mountain and road races. The Cycling Club hosts the Mountaintop Classic each September, a popular and long-standing staple in the ECCC mountain schedule.  Check back for updates on race results, future events, and more. For quick race and club updates, follow us on Twitter @LehighCycling.