Members of the Oregon Cycling Club took to the roads of Harrisburg for the first tune-up race of the year at the Cherry Pie Road Race Feb. 19. Several Ducks earned high individual results, including team captain Ross Spero, who finished 10th in the men’s category three division.
Two other Ducks secured top-10 finishes in their respective divisions. Kennett Peterson crossed the line first in the men’s category five while Anita Dilles took sixth place in the women’s category four event. Adam Edgerton came up short of the top 10, finishing 12th in men’s category four, and Brian Shimek posted finished 16th-place in category five.
The riders chose the races they wanted to compete in, but for collegiate competition their events will be determined by a ranking given out by the United States Cycling Federation. The athletes in categories one and two will race in the “A” division, riders in category three will be placed in the “B” division and categories four and five make up the “C” division.
Oregon will compete in the Northwest Cycling Conference along with teams from across the region such as Washington, Oregon State and Whitman College.
The club qualified for the national competition last season, a feat it hopes to repeat.
The 24-member squad contains a balance of experience and youth, including experienced riders Spero, Sean Podvent and transfer student Chris Swan.
“We’ve got a good diversity of individual skill,” Podvent said. “We’ve got people who can climb and people who can sprint.”
A diverse skill set is necessary in collegiate cycling, where the events are divided into three disciplines. First is the traditional road race that takes place over anywhere from 45 to 75 miles. Next, the squad competes in a team time trial where it races against the clock. Finally, in the criterium, the sprinters take center stage in an event that usually laps around city streets.
“It’s like NASCAR cycling,” Spero said.
Points from all the races count toward a rider’s overall score throughout the season, and the teams and individuals that garner enough points qualify for nationals.
The Cycling Club has been working together to raise funds for the season’s expenses. In addition to race-entry fees, riders often pay thousands of dollars for their bikes and uniforms. In the event that any Oregon riders qualify for nationals, another fee will apply.
“It’s a very expensive sport. We have the talent, but we need the money,” Podvent said on the team’s chances of going to nationals.