Lockwood and Roberts Move to Cat 4 / CollegiateB

- Macon, GA -

After a busy spring season of racing, two of the cornerstones of Mercer Cycling's young team, Andrew Lockwood and Kevin Roberts have moved up to Category 4 / Collegiate B for the continuation of the 2010 season.

Lockwood moves up a category despite winning a race early in the season with consistent finshes at the top of the pack. In criteriums and road races this season, he has four Top-5s, seven Top-10s, and three team time-trial victories alongside Roberts. He also finished runner-up to Roberts in the early Tundra Time Trials held in February.

Roberts, fresh off a victory at the Cat 5 race in the Macon Cycling Classic, boasts a strong resume during his first full season of racing. Known as a strong time-trialist and climber, Roberts won the collegiate division in this year's Tundra Time Trials and has helped propel the three team trials he's been a part of to victories [Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Furman]. Along with his criterium win, Roberts adds three Top-5s and six Top-10s to his resume so far in 2010.

[Click to Enlarge Results]

Lee Finishes 18th (RR) and 17th (Crit) at Nationals!

Results-

Madison, WI -

Mercer Cycling's first entry into the USA Cycling Collegiate Nationals certainly did well in the orange and black considering her competition. With colleges across the nation represented at the Nationals weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, Mercer junior Elizabeth Lee rode to a 18th place finish in frigid conditions during the road race Friday while hanging on to the main peloton to finish 17th in the criterium held Saturday afternoon around the state capitol.

Friday's road race turned out to be rather cold with temperatures hovering in the mid-40s for most of the morning. Despite barely warming up, Lee felt like she had her legs underneath her and proved so during the early parts of the race. Despite being dropped from the peloton on the first two major climbs of the race, Lee raced back onto the main group before being permanently seperated from the pack after the third climb. The race, approximately 60 miles in length, was a contest of endurance for Lee who would finish 18th out of the 23 that completed the race. Thirty women would start the event eventually won by Arielle Filiberti of Dartmouth.

"I was a little disappointed about being dropped early in the race, but I was happy to finish," Lee said afterwards.

Saturday's criterium event proved to be a better match for Lee's abilities as she powered on the peloton to finish 17th. The 45 minute race saw plenty of windy conditions around the course that circled the capitol. The race saw a three-man breakaway that almost lapped the entire field while Lee stayed within the pack to complete her first national criterium event. Filiberti also would win the criterium for a sweep at Nationals.

"It was a great experience," added Elizabeth. "I wish I had positioned myself for a better finish, but I was pretty happy to have stayed with the main field."

Elizabeth Lee to race in Nationals!

- Madison, WI -

The capital of Wisconsin is certainly a long way from Macon, Georgia, but that's where junior Elizabeth Lee will be representing Mercer Cycling for the 2010 U.S. Collegiate Nationals. Lee, a qualifier in the 'A' category out of the SECCC conference, will race May 8th and 9th in the orange and black. She was the only female individual in the D2 level of the SECCC to get appointed to the race by conference director Nathan Haslick.

"We're very excited for Elizabeth," commented team director Andrew Lockwood. "She's put a ton of work in over the past few years and this seems to only be the culmination of that experience."

This season, Lee has garnerned 11 Top-10 finishes, 5 Top-5 finishes, and a win at the Flat Rock Mountain Bike Race earlier in April. Racing for Mercer Cycling and in the offseason for Kudzu.com/Fulton Flyers Cycling Club, Lee is the first Mercer cyclist to represent the team on a national level.


For more information on the 2010 U.S. Collegiate National weekend, visit (here).

Roberts Takes First in Macon!

Photos
Results
- Macon, GA -

Saturday's first Macon Cycling Classic had the hometown feel that race organizers were aiming for as teams from across the southeast gathered around Tatnall Square Park for exciting cycling action all day long. Hosted by Walthall Oil Cycling and Mercer Cycling, the hometown teams had the advantage of knowing the course well. The 1 km course around the park is home or close to home for many of the collegiate racers.

Mercer Cycling had five entries in three races throughout the day as Elizabeth Lee (Cat 3/4 & Pro-1-2-3), Kevin Roberts, Andrew Lockwood, Paul Rush and Austin Sholly joined in on the action. After the morning juniors races, Elizabeth Lee started things off for Mercer as she finished 4th in the 12 person field.

Immediately after her race, the Category 5 race featured nearly 20 cyclists at the starting line with strong representation from Mercer Cycling. After three quick laps around the circuit, Kevin Roberts, Andrew Lockwood, and Atlanta-native Curtis Strange found themselves in a three-man breakaway, distancing themselves from the field. Austin Sholly and Paul Rush led the charge in the chase group, but the 35+ minute event turned into a cat-and-mouse game as Roberts, Lockwood, and Strange worked together to lap nearly half of the field.

On the last lap of the race, Lockwood pulled away initially from the field in turn 3 with a half a second gap but was caught on the final straightway as Strange and Roberts passed him. Roberts would eventually outsprint Strange to the line to win his first ever criterium event.


"What a great win for Kevin," said Lockwood after the race. "I couldn't think of a better way to win your first race than right in front of your school in front of your biggest fans and supporters. I'm extremely proud of all the members of our team today for representing our team in great fashion," Lockwood added.

Celebration ensued after the race as Sholly rode to a 10th place finish followed by Paul Rush.

After sporting her Kudzu.com/Fulton Flyer's club jersey earlier in the day, Lee donned the Mercer Orange and Black in the small field for the Women's Pro-1-2 race. Unofficially, Lee kept pace with the group to finish 5th.

Mercer Cycling wants to thank all of the students, faculty members, friends, and parents that showed up to the 1st Annual Macon Cycling Classic to support the team and the race!