Championship, BearStock unveiled to Mercer students

- Macon, GA -
Last week in the Mercer Villages, students attended an outdoor press conference for the unveiling of the SECCC Championship race and the main artists for 2011's BearStock music festival. BearStock headliners 3Oh!3, Roscoe Dash, and Parachute Musical will all perform following Saturday afternoon's criterium events around Tatnall Square Park on Saturday, April 16.

"This is a great opportunity for the cycling culture to combine with the music culture and the BearStock festival to make an absolutely fabulous Saturday afternoon in Tatnall Square Park," said MU Cycling spokesman Andrew Lockwood. "We hope that this proves to be the first of many years in this partnership," he added.

For more event details on the SECCC Championship weekend, visit www.seccc.net or http://secccmercer.blogspot.com.

Statesboro proves tough for Bears

- Statesboro, GA -
Results

Sitting in second in the DII SECCC polls after the first race of the season, Elizabeth Lee, Kevin Roberts and Austin Sholly as well as club advisor Loren Sumner made the trip from Macon to Statesboro for the annual 'Battle of the Boro.' Mid-February's tuneup in southeast Georgia proved to be a tough ride for all three riders over the weekend, battling sizable fields with little to no help.

Saturday's criterium around the eight turn course was a wild one for all three racers. Austin Sholly garnered a 21st place finish in the Men's C criterium in a large field that featured nearly 30 racers. Elizabeth Lee followed Sholly's result up with a tough 6th place finish in a fast group up front in her race while Kevin Roberts managed a 6th place finish in the competitive Men's B race.

Roberts' electrifying race started when he broke away with six other riders two laps into the event, tapping on the gas to pull away for a 1st and 3rd place finish in two points primes. His tank nearly went empty though when a King College rider counterattacked, dropping Roberts in no-man's land, between the lead pack and chase group. The chase group eventually caught up with the junior from Dacula, but Roberts showed off his leg strength at the finish, taking the field sprint to finish 6th.

Sunday's 44 mile road race got off to a very cold start in the rural community of Rocky Ford, better known for its lack of civilization and busted-up roads more than anything else. Elizabeth Lee had quite a task in her field of four riders - three were racing for the uber-competitive Mars Hill College, leaving Lee playing a 3-on-1 game for most of the morning. Despite being outnumbered, Lee kicked to a 3rd place finish in the Women's A sprint to cap a great weekend.

Austin Sholly would continue to refine his road race tactics in the large Men's C field, taking 22nd on the blustery day while Kevin Roberts notched another top-10 finish for his early 2011 season.

"At the start of the second lap, I worked together with a rider from College of Charleston to try and attack in efforts to break up the group a little," said Roberts. "We worked hard and made a gap form twice, but soon thereafter, the participants in the break would sit up and let the stragglers catch up. The race quickly simmered down and turned into a Sunday group ride," he added.

Roberts got stuck out front for the final few minutes of the race, limiting his ability to surprise the field at the end, but would settle in for an 8th place finish, his fifth SECCC top-10 finish of the 2011 season.


SECCC action takes a two-week hiatus until Florida State hosts the third race of the 2011 road season February 26-27 in Tallahasse, FL.

'Le Train de Mercer' debuts in Swamp

- Gainesville, FL -
Results

University of Florida's Swamp Classic was an appropriate way to open up the 2011 season as plenty of cyclists showed from around the south to test their legs in the combined collegiate and open categories. The weekend consisted of a circuit race around a 1.1 mile three turn circuit followed by a two-lap time trial around the same course that afternoon. Sunday's criterium event was held at the multi-turn Gainesville Raceway.

While the sun did peak out during spurts over the weekend, it was tough racing weekend due to the unexpected torrential downpours of rain. At the conclusion of the collegiate circuit race and criterium, the racers resembled fish out of water with their sand/grit blasted bike frames.

In the first race Saturday morning, the collegiate C's, Austin Sholly wrecked going into a slick turn early in the race, picking his battered bike and bloody self off the pavement to finish in 34th, 13 seconds back in the 42 man field.

The men's B race followed as the much anticipated 'Le Train de Mercer' arrived with Gabe Denes, Andrew Lockwood, and Kevin Roberts in tow. With a strategy to break late in the race, conditions didn't pan out for the three cycling musketeers, as their attacks were thwarted by an aggressive field. With three laps to go, Lockwood made a pass on the right and laid the hammer down to make the break in a six man group. He'd eventually lead the race with one lap to go and sprinted to a fourth place finish. Denes would pass the line in 11th, second in the field sprint, while Roberts passed in 19th. South Florida's Zorth Pilioneta would take the win.

"Wow, what a finish that was," said Lockwood following the race. "The circuit course was a great way to kick off the season with wide open turns and a big break at the end. Our team tactics have really progressed since last season," he added with sand and grit covering his face as they raced through 40 minutes of rain.

Elizabeth Lee followed the performance with a strong finish in the Women's A/B race in the middle of the pack.

Entering the Category 4/5 circuit race two hours later, Le Train de Mercer hoped to strike gold but instead ran into a pack of squirrly eager beavers ready to begin the season. After numerous 'almost' collisions, getting forced off the pavement, and a wreck on the final lap, the team was grateful to salvage the race with Kevin Roberts' 12th place finish followed by Andrew Lockwood three seconds back from the winner in 17th. Gabe Denes would drop halfway through the race with a popped spoke.

"My darn spoke popped on my Zipp front wheel," Denes retorted. "We were talking team tactics and Lockwood and I got a little too close. No worries though, I'm just glad that I didn't wreck with all the Cat 5 all-stars in that race," said Denes.

Starting the P-1-2-3 women's race, Elizabeth Lee would take 2nd to Florida Velo's Trish Cohen, a big finish for Lee in the four person field, but nonetheless, in the money.

Saturday afternoon's individual time trial was shortened to 2.2 miles (2 laps) around the circuit race course. Due to rule changes handed down by the SECCC, only aero helmets were allowed in the ITT, leveling the field for the many collegiate riders.

Lockwood was the first to go off, posting a time of 5:14 (25.2 mph)to take the top spot in the standings until USF's Adam Skindel would post the winning time at 5:03. Kevin Roberts would finish 3rd at 5:17 and Gabe Denes would haul in 7th at 5:25. Austin Sholly would finish 7th as well in the Collegiate C's with a 5:57. Elizabeth Lee motored to 5th in the Collegiate Women with a 6:23.

"I really didn't get into much of a rhythm after racing two races and warming up for forever for the TT," said Lockwood. "I felt like a diesel truck trying to get back up to speed on the interstate after going through a weigh station," he added.

After analyzing their tactics over pancakes and biscuits at Cracker Barrel, Le Train de Mercer came back with a vengeance Sunday morning, controlling the Collegiate B 45 minute criterium on the six turn road race course.

Lining up attacks at specific points in the race, the trio launched Kevin Roberts for a mid-race points premium and at the conclusion of the race for the win as he made the podium with a third place effort. Lockwood would hit the gas at the end for an 8th place showing while Denes lead out Roberts and fell back to 14th.

"I was the only one to make the podium picture following the race," said Roberts. "So I stood on the top box and thought to myself, 'this feels good,'" he added.

Sholly would race his best race of the weekend, dropping off the back of the group midway through the event and Elizabeth Lee would take home a mid-pack 8th place in the Collegiate Women's race.

The final race of the weekend, the open category 4/5 was perhaps the most dominant race for Denes, Lockwood, and Roberts all weekend. The strength in their teams' tactics was apparent throughout the race as they worked diligently to thin out the front of the field. Their lead-out for Roberts/Denes fell apart with two laps to go with two separate multi-cyclist crashes taking out the field. Lockwood stomped on the gas to catch up with the lead pack, back was stranded for the finish. Denes posted his best result of the weekend with a 3rd place sprint. Roberts and Lockwood would finish 6th and 7th respectively. Elizabeth Lee would also take 3rd in the small P-1-2-3 field following the men's race.

"This weekend was really all about team work," said Lockwood. "We came here with a purpose in mind, to test our early season fitness, and to be honest, we're going to be smashing it come April. Between Kevin, Gabe, and I, I feel good about our chances in any race," Lockwood added.


Results
Circuit (Collegiate)
Lockwood - 4th (B)
Roberts - 11th (B)
Denes - 19th (B)
Sholly - 34th (C)
Lee - 5th (A/B)

Circuit (Open)
Roberts - 12th (4/5)
Lockwood - 17th (4/5)
Denes - DNF (4/5)
Lee - 2nd (P-1-2-3)


Individual Time Trial
Lockwood - 2nd (B)
Roberts - 3rd (B)
Denes - 7th (B)
Sholly - 7th (C)
Lee - 5th (A/B)

Criterium (Collegiate)
Roberts - 3rd (B)
Lockwood - 8th (B)
Denes - 14th (B)
Sholly - ? (C)
Lee - 8th (A/B)


Criterium (Open)
Denes - 4th (4/5)
Roberts - 6th (4/5)
Lockwood - 7th (4/5)
Lee - 3rd (P-1-2-3)