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Vermont scores another win at collegiate road nationals
The Green Mountain crew will have a tough time winning the team omnium title, however
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The University of Vermont won for a second day in a row at the collegiate national road championships on Saturday.
UVM's Colin Jaskiewicz took the Division 1 men's criterium win at the race in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado, the day after teammates Jamey Driscoll and Will Dugan went 1-2 in the road race.
Youngster Sinead Miller of Marian College won the D1 women's crit after being hospitalized Friday. And Phil Elsasser (Western Washington University) won the D2 men’s race out of a two-man break; while Whitman College's Kendi Thomas swept up the D2 women's race, taking primes and the finale.
The course was a flat, technical figure 8. The technical aspect of the eight-corner course aided in breakaway attempts, while the long finishing stretch allowed for a tactical bunch sprint.
D2 women enjoy a field sprint
In the D2 women’s criterium, Thomas handed it to the field by sprinting to the win and taking most of the prime points along the way. Kimberly Geist (DeSales University) appeared to be the strongest rider, taking two primes herself, but she wasn’t able to find her way to the top ten in the finale.
Thomas, a junior studying environmental sociology, rides for the Hagens Berman trade team. Finishing second to Dartmouth’s Jen Stebbins last year, she was more motivated than ever to finally claim the win. “My teammate Mia (Huth) did a perfect job on the last lap,” recalled Thomas. “She went as hard as she could and delivered me into the last corner.”
D1 women surprised by youngster
The D1 women’s criterium was an aggressive race with numerous attempts at breakaways. In the end, the group finished together, resulting in a field sprint that went to Sinead Miller (Marian College). After the race Miller said Lees-McRae fielded the strongest team, and it was evident from the sidelines, as the team neutralized breaks, and even took some of the primes. But Lees-McRae’s Carla Swart, a pre-race favorite and winner of the Friday’s road race, may have worked too hard early in the race and wound up fourth.
Miller, 18, has been racing bikes since she was 5, beginning on the BMX track. When she was 10 she began racing on the road and just made the jump to the velodrome last year. The win Saturday came as a surprise considering she spent Friday in the hospital after the grueling road race.
Miller had just returned last Monday from Europe, where she raced under the wing of USA Cycling’s Jim Miller; she said she was in anything but optimal health for the race.
“The doctor told me yesterday that I have bronchitis — borderline pneumonia,” she said. When asked how she felt Saturday, she simply said, “Not very good.” Well, good enough to be the new national collegiate criterium champion.
D2 Men sees a two-man breakaway
The D2 men’s criterium saw numerous breaks chased down and then countered with other attacks. With several breakaways, some gaining up to 15 seconds yet failing to stay away, it appeared that the day would be a sprinter’s race.
But with 30 minutes remaining, Western Washington’s Phil Elsasser snagged a prime, taking a small time gap. Instead of falling comfortably back, he decided to drill it. Shortly after, Thacker Reeves of Cumberland University was able to bridge and contribute to the break. The two worked well together but their effort seemed doomed as their lead never went over 15 seconds.
Riders from the peloton continuously tried to bridge, but were always reeled in. The gap shrunk in the final laps but the group was unable to close it. Elsasser outkicked Reeves for the win and Thomas Brown of Emery University took the field sprint.
Vermont again in the D1 men
The D1 men’s criterium also saw riders attempting to ride off the front, but the field was too hungry and too strong to let a break succeed. With riders popping off the back every lap, it was clear that the pace was worthy of a national championship.
The University of Vermont worked hard to neutralize attacks to keep the pack together for their sprinter, Colin Jaskiewicz. With just six laps remaining, a group of three riders were able to clear the field. And with just three to go, the group had grown to five. With Vermont on the front, yet having expended energy early on in the race, it appeared that the break would stick to the finish. But in the final few corners, the Vermont riders caught the break and were able to deliver Jaskiewicz to the final corner, where he unleashed a race-winning sprint.
Jaskiewicz, studying mechanical engineering and math, and with just one semester remaining, is undefeated in collegiate criteriums this year. “This is definitely the most prestigious win I’ve had so far and it makes it even better that Jamey and Will went one and two yesterday.” Outside of the Vermont team, Jaskiewicz rides with teammate Dugan on the CCB-Volkswagen team.
Vermont has proven that it's the strongest team at nationals. Driscoll said the strength comes from years training and racing together.
“Over the years we’ve gotten to know each other better and ride with each other more and that helps with the tactics part,” he said. “We’ve practiced this type of leadout a few times already this year,” said Jaskiewicz.
Dugan furthered the point of unity, adding, “A lot of us live together so it’s kind of more like a family — we breathe cycling.”
This type of unity helps the riders better understand what they can do. Jaskiewicz admitted he can’t keep up with Dugan and Driscoll on the long, driving efforts. But "if we can get him to the line, he’ll deliver," said Driscoll.
Despite Vermont’s apparent dominance, they may not be able to win the team omnium. Despite an eighth-place finish Saturday by Natana Hotimsky, the team lacks depth on the women’s side, which will hurt their chances at the team title. And the team couldn’t afford to bring time-trial bikes for Sunday’s race against the clock. Team members said that they would still attempt to do well in the TTT, even without ideal equipment.
