Most Dartmouth students were unfortunate enough to be stuck in Hanover, studying for exams and writing final papers this weekend in the freezing rain. Eight very lucky Dartmouth students got to race at Columbia University’s criterium held at Grant’s Tomb in Manhattan.
With the Sunday circuit race at Delaware Gap cancelled due to flooding, this was going to be a one-race-weekend and we were determined to make the best of it. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right? I don’t think any of us expected the amount of lemons we’d be handed this weekend, but you better believe we made a giant Big-Green-tub-of-lemonade out of it.
To set the tone for our day’s racers, Daniel Holmdahl ‘14 experienced a mechanical at the start of his Men’s D race. Coming off of a win in his first ever race weekend (Intros at Rutgers) he was primed for a great race. Unfortunately, his front-derailleur cable snapped at the lever at the start line. With nothing but his small chain-ring, Daniel set off along with Nick Wimer ’12 on a very fast and technical Grant’s Tomb course that resembled a hot dog….one turn was sweeping and fast downhill, the second was a tremendously slow 150 degree turn. In a course that varied from agonizingly slow corners to crushing sprints, Daniel and Nick held their own. The former did so with only his 39t chainring! And that’s not all. A few laps from the end Daniel was crashed out in the slow 150 degree turn; he got up, untangled his bike, and immediately set off to catch the pack with nothing but huge legs and a small front chainring. He caught them by the end of the lap, unfazed. A pack finish is nothing less than admirable for Nick and Daniel after such challenging circumstances. As Daniel crossed the line, it was apparent that the crash had bent his derailleur hanger and he is now in the market for a new bike, quite possibly a Giant TCR Advanced from the Bike Hub. Wish him luck!
The women would see more success and fewer mechanicals; in Women’s C, Ellen Anderson MALS ’12 scored a hard-fought 3rd place! Kelly Everhart ‘09, the only Dartmouth rider in the Women’s A/B field, animated a breakaway and was an aggressive rider throughout the criterium but ultimately settled for a strong 10th place. When ever women’s rider on the team brings team omnium points, it sets a high bar for the men!
Anthony Paravati Tuck/DMS ’12 was our loan racer in the Men’s C field. A crash held him back from the front, and contributed to a broken Selle Italia saddle! A solid pack finish for Anthony, regardless!
Will Boylston DMS ‘11 and I were in the Men’s B field, fighting for glory as our friend Ben Grass had moved on to greener pastures and faster-looking legs in the Men’s A field. Thirty minutes before showtime, my shift lever snapped on my Campagnolo rear-shift/brake lever. Murphy’s Law had struck, and in a panic I swapped pedals and saddle with Nick Wimer ’12 who was approximately my height. Everything was different, I felt like a complete fool operating Shimano (having only used Campagnolo since I started cycling) yet somehow I made a fine race of it. Will and I both boasted a solid pack finish in what ultimately came down to a bunch sprint.
The highlight of the day was Ben Grass DMS ‘13 in Men’s A. This was Ben’s first appearance in the Men’s A field after a solid performance last week in the B’s. Ben took an active role in reeling in the breakaway with less than six to go. Urging the peloton forward, and doing much of the pulling himself, the breakaway gap plummeted from 12 seconds to less than half of that, with the catch finally occurring with two laps to go. As they reached the final straightaway, Ben won the criterium in dominant fashion with a solid finishing sprint, lead out by a strong Penn State rider. With over a bike length at the line, the rest of the team was confused for a second that we were perhaps watching a prime lap. This was no prime lap! It was a great victory to finish our one-race-weekend!
Due to the generosity of the family of Elle Anderson ’11 (Thank you!!!), we were able to stay in a beautiful home in Briarcliff Manor, NY. With no racing on Sunday due to a flooded course, we chose to instead embark on a sixty-mile team ride through some beautiful New York countryside. While it may not match the Upper Valley, the sun was shining and the drivers mostly courteous, despite the brutal winds and rough roads.
Top results, after the jump!
Ben Grass – 1st – Men’s A
Ellen Anderson – 3rd - Women’s C
Kelly Everhart – 10th – Women’s A/B
Dartmouth College Season Team Omnium - 3rd in Division II Standings behind Bucknell and MIT.
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