| Cyclists prepare for races on the Palouse |
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| Written by Cheyenne Hollis - Argonaut | ||||||
| Thursday, 23 April 2009 | ||||||
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For the University of Idaho Cycling Club, size does not matter. The
team, one of the smallest in the Northwest Collegiate Cycling
Conference, is gearing up for the NWCCC championships held in Moscow
this weekend. “It is difficult trying to compete with some of the larger teams in the region because they have more competitors and are able to participate in more events,” Idaho Cycling Club President Katrina Finley said. “We have two women and 10 members overall, so for what we do have, we are doing really well.” Idaho is currently first place in the Men’s B category and third place in the Women’s A category. The A category is for experienced riders, B for intermediate skill levels and C for competitors new to racing. “Our guys are doing really well and have had an awesome season so far,” Finley said. “We have five guys participating in men’s B, and they have worked really hard this year to come together as a team.” Teamwork is one the elements in cycling that is often overlooked, Finley said. “A lot of people who are new to the sport think racing is about trying to win as an individual, but there is more to it than that,” Finley said. “There is a lot of strategy involved, and it is important to work together to ensure we gain maximum points in the events.” The cycling team competes in road races, time trials and criteriums. A criterium is a shorter road race held over a predetermined amount of time. “Even though are teams are doing well, we still do not have enough riders on the women’s side to compete at nationals as a team,” Finley said. “It’s a bummer because we can compete in individual events at nationals, but we really would like to represent Idaho as a team.” Finley said people get scared away from cycling because they believe experience is required in order to participate. “We have people who have never raced before in their lives join the team and start competing,” Finley said. “The great thing about cycling is the different categories to ensure beginners are not thrown out in the deep end against more experienced riders.” Even those who do join the club are not required to compete unless they want to, Finley said. “Sometimes people sign up for the club because they want to support cycling and enjoy riding with other people in the community,” Finley said. “After a while, they get comfortable with their abilities and want to challenge themselves by competing.” The cycling club will get a chance to show off its skills at home this weekend as UI and Washington State University co-host the NWCCC championships. Events will be held in Palouse, Wash., Genesee and a special road course designed around the Idaho campus. “The criterium is held on campus, and it is one the best events to watch because there is so much happening, and you get to see riders on a regular basis,” Finley said. “We would love to have people out there cheering us on and enjoying some cycling.” The competition starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Palouse with the road race and concludes starting at 8 a.m. Sunday with the Idaho campus criterium.  Add as favorites (57) | Views: 823
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