This past weekend (December 9th-11th) the Exergy USGP came to beautiful Bend, Oregon for the series finale — the Deschutes Brewery Cup.  Team rider Dillon Caldwell was the lone athlete representing the Ducks, competing in the Men’s Category 2/3 division.

As 2011 comes to a close, our team looks to transition to the streets in preparation for the 2012 Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference road racing season.  We want to wish you all a happy holiday season and we’ll see you next year!

I know I’m not alone in my excitement for the new school year, the new season. We’ve got some big changes on tap. To start things off, I want to cordially invite you all to the 2011-2012 Oregon Cycling kickoff GALA. Mark the date: Monday, October 3rd at 5pm. We’ll finally be unveiling the highly anticipated new team sponsorship package, laying out our new team goals, and announcing the 2012 Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference race schedule. At this meeting we will explain what you can expect from this fall’s team training schedule. We will welcome all new team members and answer any questions. If you plan on riding for the University of Oregon this year, and if you would like to offer your input on a multitude of topics (e.g., jersey color schemes), we’ll see you there! Light refreshments will be provided. Email Dillon for location details: caldwell AT uoregon DOT edu

Even after a podium finish in the NWCCC team omnium and multiple individual championship titles to round out the 2011 race season we have yet to cross the finish line.  Due largely to higher-than-anticipated gas prices our team is left with an outstanding loan that we need to repay by the end of this school year.  Please use the following link to make a charitable gift to the University of Oregon cycling team:

All gifts are processed by the University of Oregon Foundation, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization.

Thanks for all you do!

Seen here at NWCCC Regionals, the 2011 University of Oregon Cycling Team's Men's A Squad

Last weekend, four UO cyclists traveled to Madison, WI for the USA Cycling 2011 Collegiate Road Nationals. Jeremy Garbellano, David Kuhns, McKenzie Sampson and Ty Mangum all made the trip for the chance to test themselves against the nation’s best college cyclists.

The first event was the road race, featuring over 8000 feet of climbing in 72 miles. The team’s best finish came from David Kuhns, the lone returner from last year’s nationals team, who placed 45th. McKenzie Sampson finished 104th, and Ty Mangum finished 115.

The weekend concluded with the criterium on Sunday. Again, David Kuhns led the Ducks finishers with a 59th place finish. McKenzie Sampson was by his side, also finishing 59th, with Jeremy Garbellano just behind coming in 63rd.

Complete results are available here.

The 2011 collegiate cycling season is now officially over, however, as the team begins preparing for next season, many of the riders will continue to compete in local OBRA races.

2011 University of Oregon Cycling Team

Ever wonder where all the money from the race entry fees go? Well this weekend, at the Conference Championships, your question was answered, as the collective winners of every category/discipline imaginable walked home with a bounty of prizes. There were over 120 medals, 10 commemorative plates, 18 mugs, and a handful of plaques to be doled out.

But before all that, the riders had to race. Though the weather was finally cooperative, the long course and steep hills made this a challenging race for all the riders. In her first race since upgrading to the women’s B field, Ali Davis placed 5th. Stephen Kocher took home the victory in the men’s C field. Dillon Caldwell and Austin Sommerfield went 4-5 in the men’s B field, while David Kuhns led the men’s A riders with a 9th place finish.

The results would improve in the evening’s team time trial, where the men’s A team placed 3rd, men’s B placed 3rd, men’s C placed 1st, men’s D was 4th, and women’s B was 3rd.

Katy Pelissier sprinting towards the line to secure her first victory of the season.

Sunday brought more sunshine and more racing, with the final criterium of the season. The day started well, as Katy Pelissier won her first race of the season in the women’s C field.

Ali Davis would finish 3rd in the criterium, in her first weekend racing in the B category.

The success continued on the women’s side as Ali Davis placed 3rd in the B field.

Stephen Kocher took 3rd in the men’s C field, while Dillon Caldwell and Graham Kelley both secured top 10 finishes in the B race.

McKenzie Sampson and David Kuhns in the men's A crit.

In the final race of the weekend, McKenzie Sampson placed 7th, while UO’s season leader, Jeremy Garbellano, decided to keep his legs well rested for the “Fixie Fun Crit” and so he finished in the middle of the pack at 11th. The tactic worked, and he did manage to win the Fixie Fun Crit, for whatever that’s worth.

Ali Davis displays an impressive medal count.

With the races over, it was time to collect the hardware. On top of the medals for this weekend’s racing, several individuals received awards for their season-long points totals. Ali Davis was the women’s C champion. Daniel Gray was 3rd in the men’s D standings. Stephen Kocher was the top points-winner in the men’s C field.

Stephen Kocher displays a shameful medal count.

Dillon Caldwell was the points leader for the men’s B field, while Austin Sommerfield finished 2nd.

Still more awards were awarded for the top squads. The men’s C, men’s B and women’s C squads all took home the honors.

The men's C squad with their victory plate.

Finally, in the overall team standings, Oregon came in 3rd behind The University of Washington and Whitman College.

Let's go home, fellas!

As always, complete results are available here.

Several of the team’s A riders will be traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to compete in the Collegiate Cycling National Championships two weeks from now.

Jeremy Garbellano rolling in for a 2nd place finish in the Men's A road race.

Another weekend of racing and the University of Oregon team just keeps getting better.  This weekend, the team traveled to Ellensburg, WA for the Central Washington University Omnium.  Under the threat that “in the event of extreme wind the race officials and staff mayreduce distances”, the team members braced themselves for a challenging road race on Saturday.

Though no races were forced to be shortened, the strong winds quickly separated all of the fields, leaving only the strongest riders to ride home to victory.  Ali Davis brought home the first win of the day in the Women’s C road race.  Helen Rappe also put up a personal best, finishing 3rd.  Katy Pelissier also put up a top-1o finish, coming in 8th.  The C-wins continued on the men’s side, as Stephen Kocher secured the victory from a four-man break, while Brian Fawcett and Ted Sweeney came in 5th and 7th.

The exceptional results continued in the afternoon races, as Dillon Caldwell grabbed his second victory of the season in the Men’s B road race.  Austin Sommerfield was 5th.  In the Men’s A road race, Jeremy Garbellano got into a two-man break early that managed to hold off the field, netting him a season-best 2nd place finish.  David Kuhns also managed a top-10 finish, placing 7th.

The weekend’s time trials saw victories in both the men’s and women’s C fields, along with a 2nd place finish for the men’s A’s.

Oregon riders in the women's C race work hard to whittle down the field.

Not content Saturday’s performance, the team set out to better themselves during Sunday’s criterium.  Ali Davis celebrated her 21st birthday with her third win of the weekend (second individual) in the women’s C race.  Katy Pelissier and Helen Rappe finished 2nd and 4th.

Oregon took 3 of the top 4 spots in the women's C race.

Oregon added another victory in the men’s D race.  Daniel Grey chased down and overtook teammate Jin Hwang on the final lap to secure the victory.  Hwang would finish 6th, providing personal best finishes for both riders.  The men’s C race saw Stephen Kocher and Brian Fawcett finish 3rd and 5th, respectively.

Jin Hwang makes a valiant attack on the final lap of the men's D criterium.

Austin “The Monster” Sommerfield netted his third victory of season in the men’s B race, with Dillon Caldwell just behind for 2nd place.  This was the third time the Ducks have gone 1-2 in a men’s B race this season.

Austin Sommerfield on his way to his third win of the season.

The final race of the weekend, Men’s A’s, saw three top-10 finishes, with Jeremy Garbellano coming in 5th, Matt Keeler 8th, and Ty Mangum placing 10th.  Ty was also narrowly edged out for an extra prime point.

As, always, full race results are available here.

Also, in response to higher-than-expected transportation costs, the team is ramping up its fundraising efforts.  If you would like to support the team, race photographs are available for purchase, with proceeds going to support team race expenses.  If you wish, you may also make a tax-deductible donation to the University of Oregon cycling team directly.  Money donated goes directly to the cycling team, and is used to cover costs such as team transportation and race entry fees.

Please support the UO Cycling Team, so that it can continue to introduce students to the sport of bicycle racing.

McKenzie Sampson Finishing Third in the Men's A Road Race

The University of Oregon Cycling Team posted its strongest results of the season this past weekend at the Boise State University Omnium.

Saturday morning’s road races featured powerful winds, horizontal rain, and just enough climbing to keep the riders unhappy. The Oregon women took these challenges head on, with Ali Davis and Helen Rappe both putting personal best results, finishing 2nd and 6th respectively.

In the afternoon, the skies cleared up, but the wind stayed strong for the men’s A road race. McKenzie Sampson posted both a team and personal best result for the season, finishing in third place. Jeremy Garbellano and Ty Mangum weren’t far behind, finishing 6th and 8th.

The evening’s time trial was the longest and most challenging of the season, but the team continued to ride well. The men’s A team placed 2nd. The men’s C team won their field, and the women’s C team also had a 2nd place finish.

A Happy Ted Sweeney Leads the Men's C Peloton

Sunday morning, the team traveled to the heart of Boise State University’s campus for the criterium. The mile-long course featured several tight turns, and bottlenecks, but the team managed to avoid too much trouble and continue putting up excellent results. Ted Sweeney forgot that bike racing is supposed to be miserable, but thankfully it didn’t cost him–he managed to win the men’s C race with teammate Brian Fawcett riding in for 2nd place.

Ted Sweeney Winning the Men's C Criterium

The winning streak continued in the next race as Austin Sommerfield won the men’s B race. The race was restarted with 2 laps to go due to a large pileup. Austin used that opportunity to come out strong, riding the entire final lap off the front, and hanging on for the win.

Austin Sommerfield Winning the Men's B Criterium

In the final race of the weekend, the men’s A crit, the UO team continued to rack up the points. Jeremy Garbellano placed 5th, with McKenzie Sampson not far behind him in 7th place.

Ty Mangum and Jeremy Garbellano in the Men's A Criterium.

Complete results are available here.

The team results to action next weekend when they travel to Ellensburg, WA for the Central Washington University Omnium.

This weekend, the University of Oregon cycling team traveled to Walla Walla, WA for the Whitman College Omnium.  This weekend would test the team’s stamina; enduring a 7 hour van trip before the racing would even begin.

Things went well in Saturday’s road race.  The rolling terrain and strong headwinds made this a difficult race, that tested the riders’ strength and determination.  The UO team rose to the occasion and established itself as, without a doubt, the best-of-the-second-best as Austin Sommerfield, Dillon Caldwell, and Graham Kelley placed 1-2-3 in the men’s B race.  Other strong finishes include McKenzie Sampson placing 8th in the men’s A race.  Stephen Kocher and Ted Sweeney took 3rd and 8th, respectively, in the men’s C race, and Ali Davis took 8th in the women’s C race.

The evening’s time trial was highlighted by a 2nd place finish by the women’s C team.

Sunday morning’s criterium featured several more strong performances by the team.  Dillon Caldwell placed 5th in the men’s B race, while Stephen Kocher and Ted Sweeney finished 2-3 in the men’s C race.

Complete results are available here.

The team returns to action next weekend when it travels to Boise for the Pride of Idaho Omnium.