End of Pre-Season; Start of Racing

The training, miles, and intervals will soon show themselves in the face of competition. The upcoming finish of the training season has gone well with the DSC team confident about their prospects for this year's events. Julian Zehr will be racing in the top-level "A" category and Ethan Zehr will ride in "B's" with Nolan Wehr. After a great season last year where we secured the 3rd place in B's we will again try for a high placing in both cat "A" and "B". 

The racing season is well anticipated as we are anxious to see the results of our dedication and hours on the bike. Yet the training season has it's own great beauties and rewards as we enjoyed the fantastic roads and scenery of NW Georgia.

We even have a "fan club" this year.....

The SECCC racing schedule begins soon with the first race in Florida. 

Jingle Cross

Cyclocross Race

Its true what you've read, there are few better things than riding your bike. For those of use who enjoy riding and racing bikes we learn to appreciate the finer details in a given race. So with that may I present the singularly best race I have had the privilege to line up at.

Jingle Cross is a three day cyclocross race in Iowa City, Iowa. What makes Jingle Cross unlike other local races is the size of the fields. The Cat 4 field held no fewer than 50 entrants per race. The other categories held similar sizes with no fewer than 30 entrants per field.

Racing against those numbers makes the race quite competitive. Every move, pedal, and dismount all the more critical. A small misstep and you've dropped five positions. I dropped my chain while attempting to shift my chain from my front little ring to front big ring on a straight gravel section. While I was forced to reapply the chain by hand a top-ten finish whizzed right by me in the form of three or four other riders. 

(It takes a good power washer)

The race atmosphere is another defining quality of Jingle Cross. Anyone familiar with cross knows of the community of other racers hanging out post race for spectating other races and good-natured heckling. Cross racers are known to enjoy a good time and things can get pretty crazy as we try to stay warm in the Iowa late fall.

(The longer it takes to get up the longer we get to heckle)

Large crowds gather to finish their day off with spectating the Pro races. Jingle Cross attracts both top-level men and women. To watch the Pro's in their element is a study not only in technical mastery, physical conditioning, but the beauty of bikes slicing the mud, roots, gravel, grass, and weaving their wave through the course like birds.

(Weave your way through the barn)

(Weave your way through the mud)

(It is a bike race co-located with a dance party)

Cyclocross for DSC

Dalton State Cycling made its very first foray into the peculiar event known as cyclocross. It is a cross between mountain biking, trail riding, and an obstacle course. DSC was represent by our team president Julian.

 (Photo: Whitney Allison)

In his first cross race ever, on a Panzer tank of a bike (easily 35+lbs bike), he rolled out and proceeded to pick off other racers one by one. JZ finished quite well with a 12th place finish. Post race JZ remarked that racing cross could be tougher than some road-race criteriums.

The race was deceptively straight forward, but allowed the racers no rest or recovery as each fought for position and tackled the undulating course. After the 30 minute race each participant was cooked but all had a blast. 

DSC hopes, time allowing, to participate in more cross events as it provides a fun and very challenging way of racing your bike, maintaining fitness and having blast while doing so. 

Dalton State Cycling is proud to present our new kit design for 2013. 

If you are interested in receiving a jersey or full kit and helping our club please contact me directly at nolan.wehr@gmail.com

Win or lose, we are gonna look good.

Jersey - $65.00
Bibs - $115.00

So where is Dalton State Cycling after last season?

We are here and training hard to be ready for another great road season. The team this year consists of Julian Zehr, Nolan Wehr, and Javier Menjivar.

Julian will be starting out in the top-level A group and vying for the overall win in our conference.

Nolan is slated to start in the B group and hoping for a quick upgrade to the A group to be lieutenant to Julian.

This year we introduce DSC newest member, Javier Menjivar. Javier will start out in the novice, D category, and will likely advance quickly into the C field.

Similar to previous years, we are a small team with very bold goals. This year our team will fight to win the team competition for DIV II schools, and the individual win in the A and D field.

Also new for this year will be a foray into cyclocross. We are planning on using the short but fun cross season to add some spice to our training schedule and get some fall racing our legs.

Finale

Finale

The Dalton State Cycling team ended its road season this past weekend in Brevard, NC. 

The Brevard weekend found Nolan Wehr and Ethan Williams in attendance as the Zehr's were not able to race. Wehr and Williams entered the weekend excited and ready to race. Williams raced one of his best TT's of the season and placed 3^rd against strong competition on a very challenging, long and hilly course. Wehr also faced the same dreaded course placing an eternal 2^nd against his determined competitor. The road race and the criterium were not as successful as injuries and a long-season took its toll. Overall the weekend was great racing fun and beautifully challenging.

The season as a whole was a dramatic success. The team was able not only able to have very fine results but was also has able to foster the growth of its riders.

Ethan “Blackhawk” Williams was a new rider and racing member for this season. Starting from scratch he gained fitness and experience at a remarkable pace. Blackhawk won the early season “D's” races with bold ease allowing a quick upgrade into the “C” category. He convincingly won the conference category D overall. He was also able to secure a top half finish in category “C” after upgrading during the season.

Ethan “Uno” Zehr furthered his racing credentials with ferocious competition for the B conference overall win. Uno's season was one of great results with a slew of top 5's and many top 3 finishes. Although UNO was unable to compete the final weekend he still held enough of an advantage to win 3^rd overall in the B category.

 (Photo: Tom Reed)

 Julian “Big Diesel” Zehr joined his fellow compatriots halfway through the season due an early season injury. Once the diesel got started he was hard to slow down. Initially Big D helped Blackhawk in the “C” field but soon upgraded to “B's” to help UNO for the conference win. Big D was still able to gain enough points to finish in the top half of the B field. Big D worked hard to help bring the win for UNO and at the same time having great results for himself in the Time Trials. 

 (Photo: Tom Reed)

Nolan “Godfather” Wehr gained much needed guidance from his fellow teammates and learned how to be a better racer and overall bike rider. He started the season in the “C” field still learning the trade and had some decent results. Halfway through the season he joined UNO in the “B” field to gain more experience and help his teammate during the race. Wehr placed in the top ten of the “C” field and in the top half of the “B” field. 

 (Photo: Tom Reed)
 

The team also includes those who don't race. The team coach Leon Storm was always available to help with specific exercise drills, motor-pacing, and guidance. He put in his time and expertise for us, asking little in return. The faculty adviser Dr. Gonzalez helped us host a first-class race and was a staunch advocate for our success. And of course, all the parents – who likely barely understood this whole bike “thing” but were critical every pedal of the way.

The conference cumulative points results from the season:

Team Division II

5th/14

Ethan Zehr:

3^rd B

Julian Zehr:

31/66 - C

23/54 - B

Ethan Williams:

1/22 - D

24/66 - C

Nolan Wehr:

7/66 - C

17/54 - D

Clash at Clemson

Clemson weekend was a mixture of the highest delights and crumbling frustrations. The team was fully complimented by all members this weekend – Ethan Zehr, Julian Zehr, Ethan Williams, and Nolan Wehr.

When Saturday dawned early for the time trial it was all out war. Ethan Zehr, Julian, and Nolan all rode the “B” TT. The course graded downhill until the turnaround four miles later, then came the gradual climb back up to the finish. The rollers of the course were unforgiving as it tested and taxed the strongest riders. The TT win stayed elusive as again, the rider from King College took first, relegating Julian, Wehr, and Ethan to second through fourth respectively. Ethan Williams brought out the power and rode a strong TT finishing easily in the top five, although official results are not yet available.

After a brief respite from the TT the “B” racers lined up for their 40 mile road race. We conspired with our pals, Samuel Douglas and Dylan DeGraw from Furman University to help Ethan Zehr in his quest for the “B” conference win. The race started out easily enough with Dalton and Furman in complete control of the peloton. Half way through the race the attacks began and never ceased. The team rode hard to keep the peloton together for the sprint finish. As the finish drew near fatigued riders were shelled out the back. The sprint finish was a flurry of movement as Ethan sliced across the line in 6^th.

In the “C” road race Ethan Williams lined up ready for a 20 mile race. Despite great conditioning and form in the recent weeks an old injury flared up to crimp his race before he had a chance to assert his strength. Williams never stopped and rode across the line finishing what he started and with his usual confidence and uplifting attitude.

Sunday brought Furman and Dalton State back together to tag-team the criterium race. The conference rival of Ethan, Drew - Georgia Southern, rode well and tested the team with repetitive attacks. After the previous days work in the road race tired legs could be felt all around. Keeping focused Ethan kept a good position in the final laps and finished 3^rd in the sprint.

Williams choose not to risk further injury in the crit race and we look forward to watching his dominance next weekend.

The entire weekend demonstrated what a team is and how great teamwork can pull through on the most challenging courses and demanding competition. Whatever the team may have wanted in results we never lacked in trying our best collectively and unselfishly to reach our goals.