The Bowdoin Cycling Team had a successful spring season this year, participating in three race weekends with the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) as well as several local races.

The season kicked off over spring break, with a chilly road race hosted by UConn in Mansfield, CT. The next day, a cold and windy Sunday morning, the criterium took place on the Stafford Springs motor speedway. Margaret Conley ’18 placed 5^th in the women’s C road race and 7^th in the criterium. (For collegiate racing, racers are organized into letter categories, with the most advanced riders in A and beginner riders in E. Higher categories race longer distances, and riders can move between categories as they gain experience.)

The next weekend, the team participated in a CBB ride with members of the Bates and Colby cycling teams, going for a nice ride in the Lewiston area with beautiful views. That Sunday, two intrepid cyclists braved the cold early morning temperatures to ride in the Scarborough criterium, a local race that takes place just south of Portland. Daniel Strodel ’20 placed 32^nd in the men’s race and Margaret Conley ’18 placed 4^th in the women’s race.

Although the weather forecast was discouraging, four racers headed up to Dartmouth the weekend of April 14^th for the aptly titled L’Enfer du Nord race. After a wet individual time trial on Saturday morning, Daniel Strodel ’20 and Sam Roussel ’21 raced in the men’s D criterium on an exciting course down frat row, with an 11^th place finish for Daniel. Margaret Conley ’18 was poised for a top finish in her race before being involved in a crash during the final sprint, but thankfully suffered no serious injuries. Andrew Moore ’21 had a great race in men’s E, placing 4^th. The road race for Sunday was cancelled due to forecasts of freezing rain.

Finally, Margaret, Sam, and Andrew headed to western Massachusetts for the ECCC Championships race the weekend of April 21^st. They completed a challenging road race on Saturday, climbing over 3000 feet in just 30 miles, including steep grades and a dirt section. Margaret stuck with a small breakaway group to place 3^rd in women’s C. Sam placed 36^th in the men’s D race, and Andrew placed 3^rd in men’s E. The beautiful weather continued for the criterium on Sunday, which took place along the Connecticut River in Turners Falls, MA. Sam placed 26^th in men’s D after a valiant effort. Margaret placed 2^nd in the women’s C field, and Andrew placed first in his field. It was a great weekend overall, with several podium finishes earning major points for the team and the first (and last) warm weather of the season!

Thanks to Bowdoin Safety and Security, who generously donated two used road bikes to the club over the winter, we were able to provide a bike for a new racer this spring. We are excited to keep growing the team to include both beginners and experienced riders. And we didn’t stop there – several team members competed in the Polar Bear Triathlon on May 5^th!