The weekend of April 16-17 was a busy weekend of racing for Eastern Panhandle Junior Bikeracers: Team Integrity. The weekend began with the RGS Chantilly Crit in Chantilly, VA. The weather was cold and very rainy! The forecast was for severe amounts of rain with 30mph winds, and Mother Nature delivered! Most of the athletes opted to sit this one out, but Corbin Stottlemyer (racing age 11) decided to give it a go. His race started out with dark clouds and gusting winds, which quickly separated the field. The entire back side of the course had a killer headwind, and once the rain began, it was difficult to see! Of the race, Corbin said,” When somebody passed a lot of water got kicked up in my face and some of it stung. At the end I was very tired and soaked”, but then later said, “Overall, it was very fun and a good experience”. It is great to see that even some of the youngest athletes can find the humor and beneficial experience that can be gained from less-than-optimal conditions! The race was 10 laps on a 1.2 mile course. Unfortunately, there was an error in the grading/results of this race, and because of that, Corbin doesn’t have official results. But we’re super proud of him for hanging in there and finishing in good form!
Our second race of the weekend was the Carl Dolan Memorial Road Race in Columbia, MD. Although rain was not in the forecast, the wind was prominent once again. The wind was forecast to gust up to 40mph during the day, and was probably close to 25 or 30mph for the start of the junior’s race. Adam Hull states, “When I got to the location of the race, it was very cold, but it was morning so it woke you up. I checked in, and rode around the parking lot, anxious to start the race and to get my blood flowing”. We had 4 athletes in the junior’s category. Adam Hull (age 13), Emma Hull (age 12), Jared Yates (age 12), and Corbin Stottlemyer (age 11). It was a 10 mile race on a 2.1 mile circuit, with a long and gradual hill ending about 200 meters from the finish. This time, the wind was on the front side of the course, blowing right across the start/finish line and down the hill! The race immediately split into smaller groups of riders. Some worked together well, and others battled the wind on their own. Emma says, “The one thing that really kept me going was that I stayed really close to a girl from a different team. We would each have our moments where we would be ahead, but she mainly stayed ahead because she was amazing at hills!” (Isn’t it great to hear the young athletes enjoying friendly competition?!) As the race neared the end, Jared Yates could be seen coming over the hill with his usual casual demeanor, making his way towards the line. Here is his recount of his final moments in the race: “After about twenty minutes I left my group and caught on to some other people. On the last lap I went around the turn and gained some room. On the final hill I tried to power up it and passed a couple people, and I ended up in fourth place.” We’re super happy with Jared’s performance, and earning Team Integrity’s first podium medal with his 4th place finish! He went on to say, “I learned a lot and I had fun racing.”
Our results from the Carl Dolan Memorial Race are as follows:
Jared Yates: 4th place (age10-12)
Corbin Stottlemyer: 8th place (age10-12)
Adam Hull: 10th place (age13-14)
Emma Hull: 16th place (age10-12 Girls)
We’re doing great in our first year of racing, and our athletes are having a blast. Our sponsors have been amazing! Eastern Panhandle Bicycle Co. has performed bike tune-ups and fittings (not to mention giving us a place to practice), and Hammer Nutrition has given us products that have helped in our training and racing nutrition and recovery. We’re proud to wear their logos on our kits, and look forward to enjoying much more racing as the season continues.
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