2010 US Collegiate Nationals - Day 1 - Road Race

When Madison, Wisconsin was chosen for the site of the 2010 USA Collegiate National Cycling Championships, was the quality of hot tubs and laundromats part of the selection process? With the start/finish area, high up on Bluemound State Park, being shrouded in clouds the entire day, and a cold 40 degree rain soaking riders most of the day, hot tubs and laundromats were probably the talk of the peloton Friday as all the riders suffered on this brutal course in Southwest Wisconsin.

The men rode 72 miles or 5 laps of this 16 mile loop, once part of the proposed 2016 Chicago Olympic road race course that has 1,900 feet of climbing per lap. This course will eat a peloton alive on a nice sunny day, but on this day, riders were constantly succumbing to the very testing elements of late spring.

If you were fortunate enough to survive the course and the cold, wet weather, then hopefully you weren't one of the dozens of riders who got flat tires today. Many a good ride was ruined by bad fortune and there's wasn't much you could do to prevent it. 

Escaping the Division 1 field was Adam Wisseman (Colorado State) and Blake Anton (Cal Poly) who finished together almost a minute ahead of 3rd place Menso de Jong (Cal Poly). Anton, seen here trailing Wisseman, took the win by a bike length on the line (see video below).

Cory Scott (William and Mary) bested Minnesotan Pat Lemieux (Minnesota State) and Richard Geng of Colorado's Mesa State College in the Division 2 championship.

Talented Carla Swart (Lees-McRae) took her third Division 1 title today over Courtney O'Donnell (Cal State) and Sinead Miller (Marian College). Swart seen here on the far left. Division 2 was won by Arielle Filberti of Dartmouth.


Racing continues today (Saturday) on the historic Capital Square criterium course that laps around Wisconsin's state capital building. A fast, but not flat, course that can be tricky in the rain due to the off camber turns. Competition ends on Sunday with team time trials in nearby Waterloo, WI.



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