Preview - Owen Cup Saturday, February 07, 2009

Preview - Owen Cup Saturday, February 07, 2009

Owen Cup Course

The Owen Cup Course is on open road so all traffic rules must be followed. Never cross the yellow line and if there is not a yellow line do not use the left half of the road, this must be left open for oncoming traffic.

Owen Cup is made to be fun, it is a race ride where the collegiate riders come out to test there strengths against the local cyclist. Gaining group riding experience and safety are the two main goals.

The group will gather at Bollo’s café and bakery and then proceed down N Main Street to Mt Tabor Rd. The group will pause in the parking lot of Slusser’s Chapel Church of God‎. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents will give everyone else a 5min head start. Mt Tabor Rd is one of the tougher sections of the course with large rollers that consist of varying inclines and ripping descents. Right turn Sandyridge Rd watch out for gravel in the turn, the road descends and there are blind turns so don’t cut the turns. Right turn onto Blacksburg Rd, in this direction it is slightly down hill with rollers this time of year there is normally a head wind. Continue onto Harding Rd up the climb to Blacksburg. Right turn on to Happy Hollow Rd this is a screaming decent followed by a steep climb. Right turn back onto Mt Tabor Rd this completes a lap. Repeat as many laps as needed. For your final lap continue on Harding Rd past Happy Hollow Rd and the course finishes at the Blacksburg town limit sign.


Players

The namesake Owen Nielsen, graduated from Virginia Tech after being part of VT cycling for five seasons, two of those season he also raced professionally. After graduation Owen started a “real job” and had to give up cycling training for running. He may be missing some cycling endurance but his fitness should be good and if he is with you and the finish line is sight watch out.

Owen Cup Champions

Owen Cup Champion 2006, Mark Hardman earned his bachelor degree at VT and continued his education to get a law degree at some other school. While at this other school Mark won colligate national road race and the overall omnium twice. Mark has been working hard as a lawyer and unable to train at his previous level. He was recently spotted at the Repella Sport Spectacular where he won the Sandyridge sprint. He then put Facebook statuses up that made it seem like he was training in Ecuador at altitude and visiting his South American doctor. Mark could possibly deliver a repeat performance of his 2006 win.

Owen Cup champion 2007, Aaron Snyder has represented VT at colligate mountain bike national where he delivers VT’s best performances. Currently he is racing Mountain bike professionally. Last year he focused on 24hr events but this year he is focusing on qualifying for world cup XC events. Aaron is reported to be bring some of his mountain bike training partners for backup to help defend his title at the 2009 event

Owen Cup Champion 2008 Ben King is just a sophomore at VT and might be the most talented rider to come through the VT program. He has raced professionally in the United States, represented the US national team at world cup junior events and the world championships. Currently Ben is training with the Live strong U23 team managed by Axel Merckx. Since the end of the 2008 fall semester Ben has spent time training with Lance Armstrong and living in his guest house. Lance may have taught Ben the secret of maintain 18mph through the Harding notch. Ben has been the most secretive about his Owen Cup plans and we will find out on race day if he will arrive to unleash some watts.

Teams

Rogues Racing the local Blacksburg road racing team, just finished up the spring training camp. They worked on their team strategy while based in Dalonega, GA. Where the scouted the Tour de Georgia climb Brass Town Bald, it is rumored that they practiced some kind of team time trial that they plan to use to deliver Jon Webb to the base of Harding Rd where he can blast the strength he honed in Georgia.

Virginia Tech cycling 2009 held a team training camp over Christmas break in Daytona, FL. The riders in attendance pumped out some big miles and may have come back with strength equal to the redness of their sunburn.

Others

Steven Gordon graduated early from VT after winning the ACCC individual championship while being part of the strongest road teams to represent VT. Steven is working on his MBA at another school and will be racing the 2009 season professionally. Andrew Olson has developed himself as the Blacksburg local legend, locally he is known as the world’s strongest category 2 racer. Myself John Delong well I am not good at tooting my own horn but I have been training and plan on delivering some watts to the roads on the day of the Owen Cup.


Cup Format

In the past the Owen cup has started as a large group, and sorted itself on the road. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3, women 1, 2, and equivalents would do 3 laps. USA Cycling categories 3, 4, women 3, and equivalents would do 2 laps. USA Cycling categories 4, 5 women 4, and equivalents would do 1 lap.

Handicap Race
Then handicap race is something we practice some on Wednesday worlds. It is a race style where the slower or less experienced riders get a head start. On Wednesday worlds we practice this so that newer riders can gain experience of riding longer with a larger group and getting a chance to see the more experienced guys in action.

This past Monday at the VT Cycling meeting I proposed that we try a handicap style race for the 2009 Owen cup. The proposal was approved. The USA Cycling categories: Pro, 1, 2, 3 and equivalents would give everyone else a 5min head start. If you are or were a professional, ex-national champion, Category, 1, 2 and think you should also get a head start you can apply by sending a 500 word essay, about why you need a head start, to the VT cycling list serve. On Saturday morning there will be a vote on the starting position of the riders that applied for head start.