Nationals!

Kansas was a nice place at this time last year. The Mountaineers went to Kansas in 2006 for Collegiate Cycling National's with high hopes and came out with an 11th place nationals finish! Not bad at all! This year was a different story with Kansas deciding not to play nice. The area suffered numerous tornado's and heavy rains and thunderstorms that turned the race course into a disaster area a few days before riders arrived. Consequently, the course was rerouted and it included a 1.5 mile section through rough gravel. Needless to say the race would become interesting real fast.

The criterium was a madhouse from the get-go. Riders complained about the gravel as they knew it could change the race very quickly. You didn't necessarily have to be the strongest rider to win, but if you had some luck on your side, your chances were certainly better. Reports of flats throughout the field were common and by the end of the day, over 170 flats were reported. Both David Forkner and Michael Wilson suffered from flat tires but Ross Bowden was able to survive the 96 miles and 90+ degree temperatures and rode to a 43rd place finish. (if you click the picture at the top, you can see Ross on the left side dodging bikes as they fall)

The Team Time Trial was certainly a better situation for the Mountaineers as they used their skills to the best of their ability. The men took an 8th place finish, with only one minute off the winning time posted by Western Washington University. Congrats to Michael, David, Ross, and Justin Tucker on a superb finish! Watch the video below captured by Jerid Gooding.



You have to love the sound of the bikes as they ride by. Sounds like a rocket, no doubt. The guys would move on to the criterium on the last day of Nationals and Ross Bowden certainly wasn't finished. Ross thrashed his was the the front and wound up finishing 13th in a bunch sprint for the line. Michael and David also had strong finishes with 23rd and 27th respectively. Congrats to Jerid, Michael, Ross, David, and Justin, for making the trip to nationals! It was another top 20 finish for the Appalachian State Cycling Team!

-App State Cycling