Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GU Cyclists Pedal Away to Success

The Georgetown club cycling team has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past few years, but team president Alex Siegel (SFS ’10) is quick to deflect the credit for the team’s renaissance to a few of his predecessors, Chris Pickett (MED ’07) and A.J. Sikes (COL ’09).

“Without Chris Pickett, there very well may not have been a GU Cycling team,” Siegel reflected. “And, without [Sikes], it never would have become the true `team’ that it is today.”

Like all the cycling teams it competes against, the Georgetown team operates in a sort of netherworld between the NCAA and true club teams. The governing body of collegiate cycling is the USA Cycling Collegiate, formerly the National Collegiate Cycling Association (NCCA). The team’s unique affiliation allows for many people to participate in the club who would not be allowed to if collegiate cycling were governed by NCAA laws. Professional cyclists – who are either returning to academia to get a long-awaited degree or merely spending some time in college before resuming professional competition in the summer – dot the collegiate cycling landscape, along with many graduate students.

While the presence of current and former professionals might seem intimidating, Siegel is impressed by the sheer ability and level of competition in many races.

“The upper levels of collegiate cycling are really just as competitive as the pro ranks,” Siegel said. “The only difference is that the pros get paid.”

This year, Siegel is the lone undergraduate on a tough Blue and Gray squad that looks to build on the success of last year, which was capped off by a brilliant ride to fifth place by Sean Barrie (MBA ’09) in the National Championship road race. In one of the few races all year in which the Hoyas faced cyclists exclusively from schools in their own Division II, Barrie delivered, according to Siegel, “the team’s best result ever [and] the biggest feather in our cap.”

Siegel and teammate Brett Sisto (LAW ’11) also turned in impressive results at the Track national championships on Sept. 25, finishing eighth and 18th respectively, before being joined in a 10th-place finish in the team pursuit event by Tucker Sawin (CERES ’10). These results highlight the versatility of a team which is admittedly focused on road racing, which features courses that are anywhere from 60 to 90 miles long.

The track racers, meanwhile, participate in competitions on a velodrome, a short-track, indoor oval, which hosts races that Siegel likens to “NASCAR, but with bikes.”

Although it would be easy to single out the efforts of team members like Siegel and Barrie when talking about the recent success that the team has enjoyed, Siegel enjoys and emphasizes the strategic, team aspect of cycling that is so often overlooked by the casual observer. Teammates have to work together and play off each other’s strengths in order to succeed, and Siegel thinks the Blue and Gray do just that.

“[Road races] require a lot of teamwork, [and] we have distinct roles within the team. We have a guy who is a great climber, a great time-trialer, [whereas] I tend to be more of a sprinter,” Siegel said. “If I’m still around at the end, [the team] will try and work for me.”

Despite his and the team’s recent successes, Siegel and his teammates take perhaps the most pride in helping others develop or nurture a passion for cycling.

“We take on everyone,” Siegel said. “Some of our best stories so far [are of] guys who have come

from very humble beginnings and turned into pretty good racers by the time they leave.”

Although the squad has struggled to grow as much as he would have liked during the past few years, Siegel thinks that the growth of the program is just as important as its ability to impress in collegiate competition.”

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