(Photos: Peter Welte)
The Portland State University Cycling Club will host colleges throughout the Northwest this weekend for two full days of racing action in and around Portland.
On Saturday, teams will compete in a road race around Hagg Lake (40 miles west of Portland). And on Sunday, the action comes to Mt. Tabor, where competitors will zoom around the nation’s only urban volcano in a multi-lap “criterium” race.
The PSU racing team is off to a strong start to their 2008 season.
Two weekends ago at a race hosted by the University of Oregon, the team had several top three finishes. Anita Dilles, competing in the Women’s A category, finished 2nd in the road race and 1st in the criterium. Strong showings also came in from Jesse Homan (in Men’s C) and Jennifer Withers (Women’s B).
From L to R: Brandon Arends, Devin Riley, Brian Webb, and Noel Tavan
After two weekends of racing, the team currently sits in fourth place overall in the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (NWCCC). The conference includes teams from Oregon State University, University of Montana, University of Oregon, University of Washington, and others.
Team member Peter Welte says he expects about 14 schools to attend this weekend’s races.
Peter also says the club is always looking for more people interested in riding, at all levels.
“Our road racing team has anywhere from 17-20 [men and women] competing on the weekends, and we’ll soon be expanding. We plan to do more track, mountain biking, and cyclocross racing, and we’re even looking forward to doing some touring and event rides as a team later in the season.”
For more photos of the people, the racing action, and the fun behind collegiate bike racing, check out Peter’s photos from the first two weekends of competition.
If you attend PSU and are interested in joining the club and racing with the PSU Cycling team, check out their website, or send an email to cycling [at] pdx [dot] edu.
And of course, come out to Mt. Tabor on Sunday to get a glimpse of some great racing action:
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PSU Cycling Presents the Mt. Tabor Criterium
Mt. Tabor Park (SE 60th and Salmon in Portland)
Racing goes from 10 am – 3 pm
It\’s great to see such a strong colligiate team representing our fair city\’s public university.
I also have to mention some other positive work they are doing – organizing the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund Benefit on May 1.
Go Vikings!
My money\’s on the UW. But definitely thanks are due for the Vikings\’ work with the Brett Jarolimek Fund.
That PSU team kit is hot!
See, I was planning to only go to PSU part-time next year.
But reading their website, and finding out you have to be full time to race, has me leaning strongly towards attending full-time. Woo!!
I should point out that PCC also has a team, for folks who might be starting out there before transferring to PSU or somewhere else.
Contact rcbikealliance at yahoo dot com to get in touch with them.
As a PSU Cycling Team Alum, I can attest to the awesomeness of the PSU Cycling team. If you are a PSU student or are planning on attending the school, I highly recommend you check them out.
Several of Oregon\’s other universities also have teams: OSU, UO and Willamette, off the top of my head. Teams from Washington include UW, WSU, Central Washington, Whitman and Western Washington. Schools from Montana and Idaho compete as well.
John– they\’re just not as awesome! 🙂
Does Noel know the drag coefficient of his helmet?
Green Vikings are the only Real Vikings!
Pillage and Burn, PSU.
Rawr.
Took the lads out to the caldera to see some racing action. Good show.
Our 4-year-old shouted a wonderful malapropism at the top of his lungs: Go Bikings!