Sports

Cycling Team to Host Home Race This Saturday

This coming Saturday, April 19th, the Andover Varsity Cycling team will host its first home race of the decade. Cycling captain Andrew Clay ’08 and coach, Thayer Zaeder have been sorting through the logistics of scheduling and planning the series of time trials for months. This weekend, riders from schools around New England will travel to the Andover campus to ride a 1.1 mile loop around the campus. With the help of the Andover Police Department, a course starting at the power plant and proceeding past Graves Field, down Phillips Street, Abbot Street, and eventually up a hill on School Street will be closed off to traffic for the afternoon. The first races, which start at 2 p.m., will be individual time trials. Boys A riders (A is the division for the league’s most skilled riders) and Girls A riders will start 30 seconds apart and try to ride the fastest two loops or one loop respectively. Team time trials, in which cyclists ride the course together, will follow. Races in C, B, and eventually A divisions are scheduled to go off consecutively for the rest of the afternoon. Where should I watch from? Ideal spots for spectators can be found on the lawn of Clement House at the corner of School Street where riders will be finishing a long arduous climb from the old Abbot campus. The Graves Field will also be a great place to watch riders go by. If spectators are willing to take a longer walk, watching from the corner of Abbot Street and Phillips Street will provide an exciting vantage point for a fast, potentially dangerous turn. With good weather predicted for the day, the event promises to be a great time for riders to get to know Andover, and the PA community to experience an unfamiliar sport.