In its season opener, Andover Cycling was defeated by Proctor Academy (Proctor), Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter), Holderness, and Portsmouth High School this Wednesday. With numerous new members this year, the team is concentrating on teaching the basics of the sport and encouraging cohesion among the athletes. Despite the setback, they have optimism that through dedication and hard work, the team will show improvement as the season progresses.
Emily Wu ’25 emphasized the team’s focus on enhancing the skills of nearly half of its new members. In its first few weeks of practice, the team has covered all the basic skills, establishing a solid foundation for further development.
Wu said, “The first few weeks were just building up our aerobic base, like any other endurance sport. It was a lot of battling with harsh weather and a lot of it was cycling indoors on the trainers. This is a really new team. It’s a team of twelve, seven of us were seniors who graduated, so most of this team is new. For a lot of us, it was the first time getting out on the road, getting used to clipping in.”
Aaron Huang ’25, a new cyclist on the team, shared his learning experiences and initial feelings as the season began. Now, having completed one meet and numerous endurance training sessions, he feels confident in his newfound skills and is eager to continue improving them.
“It was the first race of the season so I would say, as a new biker, we just started practicing the basics. Learning how to clip into the bike, riding the bike, and learning how to communicate on the road. Basically, we did a lot of long rides and had some sessions on the trainer [bikes], and that helped us build up our endurance. We also had a time trial last week to get a sense of our times. We are going to continue to focus on building our endurance,” said Huang.
Anna Ohm ’24, one of the team’s two captains, provided a summary of the training regimen that has not only enhanced the abilities of each team member but has also fostered unity among them. She values the team’s readiness to embrace challenges and the dedication with which they tackle every activity.
“We do a variety of endurance and high-intensity workouts. One of our favorites is hill sprints in a neighborhood a few miles from campus. This helped us tackle two very fun hills on the course. Everyone has had a great attitude and is always up for the challenge! It’s been a lot of fun to get to know the new cyclists,” wrote Ohm.
Wu acknowledged the entire team’s hard work, especially highlighting the contributions of Matt Robinson ’27 and Frank Hu ’26. Wu praised Robinson for his commendable dedication and natural ability.
“A lot of individuals stood out. This time we only had two girls racing: It was just me and Anna, the captain. Honestly, I would also say everyone because it’s our first race as a team. And for a lot of people, it was their first race. Like, for example, we have two [lowerclassmen], Matt Robinson and Frank Hu who got second and third in their category in their first race. They really set a record for themself,” said Wu.
Anticipating the upcoming weeks and races, as well as considering the season thus far, Wu feels positive about the team dynamics and the strong bonds that have been established. Through this camaraderie and mutual support, she believes the team holds significant promise for the season ahead.
Wu said, “Being on a small team means having a closer-knit team. In the span of four weeks, you get to know all of your teammates really well. The reason why I love this sport is because everyone is really inclusive and wholesome. There is a lot of dialogue with everyone and it’s one of the most inclusive communities I have been [a part of] on campus, and I appreciate the fact that I got to know my teammates really well… It has been a really cute bonding experience. Lots of fun, lots of bonding, and lots of support for each other.”
Andover Cycling will race at Road Course next Wednesday.
