With the regular season underway, PA cycling finally has had a chance to show its dominance in the New England prep school league. Winning the first two league races of the season places Andover in the lead for league points, ahead of eight other schools, and gives them a clear shot at coming in number one for the season. The Tilton Individual Time Trial hosted April 21st was the first glimpse of the competition in the league. The 13-mile rolling course wound through the gusty hills of Tilton, NH. The race format is such that each rider embarks alone on the course and attempts to complete it in the shortest time possible, with no drafting or help from teammates. The A team faired well, with Dave Morse ’04 finishing first for Andover with a time of 35:51 for 2nd place. Captain Thatcher Clay ’04 closely followed in 3rd place with a time of 36:34. Anthony Roldan ’04 sealed Andover victory with his 39:50 time, good for 17th place. The women’s race showed stiff competition from powerhouses such as Exeter and Holderness. Arielle Filiberti ’07 clocked the fasted Andover women’s time at 43:57 for 7th place, despite having delays due to directional complications. Lily Stein ’07 had a strong performance, finishing in 12th place, while Alison Murphy ’05, Clarissa Deng ’05, Morissa Sobelson ’05, and Isabel Ritchie ’05 came in 14th, 16th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. This past Wednesday, Holderness School hosted a road race in Plymouth, NH. The 20-mile course was host to strong headwinds and seemingly boundless uphill potions. Early in the A race, Morse had a solo breakaway attempting to pick up a 5 second time-bonus, but unexplainably experienced a brief moment of instability and rolled off the road, ruining the breakaway. Later in the race, a rider from Burke attacked. Despite arduous efforts, the chase group was unable to catch the Burke rider. Clay was out-sprinted to the finish by only a few inches, taking 3rd place. Morse took 7thplace, and Roldan crossed the finish line shortly after in 10th place, securing another team victory for Andover. In the women’s pack, Filiberti again represented PA at the head of the pack, ending with a podium finish at 3rd. Behind the main pack finished Murphy, Deng, Ritchie and Sobelson. This Sunday, Andover will trek north to Bethel, ME, for the prestigious and daunting Gould Road Race, a staple in the racing schedule.
