For the second straight year, Kansas University will serve as host for the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals.
To hear coach Christopher Hess tell it, that might not be the advantage it would seem.
“We know the course,” Hess said, “yet from a logistical standpoint, we have some responsibilities as host team that can serve as a detriment, too. In some regards, it can be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.
“When some of these guys aren’t racing, for example, they’ll be volunteering. They’ll be on their feet, helping. So there are disadvantages.”
The three-day nationals will run May 12-14 in and around Lawrence.
Nationals is made of three events.
The team time trial will be May 12 on the South Lawrence Trafficway. The road race, around Perry Lake, will be May 13. And the criterium will be held May 14 in downtown Lawrence.
The event is expected to draw more than 300 cyclists from around the country.
Wednesday, Hess announced the Kansas University Cycling Club representatives to nationals.
While some of the KU riders would have qualified based on their results throughout the season, the Jayhawks automatically qualified because they’re serving as hosts.
The men’s team: Christian Beer, Christopher Carr, Michael Folendore, Joe Fox, Paul Heimbach, Jason Knight and Joseph Wasikowski. The women’s team will be Kristen High, Kathy Kalbac, Kim Kissing and Katie Roach.
Beer, Carr, Fox and Knight will race the team time trial. Folendore, Fox, Heimbach and Wasikowski will compete in the road race. And Beer, Folendore and Knight will compete in the criterium.
High, Kalbac, Kissing and Roach will compete in the team time trial. Kissing and Kalbac will participate in the road race, and Kissing also will do the criterium.
Heimbach, for one, doesn’t share his coach’s opinion of the home-course disadvantage.
“We’re riding at home,” said Heimbach, a 34-year-old Merriam native who will be riding in his first nationals. “We’ll be in front of family and friends. And we’re riding for KU. People will cheer just for the Jayhawk. I don’t think it’s that much of a disadvantage that we’re putting it on. It’s a course we know. People here will support us. It really is an advantage.”
“It’s just an amazing feeling to be riding down Mass. Street,” added Beer, a 21-year-old German also making his first nationals appearance. “Lake Perry is really a nice course. It’s a challenging course. People don’t know that. They’re going to have to fight the wind, and there are some hills. We’ll have the home crowd. It’s great to have it here.”
The KU Cycling Club is coming off a runner-up finish in the North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference.
Minnesota won the conference title with 2,937 points. KU was second with 2,638 and Nebraska third with 1,272.
Kissing and Kalbac finished 1-2 in the women’s individual championship.
“As we were coming into this season, there were five other riders we thought we be a part of this team,” Hess said. “The season is long and hard, and these guys and girls really paid the price. : We’re excited for next weekend, but like I’ve told them, this is like going from junior high to high school. It’ll be a tough, tough weekend. But there are some guys and girls here who can really make some things happen.”