Cycling: Despite anonymity, Bulldogs pedal to wins

This year, that success continues, even with a drastically altered team composition. "In club ../sports, you get a lot of personnel change from year to year," men's captain Ed Parsons, GRD '02, explained. Last year, the club consisted mostly of undergraduates. Significantly more than half of this year's squad attends one of Yale's graduate schools. Parsons insists that the team's varied makeup is a good thing. "It's very cool in that we have all different levels of experience," he said.

So far Yale has won one meet and placed second twice, including several Ivy wins. On Sat., Mar. 27 at Columbia, all 10 Eli riders scored points. In cycling, individuals must cooperate because of wind resistance. "You do 30-40 percent more work to maintain speed in the front of the pack," Parsons explained. "Often a top finish for an individual will reflect a team effort," Parsons said.

Yale finished behind Penn State, a big team with funding Yale can only dream of. "We have a pretty small team for how well we do," Silverman said. Being a club team may have its drawbacks, but Silverman sees an advantage. "You can come out as a beginner and make an immediate impact," he said. "It's not like that with a varsity team."

--Joey Ax

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