Adirondack Sports January 2024

BICYCLING
ANDY RUIZ ▶
AND CO. AT
CYCLOCROSS
NATIONALS.
RYAN O’DONNELL
JANUARY 2024 23
◀ CROSS NATIONALS 11-12 CHAMP
CHASE O’DONNELL. RYAN O’DONNELL
▲ ROAD NATIONALS
11-12 CHAMP ABBY
ROMLEIN. ANDY RUIZ
▶ APPRECIATION
FOR AARON GIRARD.
SAM BRESLIN
Capital Bicycle Racing Club
Nationally Recognized Junior Team
By Jessica Hanna
The Capital Bicycle Racing Club
is a local group of riders focused
on providing opportunities for its
members. The group aims to promote
the sport of amateur bicycle racing and to
advance the interests of cycling through
organized races, coaching and training
events. While CBRC began as an organization
for adult riders, they have developed
a nationally recognized junior
cycling team in the areas of road and cyclocross
racing.
The junior road team is composed of
nine riders ages 11-17 racing in the spring
and summer, and 30 riders ages 10-17
racing cyclocross in the fall. Road racing
includes three disciplines: 1) Criterium
(crit) – riders complete as many laps as
possible within a specific amount of time
on a closed course, often about one-mile
long on city streets; 2) Road – longer distances
with varying terrain on paved roads
to be completed as quickly as possible; and
3) Time Trial – generally straight, relatively
flat courses ridden alone racing against
the clock, where the fastest racer wins.
Cyclocross takes place in parks on terrain
that includes grass, gravel, dirt, sand
and pavement. Many racers also think,
the muddier the better! There are obstacles
such as barriers, stairs, steep climbs that
are often run while carrying the bike, and
technical downhill sections. Cross races
occur within a specific amount of time
and the winner is the rider with the most
laps in the shortest amount of time.
According to Andy Ruiz, head coach
of the CBRC junior team, their growth is
the result of a multitude of factors that
brought together talented, enthusiastic,
◀ A FOCUSED
CHASE O’DONNELL.
and dedicated young athletes. First, there
was a pandemic, in which riding bikes was
what you did to pass the time, stay healthy,
and socialize. Organizations such as the
Saratoga Shredders and Flow Riders,
which get young kids excited about riding
came into play. Finally, there was Andy’s
vision and many hours of supporting and
working with kids to introduce the sports
of road biking and cyclocross.
The CBRC Monday night cyclocross
skills sessions at Elm Avenue Park
in Bethlehem, which had been mostly
attended by adults, opened up to the Flow
Riders – and there was a sudden influx of
kids. Many of the kids loved it, and came
back for more. Then Andy added adventure
rides. An “adventure ride” is where he leads
a group of kids (with parent support riders)
to wander local trails. We practice, laugh,
fall, get up, and learn. You never know what
you’re going to get… that’s the adventure,
and the kids absolutely LOVE IT!
In addition to the vision from Andy,
there are two young female phenoms
in the Capital Region who are showing
what it means to work hard and to excel
in sport. In 2021, Haylee Johnson then
age 15, competed in cyclocross nationals
to earn an eighth-place finish, and
Lilliana O’Donnell then age 12, won
her first national championship. These
young women (Athlete Profile, February
2022) have been a catalyst for the team’s
growth and each has gone on to earn more
national titles and podium results in both
road and cyclocross. Haylee’s second
place road finish last year earned her a
spot on the US National Team, allowing
her to race in Europe during the 2022-
2023 season. Haylee and Lilli continue
to train with Andy and the CBRC juniors,
but they race for FinKraft Junior Cycling
▲ MUDDY GIRLS. ANDY RUIZ
Team, which offers financial support and
equipment for their riders in exchange
for a more professional team and racing
experience.
Since 2021, more national titles have
been won in road and cross by Chase
O’Donnell, Abby Romlein, and Hannah
Dinolfo. In addition, the team has accumulated
hundreds of podiums from local
and national races.
When asked what has led to the success
of the program, Andy responded, “We
have a nice balance of challenging rides,
serious training, and fun adventure. There
is also an element of luck. We are fortunate
to have kids who are excited and
dedicated, and parents and volunteers
who help to keep the whole thing operating.
There is so much work involved in
a successful team. The equipment and
maintenance are monumental. We have
the expertise of Aaron Girard at our fingertips
to help us through it all. We have
parents who step in to transport kids and
equipment to races. We have kids who are
willing to work hard, put in the hours, and
keep coming back for more.”
To all of this, I can say the team is lucky
to have Andy’s vision and commitment to
the kids, and his many years of racing and
coaching experience that he shares with
anyone willing to listen. We are also fortunate
to have Aaron keeping the bikes
working. There is only a small group of
people who have the expertise to maintain
a fleet of bicycles. He generously donates
his time to help the kids stay on their bikes
and have fun. So yes, I agree that there is
a bit of luck here, but there is a lot of hard
work that comes with it.
▲ CROSS NATIONALS
11-12 CHAMP
HANNAH DINOLFO.
PETER DINOLFO
BARRIERS BY HANNAH DINOLFO. ▲
VERGE NORTHAMPTON CX
The kids on the team offered unanimous
feedback that, “The hardest part of
the sport is the long training rides,” many
of which are done alone, in a basement, on
a trainer. Not only is the workout hard, but
the mental focus and dedication to stick
with it day after day is no small feat. To see
kids ages 11-18 do it for the love of cycling
is both humbling and awe-inspiring. They
have different reasons for why they keep
at it. For some, it’s the feeling of standing
on the podium. For others, it is the
motivation to keep up on the adventure
rides. Some enjoy the structure in their
lives and the way it makes them feel to ride
their bike anywhere, anytime. There is
also a rare exception, Evan Boyle (Athlete
Profile, March 2023), who only rode with
the team as a junior for one-year before
aging out and turning pro. For Evan, riding
a bike, quickly changed his life and has
turned his sport into a career.
Parents, coaches, volunteers, community
members, and teammates are
incredibly grateful for the opportunity
to take cycling to the next level. They are
immensely proud of the kids for rising to
every challenge and exceeding even their
own expectations. For kids interested in
learning more and trying out road, cyclocross,
or mountain biking – with a new
junior MTB team for 2024, I encourage
you to contact Andy and check it out:
aruiz@nycap.rr.com. You will not be disappointed.
Jessica Hanna (jessica.blank.hanna@
gmail.com) of Rexford is a teacher,
NICA Mountain Goats coach, mom of
two amazing daughters, and occasional
triathlete. She is eternally grateful for
the community that cycling has provided
her family.