The Naval Academy Time Trial was held in Davidsonville, Maryland, a rural setting 15 miles southwest of Annapolis. Fortunately the buffeting winds of the previous day had calmed and there was only a slight breeze throughout the tree-lined course. The temperature was in the low 30's in the early morning, but warmed up to the 40s as the racing on this ~17.5-mile course got underway.

The time trial course took us from Davidsonville Elementary School down some swooping yet mild descents for the first 2 miles, dropping about 150 feet in elevation. Thereafter were a series of 5 rolling hills, each of about 50 feet, before the turnaround point. On the return, riders faced the same rolling hills, with a gradual ascent in the final 2 miles to return to the starting point into an occasional mild headwind. The surface was good on these 2-lane country roads, and the race was well run.

Sterling Kouri was the first Hopkins racer of the day, contesting the Men's C category. He placed 9th crossing with a time of 46:53 in his new Spiuk aerodynamic helmet.

Next up were the Women's B's, where Janine Knudsen capped off her successful weekend (1st in the criterium!) with a 2nd place finish in the time trial at 52:17. Teammate Allie Wilson, 2nd in the criterium the previous day, was not far behind in 5th at 53:15. Susanna M. Nazarian was the sole rider for the Women's A's, taking 1st in 46:44. (She was happy to take vengeance on the woman who placed 2nd ahead of her at the USCF Pennsylvania State Championships last year and who won the District Cat 3 championship, now racing for Virginia Tech...)

In the Men's A's, Toby Weatherall led a strong Hopkins (or shall we say Hopkins-associated) crew with a 3rd place finish at 41:21. Mike Retzlaff (formerly "Tank" of University of Wisconsin) muscled to a strong 6th place finish at 42:14, also donning Sterling's new aero helmet. Jamie Kimberly, still racing in his University of Illinois garb, grabbed 12th place at 43:59. All in all, the day showed the quality of the Hopkins squad, with a glimpse towards future potential as everybody gets into racing shape both mentally and physically.

RACE REPORT: U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY CRITERIUM
By Jonathan Smits

The U.S. Naval Academy Criterium is truly a memorable race that collegiate cyclists continue to rave about years later. After last year's disappointing cancellation, this was only the second running in the last three years. And yet, for those of us who have raced the navy course before, the course remains just as vivid in our mind as it did on the road two years ago. From the start line, there is a long smooth stretch around the cemetery and along the water's edge that always receives a brutal headwind, causing fields to slow and dampening the spirits of anyone left on their own. Next, is a right turn into a small steady hill that's "out of the saddle" on every lap. Then the chicane on top of the hill that straightens out into a narrow downhill and into the notorious hairpin turn. The turn, remembered by all, is a near 180 degree turn. Almost impossible to pass going into the turn, the field slows and riders come sprinting out of the corner. Taking the turn, your mind chants: Don't hit the pavement, you'll be okay. Sprint to catch back on, don't get stuck on your own. But for some, this is inevitable. Out of the turn, you catch a nice tailwind into the sweeping finish 100 meters away. And yes, you are back at the start/finish line. One lap down, still more to go. The Navy course is brutal, shattering even the best fields into small bunches and solo riders. Not only physically demanding, the course requires you to be mentally sharp always. Such is Navy racing.

Mens C
Racing: Jake Koenig, Sterling Kouri, Josiah Mueller

The Hopkins three man team hit the start line and was ready to go. This was the first time at Navy for all of these riders. Out from the gun, their race was 30 minutes plus 2 laps. Jake, still hampered by last weeks crash at William & Mary, decided to suffer on his own terms and saved the racing for later on the trainer. Josiah got caught in that early accordion and worked with riders from American and Richmond, sweeping past dropping riders. Eventually, Josiah was able to drop the Richmond rider and took the American rider on the final sprint. Although I placed him much higher at around 12th and in the points for Mens C, his final results have him listed at 17th, an error in scoring lapped riders I'm sure. Sterling held onto the field for much of the race, but found himself falling back in the last 10 minutes. Sitting in no man's land, he kept up tempo and suffered on his own until the finish. No one passed him and Sterling held onto his 9th place position.

Placing: Jake Koenig (DNF), Sterling Kouri (9th), Josiah Mueller (17th)

Womens B
Racing: Janine Knudsen, Allie Wilson

Unlike the boys, the women were not nearly as excited about racing. Sheltered in the car and sleeping until the last possible minute, they finally emerged ready to race (after much coaxing). Their race was fast from the start as well. Together, the two worked to pull themselves into great positioning in the field. Janine took first on the first prime and placed in all of the others. Finally, with one lap to go, both Allie and Janine found the secret to success in positioning and arranged themselves at the top spots going into the final turn. They came across the line first and second. This is the first 1-2 for Hopkins since the WomenÕs B Conference Championships Road Race ended 1-2-3 two years ago in West Virginia.

Placing: Janine Knudsen (Primes:1,3,3,3; Overall 1st), Allie Wilson (2nd)

Mens A
Racing: Ryan Bloom, Jamie Kimberley (UIllinois), Mike Retzlaff, Toby Weatherall

New to some and remembered by others, Hopkins took to the Men's A race with rookies and vets. New to the group is Jamie Kimberley from UIllinios. A Hopkins post-doc, Jamie came to test his legs although not in beautiful Hopkins blue. The start to the Men's A race was fast and brutal. Riders were thrown out of the pack right and left. Eventually, the field split into three+ groups: a break of 6; a chase of 6; the Hopkins team train of 3; and those whose hopes rested on nothing more than a solid workout. After an hour plus 2 laps of racing, Jamie found himself working in the chase of 6 and showed "non-conference courtesy" by opting out of the sprint to finish in 12th. The blue train worked hard to pull in riders but was unable to catch Jamie's group ahead. Bloomer and "Tank" crossed the line 13th and 14th, and Toby finished just behind in 17th.

Placing: Ryan Bloom (Primes:4; Overall 14th), Jamie Kimberley (12th), Mike Retzlaff (13th), Toby Weatherall (17th)