Penn cyclist runs in Core States

Every year, in early June, the best cyclists in the world gather in Philadelphia for the CoreStates Liberty Classic. The winner takes home $8,000. This past June, Mina Pizzini, a Wharton doctoral student, jumped in the competition as a representative of Penn's club cycling team -- and furthermore, she showed promise. Pizzini finished 57th overall, in the third pack of riders. She, and the twenty-nine other members of the Penn club cycling team, are coached by Peter Durdaller, a chiropractor with the Saturn Professional Cycling Team. Durdaller said after the race that Pizzini was talented enough to finish in the second pack, but her inexperience in racing prevented her from riding a bolder race. "She made a couple of mental errors, and as a result of that, was in the wrong position when the split came," Durdaller said. "I think what she definitely showed this weekend is that she has the raw physicality to be competitive on a national and possible world level in road racing." The remarkable thing is that Pizzini has been racing for barely more than a year now. She was introduced to Penn's club cycling team by members of it when they found out she was a Wharton student after a race. Now she's one of seven female cyclists in the 30-person group and a leader for the whole team. For Pizzini, balancing school and cycling was a task that required a lot of time. Between spending "at least 80 hours a week doing schoolwork" she had to find the time to fit in rides that add up to 200-250 miles per week. During the winter months, Pizzini -- who hails from a triathlon background -- did most of her workouts by running in early morning hours. In training on the bike, Pizzini mixes workouts that consist of intervals and sprints with long rides that help her prepare for longer races. There are three types of races -- stage races that consist of a time trial format, criterion races that consist of one-mile long circles or squares that cyclists complete, or road races which mostly cover more than 50 miles. When the Penn club cycling team trains together, they often ride loops so that the less experienced or less skilled riders aren't left behind by more veteran riders. This year, the Penn club cycling team won the Ivy League championship and qualified for nationals, a feat they hope to duplicate next year. Pizzini expects to remain a member of the Penn club cycling team for the next three years that she will be in school here. She does want to ride in the 57.6-mile CoreStates Classic again next year, though she is aiming for a higher finish. Pizzini also hopes that next year there will be more members of the Penn club cycling team, and no doubt, some of them will be there to cheer her on at the 1998 CoreStates Liberty Classic, and maybe some will even be riding with her.

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