2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - April 4, 2005
CLUBSPORTsWEEKLY
C yclists bike for miles and miles
hete fiheieaneail
^thlete o0 the Week
By Colt Rosensweig
Daily Sports Writer
Alex Eversmeyer used to be a runner, riding a bike for valuable cross-training.
But what used to be an aid to his running career has turned into Eversmeyer's
passion. After being involved in cycling for four years, he is now the president of
the Michigan cycling club.
Competitive cycling is completely different from casual biking, though both
activities are highly pleasurable to the participants.
"You'll never see one of our bikes locked outside, first of all," Eversmeyer said.
"They're generally lighter, with ram's-horn bars. They're designed to be comfort-
able for long distances."
Individual race distances vary, but none are easy jaunts. Cyclists are divided
into classes based on ability. C-class riders, who usually have the least amount of
experience, compete for 15 to 30 miles. A-class riders compete in races as long
as 75 miles. Riders also participate in individual time trials against the clock and
in criterium, where racers ride the same loop 15 to 20 times, trying for the best
overall time.
"You have to be able to be comfortable on your bike for four hours and up,"
Eversmeyer said.
Bikes are the most specialized piece of equipment for a cyclist, but the athletes
must also have special cycling shoes and of course, their infamous clothing, which
is often mocked.
"In general, our clothing is spandex," Eversmeyer said. "We don't generally
have a problem with it, but other people seem to."
Much of the necessary equipment for cycling continually has to be replaced
because of inevitable wear and tear.
"It's not exactly the easiest activity to take up, for those of us on our own bud-
gets," Eversmeyer said.
Name: Rondell Ruff
Hometown: Detroit
Though much more success is expected in the future, this year has been a
good one so far for the cycling club. Signs of success are already starting to
show. Before this fall, it had been several years since any Michigan individ-
ual cyclists or a team had qualified for nationals. But this October, Michigan
cyclists Steve Cain, Pete Hurst and Katherine Fultz competed in the mountain
bike nationals. All rode very well, even though they did not place.
"This is a season to build and develop," Eversmeyer said. "We have a solid core
of about 35 people. This year is a starting point for future success."
The cycling club actually has two seasons. Mountain-bike season runs from early
September until the end of October, and road-racing season begins in February, continu-
ing through the end of the semester. They compete in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling
Conference, which is part of the larger National Collegiate Cycling Association.
This spring's road-racing season started with a bang. The team made an impres-
sive showing at an uphill time trial in Austin, Texas, in the first road race of the
year. In a field of 106 riders, four Wolverines placed in the top-35, with Scott
Riddle and Hurst finishing at fifth and sixth, respectively.
Cycling is both an individual and a team sport. Individuals receive points based
on where they place in a race; these points are kept in a running tally for both
the individual and collectively for all team members. The point totals determine
which individuals and teams go to nationals.
"Generally the top three or four teams from our conference get to go (to nation-
als)," Eversmeyer said.
This year, the team just barely missed out on going to mountain bike nationals.
The top four teams in the conference qualified for the competition, and Michigan
finished fifth. The team hopes to qualify for road nationals, which will be held May
13-15 in Lawrence, Kan.
"We're fairly optimistic about our chances," Eversmeyer said. "It's possible,
this year, that we may send a team. It's more likely that, this year, we'll send indi-
viduals, then send the whole team next year."
Team: Men's track and field
Class: Senior/junior
Why; Ruff won the 1,500-meter run for the men's track team in
Atlanta on Saturday. In total, five Wolverines placed in the top-
15 in the race. Ruff ran a time of 3:53.99 to win his outdoor sea-
son debut. The win was Ruff's third individual victory of 2005.
'M' SCHEDULE
Date Event
Location
4/6 Softball at Central Michigan
4/6 Baseball vs. Central Michigan
4/7 M Gymnastics at National
Qualifier
4/8-9 W Track/Field at Duke Blue Devil
Invitational
4/8 Baseball vs. Iowa
4/8 Softball at Wisconsin
4/8 M Gymnastics at Team and
All-Around Finals
4/9 W Rowing vs. Michigan St.
4/9 Softball at Wisconsin,
4/9 M Tennis vs. Purdue
4/9 Baseball vs. Iowa
4/9 W Tennis vs. Purdue
4/9 W Gymnastics at NCAA Regional
Championships
4/9 M Gymnastics at Individual
Event Finals
4/9-10 W Golf at Lady Boilermaker
Invitational
Mount Pleasant
Ann Arbor
West Point, N.Y.
Durham, N.C.
Ann Arbor
Madison
West Point, N.Y.
Columbus
Madison
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
West Lafayette
TBD
West Point, N.Y.
West Lafayette
Champaign
Minneapolis
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Time
2 p.m.
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
TBA
3 p.m.
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
TBA
12 p.m.
12 p.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
TBA
11 a.m.
12 p.m.
12 p.m.
1 p.m.
Former
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -
Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez
was suspended 10 days for violating
baseball's new policy on performance-
enhancing drugs, the first player
publicly identified under the major
leagues' tougher rules.
The suspension begins today when
Tampa Bay opens its season against
Toronto, the commissioner's office
said yesterday.
Under the new policy that took
effect last month, steroids and other
performance-enchancing substances
are the only drugs to draw a 10-day
suspension. Baseball officials and the
players' union agreed they would not
disclose the exact substance for which
a player tests positive.
Sanchez said he was surprised by the
suspension, adding that he uses milk-
shakes and multivitamins to build his
energy - and blaming the positive test
on something he bought over the coun-
ter.
"I'm going to fight it because I've
never taken steroids or anything like
that," said Sanchez, who was released
by Detroit in mid-March and signed by
the Devil Rays. "I never take any ste-
roids because I don't need them,'
Sanchez, 28, who hit .322 with 19
stolen bases in 79 games for the Tigers
last season, said he was drug tested
while he was with Detroit. He was to
Tn
Tiger fals new drug test
be the Devil Rays' centerfielder on
opening day.
Because the suspension is without
pay, Sanchez will lose $32,787 of his
$600,000 salary.
Devil Rays general manager Chuck
LaMar said the team would have no
comment on the suspension.
"It's surprising," manager Lou Piniel-
la said. "That's all I have to say on that."
Piniella conceded that it was frus-
trating to have to make a lineup change
on the eve of the season opener.
"Sanchez had come in here and hit
the ball," Piniella said. "Now we've
just got to make adjustments, and we
will."
Sanchez learned of the positive test
result early yesterday and participated
in a workout at Tropicana Field later in
the day. He said he had not been told
what banned substance was detected.
But he insisted that he has never
used steroids.
"I know I did nothing incorrect," San-
chez said. "I take stuff I buy over the
counter. Multivitamins, protein shakes,
muscle relaxants. That kind of stuff."
"I'm surprised because look at what
kind of player I am. I'm a leadoff hit-
ter. I never hit any home runs."
Sanchez did not identify any of
the products he purchased over
the counter, but described them as
"something to give me energy, put a
4/10
4/10
4/10
4/10
W Tennis at Illinois
Softball at Minnesota
M Tennis vs Illinois
Baseball vs. Iowa
Michigan Daily's
NBA Power Ton
Rankings
Michian Dlly'
2. Phoenix (55-17) 2. New York Yankees
" Nash is the league's MVP. After " Best pitching staff top to
comparing the Suns' record this year bottom in all of baseball. The Bronx
to the Suns' record last year, how could fans will go crazy for Ting's return,
he not be? but how will they treat Giambi?
AP PHOTO
Devil Rays' centerflelder Alex Sanchez tries to avoid a tag at home earlier this
spring.
little muscle on my body. That's it."
"Everything on the banned list is
a Schedule III controlled substance
except for Human Growth Hor-
mone," said Gene Orza, the union's
chief operating officer. "There is
nothing sold over the counter after
Jan. 15, the effective date of the
new (federal) legislation, that is a
banned substance."
Baseball has only urine tests, which
can't detect HGH. It is possible the
Sanchez took a substance that he pur-
chased legally before Jan. 15.
Sanchez left Cuba on a rickety raft
II years ago, leaving his family behind.
He spent about 16 months in a refugee
camp before finally making it to the
United States. Last month, Sanchez was
reunited with his mother and brother in
Miami for the first time since 1994.
Asked if he was embarrassed to
become the first player to be disci-
plined under baseball's new steroids
policy, Sanchez shrugged.
"There's nothing we can do about
it," he said.
4. Detroit (45-27) 4. Atlanta
* Larry Brown's return should get * Smoltz's return to the starting
the Pistons rolling again. The Miami- rotation could prove to be brilliant
Detroit Eastern Conference Final will or disastrous. Chipper and Andruw
be very interesting, will provide the offense again.
4
6. Seattle (50-22)
" The record is pretty sweet, but
will the threes continue to fall in the
playoffs?
6. St. Louis
* Can the pitching hold up for
another year? We doubt it, too. The
onus will be on the offense again.
8. Dallas (49-23)
* Seems like the Mavericks are in the
same position every year. We predict
another second-round exit for Mark
Cuban's bunch.
S° . . hQ
f
M
I
8. Los Angeles Angels
" Vlad should have another monster
year, but how will Colon perform after
a crummy season?
4
F?
io. Minnesota (39-35)
" Don't sleep on these guys after
the terribly slow start. Kevin Garnett
is still one of the league's best.
10. New York Mets
* Yeah that's right. Gammons
predicted that Pedro will win the Cy
Young. We agree. OK, some of us do.
4
4
I