A bicycle is a mode of transportation to and from class for many students, but for the Cycling Club a bicycle is a tool to be mastered by the victorious.

The team has been competing since mid-February in Tour de France style road racing at events along the East Coast. According to history senior John Crow, the team is reaching for some lofty goals.

“The ultimate goal is to win the conference championship and then national championship,” Crow said.

The team is in third place in the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference, behind Virginia Tech and the Naval Academy.

And not only is the team doing well, Crow is currently in first in men’s group A.

“If you win you get a stars and stripes jersey and you get to wear it for the next year while you’re racing,” Crow said. “That’s the thing everyone strives for.”

But racing does not come without its challenges. As a club sport, the team does not receive the accommodations varsity sports get.

“We drive ourselves,” Crow said. “We pay gas and food all by ourselves.”

Club members must also balance competing with schoolwork as all athletes do.

“I know I have no life,” Crow said. “I’m travelling every weekend from Friday to Sunday night. And then getting back and having to do all my homework.”

But good planning has allowed Crow to avoid missing classes for his sport.

“I know I’ve been fortunate enough to work my schedule around riding,” Crow said. “[I’ve been able to] work my weekend schedule as well, because in the spring most weekends are dedicated to racing.”

However, this semester’s exams will pose a challenge for team members looking to compete in the national championships.

“The national championships are going to be in May,” Crow said. “They’re right in the middle of exams so I’ve had to shuffle some around.”

The club has just one race remaining before the conference championships at Virginia Tech April 17-18. That race will be this weekend in West Virginia.