Photo By EJ Hersom | Retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jenae Piper races a recumbent bike during the 2016...... read more read more
ORLANDO, Fla., May 11, 2016 — The men’s upright competition came down to a sprint finish yesterday, even as the British cyclists crashed across the line to take the gold and silver medals, and the Team USA’s recumbent women cyclists swept the criterium portion of the cycling competition at the 2016 Invictus Games at ESPN World Wide of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World here.
More than 500 wounded, ill and injured service members from 14 nations are competing in 10 sporting events May 8 to 12 as they are cheered on by thousands of family members, friends and spectators.
The day started out just a little cool, but it heated up quickly in the blazing Florida sun as the cyclists began the time trial, a one-lap sprint, followed by the criterium, or “crit,” a race consisting of several laps around a circuit.
The Men’s Upright Race
British Army Sgt. Andrew Perrin took the gold in the criterium race, and Royal Air Force Sgt. Michael Westwell took the silver. Westwell took the gold in the time trial, and Perrin took the silver. They “reconned” the route the day before.
“We knew it would be fast and dangerous, and that there were going to be some problems,” Perrin said. “There were three big crashes in the race, and it was fast. It was hard work to try and get a gap, and get some sort of distance between everybody to split the pack up. It came down to a sprint in the end; it went really well.”
Perrin said he was comfortable until the last lap, when one of his teammates went off early. “I knew I could catch him up and take him on the line,” he said. “Unfortunately, he hit the fence on the way.”
Perrin said the course was flat with sharp corners, and they were hitting 30 mph around most corners. “If you hesitate for a minute, you’re going to be straight into a fence or barrier or a golf cart,” he said.
Westwell said he knew the criterium would have a big field with varying levels of experience and ability, so he tried to stay with the first five cycles.
“I tried to break the pack up, and there were a couple of crashes, which I managed to avoid. And as the race progressed, we narrowed the pack down,” he said. “There were probably three of us in contention, all Brits, on the final lap, and my heart goes out to Nathan, who unfortunately was leading into the last corner and just overshot and hit the barrier. I hit his wheel and his bike came toward me, which knocked me in the air. My feet unclipped out of the pedals, and I came across the line just wobbling all over the place.”
Westwell said he was looking over his shoulder during the last 100 meters, trying to see where everybody was.
“It was a crazy race, a very hard race,” he said. “I made it; I still medaled. All is good.”
Westwell said the time trial is more his type of race; it’s a tricky course with a 180-degree corner right off the start ramp, but he enjoyed it.
“The time trial is my specialty from the [United Kingdom]. And it’s only two minutes long, so I knew it was going to be very hard, but not too hard,” he said. “I held a little bit back and then got into it. The first minute was just gone, a complete blur. But the second half, the final minute, was just a case of pushing out of every corner, coping with the heat and then just listening to the support from the amazing crowd here.”
Crashing, Camaraderie
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zed Pitts took bronze in the time trial and crashed during the criterium.
“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “The tires just kind of lost the grip of the road. It was kind of disappointing. But, it was still a fun experience, so I kind of still won because I enjoyed myself, and that’s the whole point of this event.”
Pitts met Perrin at the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games, and since then, Perrin has been coaching Pitts via social media and on the course. Perrin and Pitts joked that Perrin was even giving him advice during Invictus on the course.
Perrin has received training from professionals, Pitts said, “so it was pretty cool that he looked at me as a cyclist with a lot of potential.”
Pitts said Perrin reminded him “over and over again that I must enjoy the sport if I want to go far.”
“During the criterium, I would ask, ‘Do we break now?’ And he was like, ‘No, just relax.’ He’d say, ‘Stay on my wheel.’ He was giving me guidance as we went through the race until the fourth lap, when I crashed, but he came back to make sure I was OK.”
U.S. Women Gather Gold, Silver, Bronze
Medically retired U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Janae Piper took gold, medically retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Aaron Stewart took silver and U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gabby Graves-Wake took bronze in the women’s recumbent bike time trial and criterium races, sweeping the podium for both races.
“[The course] was really curvy, but very flat. It was a tight race for us. We worked together as a team,” Piper said. “We kept going back and forth and taking lead and drafting back and forth. It was definitely a win for USA on this one.”
Piper said she didn’t understand how the laps were working during the criterium, so she wasn’t holding anything back.
“I spent every bit of energy left I had out there on the course,” she said. “It was really exhausting. It was a rough ride.”
The United Kingdom competitor was on their tail a few times, Piper said. “We finally got to break away … and we could only do that if we worked as a team,” she added. “Teamwork was definitely necessary to make this win a possibility”
Piper’s mother, Joyce, said she was so proud of her daughter she was jumping up and down at the finish line and dropped her phone.
“I was crying. Everybody around me was cheering for her -- everybody, not just the USA,” she said. “It’s everybody cheering for winners. They all do. I’m so proud. I can’t even describe it. It’s amazing. She’s come a long way. This has helped her so much.”
Susan Graves, Graves-Wakes’ mother, said she’s proud of all of the competitors. “They’re all wonderful, just great athletes,” she said. “I love them all. Just seeing ‘my kids’ each year over and over again bring home gold, silver and bronze is just one of the best gifts I could have.”
For Stewart, it was a chance to defend his title. Stewart is early in his transgender reassignment. He earned gold in cycling in the 2014 Invictus Games.
He said Piper not only beat all the other women, but also all the men in the recumbent category, as well. “She was incredibly fast. We were all within five seconds of each other. It was a close race,” Stewart said.
Teammate medically retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Katie Kuiper earned gold medals in the women’s upright time trial and criterium. She said she’s had an amazing time at Invictus and has enjoyed the camaraderie, the families and the crowd.
“I feel very welcomed and enjoy the energy,” she said. The camaraderie with the athletes from other countries has been great, she added, because “even though we’re competitors, we’re all still military and have that kind of camaraderie together.”
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2016 20:14 |
| Story ID: | 197899 |
| Location: | ORLANDO, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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