ATO's Arnesen wins race's MVR

Out of more than 130 Little 500 riders, sophomore Hans Arnesen is one of the best, according to professional cyclist Jonathan Vaughters. \nAfter serving as Grand Marshal at the 54th Little 500 Sunday, Vaughters, a former top-ranked U.S. cyclist and six-time Tour de France participant, chose Alpha Tau Omega rider Arnesen as the first recipient of the Little 500 "Most Valuable Rider" award. \n"It is quite an honor," Arnesen said of winning the award. "To be put up and looked upon with all the other riders and to know I won the award over all those good riders is pretty honorable."\nAccording to Vaughters, the award recipient was the most outstanding rider of the day. Without a large knowledge of the individual background of the competitors, Vaughters based his decision on which rider rose to the occasion on race day. \nArnesen was definitely one of those riders. He put in a sprint at the end of the race for Alpha Tau Omega and finished the race in second place. \nBut the award carries much more prestige than just MVR status -- Arnesen was also offered the opportunity to join Vaughters and his TIAA-CREF Under-23 team to race and begin building a professional cycling career.\nTeam TIAA-CREF trains and sponsors young riders in hopes of making cycling a full time career. The decision to choose Arnesen wasn't easy for Vaughters. Throughout the day, he said, numerous riders caught his eye with talent and large effort.\n"It wasn't easy, I can tell you that," Vaughters said. "There were so many guys at various times that could have won. (Sophomore) Steven Ballinger of Major Taylor -- I was very fond of him. (Senior) Craig Luekens -- he was a big favorite of mine. He kept bringing his team back each time."\nBut the 2003 Rookie of the Year was the one that made the final impression on Vaughters. The decision came down to the fact that Arnesen spent a considerable amount of time in the race. Vaughters said he saw Arnesen on the track more than any of his teammates and was the driving force for keeping the team on top. \n"He was the one that lead the sprint from a long way off," Vaughters said. "He was the strongest individual in the race."\nFor Arnesen's teammates, the award wasn't a surprise. Senior Tom Meersman has been riding with Arnesen for two years and described him as a natural talent. Meersman said other riders were also happy to see Arnesen win the MVR award because of his talent and potential. \n"I think (Arnesen winning) deals with how the race came down to the last lap," he said. "I guess Jonathan saw something in him that meant something. It all goes back to his talent."\nArnesen said he's not sure of the exact specifics of the award or when he will begin training, but believes he will join the team this fall in Tucson, Ariz. \n"I'm definitely not going to pass on the opportunity to train with the Jonathan Vaughters team," Arnesen said. \n-- Contact managing editor Katie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.