Little 500 pole spots up for grabs

Returning from spring break, many students will begin to notice more and more white Schwinn bicycles racing through campus, classmates sporting noticeable tan lines from wearing spandex, and some of their peers covering up nasty \nscars from crashes.\nThere can only be one explanation: Little 500 is back.\nRiders practiced this week at Bill Armstrong Stadium for Saturday’s\nqualifications for the 2007 Little 500 cycling race.\nThe green flag will drop April 20 for the 20th women’s Little 500 and April 21 for the 57th men’s race. Last year’s winners, Alpha Tau Omega for the men and Kappa Kappa Gamma for the women, each will have to defend its championships without their best riders, IU graduates Hans Arnesen and Jess Sapp, respectively. ATO and Kappa are not alone, as many teams in both races will rely on less \nexperienced riders.\nFor the rookies, track practice is a chance to see where they stand among the rest of the field and to get their first taste of competition. Freshman Army Cycling rider Katie Davis is one of the many rookies who is getting introduced to the tradition of the Little 500.\nDavis said she is excited to be a part of the annual \nintramural race.\n“I think a lot about how big the race is and the history around it,” she said. “It’s a little nerve-racking, but I think it makes it that much better that it is so huge.”\nOn the other end of the spectrum, senior Kansei Umeno will be riding in his final race for Pi Kappa Phi. Umeno said it will be difficult to be done with his Little 500 career after \nfour years.\n“I want us to enjoy this next month, especially me, because it is my last race, so I want to have a good time,” he said. “I am really going to miss it next year, so this year I am really enjoying every moment out here at the track and with \nthe team.”\nUmeno and his Pi Kappa Phi teammates went to St. Augustine, Fla., to train during spring break. Many teams leave Bloomington to train in warmer weather during the weeklong break. These trips are bonding experiences for the teams as well as an opportunity to train.\n“I had a very good time during spring break,” Umeno said. “During that time we had good training and great times as a team. During that week I realized how much I am going to miss this next year.”\nHowever, some teams, such as the Delta Sigma Pi women’s squad, stayed in Bloomington to get in extra practice time at the track. Junior Delta Sigma Pi rider Heather Conley said last year the team did not feel as prepared for qualifications because it only had one week of practice on the track. Staying in Bloomington allowed them to work on their exchanges for this weekend.\n“We are a lot more relaxed and pumped for this year because we were on the track last week,” Conley said.\nSaturday’s qualification is the first of four pre-race competitions for the teams. The next three competitions – Individual Time Trials, Miss-n-Out and Team Pursuit – make up the spring series. The winning teams from qualifications wear the green jersey and the winning teams from the spring series wear the white jersey on race day.