Sunflower students learn ins, outs, pains of competitive cycling

Sunflower School students Ally Brittian, left, and Sara Ahmed hold their hands high to ask questions from members of the Kansas University cycling team who were at the school on Thursday telling the students about the sport, including the injuries they've gotten, their uniforms and their bikes.

Kansas University cyclist Jason Knight pulled back his crimson and blue jersey and popped out his right shoulder.

For the students at Sunflower School, he revealed a bulging at the end of his collar bone – the injury was the result of a 40-mph crash he had during a race when he was only a few yards from the finish line.

“It can get ugly,” said the graduate student and top rider on the KU men’s A team.

“That’s really gross,” one student said in the middle of a roomful of 50 squealing fourth-graders.

Knight and four other members of KU’s team answered questions, a preview to the 2007 National Collegiate Cycling Championships, which will return to Lawrence on May 11-13.

Sunflower students cheered on KU team members during last year’s team trial on the South Lawrence Trafficway.

On Thursday morning, they met some of the Jayhawk cyclists who have become addicted to the long rides and races.

“I’ve never twisted my ankle. (But) I’ve lost a lot of skin,” Knight said.

Other than discussing the more painful moments involved in their labor of love, the cyclists also answered questions about their road bikes, uniforms and how they eat while riding.

They shave their legs to make it easier and less painful to bandage their wounds, said Kathy Kalbac, a women’s team member.

Each time a club member opened up the floor for another question, he or she had to choose among five to 10 eager students who had their hands in the air.

The students will spend part of their morning May 11 near 27th Street and the South Lawrence Traffic Way, which is the starting and finish line for the team time trial at the National Collegiate Cycling Championships. The road race will be May 12 at Perry Lake, and the finale, the criterium race in downtown Lawrence, will be May 13.

The KU team will compete in the North Central Collegiate Cycling Championship on Saturday in Manhattan. The men’s field will include Kansas State University’s star rider Mark Smelser, who grew up in McLouth.

One student asked: What’s the hardest race?

“Every race is really hard,” Knight said.

“The only person who doesn’t hurt is the one who wins,” said Knight’s teammate Brandon Bundy.