Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Will the Big 12 last? Kansas responds to Texas Tech coach's public doubts. PAGE 30
WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010
The social side of soccer
WWW.KANSAN.COM
South American students watch World Cup game together. PAGE 28
PAGE 25
From routine to racing
Student competes in annual Tour of Lawrence race
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
This weekend, he wasn't riding around campus to get to class; he was racing in the annual Tour of Lawrence bike race.
Spencer Martin bought a bike in 2008 because he wanted to get to class faster.
Martin, a fifth-year senior from Lawrence, didn't live far from campus his junior year and wanted to shave a few minutes off his time from home to class, so he saved up a little cash and bought a used road bike, his first.
Then he started riding it in his free time. And on the weekends. Quickly, something that started because he wanted to save time turned into a hobby that consumed a lot of it.
"It kind of got out of hand," Martin said. "I didn't expect to get into it that much."
He said he always followed cycling a little closer than most, but never
took it up for himself. Even when he did, he never thought it would grow into the passion it has.
"I always wanted to race bikes, but it's pretty expensive to get into." Martin said. "In high school, as a kid, it's pretty tough to convince your parents to get you a bike when it's some-
road bike, he's still interested. Martin, now a member of the University of Kansas Cycling Club racing team,
thing you may not be interested in in a year."
"It kind of got out of hand. I didn't expect to get into it that much."
Two years after buying that first
SPENCER MARTIN Tour of Lawrence participant
raced in his second Tour of Lawrence July 2-4, participating in all three races.
In 2009, Martin raced in category five, the lowest level. It was just the second race of his career. With a
year on the Kansas race team under his belt, Martin competed Friday through Sunday in category three, the
The three day event took place in downtown Lawrence and the Cycling Club plays a large role in the promotion and execution of the event.
highest amateur category and a step below the professional category one and two racers.
"We're racing, volunteering and setting up a concession area on Saturday's race up on campus," said David Neidinger, president of the Cycling Club.
The Campus Circuit race is by far the most difficult. Neidinger said, in large part because it is by far the hilli-
SEE TOUR ON PAGE 26