Columbus native Reid Wilson, center, stands atop the podium after winning the Men’s Category 2-3 race at Sunday’s Columbus Criterium. At left is runner-up Mitchell Clinkenbeard, and at right is third-place Chase Harker.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Reid Wilson is a former state champion soccer player, but he’s proving he can be just as adept at cycling.
The 2013 Columbus North graduate raced to victory in the Category 2-3 Men’s event in Sunday’s inaugural Columbus Criterium. Wilson had won races in Category 3-4 before, but not in the higher-level Category 2-3.
“By far the highlight,” Wilson said. “I have a bunch of family and friends here in Columbus and had a great weekend. My sister got married on Friday, so this is capping off an awesome weekend. This is a great course and a beautiful day. I hope they can keep doing this each year. It’s great of The Bicycle Station to put it on for us.”
Wilson won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award after helping North win the 2012 Class 2A state title in boys soccer. He competed in the Little 500 while at Indiana University and began racing the closed-circuit Criterium races after graduating in 2017.
Now living in Indianapolis with his wife, the former Michelle Amlung, and 7-month old daughter Madelynn, Wilson is finishing his residency in internal medicine and plans to start working in Indianapolis next summer.
Columbus native Reid Wilson cools down after winning the Men’s Category 2-3 race at Sunday’s Columbus Criterium.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Sunday, Wilson, who competes for Dash Racing Indy, won a sprint to the finish over runner-up Mitchell Clinkenbeard of Carmel and Team Sustainable Cycling and Chase Harker of Louisville and Dash Racing Indy.
“That was a strange race,” Wilson said. “I think we had to break 5 or 10 minutes in, and I think we all felt pretty good and thought about sending it, but it was still 2 vs. 2 at that point, so it really wasn’t an advantage to make another move. So we all worked together, and had a few attacks here and there, but for the most part, we just rolled through.”
Sierra Siebenlist, from right, Sophie Boller and Leigh Dukeman finish 1-2-3 in the Women’s Pro race at Sunday’s Columbus Criterium.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Meanwhile, the third-place finisher in the Women’s Pro race has a connection to Columbus. Leigh Dukeman of Charlotte, North Carolina, is married to Columbus native Mitchell Duke.
“We’re back for a wedding and the Fourth of July and are making a whole week out of it,” Dukeman said. “We’re home for the week and wanted to support (co-race director) Chase (Smith) and be a part of this race. We spend quite a bit of time in Columbus, so it’s fun to have a race here.”
Dukeman ran cross-country and track for Bloomington North and also got her cycling start in IU’s Little 500. She has competed in California and New Mexico and won a race in Cincinnati.
Mitchell has ran the Mill Race half marathon every year since it began, and Leigh won the Mill Race 5K in 2021. She hopes to run the half marathon with him this year.
Women’s Pro winner Sierra Siebenlist, center, is flanked by Sophie Boller, left, and Leigh Dukeman on the podium at Sunday’s Columbus Criterium.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
Sierra Siebenlist of Bloomington Upland Cycling won the Women’s Pro race. Sophie Boller of Carmel and Apex Cycling Team took second.
The Men’s Pro race was dominated by the MitoQ-New Zealand Cycling Project. Seven cyclists from New Zealand, including the country’s national champion, are touring the United States. They competed in Cincinnati on Saturday and came on over to Columbus on Sunday in between events in Wisconsin and Chicago.
Cyclists begin the Men’s Pro race at Sunday’s Columbus Criterium.
Ted Schultz | The Republic
MitoQ took the top four spots led by Marshall Erwood, who broke away from the pack early and finished just ahead of teammate Josh Burnett. Oliver Watson Palmer took third and New Zealand national champion James Gardner was fourth.
“It’s a great course, great atmosphere, great people,” Erwood said. “It was awesomely organized. The current atmosphere at home is, there’s nothing really for us at home, so it’s great to be here and great to be racing in the states.”
The event started and finished on Washington Street just south of Sixth Street and proceeded south to Fifth, east to Pearl, north to Sixth, west to Lafayette, north to Eighth and west to Washington. Competitors traversed the .86-mile loop for 50 minutes in the Category 2-3 Men’s race, 55 minutes in the Women’s Pro race and 65 minutes in the Men’s Pro race. There were also events for Category 3-4-5 Women and Men and Master’s Men, as well as a Kids race and an Adult Fun Ride.
The Bicycle Station and co-race directors Smith and Grace Washburn put on the USA Cycling-sanctioned event. Smith is co-owner of The Bicycle Station, and Washburn is business development manager.
“To have the race by USA Cycling-sanctioned, we had to apply for a permit, but regardless, we could have put the race on without the USA Cycling sanctioning,” Smith said. “But having that permit helps allow racers to get into higher categories and get their points and go up a category.”
