Chicago Bike Racing

Matteson on hold

May 14

Tuesday night racing at Matteson is on hold while the paint factory undergoes some construction. The South Chicago Wheelmen will hold events as conditions allow, but it will be on a week-to-week basis. Keep an eye on the Web site for updates.

I’m also told that USA Cycling now requires new rider releases each week, rather than one for the entire season. The best way to take care of this is to complete one with everything except for the date, then make 20 copies and keep them with your gear. Sign and date and you’re good to go.

Hump day links

May 14

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Links

Comments (3)

» Note: Your sprint should end with a bike throw at the finish line, not with 1km to go.
» The international Ride of Silence to remember cyclists killed on roadways will take place May 21. Chicago’s ride leaves Daley Plaza at 6:45 p.m.
» The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation has long been at the forefront of defending our rights and fighting for our safety. Recent events show that its work is needed now more than ever. Show your support by attending the May 23 Phil Liggett fundraiser at Turin in Evanston. UPDATE: Tickets have now been discounted to $25!
» If you’re not yet reading Rapid Transit’s Chicago Bike Blog, I recommend starting.
» Consider this your weekly reminder to register to race and volunteer at Sherman Park June 14.
» A certain friend of CBR also reminds you to consider the Duluth Classic over Memorial Day weekend. Entry fees go up significantly after May 19. Stage racing is a blast, and the chance to do two road races in one weekend may be well worth the drive to warm, sunny Duluth, Minn.
» ABD’s Memorial Day weekend masters series now has 30+ fields.
» Paging Corey Higgs! I’m told you left a wheel at the Vernon Hills Grand Prix. E-mail me and I’ll tell you how to contact the promoter to retrieve it. (Tip for everyone else: Always leave your phone number and e-mail address with your spare wheels.)

This weekend’s races: May 17-18

May 14

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Race previews

Comments (2)

One of the spring’s biggest weekends is upon us.

Saturday brings us the first of only a few hometown races with Monsters of the Midway, held on the beautiful Midway Plaisance at University of Chicago. The long rectangular course isn’t the most interesting, but it’s spectator friendly as it provides a clean view of all the action. The atmosphere is always festive and exciting. This year the UC Velo Club adds a women’s Cat 3 field, and I join them in hoping enough women show to justify making it a fixture.

Separations typically occur in the smaller fields, including women’s and masters races, but the long straightaways and unobstructed views make breaks nearly impossible in the large 3’s and 4’s races. Hold tight and get ready for a raucous sprint. About that sprint: Mind the wind. With a stiff breeze off the lake, you can launch yourself out of the final corner. With a headwind, however, you’ll want to wait another 100 meters or so.

Chicago Bike Racing is happy to sponsor three cash primes to the lower categories. Keep your ears peeled and your legs ready. And don’t forget Flatlandia’s Moustaches of the Midway competition: Best finisher with a moustache gets a prize, plus mass adoration.

It’s also a big weekend in Wisconsin. Saturday’s road race in Denzer is one of the best around, especially for the climbers. A mile and a half into each 11-mile lap the road pitches up to climb about 700 feet over the next mile. It’s a steady, unrelenting climb that will break legs and shatter fields. A false flat follows the climb, and then there is a short descent with a sharp right turn and steep kicker at a bottom. Don’t be caught off guard. As soon as you see the marshal, be moving to a smaller gear.

Near Denzer on Sunday will be Wheels on Willy, a popular crit in Madison that brings out loads of neighbors and spectators. The kilometer-long course features a long, gradual climb into the start/finish.

But wait, there’s more! Le Tour de Lafayette makes its debut in Indiana, giving 3’s, 4’s and 5’s a chance to try stage racing under USA Cycling sanction. Saturday’s criterium looks like a fun, hilly course complete with King of the Mountain competitions. Sunday’s road races are only 20 and 32 miles, so I expect the weekend will be decided with Sunday afernoon’s 5.8 mile time trial.

Saturday
Monsters of the Midway
ABR criterium
Chicago
Distance from Chicago: 0 hours

Le Tour de Lafayette
USCF criterium
Lafayette, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Denzer Delight (Leland Grand Prix)
USCF road race
Denzer, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Le Tour de Lafayette
USCF road race
Lafayette, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Wheels on Willy
USCF criterium
Madison, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Photo by John Wilke

Weekend wrap-up

May 13

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Race reports

Comments (5)

It was a quiet weekend of racing around Chicago, but some riders went up to Muskego, Wis., to make some noise at the criterium there. Congratulations to winners Kaleb Kloch (Smart Cycling) in the juniors 10-14, Kristin Meshberg (Flatlandia) in the women’s open, Anthony Carfang (Illinois Tech) in the 4’s and Chris Clary (Turin) , who slipped away with just a few laps to go in the 3’s race.

Full results.

Photos
Burnham Racing
John Wilke

Race reports
Ben Bartoszuk (Team Wheaton; 30+ 3/4, 30+ 1/2/3): “I looked back, I had a gap, and I was convinced I was going to win. They can’t catch me!”

Ryan Bauman (Sakonnet; P/1/2): “I jumped at the right time, but I pulled out of my pedal!”

Julian Baumgartner (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3, P/1/2): “The final corner on the last lap was a harrowing experience with children bombing inside, riders flinging themselves to the outside, breaks screeching, and of course a whole helluva lot of swearing.”

Craig Erbach (Project 5; 3): “The Muskego course was not suited for me at all. Probably better suited for people in shape.”

Loukas Kozonis (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): “Knowing that my energy levels were low, I was hoping just to survive in the back of the pack.”

Scott Peterson (Team Wheaton; 3, 30+ 1/2/3, P/1/2): “I had the legs for a decent placing, just lost mental focus and awareness of how far back I was.”

Photo by Luke Seemann

It’s track time

May 13

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Race news

Comments (13)

I don’t monitor track racing here, but I’m still a big fan and head up to the Ed Rudolph Velodrome in Northbrook every chance I get. The 2008 season starts Thursday, and this year Northbrook offers a two-for-one admission coupon. Opening night usually draws strong fields of riders. This week the action starts at 6:45.

Metra is the best way for spectators to go, especially with the Edens construction. Here’s the train schedule. The velodrome is a short walk from the station, and the 5:58 p.m. train from Union Station will get you there just in time to watch racing.

Track racing is exciting stuff. Here’s a video from the inside. But in addition to enjoying yourself and supporting your friends and teammates, you will be able to observe tactics as they unfold at 30 mph. The velodrome is a veritable laboratory for tactics, and you can see all the moves and counter moves from your vantage point in the stands.