Independence Day weekend brings us two quality races that should be useful final tuneups before everything gets frantic with Superweek and beyond. The Whitewater Road Race doesn’t necessarily have epic climbs, but it has some nice rollers in a beautiful stretch near Kettle Moraine. On Sunday, ABR awards its state championships on an industrial-park course in Wood Dale.

Saturday
UWW Road Race
USCF road race
Palmyra, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2007

Sunday
Wood Dale Criterium
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

I’ve yet to come across much negative reaction to last week’s Tour of America’s Dairyland -- gripes have been limited to the low fee-to-payout ratio -- so I’m still surprised so few Chicago riders headed up. Now that it’s an established event, I hope the series is even bigger and better in 2010.

We had a good showing at Saturday’s criterium on the famed Downer Avenue course. Adam Leibman (ABD) has been riding well and won the 4/5’s. Ricardo Otero (WDT-Allvoi) picked up his first 3’s win, followed by James Bird (IS Corps) in 2nd and Joe Bippus (South Chicago Wheelmen) in 6th. Henry Loud (Team Pegasus) didn’t climb the 3’s podium over the weekend, but still found nice profit, picking up a $100 prime Saturday and $75 on Sunday in Waukesha.

Devon Haskell (Team BH USA) spent the weekend locked in a tight battle for the overall, but Verducci Breakaway was aggressive in defending its jersey. In the series’ final race Sunday, two Verducci riders broke free, including overall leader Jessie MacLean. Haskell finished the series in 2nd, eight points down, with Jessi Prinner (ABD) in 6th.

Full results.

Downer Avenue reports
John Coyle (Wolverine Sports Club; 35+ 1/2/3): “Too long a sprint with a slight incline -- not the best sort of finish for me.”

James Pradun (GDVC; 3): “I spent the whole 50 minutes wishing I had pulled out the lap before.”

Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda; W-P/1/2/3): “A buddy of mine shouted out to me that I had won! I was shocked and didn’t believe him.”

Downer Avenue photos
Extreme Photography
John Wilke

Waukesha reports
Team BH USA (W-P/1/2/3): “Hopefully the good word gets out about this series so that the numbers grow in years to come.”

Chad Hartley (Geargrinder; P/1/2): “I have had a few requests as to how my leg is doing.  Awesome.”

James Pradun (GDVC; 3): “Three crashes happened and all were because of retarded reasons.”

Kristin Wentworth (Team Kenda; W-P/1/2/3): “I was in good position and took an inside line on the last corner and charged toward the line.”

Waukesha photos
Extreme Photography

Some medals are coming home from yesterday’s masters national time trial championships: Debbie Dust (PACT-Dish Network), silver in the women’s 35-39; Wayne Simon (Verdigris), bronze in the 50-54; and Tom Doughty (Amgen/Giant), silver in the 55-59. Doughty also teamed with Jim Host (PACT-Dish Network) to win the 110+ tandem time trial.

Highlights from Sunday’s state criterium championships:

• » Jeff Schroetlin (ABD) defended his P/1/2 title in similar fashion to his 2008 championship. This time, however, he was able to win outright, coming around Indiana’s Erik Hamilton (NUVO Cultural Trail) on a windy afternoon in Peoria. The two had been off early on top of a move from Kyle Jacobson (IS Corps). In the photo above, the threesome hits Turn 5 as the peloton still makes its way down the homestretch. After dropping Jacobson, Hamilton and Schroetlin lapped the field, leading to some bell-lap confusion as riders saw the lap counter skip from three to one. Meanwhile, Scott Pearson (Comcast/Higher Gear) once again slipped away to finish in no-man’s land for 3rd while Josh Carter (ABD) won the sprint in what was left of a splintered field.

• » Burnham Racing employed some of the same late-flier tactics that secured a win in 2008 to win again, this time behind Jeff Wat while teammate Nate Iden swept in for 2nd.

• » XXX Racing-AthletiCo was aggressive in the lower categories, leading to a sprint win from Mike Seguin in the 30+ 4/5’s and a solo win from Liam Donoghue in the 4’s. Seguin was able to put an exclamation point on the latter by winning the field sprint for 2nd.

• » Team Mack was a triple champion, getting jerseys from Michael Ozment in the 60+, Gary Doering in the 50+ and Gina Champion in the women’s 4’s. Robert Kron (Team Mack) came up short in the masters 1/2/3, losing to Michael Zellman (Verizon Wireless) in a two-man sprint that settled the 40+ crown. Behind them, Mike Heagney (Vision Quest) edged out Chris Mosora (Verizon Wirelesss) to take the field sprint and 30+ title.

• » In addition to Schroetlin, ABD earned titles from Konrad Witt in the 10-14, Dani Witt in the junior girls and Marilyn Powell in the women’s 45+.

• » Host Proctor got titles from two of its women: Vanessa McKenzie in the women’s 3’s and Marsha Ray in the women’s 55+.

• » Our sport’s troubles with women’s retention was highlighted by the complete absence of women to contest the P/1/2 championship. The Tour of America’s Dairyland drew our top talent instead and was a reasonable alibi, but it’s still discouraging.

Full results.

Reports
Julian Baumgartner (Burnham Racing; 3): “Frustrations rose and language went south as riders on the rivet cursed others for not helping them win.”

Liam Donoghue (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “You wanted to know what happens when you set a goal, bust your ass, and stick to your plan?”

Steve Driscoll (Team Mack; 30+ 1/2/3, 3): “Both fast and furious, as usual, although really windy.”

Colm Flannery (Proctor; 30+ 4/5): “For shame, ladies!”

Chris Koster (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “I knew that I was not strong enough to hold it till the end, so I was just hoping that when I got reeled back in another xXx’er would take a turn.”

Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; P/1/2): “Tactics became really simple at that point: Every man for himself, just ride like hell.”

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): “The train of riders who went wide to the left were all caught with their bib shorts around their ankles as Mike motored from the corner to the line through 250 meters of open air.”

Peoria Star: “‘I let him do most of the pulling the last two laps, and I was pretty fresh.’”

Leah Sanda (Flatlandia; W-35+, W-4): “Despite being a small field it was a lively race with lots of attacks.”

Mike Seguin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): “As I accelerate up the small rise to get back to the pack of swarming sprinters, there is a calmness that settles over me.”

Mike Shea (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4): “No one willing to do much work. A perfect time to separate from the field.”

Tim Speciale (Bicycle Heaven; 5): “With my bike violently shaking back and forth, I heard nothing and saw only the bikes in front of me and the white strip on the road 100 meters away.”

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+ 1/2/3, P/1/2): “The race was very cut throat in nature. So it goes.”

Jeff Wat (Burnham Racing; 3): “I tried to refrain from letting on how badly I wanted to win so as to lessen the pressure on myself.”

John Wolters (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): “Liam and Mike were talking about keeping it fast, and that they did.”

Photos
Nikki Cyp: 5, 3, P/1/2, 30+ 4/5, 30+ 1/2/3, 50+, W-P/1/2/3, W-4, W-35+
Liam Donoghue
Mark Keller
Seth Meyer (video)
Matt Smith: 4, 3, P/1/2, W-4

• » Road race or corn maze? Check out the Tour of Elk Grove’s pro road race.  I count 26 turns in the 9.5-mile course. Also note that the criterium course is slightly different this year, with less of an L-shape, an improvement, but still a U-turn at the end of Elk Grove Boulevard.

• » Area riders Bob Schrank and Alex Bowden were on Team Type 1’s record-setting Ride Across America squad.

• » Be sure to pick up this month’s Chicago Athlete magazine, which is devoted to local racing, including interviews with Rebecca Much (Webcor), Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless) and Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew).

• » Speaking of the Druber, he promises to goose the women’s purse at next weekend’s Tour de Champaign if it can attract 40 riders to the women’s P/1/2/3 race. Free online registration closes Monday for the July 11 and July 12 races.

• » The Associated Press covers the proposed Olympic course in Blue Mounds, Wis.

• » Some North Branch riders got ticketed for riding two abreast in Barrington.

It is ABD's first USAC national championship.

Read full post ...

No, really, I am.

Read full post ...

Chicago's best results are coming from the women.

Read full post ...

Last chance to race before Superweek.

Read full post ...

Happy Wednesday! Allvoi Cup free for the women. This week: CPD and bikes. SFC gets Pez'd.

Read full post ...