June 11, 2007
Filed under:
Race news, Superweek
Comments (4)
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Wheaton Criterium wrap-up
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More Superweek information
The Superweek schedule has been updated.
Previously the first Friday's crit had been announced as being in Fon fu Lac, Wis., but it is now in Green Lake, Wis., another hour and a half away from Chicago.
Somewhat more exciting: The map for the July 22 Evanston crit is out and it's a doozy. It's a .9-mile course shaped like a golf club. Looks like the start/finish will be at the plaza at Sherman and Davis. We'll ride counter-clockwise around a city block before heading up Orrington toward Northwestern University. We'll turn left at the Burger King, home of many a 99-cent Whopper during my college years. (I expect that here is where on certain laps homeless people will ask the lead riders for change, cycling's first reverse prime.) Then we'll head back down Sherman, past the new Barnes & Noble and back to the start/finish.
Like most of the Superweek crits, Evanston is longer than we're used to around here. "30 mi." means 30 miles, not 30 minutes. Cat 3's will do 40 miles. Pro/1/2's will do 62.
Here is a Google Map version to give a better idea of the location. I'm hoping someone will ride the course this weekend and return with commentary on road conditions and what exactly those corners will be like. In fact, Team Judson and XXX Racing-AthletiCo rides usually wind down Sherman on their way home. Perhaps Sherman/Davis will become a new sprint point for the next month.
This much is certain: This will be a fun, fun race to watch. Evanston is among the races on the National Race Calendar for both men and women, so the country's best teams and riders will be there, and this looks like a dynamite location. Race early and bring your lawn chairs and cowbells for later.
Comments
All the turns will be nice and easy here. The roads will be in great shape too. The one tricky thing could be the turn from Orrington onto Clark (although it's actually more of a hard bend than a turn). Orrington is four lanes wide and could be a place where lots of people try to move up or where attacks could be launched from either side, but Clark is a one-way, one-lane street the way we're doing it, with an island on the right, and, yes, Burger King, Clark's, etc. on the left. So the sorting out on Orrington will have to be finished when that turn is started.
Posted by: Seth Meyer at June 12, 2007 07:19 AM
I'm a little worried that all the XXXers will - through sheer force of habit - will pull over on the final turn, step off the course... and lean their bikes up against the Einsteins on Sherman.
I kid! I kid! This is going to be a great day for all the area squads, since hundreds of us pass upon those roads daily. With Elk Grove and Downers so short, this might be the best local throw-down of the year.
Posted by: Eric Goodwin at June 12, 2007 09:51 AM
We'll definitely have to get a few laps in on the way home this weekend - this being my target race. What a great homestretch. AND I should have my upgrade after next weekend! Man, I love it when a plan comes together...
Posted by: Brian at June 12, 2007 10:37 AM
Superweek online registration is open.
Posted by: ScottV at June 14, 2007 11:28 PM
