More than 500 people hit the bricks Saturday for the seventh running of the Hillsboro-Roubaix.

The performance of the day may belong to Chicago's Mike Hemme (Killjoy), who in his first road race attacked from the start of the 4/5 race and spent the next 44 miles off the front with a Ghisallo rider. Often the trickiest part of being in a break is remembering to switch from "collaborate to stay away" mode to "crush your opponent" mode, but Hemme pulled it off perfectly, attacking on the bricks to take the victory. Just as impressive in this race was Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin' Crew), who slipped away with 15 miles to go and solo'd through a stiff headwind to pick up 3rd. Coincidentally, a Ghisallo rider also attacked from the gun in the 3/4 race, this time accompanied by Shane Winn (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). They, too, would stay off for about 44 miles. Unfortunately for them, theirs was a 66-mile race. Victory in that race -- which, I should note, was also my race -- went to junior Chris Wallace (Mesa Cycles), who attacked with 12 miles to go and held off the pack by himself. Not long after the attack, Jim Vandeven, Team Get a Grip Cycles' ambassador to St. Louis, joined a four-man chase group and proceeded to ride the other three off his wheel to get 2nd place. Jason Schisler (Vision Quest) held on for 4th, and Tomasz Boba (WDT) got 2nd in the field sprint for 6th overall. I don't have much information on how the P/1/2 race shook out, but legend Steve Tilford's HRRC/Trek Stores team appears to have dominated. The 48-year-old Tilford won a two-up sprint against former teammate Brian Jensen (Successful Living), followed by two teammates in 3rd and 4th. Second later more riders trickled in, but after 88 miles of hard racing they resembled emaciated prisoners of war more than triumphant top-10 finishers. They included an impressive four ABD/Geargrinder riders: 2002 champ Josh Carter in 5th, Ryan White in 7th, John Meyers in 9th and Rob White in 11th. The next Chicago-area finisher was Cory Hickman (Vitaminwater-Trek), pictured above, who in only his first race as a Cat 2 finished 2nd in the field sprint to get 14th overall. Chicago had some great results among the women, too. In the women's open race, Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles) and Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) finished 3rd and 4th, respectively. In the women's 4's race, Lindsay Koren added to Team Get a Grip Cycles' podium count with 2nd, followed by Chicago's Natalie Schaefer (Vision Quest) in 3rd and XXX Racing-AthletiCo's Heidi Sarna and Denise Rossa in 5th and 6th. Finally I'll note another good day for MetCycling. Cliff Golz finished 4th in the 5's race, and a tough 40+ race was won by Paul Swinand, followed by Mike Jones in 4th and Bryan Rheude in 7th. Full results.

Photos Rick Cosaro Ficks Photos Vitaminwater-Trek XXX Racing-AthletiCo

Race reports Julian Baumgartner (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3/4): "The hills were taken at a gentleman's pace. The bricks were somewhat effective in softening the field, yet a group of 10 or 15 rounded the final corner together. Though we were now fighting for crumbs everyone was as hungry as ever."

John Boggs (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "It was a lonely ride with nasty wind for several miles."

Sydney Brown (Team Revolution; W-open): "I'd given everything I had and it was about 400 yards too little. Oh well. Lessons about breaks and bridging were learned and those mistakes won't happen twice."

Kevin Clark (Half Acre Cycling; 4/5): "Overall the pack was horribly disorganized. If i want to keep road racing I think I'm going to have to do some serious kissing up to officials for an upgrade or just start time-trialing so I don't have to ride near other people."

Rick Cosaro (Unattached; 5): "There were some others around me, but I was toast."

Andy Daley (Vitaminwater-Trek; P/1/2): "I was mid-pack, trying to eke out a draft from a guy already riding very close to the gravel edge of the road. That was not nice. The four horsemen of the apocalypse were taunting me."

Graham Dewart (Mesa Cycles; 3/4): "It was amazing how well we worked together while barley knowing each other. It was a great feeling to work that hard and have it all work out with the win."

Marc Engelhardt (Ghisallo; 4/5): "Someone behind me plows into the pile. My bike is totaled, the second guy's body is totaled, and the guy who falls for no reason gets up and rides away. This was going 25 mph on a straightaway. Road racing. So, I'm done road racing."

JT Fisher (Ghisallo; 5): "Those Joker attacks were phenomenal. I was physically in the red zone for a long time and stayed with the attack group for a good distance -- just not good enough."

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-4): "I charged up the hill, passing two more riders. I passed a fourth in the turn and then bombed the descent. I hit the bricks at 37.4 mph and caught up to a couple more women."

Team Get a Grip Cycles (W-4, W-Open, 3/4): "The Hillsboro-Roubaix Road Race would determine if we could keep it together or would just devolve into a tribe of wild chimps."

Mike Hemme (Killjoy; 4/5): "As soon as we cleared the neutral zone I stood up and sprinted, hit 43 mph, and off we went. Let the good times roll."

Ed Hernandez (North Branch; 3/4): "First the left leg went 'KABOOM,' and then the right leg went 'KABOOM.' Finally, my entire body yelled 'FUHGETABOUTIT.'"

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "I started to redline during the second section of headwinds, but gritted my teeth and burnt a match to bridge a gap and grab a wheel on the back of the lead pack. I recovered soon enough, but started to worry."

Emir Jaganjac (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "The next turn was right into the headwind, and that was it for me. I felt pain in my lower back, and that's the way my body tells me: 'Hey, you suck!'"

Gina Kenny (ABD; W-4): "The two that passed me slowed way down for the cobblestones so I barreled past them."

Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-4): "When I got to the top I heard everyone breathing really hard and realized if I didn't go then I'd have to go over the bricks and crappy stretch in a crowd."

Sarah Lukas (Geargrinder; W-4): "I pushed whatever I had left to pass three women at my finish for a 9th place."

Megan McLaughlin (Yankee Hill Vet; W-4): "Two riders up front rubbed wheels and we all got tangled up in the wreck."

John Meyer (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2): "I covered lots and lots of moves, watched Steve Tilford remove half of his clothing in the middle of the pack, and also saw the biggest horse I’ve probably ever seen in my entire life."

Seth Meyer (Turin; P/1/2): "Whatever."

Adam Mills (P/1/2): "At mile 75, like a cannon, BOOM! Fireworks. Woo Hoo! Time to race."

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "Through a 10-minute stretch I was at near-max fighting only to hang on to my place in the pack and not give up an inch even then."

Ben Popper (Killjoy; 4/5): "Mike Hemme and I had a pretty sweet half-assed strategy. Not being road racers, we did not how to road race. Mountain bike and cyclocross races are races from the get-go, and we figured that is how we would race this race too: 100 percent from the get-go."

Jessi Prinner (ABD; W-open): "And then, as if God himself had answered my prayers, the most amazing and spectacle of the 21st century occurred right before my scrappy little eyes: One of the ladies dropped her chain."

Jason Pope (Nebo Ridge; 3/4): "This is surely the kind of experience that inspired poet Stephen Dunn to write about 'the sincere "if onlys" of grown men in short pants.'"

Rob Raguet-Schofield (Wild Card; 5): "Every part of my bike rattled as the bricks attempted to tear it apart. At some point I heard a loud popping sound and almost immediately my back wheel started wiggling all over the place. 'Oh shit.'"

Team Revolution (W-open): "Through true tenacity she bridged to them. That effort, in the wind, by herself, is as awe-inspiring as a team win."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3/4): "Could these have been the lamentations of the women that Conan talked about? Now I just needed to see my enemies driven before me and I would know the 'best in life.'"

Sue Semaszczuk (ABD; W-open): "I started to feel some pain in my side and my breathing was getting short, but I was almost done. I could deal with that later."

Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen; P/1/2): "Gravel sections were by far my favorite part. It was so much fun just hammering through those sections with gravel flying and dust everywhere."

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3/4): "My kingdom for a flat crit!"

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3/4): "It took all I had to get back onto the group not once but twice, but I did it and by that point I was pretty determined not to be at the back again."

Mark Swartzendruber (Lucas Oil; P/1/2): "My poor positioning back in the pack forced me to be caught behind guys who were weaving up the narrow climb like paper boys. I pushed my way past two such wobble knocks by physically shoving them out of the way as they blindly wobbled across my path."

Zach Thomas (Half Acre Cycling; 3/4): "The pack had leapt forward at the sound of Andrew Nordyke's crash, and I was left to chase with a few other stragglers. At the bottom of a windy, blind descent, I was maybe 300 yards behind the pack, but it was having no part of any hint toward waiting for me."

Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek Stores; P/1/2): "I was having a pretty good day."

Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin' Crew): "My legs were on fire, I felt dizzy and I was seeing black spots, all to crawl up at 12 mph."

Bob Willems (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "Bomb the descent. GAG guy gets by me. I still think, despite calves cramping in flames, top of left quad stabbed repeatedly with a dull butter knife, I GOT this."

Tim Wozniak (Nebo Ridge; 3/4): "The field was fast and it was apparent that many teams had done a significant amount of outdoor riding to prepare to win the race."

Race fliers for 2008 are starting to trickle in, and I've made updates to the calendar.

Let's start with the Wisconsin Schedule, where we have fliers for the April 5 Evergreen Park Criterium in Sheboygan and for Madison's Great Dane Series on April 13 and 20. We also have a flier for the Whitnall Park Criterium, a favorite of mine, which adds a masters 3/ 4 field in addition to masters 1/2/3 and 4/5 fields. As a 32-year-old Cat 3 rider, I salute this innovation. April 19 was previously down for the Brown Deer Criterium in Milwaukee, but now it’s listed as the Menomonee Park Criterium in nearby Menomonee Falls. ("Do doo be-do-do, Menomonee!") Closer to home, fliers have been filed for the Vernon Hills Grand Prix on May 4 and the Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge on June 15 June 22. We already knew there would be no road race at Proctor this year, but my understanding had been there would still be the Friday evening time trial and a race on Sunday, either a criterium or a circuit race. Now, however, only Sunday's state championship criterium is listed at the Proctor Cycling Classic site and on the ICA calendar. Stay tuned for more information. Organizers tell me the Grayslake Cycling Classic race is confirmed for Aug. 9 and that its Web site will be updated soon. The Elgin Cycling Classic is down for Aug. 3, the Sunday of the Tour of Elk Grove, and it moves to the ABR calendar. Speaking of Elk Grove, its schedule is posted, confirming many of the changes you heard about first in December's interview with Mayor Craig Johnson. One change to note is that instead of an open women's field, there will be concurrent 1/2 and 3/4 races. The 1/2's race 50 minutes for $3,000, and the 3/4's race 30 minutes for $1,000. That's a major reduction from last previous editions of this event, but I'll be curious if the women 3/4's ever see a purse that big around these parts. In other news, a new team has come to my attention: PACT-Dish Network. PACT stands for "Polish American Cycling Team" and on its roster I spot several strong riders drawn from Redline, WDT and The Bike Shop.

Its final climb is not the Bosberg. Its bricks lack the treachery of the Arenberg’s pavé. It’s a hair shorter than Milan-San Remo.

Nonetheless, Saturday’s Hillsboro-Roubaix, the Hell of Downstate, has earned its reputation as a spring classic in these parts, and it's not a huge surprise that so many fields sold out on the first day of registration. In one race report, Mark Swartzendruber (Lucas Oil) described it as "86 miles of narrow back roads that would make the stoutest of Belgians feel right at home. Except for the deep piles of gravel dropped here and there the roads show no evidence of visits from a county maintenance crew in years." The course’s defining landmark is the circuit through town that closes each 22-mile lap. It starts with two short climbs. There are other short climbs on the course, but I don’t recall any having as much impact as these. The first bump contains the feedzone, which should be necessary only for those doing three or more laps. If you’re taking a bottle, move to the right; otherwise, stay the heck out of the way. (Etiquette says not to attack in the feed zone, and the promoter is calling that stretch neutral.) The second climb is steeper and just a few riders wide. Cones will mark the centerline, and weaving around them will risk disqualification. Turning left off the climb, a steep, straight descent on dodgy pavement sends you screaming into the bricks -- uneven, jutting, deterioriating bricks. Stay loose and turn a big gear. A lot of riders position their hands near their stem to limit the vibrations. After a few blocks of the bricks, a left turn puts you onto a slightly longer stretch of similar bricks, and finally another left turn puts you back on solid ground, about 100 300 meters from the start/finish. Many of the roads are narrow; think MGA Proving Grounds. The larger races should expect congestion until the herd thins after a lap or so. Don't even think about crossing the centerline to gain position, whether the line is painted or not. There will be moments when crossing the line is unavoidable, but to do it for tactical purposes is foolish and unsafe, and should elicit shame from the pack, if not disqualification from the officials. There’s a fair amount of bumpy pavement and gravel. Don’t be surprised if people flat; the promoter recommends new tires. (There may be a follow vehicle with wheels, but good luck catching back on.) There are more than 20 turns, and each one is a good opportunity to get dropped if you’re at the back and not paying attention, especially when turning into a headwind. Wind is often a major factor, particularly as crosswinds whip across some of the unsheltered roads, but it’s pegged at only 10 mph out of the east. Temperature is forecast to be in the upper 40s to low 50s. Dress accordingly. The morning will start with a parade lap through town at 10:40 a.m. The racing starts in waves at 11, with each field getting a neutral rollout out of town. Afterward, the top three riders in each field get a trophy fashioned from a brick.

Saturday Hillsboro-Roubaix USCF road race Hillsboro, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

A tentative Superweek schedule is out.

• » We have the same local crits as last year, but Bensenville moves from the first Sunday to the first Wednesday. The series again opens with a P/1/2 twilight criterium on Friday, July 11, in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, followed by a criterium in Blue Island the next day and then the Evanston Grand Prix the next Sunday.
• » Some notable road races are not listed: the Tour of Alpine Valley, the MGA Proving Grounds Road Race and an awesome course last used in 2005 on the Milwaukee lakefront. (In an interview last year, Breakaway communications director Jon Reimer indicated that a return was expected now that a construction project there was complete.) Also missing are crits in Green Bay and Sheboygan, Wis. There are, however, three TBA's on the schedule, so perhaps we'll see some of these courses yet.
• » The criterium formerly in Green Lake, Wis., moves a bit west to Ripon, and there's a new criterium in Racine.
• » For the first time in the 40-year history of Superweek, all categories will race on the popular Downer Avenue course in Milwaukee on the series' final Saturday -- accompanied by an "all-day Belgian beerfest."

Results from the second Kenosha weekend are finally posted and it looks like Chicago teams had a dynamite day.

ABD/Geargrinder again asserted its numbers in the 1/2's. This time was Ryan White's turn to take the win ahead of his brother and teammate Rob White. WDT had a fantastic day, winning the 3's and the 4's races. A nine-person break representing most of the teams got away in the 3's, with Flatlandia represented twice. Pictured above, it was Tomasz Boba (WDT) who timed his sprint the best, and his teammate Dennis Sandquist won his second 4's race of the spring campaign. It's good to see Ansgar Graw (MetCycling) back in winning form. He won the 40+ and came in 5th in what looks to have been a tough 30+ race. Chicago Cuttin' Crew did well in its sanctioned debut. Jeff Perkins came in 3rd in the 4's and Molly Godlewski came in 3rd in the women's 4's. According to her race report, Godlewski even made a friend along the way. (Messengers and roadies getting along! Quick! Someone alert Bike Snob to this latest sign of the fixed-gear apocalypse!) And finally I see a couple of locals high in the junior results. Matthew Dutczak (South Chicago Wheelmen) won the boys 10-12 race, and Kaleb Koch (Smart Cycling) won a large 13-14 race. Full results.

Race reports Peter Allen (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+): "Going into the bell lap, I was surprised the peloton hadn’t lifted the pace and caught me. Unfortunately, I was running out of gas faster than out-of-tune Chevette."

Brian Boyle (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+, 3): "Forty-five minutes cold/ Matt and Brian race in pack/ Seven man break go."

Kevin Clark (Half Acre Cycling; 4): "I was extremely motivated by my apprehension towards crashing. One dude did. Solo. "

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): "The line looked so close, yet it was still so far away. With about 200 meters to go, I was gassed."

Molly Godlewski (Chicago Cuttin' Crew; W-4): "Pride swelled up in my chest. Not about my placement, but from the support of my team. Getting me up there hours before their race began, standing out in the cold shouting for me, giving me encouragement, making me laugh my hangover away. I feel like the luckiest novice around."

Lyle Hansen (GDVC; 3): "Looking around at the composition of the break, I was pretty sure it would stick. There was a good representation of teams. There were a couple of guys who were clearly looking strong, and a few like myself who weren't feeling great but were still working hard."

Tim Keeley (ABD; 3): "With four to go, the pace slowed considerably and stayed easy until one to go. I was trying to hang in the back and not do a thing while keeping an eye on Boba, as he was by far the biggest engine in the group and could win solo. "

Seth Meyer (Turin; 1/2): "The story is simple: ABD/Geargrinder had five guys, and they used them. I tried marking the most dangerous moves, but, halfway through the race, it was a counterattack to one I was in that stayed off."

Mike Seguin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 40+): "I went too early and didn’t have enough. Watching others follow, save energy and really turning it on at the end was pretty neat."

Mike Seguin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "I was just sucking on this guys wheel and crying for oxygen. Shift again, and then I told myself I could breathe on the other side of the finish. I got some extra strength from somewhere and gave my all."

Sue Semaszczuk (ABD; W-open): " I tell [Molly] to take the pull. She says 'Yes, madam!' and asked me what cat I am. I tell her that I recently upgraded and she tells me, 'Well, you sure deserve it! You're so strong!' That just made my day!"

Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3, 1/2): "Attack after attack from the get go and no shelter into the wind. We were riding the gutter and scraping pedals on curbs for half a lap until the break got away."

Jason Meshberg (Flatlandia) thinks we’re getting a little too serious here. So in honor of Slipstream heroes Steven Cozza and David Zabriskie, he introduces the Flatlandia Unofficial Monsters of the Moustache Prime. The best-placed moustache at Monsters of the Midway wins $5 plus one Clif Bar. “In the event of a tie,” he says, “the better of the moustaches wins. This is not democratic and based solely upon me and my brothers and sisters on Flatlandia.”

Come May, photographic verifcation of the feat should be sent to him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The winner will also be honored here at CBR. You have two months, gentlemen. Ready, set, grow!

• » Ron Cook (Project 5 Racing) dug up some Sun-Times coverage from the 1987 Citi-Circuit, a weekend of criteriums in Downers Grove, Evanston and downtown Chicago. Total purse for the weekend was $75,000, which back then was quite a bit of scratch. Downers Grove was on the same course we know today, and Evanston was similar to last year's Evanston Grand Prix. The Chicago course was located near the spot of this year's Chicago Criterium, but instead of ducking down to Michigan Avenue it included two 180-degree turns on Columbus, not unlike the Tour of Elk Grove course. Note also the snarky lede from reporter Kevin Williams, now a track sprinter for Alberto's: "Memo to racers: Don't fall asleep out there, as these aren't the most exciting courses in the world." This from a man who has spent most of his cycling life turning left.
• » There's no sound more beautiful than an exciting race being called in Italian. "Un attacco! Un attacco! Vittoria storica! Eroica!"
• » Run a red -- allegedly -- go to jail. Welcome to the new Chicago. Elsewhere, the Lake County Sheriff's Department recently had a word with the Judson Ride after it rolled through a stop sign on Everett, and this week the Glencoe police stopped a Met Cycling rider for going through a red light, with "no traffic and sleet falling from the sky at about 6:15 a.m."
• » Coincidentally, a new study finds that 96 percent of Chicago drivers exceed the speed limit by 5 mph or more. CBF notes that when cars strike pedestrians at 40 mph, the victims stand a 20 percent chance of survival.
• » Psyche yourself up for Hillsboro with this trailer for an upcoming Paris-Roubaix documentary. ("Every day when I wake up, I see myself winning it." Poor George. I know the feeling.)
• » The popular Turin ride resumes tonight at 5:30. It doesn't move to 6 until Memorial Day, and lights are recommended during March.

Burnham Racing has announced two exciting additions to its April 6 Spring Super Criterium in South Beloit.

The first is a free skills clinic for new racers, presented by the Illinois Cycling Association and conducted by Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), one of our state's few Level 1 coaches. It will be held at 8 a.m., early enough for those competing in the women’s 4’s or men’s 5’s races. I will be involved with the clinic and thus am somewhat biased, but I strongly recommend attendance for anyone entering their first or second seasons of racing. It will be well worth leaving the city a little earlier. The second announcement is a team competition. Points will be available for every race and prime. The winning team will have a contribution made to World Bicycle Relief in its name. Neat!

UPDATE: Because of the weather, Sunday's race has been canceled, and an already-packed calendar makes a rescheduling unlikely.

ABR's MAJOR series -- Masters And Juniors Only Racing -- opens Sunday with a criterium in Wood Dale. Racers under 18 or over 40 can burn some calories before hitting the Easter brunch buffet.

Sunday MAJOR Wood Dale Criterium ABR criterium Wood Dale, Ill. Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

• » Only 10 days to Hillsboro. Only 10 days to show your appreciation by making a donation to the Montgomery County Cancer Association, which will be providing volunteer course marshals.
• » How much difference does a high-performance bike make to a recreational rider? Matt Haughey decided to find out.
• » I totally missed it. Did you? (Sorry, Matt.)
• » Burnham Racing has gone the extra meter and produced a professional-looking technical guide for its April 6 Spring Super Criterium.
• » The Chicago Time Trial Series announced its dates and locations for 2008. The first race will be April 20 in Sugar Grove, hosted by QuavR.
• » Chrome has come out with a line of messenger playing cards to benefit couriers injured on the job. Chicago is represented on diamonds. (For some reason the project reminds me of another famous novelty deck.)
• » How I spent my spring vacation.

The Glencoe Grand Prix has announced that the second edition of the event will be held Sunday, Aug. 10. That's the weekend between the Tour of Elk Grove and Downers Grove. Also, AT&T is on board as title sponsor, which will help the race support its beneficiary, the Glencoe Educational Foundation.

Jason Mindeman (Vitaminwater-Trek) tips me to the Chicago Criterium Web site, which has posted a map of the course: North from Buckingham Fountain on Columbus, left onto Jackson above the Metra tracks, a downhill left onto Michigan Avenue -- Michigan Avenue! -- then a whoopsy-daisy up and over Congress Plaza and back onto Michigan, a left uphill onto Balbo and finally a left back onto Columbus.

Here's a Map My Ride profile of the 1.1-mile course. This will be a fun, technical course and will feature one of the most beautiful landscapes on our calendar: the lake on one side, the Michigan Avenue streetwall on another and Grant Park in between. Racing will start at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 27. I'm told to expect a full day of full-length amateur races in addition to the main pro race, with generous purses to boot. Stay tuned for more information. You now have four months to practice your screaming-fast left turns.

Congrats to everyone who showed up to Sunday's season opener in Kenosha, weather and time change be damned. Fields were smaller than usual for the series, but it sounds like the racing was spirited with plenty of successful breaks, perhaps in an attempt to stay warm if nothing else.

One can count on WDT to come through with at least one win at this series as they hunt for Rider of the Year points. This year it was Dennis Sandquist's turn to win the 4's race. Other teammates of his to hit the podium were Richard Adamcyzk getting 2nd in the 50+ and Tomasz Boba getting 2nd out of a break in the 3's. Met Cycling brought a formidable 1-2 punch to the masters racing. Endurance strongman Mike Jones stayed off in both the 30's and 40's races, good enough for 4th and 3rd, respectively, and in both races it was Ansgar Graw winning the field sprints for 5th and 7th. A break of four got off in the 3's race with junior Chris Hurst (Baraboo Sharks), a USCF Cat 5 as of last August, taking the win. Chicagoans Jason Meshberg (Flatlandia) and Ted Burger (Flatlandia) took the remaining scraps for 5th and 6th. New Chicago teams Spider Monkey and Half Acre both made their competitive debuts, and new superteam ABD/Geargrinder came in 1-2 in the 1/2's behind Ryan White and Rob White, but where was Vitaminwater-Trek? Organizers and officials deserve big props for clearing the course as well as they did. Let's hope it's a warm-up this weekend (high of 40! mostly sunny!) brings the rest of our racers out of hibernation. Full results.

Race reports Jonathan Dugas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+): "I was just about to sit up and admit defeat, but when I checked over my shoulder again everyone had sat up! The break was on again, and I turned up the heat."

Jonathan Dugas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "One of the guys took a drink. I gave it horns and hit it."

Debbie Dust (Team Kenda Tire; 40+): "It wasn't a hateful wind but I made sure to keep my nose out of it."

Ed Hernandez (North Branch; 30+): "Several riders were on the verge of pulling themselves from the race because they couldn’t even feel their fingers ‘nuff to shift."

Tim Keeley (ABD; 30+, 3): "The wind was strong and the packs seemed willing to let anyone that could turn out over 20 watts for five pedal strokes go. "

Ken Mitchell (Spider Monkey Cycling; 4): "So here is my race report summary for Sunday's Kenosha crit: F'ing cold!"

Mike Seguin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 40+, 4): "I was feeling good. Confident. I am going to finish with the pack. "

I’m leaving tomorrow morning for my team’s winter camp in California, so posting will be light this week.

I’ll be missing the season-opening criteriums in Kenosha, but I’ll post wrap-ups as best I can. Feel free to help out by e-mailing me links to your reports or other observations.

Let's get this season started, shall we?

Once again we head north for our first chance to show off new kits, new bikes and new legs. Kenosha Velosport will host two Sundays of racing, this time at a new venue, the Kenosha Industrial Park. The finish for the four-corner, 1.1-mile course is on a long, gradual uphill, 300 meters from the final corner. Official Carl Wilkins tells me the surface is not as smooth as the old Parkside course, but there will be cones to mark any trouble spots. Wilkins was out there yesterday with a pick and shovel. "There will be ice in the gutters," he says, "but this course is twice as wide as the Parkside course. It is two traffic lanes plus two regular parking lanes. Unless it snows, at least 3 1/2 lanes should be dry to race on." Registration will be in a tent near the entrance. Facilities will be limited to port-o-potties, but Wilkins points out an upside to winter: "They should not overheat or smell real bad." On the other hand, the seat might be cold. He recommends the Kwik Trip at Highway 158 and Green Bay Road for coffee, snacks and bananas at 29 cents a pound. (A man after my own heart, he also notes a Culver's across the street, truly the best part of racing in Wisconsin.) With no indoor area to warm up in, bring plenty of clothes and layers, and keep in mind that water bottles may freeze. A high of 28 is forecast for Sunday. These aren't the best conditions, but I strongly recommend braving the elements. Race twice if you can. After months on our trainers and rollers, it's important to get reacquainted with this whole racing thing. Our competitive instincts have been dormant since September, and handling may be rusty. (Yes, even yours.) Work the kinks out now while there's nothing on the line.

Sunday, March 9 and 16 Kenosha Velosport Spring Training Series ABR criterium Kenosha, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

No powermeter could possibly measure the unseen work that leads to our races. Truly, it takes a village, from clubs raising sponsorship money to promoters navigating a dozen bureaucracies to secure venues, from volunteers sweeping corners at sun-up to officials setting up race cameras and ensuring our courses are as safe as possible.

Helping coordinate those efforts on the USA Cycling side are the state associations, and for us that means the Illinois Cycling Association. A few dollars from each license purchased in the state goes to the ICA. That money pays for dozens of state championship jerseys and provides a small stipend for technical director Dave Fowkes, who, among many other things, is responsible for managing upgrade requests and race permits. For the past year the ICA has been helmed by Steve Feehery of the South Chicago Wheelmen. The 42-year-old hospital gas monitor -- “gas sniffer” is his e-mail handle -- has raced for more than 20 years, 18 of them with the SCW, for which he is also president. Along the way he’s gotten his two sons active in the sport. I recently chatted with Feehery to learn more about the year ahead, what the ICA does for us and, just as important, what we can do for it.

What's your job as president? Just about everything. There are so many duties it could be daunting: Web site, race schedule, meetings, club/team contacts, ICA cup races, liaison with USAC, just to name a few. But I have solid help from Dave Fowkes, who is the technical director for Illinois. Dave handles upgrades and permits, among other things. Steve Hansen is the vice president and is working on the Web site along with the Chicago Time Trial Series. So it's not so daunting with help. We are also trying to enlist clubs and teams to get involved.

People might avoid leadership or volunteer positions by playing the "I'm too busy training" excuse. But you're a racer too. How much does it cut into your racing and training? Not a lot. It works out pretty good to be at the races, getting face time with promoters and officials, and hopefully club presidents this season.

You race, lead an association, lead your team and are raising a family. Is there room for anything else? Absolutely. I coach a pee wee hockey travel team, which my daughter plays on. We skate six months of the year, four to five days a week. I volunteer as an assistant coach for the Homewood-Flossmoor JV team and am the strength and conditioning coordinator for the entire high school hockey program. It's awesome.

What's it like for the whole family to be involved in the sport together? My two boys are now stronger than me. It is very exciting to see them have some success. Brandon medaled at junior nationals one year and Shane is a past state champ. It also makes it easier to go to races.

What can Illinois cyclists and promoters do to make your job easier? If more clubs and teams were represented at our ICA meetings and contributed, that would be ideal.

This winter you and Dave Fowkes attended a conference of regional associations in Colorado Springs, Colo. What did you get out of it? We met other people from other associations, got a lot of ideas of how things work and met some of the execs from USAC.

Many people have been griping about the lack of Illinois Cup results in 2007. What are you doing to make this better in 2008? We are working on a registration-to-results program that will make everyone’s job easier: posting results faster and including everyone that crosses the finish line on the results sheet, then posting on the ICA Web site.

Do you see people altering their racing schedules to earn more Cup points? I hope so! Everything kind of takes a snail’s pace because we have so few people involved.

Will the same number of state championship jerseys be available this year? Yes. They change color each year: red, white or blue. I think this year’s will be red.

How do you characterize the ICA's relationship with American Bike Racing? We coexist. I don't know anyone from their organization, ie. Bob Lundgren. Mike Hanley has a good rapport with him. We try not to have conflicting races dates, but it happens from time to time.

About Mike Hanley, whom USAC recently fired as our regional coordinator. There’s an online petition asking for his reinstatement, but nobody seems to know any details. What can you tell us? USAC won't divulge all the reasons or the reason they let Mike go. I agree with all the outrage. He was an absolute asset. His connections, insight and advice were invaluable to me with the ICA. He will be sorely missed. I have no idea who his replacement will be. I know that the Northeast region still doesn't have a regional coordinator for three years running. Whoever replaces Mike, it will take years to build up what he did.

Matteson has for years been a treasure for Chicago-area cyclists. Not only does it provide one of the most fun racing atmospheres around, but it has been vital for giving people the experience needed to race safely. Will Matteson return? Will there be any changes this year in the wake of Pieter Ombregt's tragic crash? [Note: Since this interview, SCW released the flier for the 2008 season.] I believe it will return. We've had communications with Ace, and they are willing to continue after we address some safety concerns. It is a staple in the Chicago bike racing community. It helps a lot of racers get their start and feel comfortable racing in a pack at speed. I am still saddened at what happened to Pieter. Mike Kelly from SCW has continued contact with Pieter's family, and they want to see the race continue as well.

Will there be a road race at Proctor this year? No. The Peoria Bicycle Club will host two crits or a circuit race and a crit. Sunday’s crit will still be the state criterium championship.

Will there be a state championship road race? Possibly out west near Moline. I'll use this forum to ask any club that may want to host the state road race to contact me.

There are only two USCF road races in Illinois, whereas our neighbor to the north puts on at least eight. Hillsboro-Roubaix sold out all 225 Cat 3-5 slots within 24 hours, so obviously there's a high demand for road racing here. Is there something about Illinois that makes it hard for promoters or organizers to put on a road race? I think there is nothing particular in Illinois preventing us from having more road races. It is obviously harder to put one on. You also need help from local municipalities and that is hard to come by.

What race are you most looking forward to in 2008? No one in particular. I love racing and going fast.

• » Some lucky fans catch a foul ball. Some lucky fans catch a Zipp wheel.
• » Chris Horner's cross bikes are for sale. Legs and all-around awesomeness not included.
• » Two early races suggest officials are enforcing the centerline rule harder than ever this year. At the Froze Toes Road Race in Columbia, Mo., many riders were disqualified after their race. And at last week’s collegiate road race in Indiana, an entire field was sanctioned for excessive violations. (Race reports here, and here, and here, and here.) Hillsboro-Roubaix has its share of narrow roads. I wouldn’t be surprised if enforcement there is just as vigorous. It will result in some tense, congested riding, but you've been warned: Be patient or be gone.
• » Punk Rock Cycling in Iowa is offering babysitting at its races.
• » Monster Track, a major alleycat in New York, has canceled this weekend’s street race, partly in response to last week’s tragedy in Chicago. The announcement cited safety concerns associated with the event’s growth and its popularity among non-messengers. (I'm told not to expect the Tour da Chicago to return this year, if ever.)

Great news: Matteson is back.

Racing resumes Tuesday, April 8, and runs through Sept. 23. The opening evening will begin with a brief memorial for Pieter Ombregt (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), who died after a freak crash in September. Come early to participate and to queue up for paperwork. I can’t say enough about Matteson. For new riders, the flat, .6-mile course is an effective way to learn the fundamentals of racing. For experienced riders, it’s always a fun, low-stress evening of racing, plus a welcome chance to hone skills and experiment with tactics. Hundreds of Chicago cyclists are faster and safer for the Matteson experience, and we should all be thankful to the South Chicago Wheelmen and Ace Hardware Paint for seeing that the series continues. USA Cycling licenses are required. And everyone saved their race numbers from last year, yes?

It looks like we'll have crits in March after all. Kenosha Velosport has released the flier for its March 9 and 16 races.

The 10-day forecast calls for partly cloudy with a high of 32 on the 9th. Not ideal, but it should still be an excellent chance to get in some race miles, especially for those doing Hillsboro-Roubaix.