• » Do me a favor and pre-register for Sherman Park, will you? If you love Chicago, if you love bike racing, if you love Chicago Bike Racing <cough> <cough> , you will do this race. Pre-registering makes things easier for everyone, and keeps it from looking like a freakin’ XXX Racing-AthletiCo scrimmage.
• » More great video from Biff Bradford: Watch as the breakaway develops in the Cat 3 race of Great Dane No. 2.
• » Reach deep into your suitcase of courage money and come hear Phil Liggett speak. The May 23 fundraiser at Turin benefits the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
• » Keep your eye out for the orange jerseys of Team TATI, founded and run by Hyde Park’s Tati Cycles. The team , exclusively for Hyde Park residents, is on a mission to bring European values and, just as important, European style to the local scene.
• » Speaking of Hyde Park love, UCVC got some love this week from the college media: “Newly competitive velo club qualifies for D-II Nationals.”
• » So you just graduated college, nobody is hiring and your parents want you out of the basement. What you need to know to be a messenger in Chicago.
• » Some recently posted fliers: Baraboo Road Race, May 3. Denzer Delight (nee Leland Grand Prix), May 17. Winfield Criterium weekend, May 31-June 1. Cobb Park Criterium, June 21. Proctor Cycling Classic (state criterium championships), June 29.

There's a lot of good racing this weekend, which means some choices for Chicago racers not scared off by the price of gas.

Saturday brings us two road races. The closer one is an 8-mile circuit in Winona Lake, Ind., part of the Northern Indiana Fat & Skinny Tire Fest. The one I'm more familiar with is the Baraboo Road Race up north of Madison. It was my very first road race back in 2005 and I've been sweet on it ever since. Each of Baraboo's scenic, 15-mile laps throws two challenging climbs at us. They aren't particularly long, but they are steep, especially for urban flatlanders such as ourselves, and they are more than capable of popping riders off the back. Here's an elevation chart from the 2005 edition. (The course has changed slightly since then, but the main hills are the same.) The first climb, shown above, is harder because after a short reprieve the road continues to pitch upward. The second climb, on the other hand, is followed by a long, windy but safe descent that can give some riders a chance to catch back on if they've been dropped. Two tips for these climbs: Switch to your small chainring before you start going up. Wait too long and you risk dropping your chain. Second, keep your head up and mind what the riders ahead of you are doing. Many will start to do the "paperboy weave" as they crack, and others will drift backward as they rise out of the saddle. This is not a time to worry about the draft. Find a lane and don't let anyone disrupt your rhythm. Baraboo races tend to be affairs of attrition. The sprint is tricky, as the finish line is much farther than you think. Be patient. Wait, wait, wait -- pounce. (I recommend hesitating two or three extra beats if you are in my Cat 3 race.) Indeed, this is a sprint that will exemplify Hennie Kuiper's maxim that racing "is licking your opponent's plate clean before starting on your own." Sunday brings us four criteriums, and I'm afraid I don't have experience with any of them. The closest is in Vernon Hills, but we also have an ABR crit at the business park in Kenosha, Wis., and the bike fest's companion criterium in Winona Lake, Ind.

Saturday Village of Winona Road Race USCF road race Winona Lake, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Baraboo Road Race USCF road race Baraboo, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday Vernon Hills Grand Prix USCF criterium Vernon Hills Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Kenosha Spring Criterium ABR criterium Kenosha, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Village of Winona Criterium USCF criterium Winona Lake, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

That loud explosion you heard Saturday may have been the sound of the Cat 4/5 field detonating on the first lap of the Whitnall Park Criterium in Hales Corner, Wis. A capacity field quickly dwindled to about 50, with more casualties on each lap. Some early attacks failed to gel, so it was left to Stan Schultz (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) to barrel up the hill and take the win in the sprint, followed by Schaumburg's James Pradun (Unattached) in 4th and Joe Bippus (South Chicago Wheelmen) in 5th, as captured in in this video. (The first two riders across the line are a lap down.) By my math this is the fifth different person to podium for the Cuttin' Crew this year, impressive depth for such a small squad.

In the masters 3/4 race, a XXX Racing-AthletiCo rider spent about 25 minutes in a two-man break only to be consumed about 300 meters from the line. This video captures the final frantic laps. (Check out that awesome throw at 2:06!) Top local finishers in the ensuing field sprint included Tim Keeley (ABD) in 2nd and Arlington Heights' Jason Rudroff (Unattached) in 4th. A lively 3's race finally yielded a five-man group with about 20 minutes to go, including Rockford's Jordan Heimer (Geargrinder), Aspen Gorry (Team Get a Grip Cycles) and a XXX Racing-AthletiCo rider. After a cat-and-mouse five-up sprint, Heimer proved himself the cat, with Gorry coming in third as the second-largest mouse. Tomasz Boba took 2nd in the field sprint for 7th overall. The women's open race saw Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles) escape with two ISCorp riders. Despite being outnumbered she held them off for the win, with teammate Val Brostrom cleaning up for 6th and Francine Haas (Alberto's) getting 8th. Other good results from Whitnall Park: Chazz Martin (Smart Cycling) 5th in the juniors 15-18, Adam Lesniakowski (PACT-Dish Network) 6th in the masters 1/2/3 and Ken Delo hanging on for 6th after dropping off the breakaway in the P/1/2/3 race. Doesn't look like a lot of Chicago-area riders participated in the weekend's other races, although I see Andres Romero (North Branch) got a top-10 in Sheboygan and at the Brown County Road Race Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles) took 4th in a women's open race stacked with Team Tortuga riders. I know a handful of riders went to Iowa, but I haven't seen results yet. I gather from Matt Smith's report, however, that it was a tough, windy weekend out west. UPDATE: Results are up. Jason Schisler (Vision Quest) got 3rd in the Cat 3 road race, and in the crit, Kenilworth's James Bird (ISCorp) and Chazz Martin (Smart Cycling) went 1-2 in the 15-16 juniors race. Full Whitnall Park results. Full Iowa City Road Race results. Full Evergreen Park results. Full Brown County results. Full Old Capitol Criterium results.

Whitnall Park photos Val Brostrom

Whitnall Park race reports Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-4): "I crossed the line at my max, dried snot all over my face, just about ready to vomit. Bike racing is so charming."

Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-open, 3): "What has the ideal blend of carbs, protein, fat, and deliciousness? No, it's not the latest supplement-rich, protein-filled, fruity-flavored powder. The answer is frozen custard."

Ed Hernandez (North Branch; 3): "I looked around them to see a gap of two bike lengths. Dang, hammer, boy, hammer. This [stuff] is gonna suck right here, but ya gotta hammer."

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4/5): "I'd rather race for 1st place and finish 35th than race for 35th and finish 35th."

Tim Keeley (ABD; 30+ 3/4, 3): "Apparently head-to-head a 155 lb. leprechaun cannot go downhill as fast as a 200 lb. man with tats on his calves. "

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): "It felt like every rider who came past as the hill crested whacked me with a baseball bat."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "I got bored. I took the prime bait, hook-line-sinker, and attacked. Whether my attack was strong enough that no one thought they could follow, or whether they were thinking of what a sucker I was, I don't know. Either way, I took the prime uncontested."

Stan Schultz (Chicago Cuttin' Crew; 4/5): "GO GO GO GO GO GO GO!!!!!!! is repeating over and over through my head. As everyone dies half way up the hill I am going faster and faster. I am flying by people and I see the line. My legs feel like a machine and my chest is exploding with a cosmic-like glow."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 3/4, 3): "I’d spent all winter longing for a chance to win as a lion. Instead, I lost as mutton."

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "I need to gain the courage to crawl further into the cave of pain."

What's the best kind of girlfriend for a cyclist to have? That kind who's so busy with law school that she wants you out of the house for entire weekends at a time. And so it is that I'll be heading to Fayetteville, Ark., in a few weeks for the legendary Joe Martin Stage Race. Who else is going? I think I'm set, but feel free to use this post to offer or solicit rides and hotel space.

The road race to open Memorial Day weekend in Iowa had been up in the air because of construction, but it is officially on. The route will be shorter than usual, and there appears to be no P/1/2/3 race.

I always hated that finish in Burlington anyhow. The downhill sprint was famous for terrible crashes, photos of which would inevitably appear in the local newspaper the next morning. It's not necessarily a race that I would take a day off work to do. It's a flat, narrow course that was very nerve-wracking the year I did. It may be better now that the 4/5 field is split up, however, and if you're there already for the Snake, might as well double up.

This weekend’s races were supposed to be smooth, safe affairs. So what’s with all the crashes? Bad handling? Riders lulled into inattentiveness? Fainting spells?

Here's video of Saturday's 4/5's race in Menomonee Park, which shows the difficulties people had turning left. , and I believe this may be the spot where a pileup A pileup elsewhere in the race took out several riders with just a few laps to go. In fine euphemism, Brian Boyle (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) alludes to a "complication between two riders" in his report of the Cat 3 race, and here's video of said complication. (Be sure to go to the 1:00 mark to see exactly how complicated it got.) Finally there is this sad photo gallery from Andrew Nordyke (Chicago Cuttin' Crew), who had a tough time negotiating the final corner of Sunday's 4/5's race. Hard man that he is, once he finished bouncing down the tarmac he bounced to his feet and shouldered his bike to the finish line for 35th -- neither DFL nor, more important, DNF. If we can’t handle gentle courses like these, how will we fare come the screaming, technical turns of Downers Grove? Oh, right. This is how. But enough about that. Let's talk racing! In Saturday's Menomonee Park criterium, two Illinois riders beat all their hosts in the day's first race, with Kaleb Koch (Smart Cycling) and Aaron Harrison (Redline) going 1-2 in the 10-14 race. Kristin Arntzen (Alberto's) hit the podium in the women's open race, and Matt Smith was the top Chicago-area finisher in the masters 3/4 with 6th, followed by a 7th in the 3's, a race in which Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) came in 2nd. Sunday, ABD/Geargrinder continued its white-hot start to the season with another P/1/2 victory from Ryan White. Recovering triathlete Peter Strittmatter (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) gave his team the year's first non-collegiate victory by winning the 4/5's. Good masters results came from Scott Pearson (Higher Gear), coming in 6th in the masters 1/2/3, and Rob Ehrman (Vision Quest) and Tim Keeley (ABD), who came in 5th and 6th in the masters 3/4's. And in the women's 4's race, XXX Racing-AthletiCo teammates Tamara Fraser and Gigi Norcross came in 6th and 8th. I've been alerted that although Chris Hurst (Baraboo Sharks) is licensed as a Wisconsin rider, he is in fact a Chicago high school student. He's had an amazing run this spring, including 1st and 3rd in the Kenosha Cat 3 criteriums and winning the Hillsboro-Roubaix juniors race. Saturday he placed 3rd in the Cat 3 race, and Sunday he got 3rd in both 15-18 juniors and Cat 3 races. In Sunday's Cat 3 breakaway, Hurst was followed by two more local juniors: Dekalb's Alex Bowden (Team Type 1) in 4th and Chicago's John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) in 5th. Speaking of juniors doing well in the elite races, young Chazz Martin (Smart Cycling) cracked the top 10 in both days' 4/5 races, in addition to coming in 3rd and 6th in the 15-18 events. I'd love to see what these juniors could do with grown-up cassettes. Then again, I'd also love to see what they'd do with 40-hour jobs and 35-year-old lungs and joints. Fact is, we old-timers need every handicap we can get, and gear ratios seem like a good start. I propose rubbing brake pads, lead weights and blindfolds be next. (I kid! I kid! Great work, gentlemen. Now hurry up and upgrade out of my category.) Finally, at least one rider headed to Indiana for some road-race action, with Lindsay Koren (Team Get a Grip Cycles) placing 2nd in the women's open at the Ceraland Road Race. Full Menomonee Park results. Full Great Dane results.

Great Dane photos Punk Rock Cycling

Menomonee Park race reports Brian Boyle (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 1/2/3, 3): "I was driven off course to avoid some complications between two riders."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "Screw FTP, screw zones, I wanted to bleed lactic acid and make my lungs burn. You know, like I had really raced."

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+ 3/4, 3, P/1/2/3): "OK, rollin' rollin' rollin', last lap and we're rollin', stay on Mindy's whe-el, aw hell! Can't you do anything right!"

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "This was not the way to win a race, but you race you learn, It’s April, so it’s better to make the mistakes now than when it really counts."

Ben Van Couvering (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "Shawn and Jason both called out for me to reach into my suitcase of courage (actually they said, 'Come on, Ben!'), but I was hobbled. I limped through the last lap."

Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3, P/1/2/3): "How is it possible that we can race at an average of 27 mph in the P/1/2/3 race on the same course without a single incident and yet the masters Category 3/4 race was a mish-mash of twisted metal, yelling and brake squeaking? I seriously feared for my life."

Great Dane race reports Chicago Cuttin' Crew (4): "What did [Andrew Nordyke] do after the accident? After cracking his helmet? After he trashed his bike, shoulder, back, hip, knee, shin, elbow, wrist, hand, everything except his eyelids? He hopped up and shouldered the bike and he ran a few hundred meters to cross the finish line."

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): "Coming into the final turn, one rider wrecks after clipping the ground with his pedal. I am making the turn right towards him."

Tim Keeley (ABD; 30+ 3/4, 3): "In reviewing the finish video (my wife always takes one so that when I tell her I got top 10 in a race she can replay it and show me that I was in fact 45th or whatever), I noticed that the guy who passed me was turning about 120 rpm, myself about 80."

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 3/4, 30+ 4/5, 4): "The first race I was killing the hill. Now it was killing me, and I didn’t have enough left to react in time to anything. "

Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2): "A junior pops off the back. Right in front of me. At first I don't even notice, and then, suddenly, there's a 20m gap. At first, I can't even react. I mean, I'm so far into the red that I can't go above LT to save my life."

Ceraland race reports Team Get a Grip Cycles (W-open): "Koren used tactics ,strength, and some old guys to eliminate the advantage held by teams with a large number of riders. "

• » It's still only April but tensions are already high on the Wednesday night Midweekegem.
• » It's outside the normal CBR radius and it conflicts with Winfield, but on May 31 there's the O'Fallon Grand Prix, an intriguing road race downstate.
• » Here is a great primer on race tactics and conserving energy. If you're still beating your head against the wall with pack finishes, this is a must-read. In fact, read it twice. Shoot, read it until you win.
• » Sources tell me that Carlos Cabalu (Unattached) is preparing a May 5 order for his line of Unattached Rider gear. Perfect for the group rides where you're embarrassed to be seen in your team's own kit.

Like helmets, fire extinguishers and the number of a good defense attorney, an ICE number in the cell phone -- In Case of Emergency -- is something that everyone should have but hopefully never have to use. First responders and hospital personnel can use it to contact your immediate family should you be unable to provide information yourself.

Other smart things to carry on your training rides: Photo ID. Health insurance card. List of allergies. Credit card. CTA pass. $20. Some of these can be photocopied and kept in your cycling bag, or in a Ziploc bag you grab each time you leave the door. (I do not recommend running the $20 through the Xerox.) What other precautions do people take?

After the Kenosha criteriums, the Super Criterium and this weekend's Menomonee Park Criterium, we've hopefully all mastered the art of navigating flat courses with gentle corners. But what happens when the road pitches upward? We'll find out Saturday at the Whitnall Park Criterium, a fun course in a scenic botanical garden near Milwaukee.

Each lap begins with a long descent with a sweeping right turn at the bottom. After enjoying the 1.1-mile course's only flat section, we turn right and head up three stairsteps that total 80 feet of climbing. (See photo.) At the top of the last step is the finish line, which will also be used to score King of the Hill contests, points being given to the top three finishers on three predetermined laps. This is one of my favorite criterium courses, and it's one that lends itself nicely to breaks, thanks to the difficulty of the climb and the potential to get out of sight. Elsewhere, there's a two-race event in Iowa City, Iowa, and Benga Sports returns with the Brown County Road Race in Nashville, Ind. The promoter down there seems to still be working out the kinks, and he has introduced a payout scheme that makes prizes wholly dependent on the number of entries, rather than an announced purse.

Saturday Whitnall Park Criterium USCF criterium Hales Corner, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Iowa City Road Race USCF road race Iowa City, Iowa Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Saturday Old Capitol Criterium USCF criterium Iowa City, Iowa Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Brown County Road Race USCF road race Nashville, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Registration for Tour of Elk Grove is now online. Nothing yet for Downers Grove or the Chicago Criterium.

In other summer news, the Superweek schedule has been shuffled to move the Whitnall Park Road Race to the second Wednesday, July 23. That and the Tour of Holy Hill are the only road races, although there remain three TBA's for the first week.

Look who submitted a flier to USA Cycling!

We could guesstimate race lengths from the schedule that was released earlier this month, but this gives us more specifics. Check out those purses for the women -- nearly twice as much as is up grabs at the otherwise generous Tour of Elk Grove. And with that weekend's Tour de Toona scaled back to a single $15,000 criterium, perhaps the $25,000 purse for P/1/2's will be enough to lure the better domestic teams to this non-NRC extravaganza. Heck, we all know Astana won't be busy that weekend. Let Levi ride!

 

7:00 a.m.	Cat 5, Heat 1	25+2	-
7:35 a.m.	Cat 5, Heat 2	25+2	-
8:10 a.m.	Women Cat 4	25+2	$500
8:50 a.m.	Juniors	25+2	$500
9:30 a.m.	Cat 3	45+2	$2,000
10:25 a.m.	Women Cat 1/2/3	50+2	$7,000
11:25 a.m.	30+/40+ Cat 4/5	40+2	$1,000
12:10 p.m.	Big Wheel Race	30 min.	-
12:40 p.m.	30+/40+ Cat 1/2/3	45+2	$3,000
1:35 p.m.	Cat 4	35+2	$1,000
2:25 p.m.	P/1/2	80k	$25,000

(Race lengths are in minutes plus laps.)

This weekend brings four more spring tuneups.

Fans of the Spring Super Criterium may enjoy Saturday's Menomonee Park Criterium, which has a similar long, winding course profile. Then on Sunday the WCA schedule returns to Madison for Great Dane No. 2. Farther from home there are ABR crits in Columbus and Mooresville, Ind., both of which are advertised as having the feel of a road race. Here is one team's analysis of how to do well at Saturday's Ceraland race.

Saturday Menomonee Park Criterium USCF Criterium Menomonee Falls, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Ceraland Classic ABR Criterium Columbus, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Sunday Great Dane No. 2 USCF Criterium Madison, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Mooresville Bike Race (REJ Memorial) ABR Criterium Mooresville, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

I don’t see any Chicago teams in the Indiana results, Madison results haven't been posted yet, and I've come across only one race report. So for the time being, Team Pegasus gets all the attention in this week's wrap-up. Congratulations, Chris Padfield and Henry Loud, for going 1-2 in the Cat 5 race in Sunday's Great Dane criterium.

UPDATE: Full Great Dane results.

Great Dane reports Dave Eckel (Team Wheaton): "In the last lap Doug Wambach (Team Wheaton) used his team to perfection, making a huge attack into the wind with teammates ready to choke up the front of the field."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus, 5): "I didn't trust the people at the start/finish when they yelled at me that I was done and could stop. After convincing myself that the race really was over I rolled back in time to see Henry work the group at the sprint and take second place."

• » Registration for masters national criterium and road race championships, to be held June 30-July 6 in Louisville, Ky., opens April 29. Instead of field limits this year, qualifying heats will be employed to accommodate demand.
• » Our friends at WDT-Allvoi have a shiny new Web site, just in time to celebrate some great results in Sunday's Single Bong Time Trial: victory in the 40+ and 1-2-3 in the 3's.
• » Half Acre Cycling invites you to come watch Paris-Roubaix this Sunday at the Black Rock Pub & Kitchen, 3614 N. Damen Ave. A few lucky fans will go home with free Half Acre beer or swag. There's no cover, but portions of each purchase go to support the team. Viewing starts at 4 p.m.
• » I enjoyed this retrospective of UCVC jerseys, including this insight that could only come from Hyde Park: "The same qualities that go into a good essay are the same as should be used to design a cycling uniform. These qualities are: 1) All of the components must form a comprehensive unit; 2) Simpler is always better; 3) Fonts should be consistent, 4) Contrast, contrast, contrast; and 5) Proofread."
• » Trying racing for the first time? Bike Snob NYC has some advice for you. As usual, there is truth and wisdom underneath the snark. "Being in a breakaway is like going from a cushy job at a big company with a regular paycheck to a really hard job at a tiny company where you have to work 16-hour days on commission only and people are always yelling at you."
• » Here's an interesting race report in which an entire field is relegated one spot after Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek Stores) takes the centerline rule into his own hands. (Tilford would win nonethless.)
• » Illinois' junior senator paid a visit to the Little 500 this weekend but didn't stick around to watch the Cutters prevail yet again. (Check out this photo of Mike Sherer, sporting the Pony Shop colors. His team would come in 3rd.)

The April 5 Evergreen Park Criterium in Sheboygan, Wis., has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 27, but the May 4 Wheel & Sprocket Criterium in Neenah, Wis., is now off the WCA schedule. There's not yet a flier for the popular Baraboo Road Race on May 3, but historically this has always been a last-minute posting. I'm not alarmed.

It's also been brought to by attention that the May 2-4 Fat and Skinny Tire Fest in Winona Lake, Ind., includes a Saturday circuit race and a Sunday criterium. That's a weekend of USCF racing just 2.5 hours from Chicago.

A reader writes: Is it necessary to pre-register for races? Do they all tend to fill up?

Two related trends bode well for our sport: More and more races are providing online pre-registration, and more and more races are reaching capacity, especially in the Cat 5's. (USA Cycling limits Cat 5 fields to 50 riders, and Cat 4/5 fields to 75.) The risk of pre-registering is that it may rain, or something may come up to conflict with the race and you'll be on the hook for your $25. (Curse those loved ones with the gall to wed at the height of racing season!) Promoters usually don't often provide refunds, and few will go through the hassle of transferring registration to your teammates. But the risk is worth it if it's a race you have your heart set on and there's a possibility it will fill. Alas, I know of no women's races to have filled up, nor P/1/2's or 3's, but the Tour of Elk Grove, Downers Grove and the Chicago Criterium are all local races where we can expect the Cat 5 and Cat 4 fields to fill. Last the local Superweek races filled their 4/5 fields, starting with Evanston, and Wisconsin's Spring Prairie Road Race has in the past filled its 4/5 fields. Finally, Hillsboro-Roubaix will fill up the quickest of any race, as we discovered this year, and Snake Alley is a race for which it's essential to pre-register, not because it will fill up but because start position is so crucial. For most other races, however, one can safely count on registering on the day of, but you never know: Even this year's Spring Super Criterium, an untested race two hours from the city with no money on the line, filled several of its fields, to its promoters' credit. Better to be safe than to drive 100 miles to be a spectator.

The University of Chicago Velo Club has updated its Monsters of the Midway Web site, including an updated flier. New this year is a women's Cat 3 race. UCVC hopes the field is popular enough to become a permanent feature.

(Full disclosure: Along with the Sherman Park Criterium, Monsters appears as a sponsor of the CBR race schedule, but I would say nice things about them regardless.)

Many of us whinged last year at the short races of Downers Grove -- 20 minutes for a combined 3/4 field? -- but it appears our pleas have been answered with this year's schedule, which features longer races and adds several races to Sunday's festivities.

Cat 3's get two chances to race: 45 minutes with the 4's on Saturday, and a Cat 3-only race for $1,500 on Sunday. Women get 3/4 and 1/2/3 races on Saturday, plus the elite national championship on Sunday. And by starting an hour earlier on Sunday and eliminating some dead time before the men's national championship, organizers squeeze in a total of three Cat 5 races. I also notice that Saturday's 50K P/1/2 race doesn't start until 7 p.m., an hour later than last year. With a 7:49 p.m. sunset on that day, I'm wondering whether artificial lighting will be necessary. You can see in this picture how dark it was for last year's finish already, and here's a good one from the post-race interview. Better bring your blinkies, gentlemen! Mail-in registration is available. Mail-in registration is also available at the Tour of Elk Grove with online registration promised April 20. Check out that $3,000 purse for masters 3/4's! Finally, I couldn't help but notice that the flier has been released for Chicago's own Sherman Park Criterium, and online registration for the June 14 event is open now.

Quick! Find a stamp!

Registration for the 2008 Snake Alley Criterium is open. This is one of the most exciting and fun events in the country. Imagine the thrills, intensity and novelty of Hillsboro-Roubaix compressed into 1 mile and 30 minutes. Plus, more cowbell. (Here's coverage of last year's edition, after which yours truly suddenly found himself with lots of free time on his hands.) More than any other race, success at Snake Alley hinges on start position, which here is determined in a civilized manner via registration order rather than the traditional guile and pushiness. This is the race before the race, and if your entry form isn't in the mail by the end of today, you put your start in peril. Information is also available for Memorial Day weekend's other three races around the Quad Cities, although it appears Friday's road race is tentative pending construction.

This weather doesn't put me in a mood to race, but hardier souls have options Saturday Sunday, including what will be the opener of the Wisconsin Cycling Association schedule and the debut race from promoter Benga Sports in Indiana.

Sunday Great Dane No. 1 USCF Criterium Madison, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2.5

Victory Criterium USCF Criterium Auburn, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

The Chicago Criterium has announced its schedule and it looks fantastic.

Race lengths and detailed prize lists aren't out yet but I expect to have them soon. The total prize purse is $40,000, with $25,000 going to the P/1/2 race. Racing starts bright and early at 7 a.m. with two Cat 5 races. Women get two races, 4's and 1/2/3's. Men's 3's and 4's are separated, and there are two masters races, 4/5's and 1/2/3's. Race order is mixed up a bit, too, with 3's going off at 9:30 and the 4's racing as the immediate undercard to the main event.

Volunteers are also being sought for the July 27 event. Send e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The race is being managed by the Mayor's Office of Special Events and Special Events Management, which also promotes Downers Grove and the Tour of Elk Grove.

 

7:00 a.m.	Cat 5, Heat 1
7:35 a.m.	Cat 5, Heat 2
8:10 a.m.	Women Cat 4
8:50 a.m.	Juniors
9:30 a.m.	Cat 3
10:25 a.m.	Women Cat 1/2/3
11:25 a.m.	30+/40+ Cat 4/5
12:10 p.m.	Big Wheel Race
12:40 p.m.	30+/40+ Cat 1/2/3
1:35 p.m.	Cat 4
2:25 p.m.	P/1/2

• » Everyone's raving about Sunday's Super Criterium, but the Burnham boys want to even better. Help them out by completing this survey.
• » I know that my readers would never, ever leave bar or gel wrappers behind during a race. But did you know that recycling your wrappers can help charity?
• » It's a late addition to the Hillsboro canon, but don't miss Mark Swartzendruber's Roubaix report, in which we discover the Druber's performance-degrading drug of choice: gin!

It takes certain chutzpah to incorporate "super" into the name of your organization's inaugural event, but Sunday's Spring Super Criterium in South Beloit lived up to it. The course was an inspired choice, marshaling and other safety precautions were expertly executed, and registration was super organized. A positive vibe permeated the grounds, and the praise for Burnham Racing has been deservedly widespread. Indeed, congratulations are in order.

Happily, the event's racing was just as super. Ladies in red took both women's races: Leah Sanda (Flatlandia) and Francine Haas (Alberto's) each won three-up sprints, Sanda in the women's 4's, Haas in the women's open. Note should be taken of Brynn Schwaba (Chicago Cuttin' Crew), competing in her first race: Thanks to a van breakdown she missed her 4's race, but she made the separation in the open race and then sprinted for 2nd. The most exciting race of the day may have come from the 5's. Fancy that! The 47-strong field maintained a spirited pace throughout and stayed mostly intact for the field sprint, a rarity in 5's races. The sprint also had one of the argiest, bargiest moments I've seen in any category. (See above.) Barreling toward the line with a fierce tailwind thrusting them forward, Ron Good (Endure It!) and Bradley Gates (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) traded more elbows than two fat men flying coach. To their credit, both riders kept not only their cool but, more important and miraculous, their balance as well, with Gates winning in a photo finish. Right on their heels were the rest of the Cuttin' Crew leadout train: Jeff Perkins in 3rd, Stan Schultz in 4th and Darryl Van Essen in 5th, a dominating showing for the scrappy new squad. The Cuttin' Crew would go on to deliver three of the top 12 in the 4/5's, thanks to another expertly choreographed leadout, and a 7th place in the P/1/2/3 race. That wasn't the only great sprint to come from the lower categories. Nate Iden (Spider Monkey Cycling) held off Peter Strittmatter (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) in the capacity 4/5's race to earn that new team's first victory. In the masters 4/5, Lake Forest's Robert Ruggles (Kettle Moraine Flyers) had enough of a gap over the hard-charging Jason Addante (ABD) that he was able to do a nice long post-up at the line. The next two races saw well-timed attacks turn into successful breaks. Chris Mosora (Lucas Oil) and Brian Haas (Alberto's) took their leave in the masters 1/2/3 race, with Mosora taking the victory. (Here's video I took of the field sprint.) A seven-man break got away in the 3/4's, including two members from host Vitaminwater-Trek. With his teammates and XXX Racing-AthletiCo asserting control of the field, Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek) launched himself early to sprint to his first win as a 3. While I was riding solo off the back of the day's final race, the P/1/2/3, Matt Brandt (Mesa Cycles) opted to ride solo off the front. He stayed off for a good portion of the race, with Scott Pearson (Higher Gear) putting in a solo ride of his own for 2nd and Rob White (ABD/Geargrinder) cleaning up the field sprint. Thanks to primes and podium finishes from Tamara Fraser, Strittmatter and others, XXX Racing-AthletiCo racked up 124.5 points in the World Bicycle Relief Team Cup, meaning a $220 donation will be made to WBR in the team's name. Also notable was the second-place finish of the Cuttin' Crew, who despite being a 10th of the size scored 96.5 points. (In an unofficial 3rd was the always fearsome Unattached squad.) In the day's other side contest, my Cat 3 Old Fart Challenge, I count only one person who finished all three Cat 3 races. Congratulations, Charles Biro (Team Get a Grip Cycles). I owe you a Clif Bar. Congratulations also to Mike Kelly (South Chicago Wheelmen) and Teodoro Ramos (Get a Grip Off Road Racing), who put up some outstanding results while doing all three Cat 4 races. Full results.

Photos Burnham Racing Kurt Byfield Scummerle Luke Seemann Jim Simonson Ed White Wi_moldorama

Race reports Kevin Clark (Half Acre Cycling; 4/5): "Is it cross season yet?"

Ron Cook (Project 5 Racing; 3/4): "When we were coming out of the turn before the 'S' curve and up ahead you could see the seven guys just exiting the 'S' curve, I realized that was the move."

Jonathan Dugas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "They did not realize that when you attack, it’s game on!"

Craig Erbach (Project 5 Racing; 3/4): "Lesson learned: I's better to be dead weight on a break and get pulled back and let your teammates get on the next one than motor a break away and get popped."

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-4, W-open): "I regret not attacking earlier. It was very windy and I wasn't sure I was strong enough to hold them off. But I'll never know now. Arg."

Bradley Gates (Chicago Cuttin' Crew; 5, 4/5): "Passing Stanley, Jeff called out 'Snip, snip.' Stanley fell behind my wheel with Daryl to follow right behind. It was time for team sprints practice to be put into action."

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4/5): "The pack faded in my direction and my front wheel clipped his rear derailleur. I somehow refused to go down and kept pushing it."

Lyle Hansen (GDVC; 3/4): "When I saw John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) move to bridge I was positioned perfectly to grab his wheel. Three or four riders got on my wheel and Tomlinson pulled us all up over the course of the next lap with an impressive display of power."

Ed Hernandez (North Branch): "The rider in front of me slammed on his brakes to avoid another rider. I wasn’t as aggressive on the brakes and ended up smacking him in the back. In fact, I think that there is some Cat 3/4 racer out them with an impression of my face tattooed onto his back."

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5, 3/4): "Every lap around, the pace would accelerate on the finishing straight and I'd move up 10 or so spots, and fight for good spots to hide from the wind the rest of the time."

Jason Ludtke (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "I can hear the familiar sound of carbon, metal and flesh meet pavement and I am glad I am ahead of it."

Ken Mitchell (Spider Monkey Cycling; 4/5): "It was great to have five guys in a race that actually know each other and talked before the race, as opposed to having no contact and just wearing the same outfit."

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5, 3/4): "It was 45 minutes of praying to stay upright on the turns as handlebars shook all around me and rims shrieked against brakepads."

Avi Neurohr (Unattached; 5, 30+ 4/5): "I raced single speed, with a straight bar. You run what you brung, and that's all I got."

Brian Parker (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5; 4/5): "As soon as I returned tire to pavement the legs seized. Completely locked up. Helpless, the field wrung me out like a dirty dish rag while I was unceremoniously congratulated for not crashing in the grass."

Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinders; P/1/2/3): "I even found a pair and went for two primes, and placed in the top three each time."

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3/4): "Having teammates up the road is nice. It gives me something to do in a race. Otherwise I just sit around waiting for the sprint. It's boring."

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5, 3/4): "Jon’s breaks were heroic. Unfortunately blocking was near impossible with how wide the road was along with the Cat 4/5 mentality of 'I wanna drag the pack around'-ness."

Zach Thomas (Half Acre Cycling; 3/4): "I'll spare you from all the clichéd euphemisms for being dropped, but whatever it's called, it still sucks and is incredibly demoralizing."

Scott Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks; 30+ 4/5, 3/4): "These guys need to write a book on how to put on your first race."

Jeff Wat (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3/4): "As the adrenaline started to rush, I sped up for the final the turn and opened a small gap to the rider behind me. I jumped hard immediately out of the turn and just kept clicking gears."

Tonight's memorial for Pieter Ombregt at Matteson will be postponed until next Tuesday, April 15.

Theoretically racing is still scheduled tonight, but the threat of rain makes it extremely unlikely. In other Matteson news, I'm told that the course will be out of commission for a two-month stretch this summer as Ace Hardware installs underground tanks. All the more reason to get your licks in early this season.

USA Cycling has named Larry Martin to replace Mike Hanley as our midwest regional coordinator. He has worked with the Minnesota Cycling Federation for six years and is the director of the North Central Collegiate Conference Director.

I asked CBR's Minneapolis bureau chief Tim Hayes (Grumpy's/LGR) for his analysis: "He is a good guy," he says. "He is probably the only guy that can fill the old coordinator's shoes, and his shop is real nice. Big thumbs up from us."

Everybody's favorite reason to call in sick returns this week when the Tuesday Night Criterium Series resumes in Matteson. From April 8 until September, races will start at 6 p.m. at the Ace Hardware paint factory, and with construction completed on the Dan Ryan, it should take less than an hour to get there from the city.

Opening night will be special: We will first pause to remember Pieter Ombregt (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), whom we lost in September. We'll celebrate him with a few words, a moment of silence and a memorial lap. Our hosts the South Chicago Wheelmen ask that people arrive and take care of paperwork early so that the memorial -- and then the racing -- can start promptly. (We won't be the only ones honoring Pieter this week. His father, Ludwig Ombregt (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), will honor him by riding the Ronde van Vlaanderen route Saturday. "I plan to do about 180 km," he says. "The whole trip as Pieter used to do will be a bit long." God bless the Belgians, for whom 180 km is the "short" route.) Just $7 gets you three races each night at Matteson. Lengths will be announced before each race and will largely depend on the available daylight. Racers are split into two fields: A for 1's, 2's, 3's and ambitious 4's and women, and B for 4's, 5's, juniors and women. The two groups race concurrently. Don't be surprised if one group passes the other. Likewise, don't do any surprising of your own: If your group is about to surpass another one, call it loud and clear, especially in the corners. The course is a flat, .6-mile rectangle. The last corner is a bit over 100 meters from the finish. You'll want to be out of the saddle as you exit the turn and launch yourself toward the finish line. Have I ever mentioned how valuable these races are? I'll mention it again: Making visits to Matteson part of a complete training plan will shave a year off the time it would otherwise take you to go from Cat 5 to Cat 3.

Snow and ice have made Saturday's course in Sheboygan unfit for racing, so the event is canceled. (Thanks, Lyle!) Also, Julian Baumgartner (Vitaminwater-Trek) informs us in the comments that the Cat 5 field for Sunday's Spring Super Criterium is filling up. Be sure to pre-register. It saves you a few bucks per race and guarantees your two-hour drive isn't for naught.

As you follow the action out at the Redlands Bicycle Classic this weekend, look for locals Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) and Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles), who are guests of the Dolce Vita squad. Today Haskell finished 28th in the prologue time trial. She no doubt is spending the evening studying the results and admiring all the big names that appear below hers.

Last week the Daily Herald profiled Jessi Prinner (ABD), a promising junior from South Elgin. I expect that as a cyclist, Prinner is one of the hardest-working athletes at her school, and it's excellent to see media take note. Coincidentally, Haskell, Meshberg and Prinner finished 3-4-5 at Hillsboro Saturday. Speaking of women and cycling, Alberto's is hosting clinics for women starting Wednesday, May 7. The three-week series covers everything from basic shifting to pacelines and cornering.

Much of our sport depends on the goodwill of sponsors, and CBR is no different.

ABD has been a longtime sponsor here. I don't know if if anyone produces as many events in the Chicago area. Its next event is Sunday's John Fraser Memorial Time Trial, the finale to its annual time trial series, where I see an astounding 280 names on its start list. ABD has also released the flier for a Memorial Day weekend series of masters races. More than $13,000 in cash and prizes will be on the line over three days, and Cat 5 masters can race for as little as $10. Sharing sponsorship starting this week is CycleAnalyze, a new coaching system from Patrick McNally (MetCycling) that promises to put an emphasis on communication and feedback. We're also joined by the Glencoe Grand Prix, which after a successful 2007 debut returns this year on Sunday, Aug. 10. I couldn't be happier to have this support, and I thank everyone who's helped CBR over the past year.

Ah, spring. Finally our weekends are again chock-full of racing opportunities. Goodbye, hours wasted sleeping in. Farewell, brunch and $12 omelets. Sunday New York Times? You’re canceled!

This weekend's big event -- the super event, if you will -- will be Sunday’s debut Spring Super Criterium, hosted by Burnham Racing and Vitaminwater-Trek in South Beloit. I'm eager to see how the 1.9-mile course plays out. It might be curvy enough to help potential breaks get out of sight, but the lack of technicality will work to the chasers' advantage. CBR prediction: Field sprints in the 3/4, 4/5 and masters 4/5 races, lead groups of 4-10 riders everywhere else. Remember that beginning racers are encouraged to attend the 8 a.m. clinic put on by Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). Two bonus competitions of note: The World Bike Relief Team Challenge will honor the team with the best overall performance, and as noted when I announced the race, I'm offering a Clif Bar to the masters rider who does best in the Cat 3 trifecta (masters 1/2/3, 3/4 and 1/2/3). Farther from home, there is a crit Saturday in Sheboygan, Wis., where the flier promises a 1-mile course with a steep hill before the start/finish. And the Indiana Race Series kicks off with the Mississinewa Reservoir Road Race in Peru, Ind., a 15-mile loop along rolling, windswept roads. (Reminder: Someone always forgets the time change on their first racing trip to Indiana. Don't drive three hours just to be an hour late!)

Saturday Evergreen Park Criterium USCF criterium Sheboygan, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Mississinewa Reservoir Road Race ABR road race Peru, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday Spring Super Criterium USCF criterium South Beloit, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

• » New to racing? Check out these free video tutorials. (Thanks, Jason.) Also of interest may be this attractive guide to racing from Iowa's Punk Racing Cycling.
• » Evanston's Eugene Sloane, author of "Sloane's Complete Book of Bicycling: The Cyclist's Bible," died Saturday. See this Time mention of Sloane from 1970.
• » Greta Neimanas (XXX Racing-AthetiCo) was profiled in a recent Arizona Daily Star story. (Thanks, Imelda.) The Paralympic hopeful is also featured in this public service campaign from the U.S. Olympic Committee.
• » There's more information up at Chicago Time Trial Series, including registration for the April 20 opener in Sugar Grove.
• » Congratulations to local officials Dave Fowkes and Marek Jasinski for becoming national commissaires, the highest certification offered by USA Cycling.
• » Some background on the masters 3/4 races you may be seeing more of in Wisconsin this year. (Thanks, Scott.)
• » How to crash like a pro. (Thanks, Matt.)