In addition to housing for riders, Superweek is looking for Chicago-area volunteers to help set up and take down courses, as well as to help transmit results to media and Web sites. Volunteers can get fees comped for the days they help. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.

• » Fleshed-out Superweek schedules are available: for P/1/2’s, and for the rest of us.
• » Barrington Hills police: Despite advances in horsepower and protective metal cages, drivers “intimidated” by skinny men in tight shorts.
• » Let us now salute Glen Chadwick (Team Type 1): “I necked half the can like in a commercial and launched the remains over the heads of some spectators.” Watch the video. (Thanks, Newt.)
• » In the wake of several catastrophic doorings, some cyclists are starting an awareness campaign to remind drivers (and passengers!) to check their mirrors.
• » How does a Chicagoan train for the Tour de France? Wind.

 

The Illinois Cycling Association has secured Oak Brook as a location for our Aug. 23 state road race championships. The 3.1-mile course, shown above, will start on York Road, head northwest up Spring Road, then east on 31st Street back to York.

“Spring Road will provide much of the action,” ICA vice president Steve Hansen (North Branch) says, “with two fairly good hills that make this course worthy of a good road race.” Two lanes of 31st Street will be closed, and York Road and Spring Road will receive partial road closures. Officials will enforce the centerline rule. A tentative schedule has races going off in five groups starting at 8:30 a.m. and into the late afternoon. Distances include 80 miles for P/1/2/3 men, 64 miles for P/1/2/3 women and 48 miles for Cat 3 men. There will also be races for Cat 4 men and women, masters and juniors. The course is short but satisfies USA Cycling’s 5-kilometer minimum for a road race. Milan-San Remo it’s not, but at least it’s close. No four-hour drives, no overnight stays in downstate hotels. And at least it is. We ought to congratulate and thank Hansen and the ICA for the work they’ve done to make sure we have a state championship this year following the dissolution of the Proctor Road Race and the Al Stern Road Race before that.

Some highlights from a full weekend of great racing:

• » I'm told the P/1/2 race at Saturday's big-money Giro d' Grafton was wicked fast, but Josh Carter (ABD/Geargrinder) was fastest of them all, outsprinting pros Garrett Peltonen (Bissell) and Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe's). Steve Holeczy (North Branch) placed 6th in a large field that attracted all the Midwest's strongest teams. Carter would double up, coming out on top of another stacked field in Sheboygan on Saturday.
• » I love their kits, but I haven't seen much of America's Team Dairyland this year. They showed up Saturday to win the women's P/1/2/3 at Grafton, followed by Chicago regulars Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles) in 2nd and Kristen Meshberg in 3rd. They'd improve on that the next day, with Meshberg getting 1st and Haskell 2nd. Quite a rivalry that's shaping up there.
• » Chip Gray (Get a Grip) snagged a ton of primes and the final victory in a 3's race that had five other Chicago-area riders in the top eight.
• » Nate Iden (Spider Monkey Cycling) doubled up nicely in Grafton, getting 4th in the 4/5's and 3rd in the 30+ 4/5's.
• » Matt Smith felt the sting of premature jubilation when he pumped his fist shy of the line in the masters 3/4 race at Grafton, enabling Tim Henry (Project 5) to scream by for the win. Careful, Matt. Tom Boonen (Quick Step) pulled this stunt and was doing lines of blow within three months.
• » There was a photo finish in Sunday's masters 3/4's race, too, this time in Sheboygan. Ricardo Otero (Team Mack) bridged to the winning break and just barely missed out on the win (photo above) to David Greenblatt (Brazen Dropouts).
• » The notorious climb at Sunday's Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge splintered most fields, but the men's P/1/2 race was mostly intact when, for the second weekend in a row, Mike Heagney (PYOC) got the jump on Ed Amstutz (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) to win the sprint.
• » I avoid cheering from the press box, but I must note the blockbuster weekend XXX Racing-AthletiCo had: five wins -- Peter Strittmatter in the 4's at Saturday's Cobb Park, then Jeanette Schrand (women's 35+), Tamara Fraser (women's 4's), Amstuz (30+ 1/2/3's) and your humble editor (3's) at Fox River Grove on Sunday -- plus 20 other top fives over the weekend.
• » Attendance was light at Cobb Park, so light that the P/1/2 and 3 fields were combined. No doubt the big money and festivities offered in Grafton had something to do with that. That's too bad. It's a good course, and the South Chicago Wheelmen are good hosts. I'm also surprised at the small fields at Fox River Grove. Color me biased for being a climber, but this is a fantastic, unique course with excellent community support. We should be flocking to this event. Besides, who else but RDS Cycling provides winners with trophies, flowers and tidings from Miss Fox River Grove? Circle this one as soon as next year's calendar comes out.

Saturday results Cobb Park Criterium Giro d' Grafton

Sunday results Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge Sheboygan Criterium

Cobb Park photos Carolyn Golz

Giro d' Grafton photos Matt Smith: 30+ 3/4, 3, 30+ 4/5, W-4 Katy Steudel John Wilke

Fox River Grove photos Team Tati XXX Racing-AthletiCo

Cobb Park race reports Brian Boyle (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3, 30+ 1/2/3): "We race for Mike Kelly’s soundtrack of 1980’s blazing rock and roll hit songs "

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): "It was all about being in front and taking a nice line through the corner where the course funneled and the fast, final corner."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4): "The usual characters were there. We all know each other and it was if we were all just marking one another for the whole race."

Jessi Prinner (ABD; W-3/4, W-open): "The announcer called prime after prime and I took every single one of them, including the waterbottles, because I really had nothing else to do."

Rich Smott (Alberto's; 30+ 1/2/3, P/1/2/3): "I was smug seeing the carnage behind as the accordion was in full effect from my effort."

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "It was the run-of-the-mill criterium: Go fast and hurt for 45 minutes then hurt more at the sprint."

Grafton race reports John Coyle (Wolverine Sports Club; P/1/2): "Bicycling is an ever humbling sport, but in this case, I was completely and systematically crushed."

Team Get a Grip Cycles: (W-1/2/3, 3, P/1/2): "Three of the four Cat 2 riders survived multiple crashes, barking dogs, beer bottles, and herculean 37 mile per hour re-entries into the peloton in order to finish the professional race."

Shawn Small (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "I didn’t go down and dodged a few bodies and bikes on the ground."

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+ 3/4, 3): "I got cocky and thought I had more room than I did. I sat up and put my arm up. I didn't see Tim Henry (Project 5) coming like a bat out of hell."

Katy Steudel (Team Pegasus; W-4): "I got down into the drops and pushed as hard a gear as I could. My thighs were burning with the effort, but it felt good."

Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek Stores; P/1/2): "Garrett Peltonen (Bissell) was the strongest of the day by miles. He never missed a move and could bridge to anything that looked dangerous."

Fox River Grove race reports Doug Braun (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5, 4/5): "We crested the hill with a good gap and drilled it. One quick look behind and I know we are gone."

Ron Cook (Project 5; 3): "It would be awesome to see more people out there. If i can get my 200-pound carcass up there, you can too!"

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-4): "I again sat third wheel, looking for the spot to jump. I went on a small uphill before the last turn, hit the turn hot and then stood and sprinted and threw across the line -- for FIRST!"

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4/5): "He slams on his brakes, swerves way out, nearly running off the road. With no where to go but to follow him, I almost hit a mail box."

Eric Goodwin (Vitaminwater-Trek; 3): "I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who realized that the front of the field would have a sudden and distinct advantage if the officials rang the bell early."

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4/5): "The three of us started working up front, taking probably 65-70% of the pulls during the race."

Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; P/1/2): "My wobbling back wheel dragged itself against both my rear brake pads to slow me off the back just as free laps expired."

Mark Misicko (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5, 4/5): "We all know Doug Braun is a great climber, but he laid down the law, and won this race in a contested field sprint."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "Damn, what a fun frickin' course. Bomb the descent, slam the corners, it's like I'm back riding in California."

Jessi Prinner (ABD; W-P/1/2/3): "After being profusely yelled at by the cop standing at the corner I pulled a quick U-turn and took the correct left turn (now a right turn) when WHAM! I found myself on this really big hill."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 1/2/3, 3): "I finally cracked the riddle of how to win a 200-meter sprint. Step 1: Start with a 50-meter lead."

Breakaway Event Productions today secured Richton Park as the final location for Superweek. The Monday, July 14, criterium will be just down the road from that Sunday's Olympia Fields criterium, and it will kick off the seven-race Wheel & Sprocket Women's Pro Tour for P/1/2/3 women.

Organizers will be scouting out the exact course tomorrow. "It might have come down to the wire," director of marketing Michael Garrison said, "but we're pleased to have met our goal, which was to provide what riders have been asking for for years, and that's consistency and keeping the races close together." The first six days of Superweek will all be within a 45-minute drive of downtown Chicago. With the exception of the Ripon and Evanston, the balance will all be within an hour of Milwaukee. Garrison also said that the new Olympia Fields course will be in a subdivision close to Metra.

The Superweek criterium that was to be held in Homewood on Sunday, July 12, will now be a little farther south in Olympia Fields. Still no information about courses or the location of Monday's criterium.

It's a busy weekend for crits with five within a three-hour drive. I don't have experience with any of them, so I can't tell you which ones will be worth your trip. The marquee race, however, will be Sunday's state criterium championships in Peoria. The fast, 8-turn course determines who gets to wear championship jerseys to USCF races for the next year, and if you're paying attention to the Illinois Cup, points are doubled. Registration is available online until tomorrow night, and note that day-of registration will cost an extra $6.

Note that there's no flier posted for Sunday's Fon du Lac Criterium. I've put in inquiries and will update this post once I have one. Sunday's Fon du Lac Criterium is canceled.

Saturday Elm Grove Criterium USCF criterium Elm Grove, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Eagle Creek Park Fast Crit ABR criterium Indianapolis, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday Illinois State Criterium Championships USCF criterium Peoria, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Fon du Lac Criterium USCF criterium Fon du Lac, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Zionsville Grand Prix USCF criterium Zionsville, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Chip timing made its Chicago debut Saturday when the Illinois Cycling Association ran an experiment with a vendor's system at the Cobb Park Criterium. A small transponder was zip-tied to each bike's fork. During the races, laps were counted and timed to the thousandth of a second. Early reports are that it was a success. Complete, accurate results were available within minutes, and set-up was a breeze. "It was freakin' awesome," one rider told me.

Upfront costs would be steep, but the ICA is considering adopting such a system for 2009. I've always been skeptical myself, but after a few races where cameras have proven as fallible as humans, I have to concede it could be worthwhile thing to have -- if it does not drive up our rising race fees. Has anyone used chip timing elsewhere? Is it reliable? Is it accurate in a 10-up sprint? We'll get another chance to try it out when the Glencoe Grand Prix uses chip timing in August. Speaking of Glencoe, check out the winners jerseys that will be awarded in the elite races.

Hundreds of pro and amateur cyclists from around the world will soon come to the Midwest for Superweek. With more races in the Chicago area, organizers are looking for volunteers down here to provide housing for riders July 10-16. I'm told the priority is finding homes that can accommodate multiple guests, for teams such Virgin Blue Cycling squad, whose five riders are coming from Australia to race with us.

Hosts provide a bed, shower and secure bike storage. Riders are expected to provide their own transportation and food. E-mail Chuck and Kristin Paul at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.

Results are up for the Great Carroll Cycling Event, a quirky road race held in northwest Ilinois. All fields do the same hilly, at-times gravelly 58-mile course, staggered in four waves, and for the second year in a row there was at least one group of riders that took a wrong turn.

The day's fastest times came out of the 50+ field, where Stan Watkins (Vision Quest), Dan Hill (Proctor) and James Sauls (Vision Quest) did the course in less than 2.5 hours, with Watkins winning with a 30-second gap. At 27 riders the 4's field was the largest of the day. Thirteen riders remained in the lead bunch, but Tom Wallace (2CC) somehow slipped out of it to win with a 30-second advantage of his own. And in the 3's, Kris Kuttler (WDT-Allvoi) won in a small sprint to take what I believe is the first win of his comeback tour. I should also note the local women who headed to Minnesota for the prestigious Nature Valley Grand Prix stage race. Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia), Debbie Dust (Team Kenda Tire) and Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles) all lined up in the 145-women field, the largest and arguably toughest field of the year. Dust placed 20th in the Thursday's road race, and Haskell, representing the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars for the second consecutive year, finished 47th overall out of 82 finishers, 11th among the amateurs.

Carroll County race reports Jessi Prinner (ABD; W-1/2): "How is it possible to completely lose the field in just a matter of seconds? Well, it's actually quite simple. We missed a turn."

Nature Valley Grand Prix race reports Debbie Dust, Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5 (Team Kenda Tire; W-P/1/2): "I just drilled it and bombed the dirt stretch, then rode the right side gutter (with cascading water and potholes) down the hill to the right hand turn, flats and crashes be damned! My thought at that very second? 'God, it's like cyclocross. Ick.'"

Devon Haskell, Stage 1, Stages 2-6 (Team Get a Grip Cycles; W-P/1/2): "Being in the back meant that I was constantly getting shed off the back as gaps opened and as we slowed for crashes."

My source with the city tells me that there are only five spots left in the Chicago Criterium's masters 4/5 field.

There remain 60 spots in the 4's (125 capacity) and 150 spots in the 3's (200 capacity). Register here.

When the pros come to town in August for the Tour of Elk Grove, they’ll kick the weekend off with a $15,000, 4.5-mile time trial. This year there will be two ways for amateurs to get in on the action: Be fast or be generous.

The Chicago Time Trial Series will be selecting the fastest six contestants and giving them free entry to Elk Grove’s pro time trial. Eligibility requires competing in at least three of the series' events. Two are already in the books, but there are three to come: in Hampshire on July 13, a rain-postponed Willow Springs on July 19, and in Richmond on July 26. Failing that, 30 amateur spots are open as a fundraiser for the Elk Grove Village Soldier Memorial Fund. Entry is $250. WDT-Allvoi was instrumental in making this happen. I'm told the hope is that teams and shops will sponsor their best TT hot shots and see who can embarrass some pros. These amateurs will not be eligible for the prize money, but Voytek Glinkowski (WDT-Allvoi) will be providing trophies for the top 10.

Only five spots remain in the Chicago Criterium Cat 5's. Both Cat 5 heats of the Chicago Criterium have reached capacity. Other fields may still register.

• » Local riders Bob Schrank and Alex Bowden were part of this years Team Type 1 team in the Race Across America. They finished Tuesday morning with a 22.5 mph average. Their 5-day, 13-hour and 40-minute performance was good for 2nd, just a few hours out of first place.
• » Also at RAAM, Cal's bartender Scott McIntosh is riding the solo division and is still on the road at this moment, sitting in 7th place. Follow along on his blog. To raise funds for McIntosh's race, Turin commissioned renowned artist Jay Ryan to create this commemorative poster.
• » Illinois Cup standings have been updated. Monsters of the Midway results are also finally available.
• » Phil Liggett calls the Madison at the Northbrook Velodrome.
• » Don't forget that Astana director Johan Bruyneel will appear Friday evening at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square.
• » Reminder: When you throw your bike at the line, the bike ought not actually leave your hands.

Before each lower-category race at Saturday's Sherman Park Criterium, coach Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) reminded riders that although the course was peppered with bumps and cracks, there was nothing that should have required riders to alter their paths. Nonetheless, some riders felt these imperfections had to be avoided at all costs, and often that cost was rubbing wheels and/or hitting the tarmac. Too bad. As far as I know none of the injuries were too serious, although Barry Tauerbaum (Alberto's) suffered a shiner and cut that may long remain as racing mementos. The day's chutzpah award goes to Peter Strittmatter and Leonard Hatcher of XXX Racing-AthletiCo, who attacked from the first stroke of the 4's race. Hatcher pulled off after helping establish the break and was replaced by teammates Newt Cole and pro triathlete Chris Riekert. Riekert led the 12-man group to a blistering 27 mph pace -- quite possibly the fastest race on the day. Unfortunately for him, he would experience one of bike racing hard truths: Ours is not a contest to see who goes the fastest. It's a contest to see who can cross the line first, and in this case it was Eric Young (Morris Trucking) taking a tight sprint. Host XXX Racing-AthletiCo had the numbers to rabbit-punch their way to victory in two races. With Tamara Fraser and Emily MacDonald part of a four-woman break well off the front of the women's masters/4's race, four lady XXXers team-time-trialed their way to bridge with reinforcements. That freed Fraser up to attack and stay off solo to win. This after the men in black had rattled off attack after attack in a fast 5's race, wearing down the field and setting up Kyle Wiberg, Grant Davis and Erik Didriksen to go 1-2-3. There were plenty of attacks in the 3's race, many of them featuring Team Get a Grip Cycles and Vitaminwater-Trek. When the winning break finally stuck, it was Alex Voitik (Turin) enjoying the benefits of the other two teams' blocking, attacking Aspen Gorry (Get a Grip) with one to go to ride home solo. Adam Lesniakowski (PACT-Dish Network) drove a four-man break that lasted more than half of the masters 1/2/3 race, yet had enough in the tank to take a sprint over Marc Zionts (Alberto's). In the masters 4/5's race, 5's winner Wiberg gave a blistering leadout to set up Newt Cole (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) for the win. The women's open race featured a guest appearance from newly named Paralympian Greta Neimanas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), who will be representing her county in Beijing this summer. It didn't take long for her and teammate Fraser to form a break with Francine Haas (Alberto's). As soon as they were off, they'd lapped the field. As soon as they'd lapped the field, Haas and Neimanas had broken free again, with Haas taking a lead out of Turn 4 for the win. The P/1/2/3 race was as confusing as a 100-lap Madison race with two groups lapping the field. (The first of these groups comes together in the photo above.) Twelve riders eventually made it across with about 30 minutes left to race. Isolated riders attempted to break free again, but Get a Grip, Vitaminwater-Trek and XXX Racing-AthletiCo marked each attempt in order to protect the teammates who still had a shot at winning. In the end Michael Heagney (PYOC), a member of the initial eight, won the sprint without the benefit of a leadout, spreading his arms wide as he won a few meters ahead of Ed Amstutz (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). Full results.

Photos Daniel Bliss Carolyn Golz Luke Seemann Vitaminwater-Trek Ed White

Race reports Donovan Braud (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "All of our attacking efforts led to a full XXX podium at race’s end."

John Coyle (Wolverine Sports Club; P/1/2): "We were in a reverse breakaway. 20 riders up the road and for whatever reason or discipline, teams were still blocking. I took over the front again and led. and led some more. I suck at leading, but I probably led 4 or 5 laps before I completely gave up the ghost. "

Grant Davis (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "The two of us went for the line bumping shoulders and giving it our all."

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-35+, W-open): "I rode the lap as hard as I could manage and crossed the line in first place! And this year I raised an arm in victory."

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): "I felt gassed and wasn't sure I would be able to hold on and keep the pace up, but I dug deep and pushed myself a little harder."

Jim Hamman (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5): "I have no recollection of hitting the pavement or how I got there."

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): "With the speed ramping up on the last lap, I suddenly found my handlebars locked with another rider. "

Ella Neurohr (Unattached; 10-12): "A guy behind me was yelling 'You're getting beat by a girl, and she's half you're age!' at one of the boys I passed."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4): "By the time I realized I was getting screwed my day was over."

Brian Parker (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): "On the back stretch there is a decent bump that has a tendency to make some people go all clown shoes and do ridiculous things they maybe know they should not do, but they do it anyways. Ride over the bump and take it and end of story; swerve to miss it, CARNAGE ensues."

Chris Riekert (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "Just like in a Schwarzenegger movie there was a lot of pointless collateral damage and absolutely no tactics whatsoever. Just brute force from square one."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 1/2/3, 3, P/1/2/3): "I was merely hoping to hang on long enough for a break to get off so I could settle in for a leisurely ride in the caboose."

Sue Semaszczuk (ABD; W-open): "As soon as i caught the end of that break, my stomach was in my throat. I felt lightheaded and like I was vibrating. I swear, I was about to throw up on my bike."

Mike Shea (Spider Monkey Cycling; 5): "The winning move came from a XXX rider who jumped at 200m and pulled away so damn strong and smooth that even as the race was happening I couldn’t help but admire it."

Andy Skeen (ABD; P/1/2/3): "I took a couple of good digs, and got rid of some people who weren't pulling their share of the load."

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+ 1/2/3, 3, P/1/2/3): "No breakaway in the races I was in was the result of huge efforts or selections; they were manufactured selections, of which I admittedly played a part."

Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "I jump on his wheel and sit there, legs aching, eyes hurting, ears throbbing."

Paolo Urizar (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5): "I did what I’ve always wanted to do in a road race and that is be the guy up in front pulling the entire field."

Kyle Wiberg (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5, 30+ 4/5): "Tension behind is building. Subconscious takes over. I hear Eric say 'Go.'"

With big races such as our state championship and Superweek right around the corner, this weekend is a good opportunity for some final fine-tuning. It's also a good chance for beginning racers to maximize their Cat 5 experience before jumping into the 4/5 whirlwind of Superweek.

Saturday the South Chicago Wheelmen return to Kankakee for the Cobb Park Criterium. Pre-registration will save you $5. It's a fast, flat three-corner course. The Wheelmen are also putting on a new-rider clinic at 10:30. I highly recommend this for many of our Cat 5's. Put down that cheesecake if you plan to tackle Sunday's Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge. It features a ski-jump climb (above) that may feel like the Alpe d'Huez by the end of the day. (I do not know if the recent flooding will impact the course. I'll post if I find out anything definite. UPDATE: Ricard Otero (Team Mack) drove the course and reports there are no flood-related obstructions.) Note that Illinois Cycling has brought its Illinois Cup standings to life. Both of these races earn points toward the seasonlong series. To pursue the big money and big crowds -- and big competition -- head to Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Cycling Series. Both days feature more than $12,000 in prizes, and Saturday's twilight pro race in Grafton should be particularly exciting. Be sure to pre-register, as entry fees go up $10 on Thursday.

Saturday Cobb Park Criterium USCF criterium Kankakee, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Giro d'Grafton USCF criterium Grafton, Wis. Diistance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge USCF criterium Fox River Grove, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Sheboygan Family Centre Bike Race USCF criterium Sheboygan, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Registration forms can be faxed in now. Online registration will be available soon is now available as well.

July 14 is still listed as a TBA location. At Winfield I spoke with Breakaway's Michael Garrison, and he told me he was still looking for a Chicago-area location for that day. Pre-registration is a good idea and saves you a few bucks per race. I also expect the local weekend races will fill up in the 4/5's, starting with Evanston and then Blue Island and Homewood.

Crashes are an unfortunate inevitability, but they don't have to end your race.

In the commotion following a crash, new riders are often so eager to chase back onto the pack that they forget their free lap. In criteriums, riders are entitled to take this free lap in the event of a crash or "tire puncture or other failure of an essential component." If the course is a kilometer or shorter, riders are entitled to two free laps. (Note that these provisions expires in the final laps of a race.) To claim your free lap, you must proceed to the wheel pit and check in with the official. Unless otherwise prohibited, you may take the quickest route to the wheel pit, including crossing or reversing the course. If there are neutral wheels or if you've left a spare of your own, you can change a wheel. You will then be inserted into the race in the group with whom you were riding when you exited the race. What qualifies as a mishap? The USCF rulebook cites crashes and punctures, but precludes "malfunction due to mis-assembly or insufficient tightening of any component." So, dropped chains, loose seats or rubbing brake pads do not qualify unless you find a particularly generous official in the wheel pit. What happens if you come to a complete stop behind a crash but don't go down yourself? Sorry, you didn't crash. You'd better chase back on. (In such situations, the sly cyclist will gently flop to the ground, thereby "crashing." But you didn't read that here.)

The Indiana state road race championships were washed out this weekend. They've now been rescheduled for Saturday, July 19. Refunds are available for those who preregistered.

• » Much of the Chicago Cuttin' Crew is heading to Toronto this weekend for the Cycle Messenger World Championships. Naturally they are getting there in style.
• » Speaking of messenger world championships, don't miss this reminiscence from Avi Neurohr (Unattached).
• » The human body is a beautiful thing. That said, I'm not sure where I stand on the World Naked Bike Ride. No, wait, I know exactly where I stand: far, far away. In pants.
• » I’m not sure what is more astonishing about the much-ballyhooed crosswalk sting: That cars kill one pedestrian a week, or that Chicago police are actually doing something about it, however token the gesture might be. (Can you imagine how vigorous the response would be if it were Osama bin Ladin and not Henry Ford who killed 52 Chicagoans a year?)
• » With all due respect to my dirtbag friends, I always thought it said volumes that John Kerrey was a roadie and George Bush was a mountain biker. One goes for long, contemplative rides and pacelines with others toward a common goal. The other flies solo, tearing up the natural environment and satisfying his short attention span (if not bloodlust) by jumping over obstacles with nary a thought as to what calamities might lie on the other side. What, then, do we make of a candidate who rides a mountain bike on the sidewalk? Can we vote for such a man? (I don't know what John McCain rides. Probably a Rascal.)
• » I'm not sure which I like more: bikes or New Belgium beer. The Tour de Fat on June 21 is a chance to enjoy both. (The event is a benefit for West Town Bikes, which is soliciting volunteers.)
• » In addition to great beer, New Belgium also makes great commercials.
• » This could be a fun way to make recovery shakes.

Violent thunderstorms interrupted the early races and delayed and shortened the rest, but it turned out to be a fantastic day for racing in Spring Prairie for Wisconsin's state road race championships, and lots of Chicago riders headed up to create some sound and fury of their own.

Two Chicago women had big days: Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) once again took on the IS Corp army to win the women's open, and Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) slipped away with some masters riders to win her 4's race. Four riders made early leave of the out-of-state 4/5's race, attacking at the beginning of the second lap. Thanks to the blocking efforts of Chicago Cuttin' Crew and XXX Racing-AthletiCo, the move stayed off and together for the rest of the race, with Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) taking the win -- stuck in his small ring! -- and proving that his great job at Hillsboro-Roubaix was no fluke. Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus) put in another herculean solo effort attempting to bridge, spending the final two laps in no-man's land and barely holding off the charging pack for 5th. And Tower Racing again impressed: Jim Hamman got 3rd in the break while Doug Braun was first up the hill in the field for 6th. XXX Racing-AthletiCo had good numbers in the 3's race but couldn't close on the win there either, settling for three in the top 10, including junior John Tomlinson in 5th and Jacques Cartier, making his Cat 3 debut, in 7th. (It's always nice when an upgrade is validated like that in the first time out.) Chicago riders were isolated in a P/1/2 race dominated by IS Corps, but Northwestern's Will Nowak (Targetraining), in his last race before heading east for the summer, won the field sprint/climb for 6th. And in masters racing, Michael Heagney (PYOC) took 3rd in the 30+. Full results.

Photos Peter Strittmatter

Race reports Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-4): "I realized the other three were masters racers. If we could stay away, I would win the cat 4 race!"

Jim Hamman (Tower Racing; 4/5): "A smile started to creep over my face as I realized that we would not be caught and was finally part of a breakaway that succeeded!"

Donald Hanke (Tower Racing; 4/5): "It was tough, but what a great course."

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "I got halfway there, and then the crit racer in me said, 'No, conserve your energy, stay with the pack.' Dumb, just dumb."

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "I was forced to make a choice to bridge to Chris or get back in the pack, and the pack was closer, so in I went.

Avi Neurohr (Unattached; 4/5): "If only I'd shaved my legs and carried a couple of water bottles!"

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4/5): "Cuttin' Crew was absolutely dominating the front, blocking for their man in the break. Major respect to them for their teamwork and execution there."

Brian Parker (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "It was just like Big Brown’s jockey said about trying to get Big Brown to sprint: When he tried to whip the horse, there was just no horse underneath to whip."

William Pankonin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): "I raced over the top and somehow kept the legs spinning until the line."

Tristan Schouten (Planet Bike; P/1/2): "It was fun to get out there and go fast for a few hours while ISCorp did all the work and shut everything down."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): "They caught me again. Argh! They weren’t supposed to do that!"

Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin' Crew; 4/5): "I don’t just let people box me in. I shouldered my way out to the left, finally got some open road, and my frustration powered me up that hill."

Who else is tired of driving so far to get to races? The gas, the time, the traffic -- it's the pits. Fortunately, this weekend brings us a rare chance to stay home and race with the Sherman Park Criterium, put on by XXX Racing-AthletiCo.

The course is a milelong loop through a historic South Side park. There are no turns to speak of, nor any elevation changes. The most technical part of the course will be avoiding the occasional pothole, but those who train on Sheridan Road may not even notice. And dig those race lengths: Have the 3's enjoyed a 60-minute criterium yet this year? The Cat 5 race has reached capacity, but there is still room in the masters 4/5 field. Primes are improved this year, including cash primes for the lower categories compliments of Chicago Bike Racing. XXX Racing-AthletiCo is also placing a premium on safety precautions. An EMT will be on site, and the team is doubling marshaling efforts to keep riders and neighbors safe. (Your help is needed: Volunteer here.) Naturally, this is an important race to me and to my team. Please consider this a personal invitation to come celebrate bike racing in Chicago. If you appreciate the work I put into this site, race Saturday and you can thank me in person. Elsewhere, Wisconsin is having its state criterium championships in Ripon, and for a more informal road race experience, there is the 62-mile loop of the Great Carroll County Cycling Event, which this year starts in the town of Savanna.

Saturday Sherman Park Criterium USCF criterium Chicago Distance from Chicago: 0 hours

Wisconsin State Criterium Championships USCF criterium Ripon, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Great Carroll County Cycling Event ABR road race Savanna, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Perhaps stung by its loss Saturday, ABD/Geargrinder put on a tactics seminar Sunday at the ABR national criterium championships in Winfield. Both White brothers got in a nine-man break that lapped the P/1/2 field. Once it did, ABD/Geargrinder kept up an intense tempo to prevent any other escapes, and it was Rob White (ABD/Geargrinder) barreling down the homestretch for the win (above).

Clark Priebe (Team Mack) impressed by not only getting in the P/1/2 break, but racing back-to-back he also got in the winning two-man break in the 30+ race, although he would lose to Dave Stone (Lucas Oil). Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) also doubled up nicely, taking home jerseys for both the women's 30+ and the women's 1/2/3 and going 3-for-3 over the weekend. The Whites weren't the only brothers to kick butt. Check out those Zionts boys from Alberto's: Jacob and Zachary went 1-2 in the juniors 10-12. Team Get a Grip Cycles had a productive day, with Devon Haskell getting 2nd in the women's 1/2/3 and Chip Gray and Aspen Gorry hitting the podium in the 3's behind winner Gabe Looker (ABD). I should also note XXX Racing-AthletiCo: Peter Strittmatter and Jacques Cartier hit 3rd and 8th in the 4's. Beth Christiansen repeated as women's 40+ champ, and rookie Anna Loney won the women's 4's. Elsewhere, the few Chicago riders who went to the Sussex Criterium in Wisconsin all had success. Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) took home two top 10's: 2nd in the masters 4/5's and 5th in the 4's. In the 4's he was joined by Alex Smetana (Spider Monkey Cycling) in 6th and Calvin Smythe (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) in 9th. And the 3's were once again ruled by local juniors: Chris Hurst (Baraboo Sharks) in 1st, James Bird (IS Corp) in 2nd. Winfield results. Sussex results.

Winfield photos ABD Team Get a Grip Cycles Vitaminwater-Trek Ellen Wight John Wilke (plus video)

Winfield race reports Gary Chioda (Tower Racing; 4): "There is only one winner in these races. For everyone else it is personal victories, accomplishing goals and looking back and feeling proud of what you attempted."

Pat Dillon (Tower Racing; 4): "I felt like I had a 200-pound weight on my back."

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4, 3): "It was nice to be up at the front as you didn't have to worry about the yo-yo effect near the back with slowing down in the turns."

Aspen Gorry (Team Get a Grip Cycles; 3): "The last time up the hill I drilled it to stay in the top 10 with Chip right on my wheel."

Terry O'Grady (Tower Racing; 4): "I found a seam on the right and hit the gas and was able to get about 15 positions back to my favor, until a rider blew up in front of me and sent me into the gravel coming out of Turn 3."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4): "I was no longer anonymous in the peloton and people were recognizing me, chatting with me about the race, and it really threw me off."

Phil Painter (Tower Racing; 50+): "Took everything I had to hang on."

Jared Rogers (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "I keep forgetting that I sometimes descend like 'The Juggernaut' without trying to. What this means is that with three to go I found myself crossing the line secnd wheel and then pulling the field in first wheel toward the Stairmaster down the backstretch."

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3, 30+): "She showed a picture of me. I was sticking my tongue out and fluffing my mullet."

Mike Shea (Spider Monkey Cycling; 5): "I took Turn 4 hot and then began to kill it to the finish."

Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen; P/1/2): "I messed the sprint up and was too far up and went to early. Story of my life recently."

Mark Swartzendruber (Lucas Oil; 30+): "We had three guys with us as well who begged us to slow down, promised not to sprint and otherwise generally bogged the break down. It was only about 15 minutes into the race at this point and talk of conceding the sprint was in my mind a bit premature."

Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinder: P/1/2): "Together we pull our dudes up to the front and get to work keeping the pace high enough to discourage any would-be last lap heroics."

Scott Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks; 4): "I found it easy to move up on the home stretch as the field would take a break."

Kyle Wiberg (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+): "I got one of those might-as-well-have-some-fun itches and gassed it up the hill."

Sussex race reports Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 4): "The pack reminded me of a little kids soccer game: one big scrum that follows the ball wherever it goes."

Illinois Cycling Association president Steve Feehery (South Chicago Wheelmen) writes to tell me that Tuesday night criteriums in Matteson will return next week, June 10. Hooray!

He also confirms that a state road race championship in the works. The Illinois Cup schedule lists Saturday, Aug. 23, as its date. Double hooray!

Since it looks like we won't have a state championship of our own this year, we might as well make the most of our neighboring states.

I'm most familiar with the Spring Prairie Road Race. It's popular with Chicago riders, and I'm happy to see that out-of-state 4/5's continue to outnumber cheeseheads 11 to 1. The course is a rolling 6.5 miles with high exposure to the wind. Senior fields will do between four and nine laps. There's a steep but short climb before the start/finish that will crack the legs of even the lightest riders (above). Each time up is liable to cut a field in half. Be sure to anticipate the climb by being in your small ring before you make Turn 4, then save something for the top, because there's a long false flat up to the finish line. Don't forget the construction on 94 and give yourself extra time to get there. Many people have written to ask about the Wheaton Criterium, which was originally scheduled for this weekend. I'm told Wheaton declined to give its blessings for a return, so that race is off. No doubt there were multiple concerns, but it's something to think about next time you're wondering whether that sticky gel wrapper should go back into your pocket or flutter into the breeze, or when you're debating whether to wait in line for the potty or to drop trow behind the hydrangeas.

Saturday Indiana State Road Race Championship USCF road race Fishers, Ind. Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Sunday Spring Prairie Road Race USCF road race Spring Prairie, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

As I first reported last month, Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing) paid a special visit to Naperville in early May to spend time with Marc O'Shea's freshman literacy class, which has spent the year studying the life and legacy of Bahati's hero, Major Taylor. Bahati grew up in Compton, Calif., but he has notable Midwest roots. He attended the University of Indiana, guiding his Team Major Taylor to a 2nd place at the 2003 Little 500. And the biggest wins of his career have come at Downers Grove, where he won the juniors and elite national championships in 2000. This season Bahati has been plagued by a hip injury. He scored big with a victory at the Athens Twilight Criterium on April 26, but a week later his injury hobbled him on the uphill time trial to open the Joe Martin Stage Race, forcing him to miss the time cut. He's indicated on his blog that surgery is being considered, but he hopes to be on form for August's national championship, and this weekend he finished 19th at the CSC Invitational, a race he won in 2007. In conjunction with its studies, the class designed and sold wrist-bands to raise funds for World Bicycle Relief. Their efforts will finance two bikes in developing countries. About 20 wristbands remain for a $5 donation. Contact O'Shea to see about purchasing one. Without further adieu, here is a condensed transcript of the interview the students conducted. I'll make the full interview available soon, including discussion of his training regimen and more reflections on Taylor.

Why did you start racing, and what kept you going? (Ankit K.) I was sitting in the classroom like you guys but I wasn't quiet like you guys. I was being the class clown, messing around, sitting in the back, doing the wrong things. It was the story of the boy who cried wolf. I had to go to the restroom that day and my teacher, Mr. Garmen, didn't believe me. And I'm sitting back there and I'm hurting and I really gotta go and he kept saying, "No, Mr. Bahati, no." So I took an eraser, and I threw it at him. Honestly, I really didn't mean to hit him. He had his back towards the class and it was like in slow motion: The eraser came and it came and it came and he turned around. Splat, right in the face. You could see all these white lines on his face. The class went crazy. He took me to the principal's office and told my parents that I had too much energy and it needed to go toward something. So he got me involved in this after-school program he got me involved in bike racing and racing on the velodrome.

What do you think is the most important thing when training for a race? (Nichole C.) To be well rested. I think that is more `[Michael Ball and I] both have the same goal and passion, which is winning bike races and getting more people involved in the sport.’ important than going out and overdoing it. Some of my teammates and people I train with at home train 30 hours a week on a bike. I do half of that. Not because I'm lazy or I don't feel like doing it. It's just this time of the season there is no need to go out and bury yourself when you're out racing so much. I can go train at 80 percent and race at 100 percen, so usually when I go home after a race that's time to recover.

What are some of the most brutal wipeouts you've seen or experienced yourself? (Terry I.) Well, I've seen a lot. I can tell you one of mine. I was 16, my Dad drove me all the way form L.A. to Oregon to do a five-day stage race. The first day I crashed coming down a hill at about 50 mph and didn't know why my shoulder hurt. I didn't know why it hurt, so I got up and grabbed my bike and one of my teammates yelled, "Uh, look at your shoulder!" And I look and my collarbone is actually broke and was sticking out of my skin and after that I freaked our and passed out! That was about it for seven weeks.

What types of injuries have you had and how did you race with them? Adriana C.) I’m battling with an injury right now. My right femur, it’s overgrown for some strange reason. You have your hip, right? And you have the ball that goes into the hip socket. Well, the socket is too big, and so every time I pedal it’s bone touching bone, and it really hurts. Right now I’m just dealing with it.

How did you get into racing with Rock Racing? (Megan R.) I got involved with Rock Racing in 2007. I was at track nationals in California. A friend called and came over with this guy. He said, "I've a buddy that owns a clothing company and he wants to sponsor you." I was getting ready for a race and I looked at him and said, "All right, buddy, I'll call you later." I didn't know it was Rock and Republic. I knew about the company, but he didn't tell me it was a very popular clothing company. Michael Ball, the owner of the company, just wanted to sponsor me. After having a meeting with him, I explained to him that sponsoring me wouldn't help me progress as a cyclist. You need to start a team. And so once he got wind that he could have his own team, he took it to the next level and it's something that I'm really happy about. At the time he met me I was thinking about not racing anymore and doing something else with my life. At the time I had been racing for 11 years. I wasn't getting tired of it, but I have ambitions to do other things. I'm a musician, I play the drums and I wanted to start a band and I wanted to do some other things. I've a degree in computer animation -- I could do that too. I wanted to be a cop. I was thinking about being a homicide detective two years ago. So, I think me and Michael have something special going on and I hope that he can tone it down a little bit and that Rock Racing can continue and become very powerful.

How does your personal philosophy blend with the philosophy of Rock racing? (Cecilee M.) Good question! Rock Racing is really unorthodox. The guy that owns Rock and Republic clothing company, Michael Ball, he doesn't play by the rules per se, and cycling is a very traditional sport. It has been for a long time. So, in a way Michael and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but we both have the same goal and passion, which is winning bike races and getting more people involved in the sport. So that's where we have a great compromise, but his philosophy and my philosophy on how to do things are totally different. But I'm not the boss.

In the NPR interview you mentioned the Tour de France. Are you reaching close to your goal, and how are you preparing for it? (Kayleigh K. ) I'm creeping to get to the Tour de France. It's a huge step. It's something I think I can accomplish. Rock Racing is trying to establish a team that can make it there in the next couple of years. If all goes as planned I'll be there. In 2-3 years I'll be racing the Tour.

Why do you think the behavior towards steroids has changed the view of professional sports? Has it every occurred to you that some of your pro peers have cheated or thought of cheating using illegal products? (Danny L.) This is a really tough sport, and some people can't take the pressure of going out and doing it on their own. I've been lucky enough to not have been pressured by any type of performance-enhancing substances. I'm around people who do it. I race with people who do it. I know people who do it. And I think it's going to be a long time before things will change. I think that it's going to take a lot of effort from you guys, the youth, to come up and change the way people will think about performance-enhancing drugs. They are really dangerous. I hope if anyone in here has an interest in sports, you shouldn't even consider [performance-enhancing drugs]; you can do it without it. I've won hundreds of races without it. I know people who've races and achieved higher things without it. I don't do a lot of studying about it because I just don't get involved with it at all. Some people come to me and ask me questions like that and it's hard for me to answer because I don't study any kinds of steroids or drugs because I don't want anything to do with it -- absolutely nothing. It's something I'm very proud about that I can race and say that I'm clean.

In what major ways do you think Major Taylor and you are similar? (Nick B.) Well, besides the obvious! In 1998, I was getting ready to graduate from high school. My Dad said "You're going to college," and I didn't want to go because it was going to be my last year as a junior racer and I had goals to go to the world championship, win nationals, and my Dad compromised with me. He said OK, if that's what you want to do you've got to give it a good effort and achieve your goals. Well in 1898 and 1899, Major Taylor prepared for and won a world championship, so I thought it was destiny that I was going to win that year. Needless to say, I did go to the world championships and I didn't win, but it was a great experience for me. From that point on, I looked to Major Taylor like an angel, like a guide. Everything I did I turned back to Major Taylor's book to see what he would do in certain situations and so I think we have a lot in common.

If you could go back in time to meet Major Taylor, what would you say to him? (Adam P.) Knowing what I know now, first thing I'd do is just give him a hug. I would just want to sit down with him and have a coffee with him and just pick his brain. Because as you've read he was a very humble guy. A lot of people call me humble and modest, but he took that to the next level. I mean, to have a guy spit on you down get back up and win the race and then shake his hand. That takes a lot of, you know, that's a lot of man there. There is a lot of integrity to do that. I don't know many people that can get spit on and then congratulate the guy for getting third place. That would be amazing to back in time to talk to him to get a feel for his personality. You can get if from the book, but to actually talk to him face-to-face, eye-to-eye -- awesome.

One hundred years from now, how do you hope to inspire cyclists? (Andrea N.) Well, every time, I get on my bike I know somebody's watching me, either good or bad, and I'm not in it to be the best or I want to have this record or that record . I'm just doing it because I love it and I know I'm inspiring people by what I'm doing and where I came from. I just know that being African-American in a sport that is dominated by white America, it leaves an impression not only on people that look like me, but on people that look like you, too. I think that every time I get on the bike I have to watch what I do. I'm a good guy anyway, but I still have to watch what I do. I hope that one day this sport can grow to be international, like not just a white sort or a black sport, but a sport with everyone together. `I just hope to get more people that look like me involved because it's a beautiful sport. Right now I'm the only black professional out there, and it's been that way for a while. I just hope to get more people that look like me involved because it's a beautiful sport. You can stay healthy. It's fun. How many of you ride bikes? Have you ever been over 30 mph on your bike -- wearing a helmet, right? Well, that feeling to me going 40 mph down a hill, descending, is a great feeling. I don't think you can get it anywhere else.

Have you retaliated toward any racial comments thrown at you? (Nick B.) In a very respectful way. Just yesterday I had an issue. You know, a lot of times, I think that it is not even that I'm black. It's just that they don't know what to think because they haven't seen me before. It's almost like, they think I'm an alien, kinda. I was racing in Belgium one time and this guy looked at me and looked back and looked back at me again and again. He couldn't believe it! He didn't know I knew some of the cyclists around us. An Australian guy was his teammate and [the guy] says, "Henk, is this guy really racing?" And I heard him and I just turned around and I laughed. I mean there's really nothing I can say. I get that day in and day out at races because they're surprised. Jealousy, maybe. Number one, nobody likes my team. Number two, it could be that I'm black. Number three, I know they could be jealous because I win a lot. And number four, I've had this stamp put on me that I'm a lazy bike racer and I don't train, so every time I win I always yell out that I'm lazy since they gave it to me anyway. You tell me I'm lazy and I beat you, so I just throw it back in their face.

What do you think motivates other people to lash out at people who are different? (Barbara B.) I try not to give anybody any excuse to dislike me. My Mom always said: "You want to be nice to everyone. You never know if that person you met today could save your life the next day." So, I always try to be as nice as possible to everyone. I was racing in Wisconsin last year and I had a guy say, "No one wants your black ass here." That's direct. You can't blame that on racing. I could have that guy pushing me; I can blame it on bike racing. He was in the heat of the moment. But that guy lashing out at me that way, I can't accept that.

How much pressure is on you from within yourself and from your sponsors? (Megan R.) I don't have any pressure. The sponsors may have pressure, but like I said to a guy the other day, every race that I enter I feel I can win, so if you're my director and you tell me I got to win this race, well, I want to win anyway, so there is no pressure. `Every race that I enter I feel I can win, so if you're my director and you tell me I got to win this race, well, I want to win anyway. I've had Michael Ball call me before Manhattan Beach. I wanted to win that race bad. I had a second and a third there, but never won there, so I wanted to win there really bad. But at 10:30 p.m. he calls me while I'm asleep. I answer it because I saw his name, and he goes, "You gotta win tomorrow!" Well, I was like, "Well, I want to win anyways!" and I hung up the phone. He thought he was giving me that pressure, but I don't need pressure. I don't deal with pressure.

How did you celebrate your first victory? (Mike R.) (Holds his hand up in the air.) It's funny that I did that. That race was so hard for me. And so my first road race I got beat really bad like girls finished in front of me and everything. I think I finished in 8th place. And I was disappointed. I thought I should win because I just thought I should win. I don't know why I should win. I just thought I should win. But the very next weekend I did pretty much the same race with the same kids and I won. I raced so hard, I was so excited, I reached my arms up and I almost collapsed because I was hurting in hear so much. (Rubs belly.) But the judges disqualified me because at that age -- you're like 14 -- they don't want you to have a cocky attitude. They want you to get into the sport and be good sportsmen. So they disqualified me from first to last but that was like a big moment for me because I realized that I could beat these kids. I was 14 and I beat 18-year-olds. It was a good feeling.

If you never started biking, where would you be today? (Maggie S.) If I wasn't biking? Who knows? Cycling took me away from the negative things going on in my life. I grew up in Compton, California, which is like really run down, gang-infested, drug-infested. There's really nothing positive coming out of Compton, but it was where my parents lived because they could afford it. We had a huge family, so they did what they could for us but I was following the trap of hanging with the wrong people, doing the wrong things. I'm really happy that cycling took me away from that. Cycling took me to going to Kenosha, Wis., from Compton. I had never been on an airplane before and that was my first trip. I left L.A. for Kenosha to compete in the national championships, and it really helped me grow up and learn how to do the right things, hang out with the right people, make the right choices. Maybe I'd be playing baseball. I was a catcher. I was really good. I was being recruited when I was really young for high school. I really don't know what I'd be doing. I'm happy doing this.

As Astana's Johan Bruyneel celebrates another grand tour victory, it's appropriate that I welcome the latest sponsor to CBR: Lincoln Square's The Book Cellar, which on June 20 will host Bruyneel as he discusses his new book, "We Might as Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind a Record-Setting Eight Tour de France Victories." The reading starts at 7 p.m. at 4736 N. Lincoln Ave.

Bruyneel will also be speaking in Milwaukee on June 19 at Schwartz Bookshop, 2559 N. Downer Ave., right on the famous Downer Avenue course used during Superweek.

Some highlights from yesterday's Winfield Twilight Criterium:

• » ABD/Geargrinder appeared to have all its ducks in a row in the final few laps of the P/1/2 race, but it was Ben Renkema (Turin) nipping ABR national champion Josh Carter (ABD/Geargrinder) in the sprint, flashing a cheeky tongue as he crossed the finish line (above).
• » Adam Lesniakowski (PACT-Dish Network) has always done well at Winfield, including winning last year's 2/3 race and coming in 2nd thrice previously. This year he got 7th in the P/1/2, but also decisively took a $200 king-of-the-hill prime with five laps to go.
• » An hour before her women's open race, Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) was dealing with a major mechanical and was about to ask for her registration money back. Instead, she found a bike she could borrow and used it to outsprint Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles) by inches.
• » Endure It! had a great day in the 4's, with Colin Riley and Mike Will coming in 3-4 in the bunch sprint. Teammate Ron Good lived up to his team's name by continuing on after a crash took a big gash out of his right elbow. You think that hill was hard? Try doing it with only your left hand. "I really banged my melon," he tells me, "and I couldn't put any pressure on my right hand or get a deep breath as I really messed up a couple of ribs." He gets the HTFU award of the day.
• » After several attempts to break away, it was the move of Will Nowak (Targetraining), Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) and Dave Stone (Lucas Oil) that turned out the lights in the 2/3 race. Nowak won the sprint after the threesome built almost a minute lead.
• » It was a black storm in the 5's race, with XXX Racing-AthletiCo dominating a lead group. Unfortunately for them, it was Ryan Freund (Unattached) who took the win and they had to settle for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place, a veritable conga line of bridesmaids to Freund's bride.
• » Hyde Park's Team TATI made its competitive debut in its retro knickers and wool jerseys, and they swept the podium in the side category of "People who rode to the race from the city."

Full results.

Photos: Seth Meyer Team TATI John Wilke (scroll down)

Race reports Grant Davis (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 5): "In attacking my plan wasn’t really to get away, but to liven the race up a bit."

Nick Gierman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 4): "The hill on the back side of the course was a long, gradual climb, but this is where I figured the attacks would come and the field would crack."

Don Hanke (Tower Racing; 4): "This was a nice course and we all agreed that we enjoyed it, after it was over."

Chris Padfield (Team Pegasus; 4): "That hill put the hurt on my big frame, and it was a VO2Max session every trip up."

Mike Shea (Spider Monkey Cycling; 5): "This hill really would come to be my enemy, far more than the other racers."

Scott Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks; 4): "I took it easy on the hill to save something for the finish, but that was a huge mistake. I hammered out of every turn, but it just didn't matter in the end."