• » ABD has a few treats in store for its 2010 Indoor Time Trial Series, including an invitational for the top riders. The first event is Jan. 24.
• » Jay Ryan has once again produced a stunning poster to commemorate our state cyclocross championships.
• » Wait for it ... Wait for it ... “Oh, that looked bad ...”
• » The Peoria Journal Star lets Steve Driscoll (Team Mack) tell the remarkable story of his catastrophic crash and long recovery.
• » I’ve caught wind of the first new team of 2010: Reed Oliff is starting up Lamb Little Racing, an elite squad focusing on road races and time trials.
• » The city is looking for a bike-minded engineering student to help design new bike lanes.
• » USA Cycling notes the passing of Roger DeLanghe.
• » I am all out of cross calendars but I have a few road calendars left, available at Montrose Harbor for $15. Once they sell out, you’ll have to purchase directly from Cafe Press. (Cyclocross fans take note: After Montrose I will create an updated version of the cross calendar that includes shots from the second half of the season. More than likely this will be available only through Cafe Press.)
• » In other calendar news, the 2010 editions of the Thought You Knew pun-up calendar are out, this time with a boys version. Proceeds go to the Chicago Women’s Health Center.

Chicago Bike Racing has friends in high places.

Major thanks to Walid Abu Ghazaleh (Van Wagner/Yojimbo's) for securing the above real estate to celebrate the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. See it for yourselves at 401 N. Milwaukee Ave. (See the original here.)

Team Pegasus this week mourns the loss of its friend and teammate Sean Callahan, 27, who died Monday night.

Callahan lived in Chicago and had raced alleycats for several years. In 2009 he moved into sanctioned racing, both track and cyclocross. His most recent race was Saturday at Indian Lakes, where he finished 12th in the 4A's, his best result. He was a talented and well-known trick rider, both on fixed gears and inline skates. Services have not been finalized but are expected to be held Wednesday in Springfield, Mo., and Saturday, Nov. 28, in Evansville, Ind.

Update: Here is Callahan's Legacy guestbook.

Dave Fowkes passes along news that Roger DeLanghe, founder of the Quad Cities Criterium in 1965 and namesake of the prestigious Roger DeLanghe Trophy Race at the Northbrook Velodrome, passed away Wednesday afternoon.

The funeral will be Tuesday morning in SterlIng, Ill. I will update this post as there are more details.

Update: Here is his death notice, including service details. His wife of 59 years, Irene, invites all cyclists to attend and to wear team jerseys or jackets.

• » Turin is looking for volunteers to help with the state cyclocross championships at Montrose Harbor. Help would be appreciated with set-up on Saturday, Dec. 5, and with marshaling, registration and tear-down on Sunday. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• » The Illinois Cycling Association is accepting nominations online.
• » The Northbrook Cycle Committee meets tomorrow to vote on officers.
• » Chicago Area Mountain Bikers has tentatively slated Aug. 22, 2010, for the next Palos Meltdown.
• » What cross riders think hipsters think of cross riders.

Is it too early to start thinking about Hillsboro-Roubaix?

No, of course not. Former race director Rich Pierce (ICCC) reports at StLBiking that in the interest of safety, the 2010 edition of our spring classic may be longer, taking a 29-mile route that eliminates a challenging climb but provides safer turns. Fields overtaking one another was an issue in 2009, and this may help with that, too. Compare with the traditional 22-mile route. Pierce writes that he expects P/1/2's to do three laps, the 3's two. The challenge of a 29-mile course is what to do for the 4's: 29 miles is too short, 58 miles too long. Half-laps could be an elegant solution, but a potential logistical nightmare. The same thread cites Saturday, April 10, as the 2010 date.

Excellent news from up north: The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has renewed its title sponsorship of the Tour of America's Dairyland, the 11-day series that made its debut this year as an expansion of the Midwest Cycling Series. No information on schedule or venues, but the series is tentatively slated for another 11-day run, June 17-27.

• » It makes me think seriously about grad school: The 2010 collegiate national championships will be in Madison, Wis., and a source tells me the road race will employ the popular Blue Mounds course. Masters championships won't be far, either, returning to Louisville, although later in the season: Aug. 1-7.
• » Update: Thanks to Mike Ebert (ABD) for noting a significant point that I missed: The 2010 elite national criterium championships will be held in conjunction with the elite road race championships, which are slated for Bend, Ore. That is a major blow to Downers Grove. With the Chicago Criterium in question, it may mean we never see the nation's best women race, which is a huge loss.
• » "Race Across the Sky," a documentary about this year's Leadville 100 mountain bike race, returns for a second showing Thursday. (Since AMC River East botched the initial showing, the dirtbags of The Bonebell are heading to Evanston.)
• » More than 60 women attended Half Acre Cycling's women's night last week. Coincidentally, Sunday's cross race had the largest women's turnout of the year.
• » North Branch Cycling is having a fall social in Deer Park on Friday. The team invites interested riders from anywhere but particularly the northwest suburbs. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for directions.
• » Turin is again holding a winter food drive. Food can be dropped off at the shop in Evanston or at the state cross championships on Dec. 6.
• » Lower race fees. Bigger purses and a sweet raffle. A chance to party with the Cuttin' Crew. Should be good times at Indian Lakes this Saturday.
• » Brilliant. In Minnesota cyclocross, the winner of the 4's race gets a bag of sand. (Because our friends up north are soft and afraid to race in the cold and snow of December, Minnesota's state championships are this weekend. A source tells me it will be epic.)
• » Ben Jenkins took some superior photos of the muddy cross racing in St. Charles.
• » "Hill repeats suck so much ass." If "Downfall" parodies are wrong, I don't want to be not wrong. (May be inappropriate for delicate readers.)
• » NY Velocity collects some interesting comments on race radios.
• » Kristen Meshberg (Team BH USA) once again teaches Pedaling with a Purpose training sessions this winter in Westmont.
• » 2010 road and cross calendars remain. Flag me down at Saturday's cross race. Just $15 when purchased in person.

• » A local name I missed from the UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships: Jim Host (PACT/Dish Network) earned silver in the 50-54 2k pursuit, finishing 2.5 seconds off a world-record pace set by American Larry Nolan (Team Specialized Masters).
• » The Illinois Cycling Association needs a few short-term volunteers for its election committee.
• » Rahsaan Bahati's new team includes former ABD rider Ryan Baumann.
• » Our reputation is spreading.
• » Tonight is Half Acre Cycling's women's night.
• » The USCF Board of Trustees will this weekend vote on proposed rule changes. Most notable may be new gear restrictions for juniors 16 and younger: from 52x14 to 52x16. Since this affects juniors, robust discussion is taking place on the Facebook.
• » "There are not a lot of skinny action heroes out there." Such is the plight of the cyclist. The New York times catches up with teen heartthrob Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Amgen-Giant Masters).
• » Thanks to Brean Shea (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) for sharing this story about night racing in Brooklyn.
• » I expect to have 2010 road and cross calendars available at Sunday's cross race in Northbrook. Just $15 when purchased in person.