• » Higher Gear is hosting a women’s ride with Rahsaan Bahati next Wednesday, Aug. 15.
• » Registration is open for Half Acre’s Sept. 8 Women’s & Trans Cyclocross Clinic in Humboldt Park.
• » Thursday is the prestigious Roger Delanghe Trophy Race at the Northbrook Velodrome.
• » Speaking of prestigious, WBEZ put together a video from this weekend’s Cycle Messenger World Championships at Soldier Field.

• » A flier is available for the May 5-6 Tour de Champaign and Urbana Grand Prix.
• » Registration is open for both the Glencoe Grand Prix, our state criterium championship, and the Tour of America’s Dairyland. Both carry significant penalties for not registering early. Starting April 1 — a full two months before the race — Glencoe fees go up $3-$10 per race, then another $10-$15 day-of. Fees for most TOAD races are $43, plus $10 day-of. Racers doing all 10 races can pay $344 for the entire series, but only until May 1 and with a $25 processing fee on top of it all.
• » Meet Andrew Nordyke (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew), Canadian heartthrob.
• » Chris Jensen (Robots p/b/ Love) is organizing a repair day on April 1 to tend to traces left by December’s Afterglow cyclocross race. This is a good opportunity to help urban cyclocross stay in the good graces of the park district.

• » I’m a little behind in piecing together the 2012 race calendar, but here are some important updates: Registration is open for the Leland Kermesse. Registration opens Wednesday, Feb. 15, for Hillsboro Roubaix. The Gapers Block Crits — a fun and accessible race series, perfect for beginners — will return Monday, March 26.
• » The Wisconsin race calendar is online, including a return for my personal favorite road race, the Leland Grand Prix, on May 19. Meanwhile, other Illinois races can be sleuthed out on the USA Cycling race finder. ABR’s race calendar is starting to come together, too, including the start of the Kenosha Spring Training Criteriums on March 11.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association is holding a introductory officials clinic on Saturday, Feb. 11.
• » If you missed the New Year’s Resolution, catch up with Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) and Behind the Barriers.
• » How do you beat the Chicago Bulls? Riding to work helps.

• » The Illinois Cycling Association Awards banquet is next Saturday, Jan. 14, near downtown Chicago. The special guest is Freddie Rodriguez (Team Exergy), and $20 of each $50 ticket will go to the Chicago Velo Campus.
• » Speaking of awards, Mark Swartzendruber (Scarlet Fire) is back with his 2011 Druber Awards.
• » If the Chicago Cyclocross Cup’s 4B’s races have taught us anything, it’s that cross is best enjoyed in slow motion. Driving that point home is this gorgeous video from Kyle Bainter, shot at this weekend’s New Year’s Resolution races at Indian Lakes Resort. More great photos from this amazing weekend can be found in the Saturday and Sunday wrap-ups. (Don’t miss this muddy report from state champion Scott McLaughlin (SRAM Factory).)
• » It’s already time to make plans for ABD’s Indoor Time Trial Series, which begins Sunday, Jan. 22.
• » It’s bike swap season. The well-regarded Brazen Dropout Bike Swap in Madison takes place Jan. 14, followed by the Chicago Winter Bike Swap in Palatine on Jan. 21.

• » Meet Les Petites Victoires, an elite four-woman squad that will hit the road in 2012. Mark Swartzendruber (Scarlet Fire) has a fun interview with Liz So, one of its founders.
• » The Highland Park High School Bicycle Club is hosting the Highland Park High School Training CX Rumble for 7th- to 12th-grade students on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Juniors can also race free at that week’s Afterglow.
• » Registration fees for January’s cyclocross national championships go up Friday.
• » Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervélo) will appear at the Michigan Avenue Garmin store Thursday, Dec. 22.
• » Chicago’s Steve Dennis is among the artists featured in the “Bike Art” coffee table book.

• » The Tour of America’s Dairyland announced Tuesday that it is seeking Illinois venues to host races in late July to complement its week of June races in Wisconsin. It could make for a busy month: TOAD is slated for June 21-July 1, the final four days of which would be National Criterium Calendar events, and Superweek is planning for July 6-22.
• » Jeff Spencer, Lance Armstrong‘s chiropractor, is speaking at Turin on Friday, Dec. 9.
• » Turin, of course, is also hosting Sunday’s state cyclocross championships at Montrose Harbor.
• » This is a clever T-shirt to raise funds to send Lionel Rochelau (Geargrinder) to Belgium for cyclocross camp.

• » A weekend of fun at Indian Lakes Resort kicks off Friday night with the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew and its third annual Cave Catastrophe. Consider this a trial run for the New Year’s Resolution at the same location.
• » Here’s a video preview of the Madison course that will be used for January’s cyclocross national championship.
• » Here’s a taste of a forthcoming documentary about the Chicago Velo Campus.
• » One more video: A documentary from September’s Sub-5 Century Challenge.
• » A photo from this year’s Leland Kermesse is among the finalists of Velonews’ Jens Voigt Hardman Photo Contest.
• » Later this month SRAM hosts a bike art auction to race funds for World Bicycle Relief.

• » The Chicago Velo Campus is hosting a party at Rapid Transit on Saturday to launch its Cycle4Seasons, a fundraising drive to build a roof over the temporary velodrome.
• » Registration is open for the New Year’s Resolution, two days of amateur and UCI racing at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. Note the field limits for concurrent races: Looks like the 2/3’s and 15-18 juniors are on pace to fill early.

• » The Tour of Elk Grove will again be a UCI race in 2012, this time upgraded to 2.1 status, which may help attract top teams who will be in the States for the Tour of Utah the following week. (CyclingNews notes that this change will preclude regional amateur teams, but I don’t believe any took part this year when the race was 2.2 and they were still eligible.)
• » Meanwhile, USA Cycling released its 2012 racing calendars, for the first time splitting a National Criterium Calendar from the road and stage races of the National Racing Calendar. The women’s Tour of Elk Grove and the Glencoe Grand Prix are the only Chicago race to make the NCC, the later moving even earlier to Saturday, June 2, but for the first time the Tour of America’s Dairyland will be on the national calendar with its first four races making the NCC.
• » Jim Host (PACT/Dish Network) earned masters world championships on the track in the 55-59 pursuit and points races. The pursuit set a world record, and in the points race he recovered from a crash to come back and win it on the final sprint. This came on the heels of earning three masters national championships in August.
• » In other track championship news, Joe Berenyi (Psimet) also earned a national championship in the C5 individual pursuit.
• » ABD is increasing the purse for Sunday’s Chicago Cyclocross Cup race.
• » There will be an ABR cyclocross race in Kankakee on Saturday, Oct. 29.

• » The Illinois Cycling Association is accepting nominations for its board, and its next meeting is Saturday at 2 p.m. in Chicago.

• » Some non-Chicago Cyclocross Cup races to be aware of:

  Psycho Cross After Dark takes place the evening of Friday, Oct. 14. Bring your own lights. There will be a bonfire, bubble machine and maybe a band, and there is the option to camp overnight ahead of the next day’s Cup race. Then on Saturday, Nov. 19, Psimet invites you to Fox River Grove for Norge Ski Jump Cyclocross.

• » Project 5 Racing invites women to the 4th Annual Ladies Kit Up ‘n’ Chat Chick Ride on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Westmont. Snacks provided.

• » Just a few days left for the Thought You Knew 2012 Pin-up Calendar Kickstarter fundraiser.

• » On Oct. 13, Active Trans celebrates its 25th anniversary with a gala that will include Christian Vande Velde (Garmin Cervélo).

• » Don’t let all the cyclocross buzz fool you: There’s still great road racing to be had. ABD’s highly recommended Fall Fling takes place over the next two weekends, and this year there’s a $2,000 prize for team performance.
• » The Chicago Tribune rediscovers cyclocross. (See also.)
• » After opening to record participation in Jackson Park this Sunday, the Chicago Cyclocross Cup next hits Dekalb on Oct. 2 and the 4’s fields are already filling up. The day will also include the Official Unofficial Illinois State Single Speed Cyclocross Championship, with winners earning airfare and entry to the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships in San Francisco.
• » Bike Fall looks like a fun way to spend a Saturday at the Hideout.
• » Chrisian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo) goes very, very fast.

• » Sunday, Sept. 11, is Patriot Cross, another pre-season tuneup for the cyclocross season.
• » Excellent work from Pony Shop and Get a Grip Cycles to nab a bike thief who struck at the Glencoe Grand Prix.
• » ABR’s four-person time trial has moved from Sept. 11 to Sept. 10.
• » Enzo’s catches up with Mike Sherer (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) as he winds down his first season as a pro.
• » Cycling-minded designers may enjoy using Velo Ipsum, a filler copy generator for bike dorks.

• » Registration is open for Jackson Park Cyclocross, and registration opens tomorrow for Half Acre Cycling’s women’s clinic. Meanwhile, Chicago Cyclocross Cup is soliciting T-shirt and sock designs, and Cyclocross Sitters will watch your children at races this season.
• » Chicago designer Jerome Daksiewicz did another of his Tour de France infographics.
• » The Second Annual Wrigley Field Road Tour, a benefit for World Bicycle Relief, is seeking volunteers for Saturday, Aug. 27.

• » Nico Deportago-Cabrera (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) finished 7th at this week’s Cycle Messenger World Championships in Warsaw, Poland. He recorded a video blog along the way for Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The championships come here in 2012.
• » Registration opened today for Relay Cross on Sunday, Aug. 28. (Both teammates register at once.)
• » Online registration closes Sunday for the Palos Meltdown.

• » This weekend is the Great Egyptian Omnium, a chance to do a stage race downstate. Registration closes tonight.
• » Registration is open for the July 30 Grayslake Cycling Classic.
• » The Tour of Elk Grove, a prestigious UCI event this year, needs volunteers and host housing. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to help. Also note that this is a rare local NRC-level stage race for women, and it’s open to Cat 1’s and 2’s. In addition, there is once again significant prize money available to all amateur categories.
• » There was an effort to quickly organize an alternative race to replace the Aug. 21 Evanston NRC event, but that date is now officially off the National Racing Calendar.
• » Construction of the Chicago Velo Campus temporary velodrome continues apace, but volunteers are needed every day. Follow its Facebook page for updates and information about how to help.
• » Brian Ellison (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) continues to recover from his serious crash at the Kenosha Velodrome a few weeks ago. The Teen Dream Fund is soliciting funds to help get him back on two wheels.
• » Half Acre Cycling is hosting a Sept. 10 cross clinic for women.
• » Relay Cross will return to Jackson Park on Aug. 28. The Chicago Cyclocross Cup will start a few weeks later at the same location on Sept. 18.

• » Doing well in all three Iowa Memorial Day weekend criteriums can earn a spot in the Nature Valley Grand Prix. (Previously Hillsboro-Roubaix was a qualifier.)
• » Saturday is the Illinois Cycling Association awards banquet.
• » Registration is open for the March 26 Spring Super Criterium.
• » Half Acre Cycling is hosting a road racing clinic for women.
• » There’s still cyclocross! Sunday is the Tour de Groundhog downstate.
• » Vision Quest is hosting an indoor time trial on March 5.
• » Next weekend is the Bicycle Film Festival.
• » Interesting things are afoot at Chicago.cx. And Tati Cycles is on the Tumblr.

• » This is a big deal: The Chicago Cyclocross Cup will host two UCI cyclocross races over New Year’s Eve weekend at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale. Amateur racing will be included, and it comes just one week before the national championships in Madison and two weeks before the masters world championships in Louisville.
• » Also at Indian Lakes Resort: The Illinois Cycling Association annual awards banquet will be held there Saturday, Feb. 26.
• » The Evanston Grand Prix is the only area race to make the 2011 USA Crits lineup.
• » Illinois Tech Cycling is is hosting Goldsprints at The Bog on Thursday, Feb. 24.
• » The mayor of Des Plaines has proposed a velodrome. This is separate from the Chicago Velo Campus idea.
• » The Northbrook Velodrome has updated its track records.
• » Registration for the Gapers Block Crits opens Feb. 21. The five-day series kicks off Monday, March 21.

• » Sunday is the Chicago Cyclocross Cup Awards Dinner.
• » It’s bike swap season. Saturday is Madison. Chicago Winter Bike Swap is Saturday, Jan. 22. Active Trans’ Chicago Cycle Swap will be Saturday, Feb. 26.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association‘s next meeting is at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at SRAM, 1333 N. Kingsbury St., in Chicago.
• » Half Acre Cycling has set March 21-25 for the 2011 Gapers Block Crits. These are fun opportunities for lower-category riders to shake the cobwebs out of the legs, and in a single week new riders can get halfway to Category 4.
• » And not a moment too soon. Hillsboro-Roubaix is Saturday, April 2. Looks like entry fees all went up $5. Such is the tyranny of supply and demand.
• » Endure It! is holding indoor time trials on Sunday, Feb. 6, and Sunday, March 27.

• » Former Chicagoan Devon Haskell (Bike Station Aptos) took home her latest national championship Saturday in the women’s 30-34 cyclocross race in Bend, Ore. The girls 15-16 title went to Wisconsin’s Corrie Osborne (IS Corps), who this fall joined us for several Chicago Cyclocross Cup races, and U23 went to Katie Antonneau (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) of Racine, Wis., who will be racing on the road for Peanut Butter & Co. in 2011. Meanwhile, Cycling Reporter interviews Francis Parker alumnus Chris Hurst (Unattached), who has a bright future after finishing 2nd and 5th in the collegiate and U23 national championships.
• » But wait, there’s more! Saturday is Afterglow in Humboldt Park.
• » Junior track national champion Kaleb Koch (IS Corps) is in the running for Chicago Athlete’s athlete of the year.
• » Registration is open for Michigan’s popular Barry-Roubaix gravel road race in March.
• » Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervélo) will appear on Michigan Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
• » ABD is adding a few local stars to its women’s elite ranks, including Kristen Meshberg and Stacy Appelwick.
• » Enzo’s and Psimet are teaming up in 2011, including some formidable masters pick-ups from Verdigris and Alberto’s.
• » What is a pirate’s favorite cycling team? RR! In northwest Indiana, the new Region Racing will “ride together, train together and socialize together.” And with a few new recruits, Rhythm Racing will “train together, compete together and hang out together.”
• » Chicago Velo Campus is giving an iPad to a well-spoken supporter.

• » Saturday is the annual Illinois Cycling Association awards banquet.
• » The original founders of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup are raising glasses at the Globe this Friday. The fun continues Sunday with the state championships at Montrose Harbor.
• » Chicago’s Rebecca Much, mostly recently of Tibco, will race for the new Danbury Audi squad in 2011.
• » Hey, look, it’s Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) in a full-page ad for Zico.
• » The Wisconsin Bicycle Federation is having a bike swap in Milwaukee on Saturday, Dec. 12.
• » The Chicago Velo Campus is the latest effort to bring an indoor velodrome to Chicago. Follow its Facebook page for updates.
• » There is a lot to fancy at Bike Fancy. But no dudes? Some of us could use some pointers.

• » Greta Neimanas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) has hit the big time.
• » Verizon u25 is still pumping out great videos from the road season. Here’s the latest from Kenosha. (Spoiler: It’s kind of a downer.)
• » Enzo’s Cycling Products chats up Debbie Dust (Bouledogue Tour Noir).
• » Chicago painter Steve Dennis was selected to show at the National Art Museum of Sport in Indianapolis. He’s also giving away some wool jerseys.
• » There will be a mini-race for children of all ages at Saturday’s Northbrook Swan Song, just after the traditional juniors race. For the grown-ups, there will be a beer tent and grill.
• » Chip Williams was on fire again at Indian Lakes. This photo of Alex Nemeth (Tower Racing) may be the shot of the year.
• » Cyclocross bingo. (H/T Tati.)

• » Registration closes tonight for this weekend’s cyclocross races at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale. The South Chicago Wheelmen have goosed the prize money to more than $4,000 a day — up from the minimum $1,250 — and the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew has been enlisted to provide two evenings of entertainment.
• » Oh, baby, let’s do it one more time.
• » Chip Williams has been experimenting with strobes at the cross races. The results have been fantastic.
• » Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park could be a fun way to shake off the winter cobwebs, although the opening of its Milwaukee location has been delayed.

• » Chicago cyclocross has again made the big time.
• » Cyclocross national championships will come to Madison. (What is the freezing temperature of New Glarus?)
• » Psimet introduces the Psimet Indoor Racing League to help get through winter.
• » Chicago’s Reid Schwartz (Midwest Masters) earned a gold medal at the track world championships in Portugal.
• » USA Cycling’s board of trustees meets this weekend to consider an array of rule changes, including some major equipment restrictions for juniors. VeloNews sums up some of the logic behind it. Contact the Illinois Cycling Association if you have strong feelings about any of the proposed changes.
• » The Illinois Institute of Technology is in the running for the King of Style Collegiate Jersey Design Contest.

• » The Illinois Cycling Association is meeting Saturday in Lisle. Another important date to note: The annual awards banquet will be Saturday, Dec. 4, the same day as a promoters summit. Both will be held at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale.
• » Sunday’s cyclocross race in St. Charles should be one of the more spectator-friendly, with prizes for costumes and a 4-H bake sale. Last year’s race was the muddiest of the series.
• » Chicago Athlete covers cyclocross this month.
• » Gatorade is looking for test subjects.

• » The Tour of America’s Dairyland has set its 2011 dates: June 16-June 26.
• » Ciclo Urbano and Johnny Sprockets are hosting a zombie ride next Thursday, followed by drinks and a “Zombieland” screening.
• » ABD is more than doubling the standard payout for Sunday’s cyclocross race in Bartlett, and the South Chicago Wheelmen are paying$8,100 over the two days of Indian Lakes in November.
• » Now this is how you design a proper cyclocross course.
• » And this is how you finish a race with style.

• » Many Chicago cyclists and racers are rallying for Bill Hatch (Colavita), who is fighting cancer. A fundraiser is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 28.
• » Scott Rosenfield (IS Corps) landed an interview with Joe Papp.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association reports that Illinois is ranked 9th in USAC licenses, up from 14th two years ago.
• » Registration for cyclocross national championships is open. New this year: Call-ups will be based not on registration order but on previous nats results and results from an optional time trial.
• » Cyclocross nats in the Midwest?

• » Terrible news from Wisconsin.
• »The road season officially retired this weekend with the conclusion of the Fall Fling. Chris Mosora (Verizon Wireless) held on to win the 1/2 overall while teammate Brian Harris won the 40+ in a tiebreaker over Dave Pollin (WDT-Allvoi). Racing in their field was Marek Serafin (PACT/Dish Network), who wrapped up the 3’s overall. In the 4’s, Joe Berenyi (Psimet) took a one-point lead into the final race and clinched it with a 4th place on the day. Also of note is 15-year-old Konrad Witt (ABD), who won two of the three 4’s races he entered, hopefully a preview of good results to come in 2011.  Full Saturday results. Full overall results.
• » Chicago riders raced well at this weekend’s track national championships in Carson, Calif. Medals went to Val Brostrom (Bouledogue Tout Noir), 2nd in the first-ever women’s madison championship, a day after she went down hard in the points race; Josh Ryan (Bouledogue Tout Noir) and Jonathan Fraley (WDT-Allvoi), 4th in the team sprint; and XXX Racing-AthletiCo’s squad of Liam Donghue, Dave Moyer, John Tomlinson and Randy Warren, 5th in the team pursuit. Other notable results include young Chazz Martin (IS Corps) and Al Urbanski (WDT-Allvoi), 9th and 10th in the scratch; Urbanski again with 8th in the omnium; Moyer with 7th in the individual pursuit; and finally Brostrom with 9th in the women’s scratch.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association meets Saturday in Lisle.
• » The Tribune profiles masters world champion Leigh Thompson (Vision Quest).
• » Two events for women this week: Tomorrow is a Q&A with Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia), and Saturday is the Project 5 Kit Up ‘N’ Chat Chick Ride.
• » Registration for cyclocross national championships open Tuesday.
• » Jason Alvarado (Embrocation Cycling Journal) has arranged for “The Cyclocross Meeting” to be shown at The Music Box on Monday, Oct. 25, with pro Barry Wicks (Kona) in attendance. Seating will be very limited. Tickets are available online.
• » Wayne Simon (Verdigris) has been writing some fun, detailed cyclocross race reports on the Enzo’s Cycling Products blog, including an account of his win at a very competitive 45+ field at Madison’s Planet Bike Cup.
• » For everything else you need to know about cyclocross, consult this comic.

• » The Fall Fling opened under cool, blustery fall conditions this weekend, but Chris Mosora (Verizon Wireless) heated things up by making the break in the combined 1/2, 3 and 40+ crit on Saturday, finishing 2nd after the threesome nursed a 15-second gap for much of the race, then finishing 2nd in Sunday’s time trial. He takes the lead in the 1/2’s omnium, trailed closely by Ryan Freund (Verizon u25) and two Bicycle Heaven mates: Patrick Fasse and Rob Kelley. On the women’s side, Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) swept the weekend and has a two-point lead over Alexandra Navas (Northwestern). Racing continues with circuit races Saturday and Sunday. Full criterium results. Full time trial results. Full omnium standings.
• » VeloNews takes a look at Verizon u25.
• » Mainstream media cover this weekend’s cyclocross races in Madison.
• » Downstate cyclocross riders — or 4’s who got aced out of Sunday’s race in DeKalb — may be interested in the Ronde Von Jakob.

• » Spidermonkey Cycling hosts a women’s racing Q & A with Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) on Thursday, Oct. 7.
• » The Olympics might have been nice, but word out of Guatemala is that Chicago’s bid landed 2012 Cycle Messenger World Championships.
• » A record 541 riders opened the Chicago Cyclocross Cup season Sunday. The next race is in DeKalb on Sunday, Oct. 3, and will include the 2nd Annual Officially Unofficial Illinois State Cyclocross Single Speed Championship.
• » Cyclocross magazine had kind words for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup ‘09 photo book.
• » The New York Times’ Nichoals Kristof profiles World Bicycle Relief.

• » Chicago riders picked up several titles at this weekend’s masters track national championships in Frisco, Texas. Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) and Jon Fraley (WDT/Allvoi) won multiple jerseys: Appelwick in the 35-39 pursuit and points, Fraley in the 30-34 sprint and team sprint. On Sunday, Reid Schwartz (Midwest Masters) won the 60-64 time trial and 60-69 team sprint, and Josh Ryan (Bouledogue Tout Noir) took the 30-34 kilo, just a half-second faster than Fraley. Also earning silver medals were Chris Mosora (Verizon Wireless) in the 40-44 points and Jeffrey Whiteman (Flatlandia) in the 30-34 sprint.
• » Sunday is ABR’s four-man time trial national championships, reputed by many to be the most fun event of the year.
• » ABD has information for this year’s Fall Fling. As always, this is a highly recommended event to wrap up your season — or to get a early start on the next.
• » Project 5 is again hosting an end-of-season ride and picnic for women on Saturday, Oct. 9.
• » Beverly Bike/Vee-Pak’s Oct. 10 cyclocross race will be Elvis Cross: Free peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches and fried chicken, plus $5 off if you dress as the King.
• » Ted Ramos (Iron Cycles) and Well-Fit offer a biweekly cyclocross class.

• » Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) is a new national champion in only her second season of racing: She won today’s women’s 35-39 pursuit at the masters track national championships in Frisco, Texas.
• » 2 Bici Bicycle Shop has a photo of Laurent Fignon racing in Chicago.
• » Our city was represented well at last week’s Canadian-American Police Fire Games in Ohio, with medals going to Ronie Lopez (Beverly Bike/Vee-Pak), Jim Price (Iron Cycles), Tony Rienks (Beverly Bike/Vee-Pak) and Mike Seguin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo).
• » Enjoy some of the race reports, photos and videos from Sunday’s inaugural Cyclocross Relay Race in Jackson Park. With a capacity 50 teams in the co-ed race, I believe this may have been the most women to ever line up for a bike race in Illinois. The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew was already in mid-season form, winning two races and providing endless LOLz from the heckling couch.
• » Registration is open for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. The 4A’s at Jackson Park are already more than half full, the women’s 4’s a quarter full, and I would not be surprised if many of the 4A’s and 4B’s races reach capacity weeks ahead of each race.
• » Team Pegasus is hosting a free cyclocross clinic for women in Humboldt Park on Monday. Next Saturday, Half Acre Cycling holds its own cyclocross clinic for women.
• » Verizon u25 gets some press in the Sun-Times.
• » The Huntington Bicycle Challenge is a two-day, 140-mile race in Indiana.

• » Leigh Thompson (Vision Quest)  won today’s women’s 50-54 time trial at the masters world championships in Tyrol, Austria.
• » It boggles my mind every year: Certain races in March and April will sell out, but now it’s the nicest weather of the year and registration is light for this weekend. People suddenly have better things to do than racing their bicycles?
• » Maybe everybody will be saving their energy and tuning their cowbells for Sunday’s Cyclocross Relay Race in Jackson Park.
• » Paul Swinand (Start2Finish) and the Northbrook Bicycle Club are hosting cyclocross training sessions for juniors starting Friday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m.
• » Registration is open for the state time trial championships in Harvard on Saturday, Sept. 4. (World champion Thompson has already signed up. Perhaps her rainbow stripes will make their debut.)
• » Some nice video from the Glencoe Grand Prix. Did you race? Check your e-mail for an invitation to complete a survey to help the race improve.
• » Tomorrow is a big night for women with the Elaine Nekritz Trophy Race in Northbrook.
• » New Belgium’s Urban Assault Ride hits Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 12.

• » At this week’s junior world championships in Italy, Jessi Prinner (ABD) finished 13th in the time trial and 16th in the road race. In her race report, bronze medalist Coryn Rivera (Peanut Butter & Co.) cites Prinner for being instrumental in keeping her in contention. Track racing starts tonight, with John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) getting a late call-up to the scratch race — which he’ll have to contest on a borrowed bike, thanks to United Airlines. Update: Tomlinson finished 13th in his scratch heat, just missing qualifying for the final.
• » VeloNews previews Saturday’s Glencoe Grand Prix. A local cycling blog gets a shout-out.
• » Zach Thomas (Half Acre Cycling) interviews Chris Horner (Radio Shack).
• » Video of the last lap of Elk Grove’s 35+ 3/4’s.
• » Video of the close sprint from Saturday’s 40-44 national criterium championship, in which Mike Heagney (Vision Quest) finished 6th. (Here’s an overhead still of the finish, further evidence of why you should always throw your bike.) The next day, Glenview’s Kathleen Corbett (Midwest Masters) won the women’s 60-64 criterium.
• » Sunday, Aug. 29, is the Active Transportation Alliance’s Boulevard Lakefront Tour. Using the code “XXX5” saves you $5.
• » Cute overload of the day: Start here and be continue through each photo that follows.
• » This time of year it’s fun to play with USA Cycling’s rankings. Victor Rentas (Team G Force), for example, is the top-ranked Cat 3 criterium racer in the country.
• » Still haven’t seen full results from ABR’s state road race last month, but Colm Flannery (Proctor) has a report.
• » Don’t forget that Sunday is IIT’s cyclocross clinic with Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) and Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). Meanwhile, Half Acre Cycling is hosting a cross clinic for women on Sept. 11, in time for the Sept. 19 Chicago Cyclocross Cup kick-off in Jackson Park.
• » Can’t make those clinics? VeloNews has reposted these helpful videos.  (Everything I know about being a mediocre Cat 3 cyclocross racer, I learned from those videos.)
• » A heartwarming tale of a stolen bike in Brooklyn.
• » Why, yes, Rouleur Derby did make book on the Glencoe Grand Prix.

• » A Tennessee TV station profiles Joe Berenyi (Psimet).
• » Michael Zellman (Verizon Wireless) got to hang out with Chris Horner (Radio Shack) last week.
• » Justin Teichen is coming into good form as videographer for Verizon u25. His latest dispatch from Downer Avenue is a winner. They’re all worth watching. Teichen has done well to capture the brotherhood that is a tight squad.
• » The first cross race of the year will be a one-of-a-kind relay cross race in Jackson Park, compliments of XXX Racing-AthletiCo.
• » Any time a video includes the words “horse incident” in the description, you know it will be spectacular. (All are OK. No horses, cyclists or bikes had to be euthanized.)
• » I love Belgium. (Via Hipster Nascar.)

• » Chris Horner, prodigious eater of hamburgers and Radio Shack’s GC contender in the Tour de France, will speak at Vision Quest in Highland Park tonight. RSVP is required, and fewer than 50 of the 250 spots remain.
• » ABR’s state criterium championships will be in Wood Dale on Sunday, Aug. 8. (It was briefly moved to the 15th in an attempt to accommodate masters nationals but had to be moved back.)
• » ABD has a flier for the Winfield criterium weekend, including a fun, climber-friendly twilight course on Saturday and ABR’s national championships on Sunday.
• » The flier for the Ronald Reagan Criterium is out. (Don’t let the name fool you, my urban, pinko-liberal friends. This is a fun end-of-season race.)
• » The South Chicago Wheelmen take their show on the road — literally — next Tuesday, Aug. 2, when the Matteson races move to the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet. $20 for the evening of racing.
• » Top cyclocross star Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly; Cannondale/Cyclocrossworld.com) is leading a clinic on Sunday, Aug. 15 with Illinois Tech and Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). There are both beginner and advanced sessions.
• » Trackies are reporting some incredible speeds from last night’s prestigious Bob Pfarr Classic in Kenosha, Wis., won by Chad Hartley (Kenda) with Dave Moyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) in 2nd.
• » Nick Gierman (Burnham Racing) won the P/1/2/3’s at this weekend’s Indiana state road race championships in Woodburn, Ind.
• » The Northbrook Velodrome is hosting a duathlon for children this Saturday, July 30.
• » Results are up for the this weekend’s Allvoi Cup, which survived the weather and drew some top talent.
• » Announcer and former U.S. Postal rider Kenny Labbé looks back at the history of our national criterium championships.
• » The New York Times discovers some of the great riding around Madison, Wis..
• » Y’ever fantasize about catching a bike thief red-handed?

• » Another round of announcements from the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, including a call for sponsorship.
• » Half Acre Cycling is hosting a Sept. 11 cyclocross clinic for women.
• » It’s a little quiet this weekend, but there’s still racing: The Tour of De Villas nearby in Des Plaines and some good money available at Indiana’s Marion Classic, downsized this year after being an NRC race in 2009.
• » Soldier Field Cycling has not announced a make-up date for last week’s rainout, but there will be one, and the schedule will be shuffled to accommodate a 6 p.m. start for women.
• » To celebrate Bastille Day, the July 14 races at Soldier Field will have a French flavor, with crepes, music and special prizes for any French riders.
• » Speaking of France, there is not much time left to make your Tour de France picks at Rouleur Derby.
• » Superweek pre-registration closes Thursday, July 8, but a late fee gets added starting July 7. Note that there are more women’s 3/4’s races than usual this year, including what should be an interesting road race in Willow Springs on Tuesday, July 13.
• » I will never tire of tales from Tati.
• » Emanuele Bianchi (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) is curious about what you’re looking for in a gear bag.

• » USA Cycling previews this weekend’s collegiate national championships in Madison. Among the local schools representing will be Northwestern, which qualified as a team for the first time since 2007. Hit them hard, friends, and hit them low. Go, Northwestern, go.
• » At Sunday’s Vernon Hills Grand Prix, ICA technical director Dave Fowkes noted that he would be enforcing the new USA Cycling Rule 3D4: “Riders who have lost contact with the field and are then caught by a breakaway from the field may not lead ...  Riders off the front of the field may not accept assistance from riders who have lost contact with the back of the field ... Lapped riders may rejoin and race with the field.” (Reasonable people may disagree, but I feel it is bad form — and potentially dangerous — for riders off the back to reintegrate with the field, and even if they do not pull I feel it is extremely bad form to join a breakaway. If you’re dropped, take your lumps and ride alone or with other dropped riders.)
• » There is still space at Monday’s Rahsaan Bahati dinner in Skokie.
• » After a successful debut last week, ABD’s Wednesday night series continues tonight. Meanwhile, Soldier Field Cycling hasn’t made an official announcement but it has updated its schedule page: Go ahead and circle June 23, July 14 and Aug. 11.
• » Registration for July’s Allvoi Cup is imminent.
• » Universal Sports will charge $15 to stream the Giro d’Italia. Have you made your Rouleur Derby picks yet?
• » Steve Tilford (Tradewind Energy/Trek Stores) and I agree: Keep your hands to yourself.
• » Best flier ever.

• » Registration is open for your last two chances to race within the city: May 15’s Monsters of the Midway and June 12’s Sherman Park Criterium.
• » A timely reminder from Wisconsin: Mind your privates, please.
• » Masters natz race schedule is out.
• » Joe Kallo (Team Tati) has designed Chainvetica, an iPhone app to calculate gear inches. Coming from a Tati rider, it is naturally orange and stylish.
• » Cyclocross as fashion.
• » Jim Saplis (Team Apache) is raising money to fight cancer.
• » Why does the Bike Snob hate Chicago?

• » Half Acre Cycling is looking for a few volunteers for the upcoming Gapers Block Crit Series.
• » Pre-ordered Chicago Cyclocross Cup photo books will be available at the Pony Shop in Evanston this Saturday from 2-4 p.m. There may also be beverages, and the Pony Shop will be showing off the new line of Ridley cross bikes. (Didn’t pre-order? You can still purchase.)
• » A recap of Saturday’s Illinois Cycling Association banquet.
• » Universal Sports will be airing Milan-Sanremo Saturday. Make it interesting by playing Rouleur Derby.
• » What does Chris Horner (RadioShack) have to do with the Winter Olympics?

• » Johnny Sprockets and Heather Jurewicz put together a fun Chicago Cyclocross Cup retrospective.
• » And speaking of cyclocross, orders can now be taken for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup photo book. (Pre-orders should arrive next week. More info here.) UPDATE: Entering the NEXTSHIP coupon code gets free shipping.
• » Francine Haas (Alberto’s) is leading a women’s track clinic on April 18 and a series of women’s road clinics starting April 28. (For the latter, submit this questionnaire.) In addition, Half Acre Cycling has announced some new swag for its March 20 women’s clinic.
• » Riding to the clinics? Google Maps adds bike directions.
• » Does anyone know what has become of the Harper Ride? Its Web site is down, and a reader reports arriving to an empty parking lot recently.
• » “I was hoping the team kit this year would be white.”
• » If you earned a state championship jersey in 2009, it can be picked up at Saturday’s ICA awards banquet. USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson will be there. He’ll also be hanging out at Prairie Path Cycles in Winfield from 5-6 p.m.
• » A fun Tour de France homage from Portland, Ore.
• » Two great Steve Tilford (Tradewind Energy) posts this week“It’s not a job. It’s a passion. A life. If it comes down to ‘have to,’ I’m not gonna.” And, “People are so into documenting their doings that they aren’t doing them anymore.”
• » Did you make any Tirreno-Adriatico predictions at Rouleur Derby? You can follow the action live at Universal Sports. For other races, Cycling Fans and Steephill are indispensable for links to Euro TV feeds.

• » The O’Fallon Grand Prix is billing itself as our state road race. Illinois Cycling Association president Steve Hansen says the ICA will announce its full slate of state championships soon. I’ve not done O’Fallon, but its 2009 course featured 1,000 feet of elevation and nearly that many turns in each of its 22-mile laps. This will make for a busy weekend: The next day Wisconsin holds its own state championships with the popular Spring Prairie Road Race. (Tower Racing, which did excellent work organizing our state road races for the past two years, tells me it will not be putting on a race this year.)
• » The 2009 ICA Awards banquet is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, at Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale. USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson and former national road champion Tom Schuler of Tour of America’s Dairyland are scheduled to appear.
• » The South Chicago Wheelmen’s Tuesday Criterium Series in Matteson is a local institution, and for more than 15 years a cornerstone of that institution has been official Mark Dorinson. (Mike Kelly (South Chicago Wheelmen) notes that Dorinson is “the one that drove the beat up grey Omni, the one that often forgot his whistle and started a race by saying ‘Tweet.’”) Dorinson is retiring from his Matteson duties, and he will be missed.
• » The Giro d’Grafton joins the USA Crit series this year. That should attract extra firepower to the Tour of America’s Dairyland, and I hope that means both men and women.
• » This month’s Gapers Block Crit Series sold out both men’s heats. Ten spots in each race, however, are reserved for day-of registrations. First come, first served.
• » Val Brostrom (Bouledogue Tout Noir) is programming races at the Northbrook Velodrome this season and tells me she’s looking at Aug. 21-22 for a weekend of state championships, rather than spreading events over several weeks.
• » Cyclocross in the winter Olympics?
• » This year’s masters national championships in Louisville, Ky., may be your last chance to take part in a nearby championship for a few years: Bend, Ore., gobbled them up, too.
• » A Chicago Web developer has designed a fantasy cycling game.

• » Online registration for Hillsboro-Roubaix and the Spring Super Criterium opens Monday at 8 a.m. Last year, several Hillsboro fields sold out within minutes, so be alert. This is also a good time to double-check your BikeReg information and ensure that it’s up to date.
• » Our friends at Flatlandia have organized a cyclocross world championships viewing party at the Globe Pub this Sunday. Delayed coverage at 3 p.m.
• » Could the 2013 cyclocross world championships come to the United States? Update: Yes!
• » How much bacon will it take to lure new Evanston resident Barry Wicks (Kona) to the 2010 Chicago Cyclocross Cup?
• » Ben Van Couvering (Team Pegasus) was kind enough to translate the current CBR race calendar into iCal, XML and HTML.
• » It won’t be long before group rides resume in earnest. Mark Landau and Team Judson are organizing a letter-writing campaign to remind Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran who the true menaces on the road are. (I should note that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was very responsive when the XXX Racing-AthletiCo ride was attacked by a truck in 2007.)
• » Former XXX Racing-AthletiCo and ABD rider Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) “has one of the narrowest profiles on the team” — and one of its awesomest mustaches. (Alex Candelario is tough to beat.)
• » Here’s a nifty powermeter-GPS-helmetcam mash-up.
• » TheCycleStudio on Harlem Avenue has Friday morning “Induro Cycling” spinning classes for $5 a session.

• » The Illinois Cycling Association meets this Saturday in Lisle. In an effort to give better lead time in the future, meetings are now established on the second Saturdays of September, October, November, January, February, March, and April.
• » John Wilke put together a video recap of the 2009 season.
• » The Allvoi Cup returns to the track Aug. 6-8. Voytek Glinkowski (WDT-Allvoi) says he expects between $9,000 and $15,000 in prize money. Qualification heats will start that Friday at noon. Mass-start races are open to Cat 4 and above, and the open categories will be capped at 40 riders.
• » Another new squad for 2010: Vic Rentas sends word of Team G Force out of Park Ridge. Membership is open.
• » Excellent recap of a rookie season from Sarah Lu (Half Acre Cycling). “I generally didn’t come in last, and I managed not to break my face.” (Those were my goals my first season, too.)
• » Don’t forget to register for Sunday’s cyclocross banquet in Skokie.
• » And only 10 days left to pre-order your cyclocross photo book. Pre-ordering lets you sidestep shipping charges and enters you in a raffle for 2 pounds of premium bacon.
• » Baroudeurs and rouleurs report in 52 days.

• » Don’t put away those cross bikes just yet. Team Mack hosts the 23rd Annual Bill Jensen Memorial Tour de Groundhog on Sunday, Feb. 21, at New Salem State Park near Springfield.
• » Time to unload your bike clutter ... and replace it with newer, shinier clutter. Two bike swaps are coming up: Saturday, Jan. 9, is the 19th Annual Cronometro Bike Swap in Madison. The following Saturday, the Chicago Winter Bike Swap returns to Harper College. Both have good reputations for good deals and fun finds.
• » You never know what you’ll find at the thrift store.
• » ReCycling Pro Development has put together an impressive roster of young talent for its debut season, including state road race champion Seth Meyer.
• » Comma Music joins billboard concern Van Wagner as title sponsor of Comma Van Wagner Racing.
• »  A 34-year-old cyclist in the publishing industry loses a lot of weight and signs with Cervélo TestTeam. Inexplicably, it is not me.
• » “Lance Armstrong inspires thousands to come in third to cancer.”

A quick moment of self-promotion: I’m spending the off-season collaborating with two other photographers to create a photo book celebrating the 2009 Chicago Cyclocross Cup season. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but so far it’s looking very, very neat.

We will be publishing through a print-on-demand service, but if you are willing to pick up your copy from The Pony Shop in Evanston, you can pre-order now and avoid the shipping charges. We’re even providing an IOU to slip under the tree if you’re purchasing it as a gift.

Profits will go to World Bicycle Relief.

Ordering information available here.

• » You asked for it, you got it: Cat 4’s will race 58 miles at Hillsboro-Roubaix. Registration opens Feb. 1. And I’d better not see any of you jokers pulling out after one lap.
• » Exciting news from our friends at Flatlandia: The Leland Kermesse will return in 2010, and Ted Burger promises that it will be “longer and harder than last year.” It’s scheduled for Saturday, April 17, and this time it will be under USAC sanction. The road race made a memorable debut in 2009, and I expect it will be a worthy companion or alternative to Hillsboro-Roubaix.
• » Registration is open for ABD’s Indoor Time Trial Series.
• » Chicago riders had a good weekend in Bend, Ore. Holly Klug (Courage) and Scott McLaughlin (SRAM) won their masters warm-up races, and Kevin Klug (Courage) took 2nd in his. In the main events, McLaughlin got the top local finish. He was as far ahead as 2nd in Saturday’s 40+ national championship before finishing 5th behind some respectable competition.
• » I have a hunch which Midwestern promoter this might be.  Illinois Cycling Association president Steve Hansen (North Branch) responds.
• » Lemont’s Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Transitions) will appear at the Michigan Avenue Garmin Store at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
• » NY Velocity gives the best interviews in the business. I especially enjoyed Monday’s interview with David Millar (Garmin-Transitions), for three reasons: 1. The passage about rediscovering the joy of bicycle riding. 2. The passage about breaking away into Barcelona. 3. He swears like a proper Scotsman.
• » “This sport has broken my heart and crushed my dreams for possibly the last time.” And speaking of broken hearts and crushed dreams: Something for the time trialist.
• » Today is probably the last day to order a CBR calendar and expect delivery by Christmas. There are three to choose from: road, cyclocross and an updated version of cyclocross.
• » Want something really special for your favorite cyclocross rider? A special Chicago Cyclocross Cup coffee table book will be available for pre-order soon. Stay tuned. It’s available now!

• » For the completist: I have created an updated version of my cyclocross calendar, including photos from the season’s final four races. Available only from CafePress for $17.50. Cheap! (The previous cyclocross version and the road calendar are still available, too.)
• » Set your alarm clocks: Pre-registration for Hillsboro-Roubaix will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 1.
• » And mark your calendars: The Tour of Champaign-Urbana returns May 22-23.
• » At Podium Insight, Lyne Lamoureux has an interview with Adam Myerson (Cycle-Smart). The comparison of results-oriented East Coast vs. crazy-oriented Portland is noteworthy in the wake of our own breakthrough cross season.
• » Careful with that door.
• » Through Jan. 15, show a cycling license or a bib number at Human Performance Institute and get 20 percent off gym membership or personal training.
• » Everything I know about Downers Grove I learned from Emo Phillips.

• » If it’s winter, it’s time for Goldsprints, an essential component of every serious cyclist’s base training. Johnny Sprockets hosts an 8-event series of fixed-fork roller races starting Thursday, Dec. 10.
• » Julie Popper (Half Acre Cycling) writes up the Chicago cross scene for CX Magazine.
• » The Chicago Tribune changes a life.
• » Enjoy a ride down memory lane with “Concrete Rodeo,” a messenger documentary by Chip Williams, a pro who has been shooting many of the cyclocross races this fall.
• » “Design well. Do good.” Apparel maker Faction Cycling has hung its shingle in Chicago.
• » “‘Just a bike race’? Have you lost your mind?”

• » 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.

• » 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.

• » 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.

Time to start crossing names off your holiday shopping list: Chicago Bike Racing calendars are here! Perfect for all the coaches, wrenches, parents and significant others in your life.

New this year: A cyclocross-only calendar!

There are two ways to order: For $17.50 plus shipping, you can order either calendar online. Follow this link for road and cross or this link for cross-only.

Or, I will have a limited number of calendars for sale in person. Price: $15. Cheap! I will have them available at remaining cross races and XXX Racing-AthletiCo functions, or I can have them available from my office in River North. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to make arrangements.

Buying 10 or more? $12.50 each.

As in previous years, this is not a big money maker for me. It’s just a chance to share some of my favorite photos with some of my favorite people. Note that there are still several cross races I expect to shoot. If I get any gems, I may publish an update in December. Stay tuned.

All photos are from the 2009 season, and all your favorite races and racers are included:

Road and cross
Cover: Ryan Freund (ABD) cruises through the BK Stacker at the Evanston Grand Prix.

January: A masters races makes its way up the challenging Circuit of Sauk climb.

February: Debbie Dust (PACT/Dish Network) beats Kristen Meshberg (Team BH USA) in an exciting sprint at the Winfield Twilight Criterium.

March: Wayne Simon (Verdigris) leads the charge up the ski hill at the Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge.

April: Devon Haskell (Team BH USA) negotiates a wet corner off the front at the Glencoe Grand Prix.

May: April showers lead to May flowers: Some color at the Cat 3 Tour of Elk Grove.

June: Adam Lesniakowski (PACT/Dish Network) had a perfect endgame to win the Downers Grove Cat 2 race.

July: Ryan Freund (ABD) bridges to a move in the Chicago Criterium P/1/2 race.

August: Who will ever forget Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing) and the thrilling end to the USPRO National Championship?

September: Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) gives it full gas on the final climb in Willow Springs to claim the 2009 state championship.

October: Bobby Lea (Team OUCH) takes Turn 8 at the Downers Grove pro-am.

November: State champion Scott McLaughlin (SRAM) is first up the hill at the Dan Ryan Woods cyclocross race.

December: It takes a village: Heckle Hill gives every kind of encouragement to Jacob Thom (Half Acre Cycling) as he gamely rides up through the thick mud.

Cyclocross only
Cover: Jacques Cartier (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) leaps over a barrier at Jackson Park.

January: It was a cloud of dirt and fury as the 4A’s charged across a softball field at Jackson Park.

February: Pony Shop is there, so this must be near the front of the race.

March: Robin Williams (Mercy-Specialized) rolled through the women’s 1/2/3 field at Dekalb.

April: Uh-oh. Something has made Henry Loud (Team Pegasus) angry at Dekalb

very angry.

May: That’s Ed White (Half Acre Cycling) escaping from the 4B scrum at Dan Ryan Woods.

June: Cat 4 powerhouses Brittany Barran-Stanley (Verdigris) and Janette Rho (Bouledogue Tout Noir) march up the Dan Ryan Woods run-up.

July: Andrew Yeoman (Team Pegasus) shows good shoulder form at Dan Ryan Woods.

August: Ara Oggoian (Bicycle Heaven) leads the P/1/2/3’s over the barriers at Sunrise Park.

September: Dave Norton (The Bonebell) pops a wheelie for the adoring tifosi at Sunrise Park.

October: Ah, fall. Tim Boundy (Verdigris) gives Andy Daley (Burhnam Racing) a nice draft at Sunrise Park.

November: The crowd erupts as Jacob Thom (Half Acre Cycling) tops Heckle Hill.

December: The shot you’ve been waiting all year for: Super Girl is queen of the hill, and dozens of her loyal subjects cheer the latest muddy pratfall.

• » Chicago’s Reid Schwartz (Midwest Masters) earned a silver medal in the 500m time trial at the UCI Track Cycling Masters World Championships in Australia.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association meets Saturday in Lisle. All teams should try to send a representative. Make your concerns and viewpoints heard. (Fact: Going to meetings like this is not the most fun way to spend a Saturday but can do more good than commenting anonymously on various blogs.)
• » “Before ever really loving a person, I possessed a visceral, if irrational, love for cyclocross.” Thank you, J.
• » Cross fans should be sure to vote for the T-shirt design they intend to buy.
• » Saturday is IIT’s Swap and Hop, a cyclocross clinic followed by bike swap.
• » Women of all experience levels should remember next Wednesday’s event at Half Acre Brewery.
• » Some thoughts on a safer lakefront path.
• » I’m not sure what to make of this proposed race near Madison.
• » NY Velocity talks with Lemont’s Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream). Expect him and his family to spend more time in Spain than Chicago this winter.

• » Recently I was driving west to the races in Dekalb when I saw a familiar white school bus up the road. As I made the pass, I rolled down the window and pumped my fist in the universal sign for “Hey, mister, blow your horn!” A satisfying belch erupted from the right lane, and I was a happy boy. Two weeks later, the Cuttin’ Cruiser is in a spot of trouble. If the Cruiser or its passengers have ever put a smile on your face, consider throwing in a buck or two.
• » Half Acre Cycling invites all women who race — or who would like to — to an evening of beer and chocolate on Nov. 4.
• » Some big cyclocross prize money is lining up for mid-November. The South Chicago Wheelmen have put together a $5,000 purse for their Nov. 14 race at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. Meanwhile, our friends in Minnesota are hoping Chicago riders make the trip to their state championship weekend, Nov. 14-15, where $4,000 cash and $7,000 in merchandise is up for grabs.
• » It’s time to start thinking about winter training. The Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn has classes starting Nov. 1, taught by Dave Reed (Elmhurst Masters). And ABD starts its winter boot camps Nov. 2.
• » Cyclists should not throw punches. Seriously. With the upper-body strength of 9-year-old girls, why bother? Everyone know that the flying kick is proper form.

• » Note the new times for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup.
• » IIT is hosting a cross clinic on Oct. 31, with a bike swap to go with it.
• » Also on Haloween, West Lafeyette, Ind., is home to Spooky Cross, with prizes for best costumes. The Halloween Classic Cyclocross in Milwaukee is also a good destination, although I’m not sure the flaming barriers will be allowed to return. Alas.
• » ICA president Steve Hansen (North Branch) summarizes the current state of results reporting.
• » Jonathan Fraley (WDT-Allvoi) and Josh Ryan (Bouledogue Tout Noir) each pulled in several top 10’s at this weekend’s elite track national championships, then partnered to get 5th in the team sprint. Dave Moyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) made the points final and finished 13th. Other locals who made the trip include Val Brostrom (Bouledogue Tout Noir), Chris Mosora (Verizon Wireless), Franco Panveno (Alberto’s) and Al Urbanski (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew).
• » Christina Peck (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) finished 3rd at the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Tokyo.

• » Results are up from Sunday’s Kenosha Business Park Criterium. Some strong showings from WDT-Allvoi, PYOC and PACT/Dish Network.

• » Chicago Bike Racing backs the bid.

• » Thanks to the good turnout at Willow Springs, Tower Racing is donating $2,350 to World Bicycle Relief.

• » Fall officially started yesterday, which means it’s time to start thinking about the Chicago Winter Bike Swap: Jan. 16 at Harper College.

• » The Druber has started a blog. Next thing you know he’ll be Tweeting.

• » Derailleurs, shmerailleurs. Half Acre Cycling invites you to participate in the The Officially Unofficial Illinois State Cyclocross Single Speed Championship at its race in Dekalb on Oct. 4.

• » The Bonebell interviews Chicago Cyclocross Cup director Jason Knauff (Burnham Racing).

• » Speaking of cross: Fans will want to pick up Thursday’s Tribune. Shoot, pick up 10!

• » “This being Rock Racing, big money, flash, flash, they give riders one kit apiece.” Podium Insight has a great interview with Mike Creed (Team Type 1).

• » The Delavan Road Race scheduled for Labor Day weekend has been canceled.
• » John Coyle (Wolverine Sports Club) has video from the Downers Grove Cat 2, in which he finished 3rd. Props to Patrick Fasse (Bicycle Heaven), who attacks ahead of Turn 5 and, even though he doesn’t get away, keeps the hammer down all the way to Turn 8.
• » WDT-Allvoi has its first national champion: Jon Fraley won the 30+ sprint at last week’s masters national track championships in Colorado Springs, Colo. Other local winners: Chicagoan Reid Schwartz (Midwest Masters) won the 60+ 500m and was part of the winning 60+ team sprint squad; Cary’s John Goodman (Midwest Masters) won the 60+ 2km time trial; and Jim Host (PACT/Dish Network) picked up a jersey in the 50+ 3km team time trial.
• » If you’ve ridden in Wisconsin this summer you may have noticed the phenomenal riding of IS Corp’s Matt Busche. Kelly Benefit Strategies noticed, too, and recently signed the young climber, and he had an explosive professional debut at the Tour of Utah, placing 7th in the GC. Podium Insight has the skinny.
• » Registration is opening for Chicago Cyclocross Cup races.

• » Fall Fling information is out, with new courses for 2009. Criteriums will be in West Chicago, the road race in Crete. This is always an excellent way to wrap up your season — or start the next one.
• » It got lost in the Superweek hubbub, but ABR held its state road race championships July 18 in Port Byron, Ill., and some Chicago-area riders won their categories, including Adam Leibman (ABD) in the 4’s, Tim Henry (Project 5) in the 30+, Brian Harris (PYOC) in the 40+ open and Debbie Dust (PACT/Dish Network) in the women’s open.
• » Congratulations to Christina Peck (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew), who won this weekend’s North American Cycle Courier Championships in Boston. She is the first woman to ever win the overall, and she did so decisively.
• » Why we do wheel-rubbing drills. Nice save, Mike.
• » Francine Haas (Alberto’s) is leading a beginners clinic for women Saturday in Glencoe.
• » There are only a few no more Cat 5 spots left for Sunday’s Glencoe Grand Prix, but there’s plenty room in both Cat 5 heats of Saturday’s Grayslake Cycling Classic.
• » Well-Fit is hosting a cyclocross information session Aug. 13.
• » Anne Barnes (Turin) is looking for host housing for the women of Team Tibco over Downers Grove weekend. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you can help.
• » You think crashing in the BK Stacker is bad enough in the Cat 4’s? Try it when you’re actually going fast. (Not for the squeamish, or those emotionally attached to carbon fiber.)
• » Colorado Springs to L.A. to Chicago to Oregon and back to Colorado Springs. The life of a gypsy cyclist.
• » The Bike Film Festival starts next Wednesday.
• » Team Beer’d spends most of its time “drunk and wearing spandex.”
• » Our old friend Carlos Cabalu (Quaker City Wheelmen) has refreshed the Unattched Rider look.
• » How to post up.

• » In case you didn’t see it in person or when it aired on Comcast SportsNet, here’s the sprinting clinic that Project 5 Racing put on at the 2008 Tour of Elk Grove.
• » The Kansas City Pitch has a long profile of Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek Stores), a legend we’re privileged to have race with us a few times each year.
• » Universal Sports will be televising Sunday’s world cyclocross championships. Watch on TV or online.
• » Jim Saplis (Apache) is teaching some Park Tool School classes at Cycles N Sports in Worth.  Three levels of classes are available from three to eight hours long, starting at $100 with two instructors and no more than five students. For more information call (708) 361-0440.
• » The Cycle Studio, a spin facility on North Harlem, is having hourlong indoor races in February.

Devon Haskell (Pony Shop) earned her latest stars-and-stripes jersey Sunday by winning the Div. II cyclocross race in Kansas City. Riding on behalf of the University of Chicago, this is her second national championship after winning on the road in May. Later in the day Haskell placed 14th in the elite women’s race.

Other riders who hit the top 10 this weekend: Wayne Simon (Verdigris) posted a 4th in the 50-54 race, Debbie Pielet (Alberto’s) placed 3rd in the women’s 50-54, Scott McLaughlin (SRAM) placed 4th in single-speed, Mike Sherer (Pony Shop) placed 5th in men’s Div. I, and Leah Sanda (Flatlandia) placed 7th in the women’s 40-44.

Racing in the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew’s first national championship, Adam Clark placed 21st in single-speed and 32nd in the 30-34, not far behind Mike hemme (Killjoy) in 25th. In the 35-39, state champion McLaughlin placed 11th. And finally in the 40-44, Brian Conant (Pony Shop) and Tim Boundy (Verdigris) were your top local finishers in 23rd and 28th, respectively, impressive given the enormous size of some of those fields: 115 in the 40-44 alone!

Update: Simon writes to note some other local results: David Lombardo (Verdigris) finished 18th in the 13-14 while Chris Lombardo (Verdigris) overcame a starting position of 95th to finish 15th in the 45-49. In that same race, Scott Arrigoni (Verdigris) finished 29th.

He adds: “Devon rocks. She will win this thing in the elites some year.

Update to the update: I should also tip the hat to Aspen Gorrey (Pony Shop), who also represented the University of Chicago to finish 14th in Div. II men after placing 19th in the U29 B race. And in the 17-18, Brandon Feehery (South Chicago Wheelmen) placed 29th.

Final udpate: How could I neglect our biggest cross enthusiast, Ben Popper (HRS/Rock Lobster)? He was Chicago’s top representative in the men’s elite race, finishing 38th. I’ll be looking forward to a race report at his blog. (Pony Shop’s Sherer was in the same race but crashed and hit his head ... or at least he thinks he did.)

• » It’s not too late to register for Turin’s power training seminar this Saturday.
• » Speaking of Turin, it’s sponsoring Sunday’s state cyclocross championships in Montrose Park. This edition should be especially spectator-friendly. Bring $20 and you can go home with another brilliant print from cyclist and artist Jay Ryan. Also think of bringing canned foods for Turin’s food drive, benefiting Greater Chicago Food Depository.
• » :25 ... :26 ... :27 ... KAPOW! (From an even better angle.)
• » After you’ve changed into clean clothes and gotten your core temperature back above 90, head to the ICA awards banquet.
• » “I realize that the road is to be shared by everyone ... If I was physically able to ride a bike, I would ride one myself.” A hit-and-run driver apologizes.
• » In case Santa brings you too much or too little, two post-Christmas bike swaps to note: In Madison the Brazen Dropouts present the 18th Annual Chronometro Bike Swap, one of the largest in the country, on Jan. 10. The following weekend our own Chicagoland Winter Bike Swap returns to Harper College.
• » The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Active Transportation Alliance has started a support group for victims of crashes. Its next meeting is Saturday. Friends and family members of those who have been killed or injured in traffic crashes are also welcome to attend. Related reading from Pez: “Recovering from crashes.”
• » Anyone who has raced against Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing) since Superweek 2007, go ahead and increase your placing by one. (Some further background.)
• » Why Chicago? Hot dogs. Vote for a wiener winner here.

• » Cycle Smithy, which has been killing the 4b cross races, made a video from Sunday’s sand pit madness. Here’s another Lansing video. And here’s more video from Northbrook. Check out the expert stop, drop and roll around 2:33.
• » How big is cyclocross in Portland, Ore.? Even their unicycle category gets 15 riders. (Their beginner and masters categories field 120-150.)
• » The Illinois Cycling Association released the flier for its Dec. 7 awards banquet, featuring Christian Vande Velde (Garmin). Admission includes entry into a raffle for an autographed jersey.
• » The latest recruitment event comes from XXX Racing-AthletiCo, which is having an open house for women on Sunday, Dec. 7. And in the west and southwest suburbs, Team Apache is forming an elite team but is also looking for riders at all levels.  Its membership meeting will be Dec. 13. E-mail president .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information.
• » Registration closes tomorrow for next week’s introductory officiating clinic.
• » I have it on good authority that Hillsboro-Roubaix will be Saturday, April 18, not the previously reported 4th. Adjust your mesocycles accordingly. Nevermind. April 4 it is.
• » Working on your cadence this winter? Monday, Dec. 1, kicks off a series of IRO Sprints, fixed-fork roller races with a speed-metal edge and a generous prize list. Check out this promotional video, as well as photos from the original IRO Sprints in March 2007 and from the last time it was held at the Cobra.
• » The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation has a new name and mission. (Rest easy. I have no plans to rebrand CBR as Chicago Active Transportation Racing.)

• » Please take note of CBR’s newest sponsor, Turin, which is hosting a power training clinic on Saturday, Dec. 6. Should be a good introduction to power for those who like me have succumbed to the dark arts of wattage this off-season.
• » Several cyclists are among Chicago Athlete’s candidates for Clif Bar Athlete of the Year, including Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles/Pony Shop) and Rebecca Much (Webcor/XXX Racing-AthletiCo).
• » Your next Illinois Cycling Association meeting will be Saturday, Nov. 22, at SRAM, 1333 N. Kingsbury. Special thanks to SRAM for providing a location so convenient to Chicgao riders.
• » OK, so the flaming barriers in Milwaukee were pretty cool, but Portland this weekend incorporated a windmill into the course!
• » In local cross action, Mike the Veloist put together a video from Northbrook’s excellent cross course. Meanwhile, some fans are working to upload Chicago Cyclocross Cup results to Cross Results, a site that crunches numbers and tracks riders’ “nemeses” and “victims.” (For example.)
• » Only 42 more shopping days until Christmas.

• » Mark your calendars: The Illinois Cycling Association will have an awards banquet in Highland Park on Sunday, Dec. 7, following that day’s state cyclocross championships. Christian Vande Velde (Garmin) will be the guest speaker.
• » Did someone say calendar?
• » One more reason to be a fan of Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek): He rescues kittens on his training rides.
• » Rebecca Much (Webcor) has been moonlighting this cross season with her former XXX Racing-AthletiCo squad. She writes about the season so far at CyclingNews.
• » Northbrook Garner and Flatlandia are teaming up to “Save Ferris” at Sunday’s cyclocross race. The following week, Lansing Cross will introduce collegiate categories to the Chicago Cyclocross Cup.
• » The worst part of winter isn’t the cold or the suck: It’s having to clean all the salt and gunk off your bike after a simple ride. That’s why Rapid Transit’s winter tune-up package seems like a good idea.
• » In addition to the winter workout series I mentioned last week, Endure It Sports in Naperville offers CompuTrainer classes, including Saturday sessions taught by Chris Mosora (Lucas Oil).
• » Three feet, please.

• » Fire! Fire! Fire! I sure hope nobody dressed as a scarecrow to Sunday’s cross race in Wisconsin. This costume may be my favorite. (At least, I assume it’s a costume.)
• » Time to start thinking about indoor training. Turin in Evanston is offering two winter workout series: free plyometrics and intervals on Monday nights, plus pilates and resistance stretching on Wednesdays. Elsewhere, ABD and Prairie Path Cycles offer two sets of winter boot camps. And Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) offers Pedaling with a Purpose: Sundays and Thursdays in Westmont and Saturdays and Wednesdays at Tsubos in Chicago.
• » Speaking of indoor riding, Vision Quest has released the flier for its indoor time trial series. It’s the inverse of most time trials: Instead of measuring who goes a given distance the fastest, it determines who goes the farthest in 30 minutes.
• » Someone with an apparent surfeit of free time put together a video from inside the Chicago Criterium. Note how the auteur selflessly let himself fall from first to last in the first half-lap in order to give everyone a chance to be on camera.
• » How many times do I have to tell you people? Finish the race, then celebrate. Thank you.
• » According to the Ride Board, the Cuttin’ Cruiser has room for a trip to cyclocross nationals in Kansas City. I’m tempted to go along just for the ride, perhaps even to be the Tom Wolfe to its Furthur.

• » The Chicago Cyclocross Cup presents High-Octane Fuel for Cyclocross, a seminar by noted sports nutritionist Monique Ryan. The Oct. 7 event costs $15 and requires pre-registration.
• » Speaking of which, the Chicago Cyclocross Cup opened Sunday in Jackson park and included more than a hundred riders in the 4’s. Results are online. A few photo galleries: Mike Campbell, Carolyn Golz, Melody Kramer, Jen Schuetz, Matthew Sipple, Ed White.
• » How hot is cross? Not one but two documentaries take a look at the 2007 national championships: “Nine Ball Diaries” and “Zero Traction”
• » Check your mirror, save a life.
• » Final Illinois Cup standings are updated. ICA vice president Steve Hansen (North Branch Cycling) provides some analysis.
• » In other ICA news,  the introductory officials clinic I mentioned last week has been moved to Nov. 29.
• » Have you found Universal Sports on your television yet?  World championships will be televised this week, from the time trials through Sunday’s road race.
• » Get a Grip Cycles is missing some bikes.
• » Cycling needs more fans so stark-raving mad about the sport that they don giant antlers and prance around with enormous flags. Cycling also needs more riders like Juan Antonio Flecha.

• » Naz Hamid (Half Acre Cycling) brings us the most beautiful flier we’re liable to see in these parts. Also, waffles! And cupcakes!
• » And two weeks later, Carpentersville Cyclocross will have beer. Hooray for cross!
• » Don’t forget to use the Ride Board as you plan your cross season.
• » Police on Friday arrested Barbara Lee and charged her in last month’s hit-and-run death of a Chicago cyclist in Wisconsin.
• » Some North Shore roadies have started group rides under the WGAS flag, complete with uniforms. What does WGAS stand for? Find out at their blog.
• » Local components maker SRAM is selling 40 percent of itself to Lehman Brothers. (At the rate Wall Street is melting down, I’m surprised SRAM didn’t buy 40 percent of Lehman Brothers.)

• » Two of our big August crits are going to be televised on Comcast SportsNet. The Tour of Elk Grove will be on at Sept. 20 at noon and Sept. 30 at 12:30 p.m. Downers Grove will be televised this Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Sept. 16 at 12:30 p.m., Sept. 27 at noon and Sep. 28 at 6 p.m. Set your TiVos!
• » Check out the sweet Chicago Cross Cup T-shirt designed by Jesse Lalonde. They cost $15, with a portion of the proceeds going to World Bicycle Relief.
• » Why, yes, that was your editor who won yesterday’s Tour of Missouri “Guess the Catch” at CyclingNews. (Confidential to CyclingNews human resources: Is it really a guess when you know this much about professional cycling, are this good with computers and have this much media experience?)  

ABD has released the flier for the Fall Fling. Note that the criteriums have moved from Lombard to Wood Dale. They’ll take place in the same business park as the Memorial Day weekend masters races, on the “north” course the first Sunday and the “south” course the next week.

The track season concludes Thursday at the Northbrook Velodrome, and this will be a fun one to watch. There will be free barbeque and other special festivities, including a trackstand contest. Barry Taerbaum (Alberto’s)  sponsored the evening and will provide extra primes as he honors men and women in uniform.

As one discipline ends, another takes its place. There’s still one beginner’s spot left at Saturday’s cyclocross clinic, plus a few openings for more experienced riders. Then the Chicago Cyclocross Cup kicks off on Sept. 21 with Jackson Park Cyclocross. Note that women can earn travel expenses to the national championships thanks to the Smart Cycling Road to Cyclocross Nationals Women’s Project.

In conjuntion with Saturday’s clinic, Illinois Tech Cycling and Cycle Smithy are holding Swap and Hop, a bike swap on the Illinois Tech campus.

• » Francisco Torralba (Team Tati) has a new blog. Among other things, it’s stocked with links to cyclocross video tutorials.
• » Did someone say cyclocross? The Chicago Cyclocross Cup kicks off in a few weeks, starting with a clinic for both beginning and experienced riders in Chicago. Next five four to register get The first 10 who registered got a free cyclocross DVD.
• » I’ve been a big fan of the Fall Fling ever since I competed as a citizen. ABD has announced the dates, mixing it up this year by putting the road race on the first weekend and the time trial the following. This is a great chance to experience stage racing, and it can be a good way to try out whatever category you hope to race in in 2009. And for late bloomers coming into form only now, it’s an opportunity to taste enough success to motivate your off-season training. (Full disclosure: ABD is an advertiser here, but I’d tout the series’ awesomeness regardless.)
• » The Glencoe Grand Prix put together a nifty slideshow to celebrate the 2008 edition.
• » John Wilke has been taking great shots on the road all season.  Last night he shot some video of closing night at the Kenosha velodrome, if you’re into that track stuff.
• » This speedometer vest looks like an awesome idea.
• » New Belgium Brewing is returning to Chicago to raise more funds for West Town Bikes. This time it’s the Urban Assault Ride. On the one hand it’s a good benefactor and a good cause. On the other, it seems to be some sort of alleycat crossed with a corporate team-building exercise, and the implicit contradictions make my head hurt. How dare they co-opt the subculture that so many of us have rightfully stolen!
• » Confidential to fellow CyclingNews readers: Yes, it could be perfect. Already applied. Don’t tell the Colonel.

The Chicago Cyclocross Cup will celebrate its season with a buffet banquet this Sunday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m. at E.J.‘s Place, 10027 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. All participants are welcome. RSVP requested.

USA Cycling’s new rulebook has some interesting changes to the upgrade requirements on the road.

Racers still need 20 points to upgrade to Cat 3 and 25 points to upgrade to Cat 2, but the points now vary based on size of field and criterium vs. road race. Furthermore, the points are now standardized across categories.

Let’s look at the requirements to become a Cat 3. Previously all races awarded 7-5-4-3-2-1 points to the top 6 finishers, regardless of the size of the field. In 2008 points will go five deep (5-4-3-2-1) for criteriums of 21-50 riders and seven deep (8-6-5-4-3-2-1) for road races of the same size. For bigger races, more points are available. For smaller, fewer.

With fewer points available for criteriums, this could make it harder for 4’s to upgrade, given the dearth of road races close to Chicago, but I expect many 4’s will continue to upgrade based on a combination of top 10’s and the discretion of our wise and benevolent technical director.

The same tables apply to 3’s upgrading to Cat 2. Of note is that the points warranting an automatic upgrade are now 40, down from 60. Sandbaggers, you’re on notice.

Requirements to upgrade from 5 to 4 remain the same: 10 mass-start races.

Similar adjustments have been made to the cyclocross guidelines, which have lowered the bar for entering the 3’s: One need only “experience” 5 races (not necessarily finish?) or score seven points. I think this will be good for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, which this season saw more than 80 riders line up for 4’s races but only 20 for the 3’s. Ben Popper (Killjoy), who first brought my attention to these changes, disagrees.

One other major change in the cyclocross guidelines, emphasis mine: “If the road and XC categories do not correspond to the same CX category, then the higher one will be used.” This means Cat 3 roadies can skip the Cat 4 cross races altogether. (That clicking sound you hear is me applying for my upgrade.)

I missed a few other strong results from local riders at this weekend’s cyclocross national championships. Debbie Pielet (Alberto’s) finished 6th in the women’s 50-54, and Wayne Simon (Verdigris) got 8th in the men’s 50-54. (Thanks, Barry!)

And if you have a strong stomach, check out this video of the head-on crash that took out defending champion Ryan Trebon (Kona).

Some more race reports are now online:

Aspen Gorry (University of Chicago): “The temperatures rose later in the day turning the course into a mix of soupy mud and grass and causing ice to rain down from the trees that it had been covering.”

Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles): “It’s tough riding your bike when the course grabs your wheels and throws you every which way.  People went down all over the place.”

Holly Klug (Killjoy): “The woman who ended up winning our race came all the way from the left side across to the right completely out of control, taking me completely out.”

Plenty of Chicago racers had good seasons in 2007, but none dominated a field quite like Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles). In just her second year of competition, Haskell cruised to victory in each of the six races of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, where she raced women’s 1/2/3, including Sunday’s state championship at Montrose Harbor. She also invaded our neighboring states, winning the state championship races in Indiana and Wisconsin.

The 26-year-old had a memorable road season as well. Racing for the University of Chicago, where she is pursuing a PhD in economics, she finished 3rd in the Division II women’s road race national championship and 6th in the criterium. That earned her a spot on the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars, a women’s squad that competed against the nation’s best professional women at June’s Nature Valley Grand Prix.

This weekend Haskell tackles the next level with the national cyclocross championships in Kansas City, where she’ll slog through the cold and mud not just once but twice. Even though she was busy getting ready for that and writing a big paper for school, she spared a few minutes this week to talk about her season and cycling’s many dividends.

Read more ...

Chicago Cyclocross Cup standings have been updated ahead of Sunday’s finale at Montrose Harbor.

Barring catastrophe, overalls are pretty much locked up, with Luca Lenzi (Vision Quest) and Devon Haskell (Get a Grip Cycles) sitting pretty atop their respective fields. One remaining showdown is in the 4’s, where professional triathlete Brad Zoller (Unattached) and Aspen Gorry (UCVC) are separated by a mere 15 points. (Gorry no doubt pines for the 10 points he lost at Lansing when officials relegated him for riding off-course in the final sprint.)

Even if the series are settled, state championship jerseys are on the line, so expect fierce competition all day. Make sure your cowbell ringing and heckling are just as merciless.