The Illinois Cycling Association on Wednesday announced the results of its 2011 election, and there will be complete turnover on the board of directors.
Serving as president in 2012 will be Loch Miwa (Flatlandia), whom most of us know as an official and moto-referee. Joining him will be Scott Knoepke (Psimet) as vice president, Vanessa Buccella (Iron Cycles) as secretary, Matt Riezman (Rhythm Racing) as treasurer and Mia Moore (Robots Powered By Love) as member at large. Outgoing president Steve Hansen (North Branch) has served for the past three years and served as vice president before then. Our racing scene has enjoyed some major advances and growth in that time, and we all owe him and his fellow board members thanks.
» 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).American Bike Racing has come up with a state road race championship this Sunday near Kankakee.
Elite fields will race together but be scored separately for the 18-mile rolling course of the Two Rivers Road Race. Cat 1-4 men will race together
and go for 72 miles. The $25 registration fee will be day-of only.
Meanwhile, this weekend’s big money Tour of Elk Grove has confirmed some big teams for both the men’s and women’s fields. Among the record 125 professional men will be national criterium champion Daniel Holloway (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth), former champion Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) and international stars like Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare), Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) and Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis Sutter Home).
For the first time in several years, Chris Horner (RadioShack) will not be in attendance. (He’s working on some post-tour issues.
The Evanston Grand Prix, which had been scheduled for Aug. 21 and slated to be on the National Racing Calendar, will instead take place Sunday, July 17, and be a part of Superweek, its home since it made its debut in 2007.
The move follows an injunction Breakaway Event Productions sought in Cook County Chancery Court against Turin Bicycle and Chris Mailing, who had organized the race in previous years and who had sought to run it independently in 2011. In its filing, Breakaway claimed Mailing had agreed to run an Evanston criterium for Superweek in 2011 and 2012.
To avoid litigation costs, Mailing said, the parties agreed to a settlement in late May that is scheduled to be finalized soon. As part of the settlement, Mailing will organize the Evanston Grand Prix as part of Superweek in 2011. Moving forward, Breakaway will own rights to the name “Evanston Grand Prix,” and starting in 2012 Mailing will be free to promote his own race in Evanston.
The July race will not be an NRC race. The August date had the potential to draw blockbuster fields, with the men’s national championship and a women’s NRC race taking place the day before in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Reached for comment, Breakaway’s Andy Garrison said: “I am glad that we were able to work things out with Chris Mailing, and we look forward to producing the Evanston Grand Prix for its fifth year.”
Rob Curtis (Psimet) has stepped up to revive the May 15 criterium in Fox River Grove, receiving village board approval last night.
Vernon Hills remains canceled, but this effort saves one of the most distinctive races on our calendar.
The race will not be part of the Illinois Cup and may not have the full range of categories, although the schedule isn’t final yet.
Curtis says if the race makes any money it will be split between Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County and the Village of Fox River Grove. “I am only doing this to save the race,” he says. “I feel and the board feels that continuity is most important.”
Over the past few weeks I have updated the CBR race calendar with what I know about the 2011 season. I won’t be doing weekly previews this year, but I thought I’d put together a list of the races I’m most excited about. For new racers or anyone else planning their season, this may be a good place to start.
As always, your mileage may vary. Important factors in my ranking include character, prestige, difficulty and proximity
with concessions for personal bias and sentimentality.
20. Monsters of the Midway
May 14
It’s not the most exciting course
but it’s a beautiful and historic location and always has a collegial atmosphere. (It is a college, after all.)
19. Team Wisconsin Spring Classic
April 23
Several races take place in this botanic garden near Milwaukee, but this is my favorite. Three short stairstep climbs facilitate breakaways, and the uphill sprint is always exciting.
18. Wheels on Willy
May 15
Madison is crazy for bikes and it shows here. It’s a fun, interesting criterium course that gets a great turnout from local residents.
17. Spring Prairie Road Race
June 5
So popular among Chicago riders is this race that a few years ago it added an out-of-state 4/5’s field so that we wouldn’t muck with the Wisconsin riders’ state championship. It’s a simple, rolling rectangle of a course, notable for a short wall of a climb that will not only define the final sprint but can cause a selection on any given lap.
16. Tour of Elk Grove
Aug. 6-7
It’s not a popular course
but it’s hard to say no to the obscenely large purses up for grabs. This year it’s a UCI race, our first since ... well, I’m not quite sure. We haven’t had one since I got involved in cycling. That’s a big deal. We can only hope this draws some pros from the European scene.
15. Tour of Galena
June 11-12
This is a new event and an untested locale, but this three-stage omnium has the potential to bring high-caliber stage racing to Illinois. Galena is famous for its quality riding and hills, and it hosts one of the Midwest’s biggest triathlons. At three hours away it’s a bit of a trek from the city, but it is hoped that the location and purse will draw not only the best riders from Chicago but also from nearby states. (Full disclosure: This event is being put on by my team, XXX Racing-AthletiCo.)
14. O’Fallon Grand Prix
June 4
It’s a challenging hilly, winding course and for the second consecutive year is our state championship
but dang is it a long way from Chicago.
13. Winfield Twilight
Aug. 13
The Sunday race may be the ABR national championship, but for me it’s the Saturday criterium that’s not to miss. The course is much more interesting, including a long slog of a climb, and few races enjoy better neighborhood support. Here that support takes the form of a block party at the top of a climb, complete with king- and queen-of-the-hill contests.
12. Giro d’Grafton
June 18
This twilight criterium gave birth to the Tour of America’s Dairyland and with great crowds and large purses, it remains one of the top races of the series and is also part of the USA Crits series. Other recommended ToAD races include the sole road race, the Greenbush Road Race, and Tuesday’s unique, hilly criterium at Schlitz Park in Milwaukee. The Madison race at the Capitol should also be cracking.
11. Melon City Criterium
May 29
10. Quad Cities Criterium
May 30
Two of most historic and fastest criteriums of the season and an unforgettable way to spend Memorial Day weekend when combined with Snake Alley (No. 2). This year the top racers will be hoping to parlay their performances into a spot at the prestigious Nature Valley Grand Prix.
9. Evanston Grand Prix
Aug. 21
I’ll admit it: I fear the BK Stacker, that treacherous Turn 5 that has claimed many a collarbone. Nonetheless, this is a very fun downtown race and draws a huge crowd, and this year it’s on the National Racing Calendar for both men and women, so the elite races should be smashing. (Note that while the former Evanston Grand Prix strikes out on its own, Superweek still intends to return to Evanston in July, although no schedule has been released yet.)
8. Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge
May 15
I know my bias for climbing may be clouding my judgment, but every year I’m astonished that more people do not come out for this leg-breaker of a criterium course. With a steep hill that runs up to a ski jump, it shares many qualities with the famous Snake Alley Criterium. I’m also fond of the promoter, Ron DiSilvestro, whose events may be small and local but are rooted in a deep love for bicycle racing. We’re lucky to get a podium at most races, but here the podium comes complete with trophies, flowers and of course podium girls. Ciao, bella!
7. Leland Kermesse
April 16
6. Hillsboro-Roubaix
April 2
In only its third year, the Leland Kermesse is living up to its aspiration to be a Belgian-style spring classic. Like Hillsboro-Roubaix, it takes place on narrow, challenging roads, and for many riders just finishing will be reason for a victory milkshake, especially if there’s a strong wind. Although Hillsboro-Roubaix has history and prestige on its side, Leland is less than two hours from the city and this year joins the Illinois Cup.
5. Beverly Cycling Classic
There is only one race, a twilight P/1/2 affair, but this is a must-attend event for everyone. It’s the kick-off to Superweek, so all the riders still have all their skin and are eager to be the first to wear the series leader’s jersey. The neighborhood is fantastic, a hidden gem on Chicago’s South Side, and the neighbors provide a fun festival atmosphere.
4. Leland Grand Prix
May 14
Road races are getting fewer and farther between. We lost another one this year with the departure of the Circuit of Sauk. Many of us prefer them to criteriums, however, and are happy to drive three or four hours to take one in. Hillsboro-Roubaix may have more cachet, and God knows that in early April we are all champing at the bit to race, but this is my favorite and well worth the trip north of Madison. Each lap includes two long climbs, the kind of climbs whose tops you can’t see from the bottom, the kind where you spend most of the time thinking, “Does this ever end?” The kind of climbs we dream to contest while on the trainer all winter.
3. Grand Cycling Classic
Aug. 20
Michigan and Indiana races do a pretty good job of escaping our radar, but in 2011 this six-corner crit in Grand Rapids, Mich., will be one not to miss as the men’s national criterium championship takes place outside of the Chicago area for the first time in 30 years. There will be a full day of amateur racing leading to the main event, which for the first time will be open only to American riders.
2. Snake Alley Criterium
May 28
This is one of the most unique criteriums in the world and it may also be the hardest. The course features a steep, famously crooked switchback paved with brick, followed by a steep, technical descent. As the day goes on, the hill becomes a spectacle as rowdy spectators badger and cajole riders struggling to negotiate the climb. The carnival atmosphere is a one-of-a-kind experience, everyone owes it to themselves to enjoy it at least once.
1. Glencoe Grand Prix
June 25
In just a few years this race has established itself as one of the best-run in the area. The new course introduced in 2010 was a hit, and although it won’t be a national championship in 2011, it will be our state championship and will be on the National Racing Calendar for the men.
Hillsboro-Roubaix registration opens Tuesday at 8 a.m. Even though fees went up across all fields, I expect there will be the usual rush on Cat 5 spots for this popular road race, with the 4’s to close soon after.
Meanwhile, registration is already open for the state’s first race of the year, Spring into the Autobahn, a criterium on an auto racing track in Joliet.
Also, I’ve begun populating the CBR calendar. I hope to fill in the rest of the season soon, including more ABR races and more from our neighboring states.
The Illinois Cycling Association on Friday announced its 2011 state championships. The road race returns to the popular (if far-flung) O’Fallon Grand Prix on Saturday, June 4, while after a long run in Peoria the criterium moves to the Glencoe Grand Prix on Saturday, June 25.
Earlier this month the ICA released a preliminary lineup for the Illinois Cup. In addition to the date change for Glencoe, the Peoria Cycling Classic moves to late August, and the Sherman Park Criterium moves to early April in order to free the June 11-12 weekend for the inaugural Tour of Galena, a three-stage omnium that XXX Racing-AthletiCo is planning.
Fields have been realigned, too, reviving the 30+ 4/5’s and introducing a separate 3’s field for women. To make room for that, however, the 40+ and 50+ have been consolidated into a 45+ 1/2/3 race.
Registration is already open for the first Illinois race of the season, the South Chicago Wheelmen’s Spring into the Autobahn on Sunday, March 20. Meanwhile, ABR is starting to publish its calendar, with the traditional three-weekend series in Kenosha starting March 13.
I’ll start populating the Chicago Bike Racing calendar when I have some free time next week.
It’s not yet five months until Hillsboro-Roubaix and already I’m hearing chatter about 2011 preparations. People are changing teams or planning improvements to what they have. Some riders are taking a much-deserved rest, while others are starting their first base mesocycles and setting up new trainer spaces.
And so it is in that spirit of change and renewal that I have an announcement of my own for 2011: Chicago Bike Racing will be going into semi-retirement.
I will still maintain a calendar of regional races, both USAC and ABR. And I will still publish a weekly notebook of fun or newsworthy links. But I’ll no longer be aggregating reports into wrap-ups, I’ll no longer be previewing upcoming races, and it will take news of substantial urgency and importance to rise above a line in the notebook.
Since output will approach a trickle, I’m also going to cease running advertisements effective Jan. 1.
Why?
Because I’m tired.
CBR never quite became the site I originally envisioned, but even with lower ambitions it chewed up more mornings than I can count, mornings I came to wish were spent sleeping, riding my bicycle or
having fun with non-bike activities.
Well-meaning readers have suggested I outsource work to volunteers. It’s a good idea. But I’m a terrible manager. I would spend just as much time hewing others’ work to my standards and my voice as I would spend just doing it myself.
It’s funny: I’ve had this post in mind since mid-June, but I’m still at a loss for words. I’ve put off writing this for weeks. This change doesn’t come lightly. CBR has been fun for the past four years, and I’m grateful for all the connections and friendships it’s created in our community.
I’m especially grateful for those who supported me through advertising, including ABD and CycleAnalyze, who have hogged that upper corner almost since the beginning. And I’m grateful for the dozens of you who bought my calendars over the years or who contributed when I passed the hat two years ago.
That said, this project has always been about love more than money, so most of all I’m grateful for anyone who came up to me at a race to just say “Thanks.” Several times I’ve thought about hanging it up only to have a Cat 5 tell me they were doing their first race and it was all because of CBR. That’s all it took to commit to another season.
When I’m feeling nostalgic I like to look up any ancient results sheet and study the names in the lower categories. It’s a fun exercise. See who has made it to the elites, see who has disappeared, see who is still sandbagging in the 5’s.
Indeed, a lot has changed in the past four years, and we’ve been through a lot together. Like any family, we’ve had our share of triumphs and tragedies, fights and love fests, beginnings and endings. Races have come and gone, equipment has evolved, and race promotion has gotten much more professional.
And some of the changes make it easier to say good-bye to CBR. Relative to 2007, race information is easier to come by, and thanks to Facebook and Twitter, it’s easier to get results and swap stories.
In other words, my work here is done. See you at the races.
USA Cycling today released its 2011 National Racing Calendar and it features three Chicago-area events.
Returning is the Tour of Elk Grove, scheduled for Aug. 5-7. New to the NRC will be the Glencoe Grand Prix, which moves to Saturday, June 25, and the Evanston Grand Prix, which withdraws from Superweek and moves to Sunday, Aug. 21, a day after the USPRO national championships are contested in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Only Evanston will be NRC for both men and women. Glencoe and Elk Grove offer NRC points for only the men.
The USPRO criterium national championship, which in August was held in Glencoe after a long run in Downers Grove, moves to Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Grand Cycling Classic in 2011. Just as momentous a change will be restricting the field to American riders only.
Podium Insight has a full report.
The 2011 event will take place the last weekend of July, which since its inception has been home to the Tour of Elk Grove, rumored to have been one of the four races and only Chicago race to bid for the national championship. Update: USA Cycling has updated update its release to clarify that no date has been set.
It’s time once again for our autumn classic, the Fall Fling, a four-race omnium series. Riders can do just one race or as many as four, although anyone angling for the overall prizes must do at least three.
The Fling is an excellent way to get in some final licks and take advantage of any lingering summer fitness, and the beginner fields can be excellent initiations for new racers. Cat 3’s will race with the 1/2’s and 40+ fields
making for a good opportunity to experience racing at the next level.
There’s no road race this year. Instead we’ll start with a criterium Saturday on the “Pelladrome” loop that ABD has used for its Wednesday races. After a time trial Sunday, the following Saturday will be a circuit race on a 1.5-mile loop across the street. There’s no elevation to speak of at either course, but wind can be a formidable foe on the wide-open terrain. Finally the series
will close Sunday, Oct. 3, with the 1.6-mile Wood Dale circuit course ABD used for its Memorial Day masters races.
Saturday Pella Factory Criterium ABR criterium West Chicago, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour Previous wrap-ups: 2007 I, 2007 II, 2008 I, 2008 II, 2009 I, 2009 II
Saturday, Oct. 2 DuPage Tech Park Circuit Race ABR circuit race West Chicago, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Sunday, Oct. 3 DuPage Tech Park Circuit Race ABR circuit race Wood Dale, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 0.5 hour
Sunday’s Kenosha criterium has been canceled because of a safety situation with the planned course.
For anyone who hasn’t switched gears to cyclocross, we still have Fall Fling to look forward to. That kicks off Saturday, Sept. 25.
VeloNews reports that Dewey Dickey (Mercy-Specialized) has accepted a lifetime ban effective Sept. 1 for testing positive for EPO and for refusing a test in May, as previously reported.
He must forfeit all results and prizes back to April 2, 2007, which VeloNews says is when he first violated anti-doping rules. According to Dickey, however, he had a three-year therapeutic use exemption effective from 2006. It’s unclear how the 2007 violation squares with his TUEs.
Dickey had more than a dozen wins in the past four seasons, including a masters race at this year’s Superweek.
Update: This VeloNews story sheds a little more light on the situation.
Update: Dickey starts to admit things.
Photo by Luke Seemann
CyclingNews reports that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has sanctioned Andy Crater (Aerocat) for testing positive for “Carboxy THC, a metabolite of marijuana in the class of Cannabinoids” at August’s Tour of Elk Grove.
Crater received a suspended three-month suspension and must forfeit all results since the Tour of Elk Grove, where he placed 1st and 2nd in the Cat 1/2 criteriums. In the following weeks he also won a masters road race national championship and placed 2nd in the Cat 1/2 race at the Glencoe Grand Prix. (Congratulations, Rob Kelley (Bicycle Heaven): You just made the Glencoe podium.)
He earned some significant prizes for those results, including more than $700 at Glencoe. I’m curious whether that can or will be redistributed.
Though currently a resident of Asheville, N.C., Crater has been a prolific racer in the Midwest, racing with Milwaukee’s Wheel & Sprocket from 2005 to 2009.
This is not the first time a rider has been popped at the Tour of Elk Grove, one of the few races that can afford USADA testing. In 2007, overall winner Nathan O’Neill, then racing for Health Net, tested positive for phentermine.
It was a homecoming weekend of sorts in Dixon, Ill., as former pro Bryce Mead, donning a Mead’s Bike Shop kit, and Chicago product Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) took part in the second year of the Ronald Reagan Criterium.
Mumford wasted little time before escaping the P/1/2/3 field alone. Spirited racing followed in attempts to form chase groups, but it wasn’t until Mumford lapped the field a little more than halfway through that a decisive split occurred. Mumford proceeded to tow seven riders around for the balance of the race, now officially a race for 2nd, claimed by Sherman Park revelation Ben Damhoff (Geargrinder).
Making his debut as a 3, Kaleb Koch (IS Corp) received an elite-quality leadout from teammate Peter Davis and handily won the 3/4’s sprint, especially impressive considering he was in junior gears for the downhill and tailwind-aided homestretch.
Also impressive was Joe Berenyi (Psimet) passing riders down the homestretch of the masters 4/5’s to take the first win of his career. Brandon Diffenderfer (Spidermonkey Cycling) also had a good day, hitting the podium in both the 3/4’s and 4/5’s. And racing three times, Ryan O’Boyle (South Chicago Wheelmen) won the juniors race and placed 2nd in the 4/5’s. O’Boyle has had a fantastic season, and I expect we’ll see him thrive in the elite categories in 2011.
In the masters 1/2/3’s, Todd Metz (Apache) showed that his Winfield performance was no fluke, winning out of a four-up sprint, and in a final tuneup before masters national track championships, Stacy Appelwick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) picked up her latest win in the women’s open.
Over the years, ABD’s elite riders have been counted on for a few things. Among them, tactical excellence and precision, especially when presented with the complication of riders going up a lap. For another, they reliably take the Winfield weekend very, very seriously.
Such was the case this weekend when the boys of the ABD-powered Verizon u25 got Mike Sherer across the finish line first on both days. At Saturday’s twilight criterium it came in a sprint, and in Sunday’s ABR national champiionship it came after Sherer and a fully recovered Ryan Freund lapped the field
with teammates Will Nowak and Hogan Sills cleaning up 3rd and 4th behind them.
A 1-2-3-4 at Winfield is not without precedent: ABD did it in 2006, and its top riders have won this race ever since, a nifty five-year run.
Coming a week after his win at Glencoe, this makes three in a row for Sherer, who says he now hangs up the road shoes for the year to focus on cross and fishing
and hopefully sorting through professional offers for 2011.
Another ABD sweep came compliments of Jessi Prinner, who won the elite women’s race both days.
Kyle Selph (Tower Racing) justified his recent upgrade by winning the 3’s race Sunday, slipping away late with Tim Speciale (Psimet) and overcoming him in a long drag race to the line.
Speciale had a good weekend, also hitting the podium in the 2/3’s Saturday after winner Todd Metz (Unattached) and Dave Stone (Verizon Wireless) got down the road. This is the first time I’ve seen Metz’s name in the results this year
a belated but outstanding way to open a season, I’d say.
The next day, Stone and Dave Polin (WDT/Allvoi) broke free of the combined 30+/40+ field to take the 40+ honors. Keith McMahon (Comma-Van Wagner) then earned the 30+ championship by finishing 2nd in the field sprint behind Marek Serafin (PACT/Dish Network), 4th overall.
Saturday results. Sunday results.
Saturday reports
Tim Speciale (Psimet; 2/3): “As quietly as I could I clicked two gears down. We made the turn, I stood up and hit it.”
Verizon u25 (1/2): “Diving into the technical downhill the team had their man Mike Sherer right where they wanted him.”
Sunday reports
Tim Speciale (Psimet; 3): “I sprinted … and sprinted … and sprinted … and sprinted. I looked down and he was gaining on me. I sprinted some more, then some more.”
Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+, 1/2): “By the time I hit the finish line on Lap 1, I had 20 seconds and I’ll be damned if I wasn’t determined to spend the entire 40-mile race off the front solo.”
Verizon u25 (1/2): “It looked possible that the strong veterans could ride away with the race.”
Sunday photos
Von Buzard
We’re running out of opportunities to score USAC upgrade points, and this weekend brings the season’s final two races within a few hours of the city.
Saturday is the Ronald Reagan Criterium in Dixon, Ill. Turnout was light last year and registration looks slow again, but this is a fun race with good hosts. Plus, overlapping categories give you a chance to race up a level and test out whatever category you hope to be in 2011. Note that the course is slightly different. By my recollection this cuts out one of the fun kickers, but there will be the same long, downhill finish stretch.
Also on Saturday is a downstate road race on a mostly flat, 4.5-mile park loop.
Saturday Ronald Reagan Criterium USAC criterium Dixon, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 2 hours Previous wrap-up: 2009
Lincoln Trail State Park Road Race USAC road race Marshall, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours
Soldier Field Cycling has scheduled its final night of racing for this Wednesday, Aug. 25. This is a make-up for the Aug. 4 cancellation, and registrations were transferred over. Online registration is open through Tuesday.
This weekend brings two of my favorite races on the ABR calendar.
Action starts Saturday afternoon with the Winfield Twilight Criterium. It’s an interesting course with a long, gradual climb on the backstretch, followed by a fast, safe, sweeping descent. The rare inclusion of a 2/3 field gives local 2’s the chance to shine without the meddling of their Cat 1 superiors, and the residential course brings out the neighborhood tifosi, traditionally including a block party on the climb that will call king-of-the-hill primes. They are good hosts, generous with their cheers (and sometimes their beers). Lower-category races should expect to shatter in the first few laps. Stay near the front from the gun so you don’t have to play catch-up and be ready to bridge to a forward group. Meanwhile, the course is just difficult enough to facilitate breaks late in the 2/3 and 1/2 races.
The next day the action moves to a different part of Winfield for ABR’s national criterium championships. Jerseys are up for grabs in some categories, but good money and great racing are available to everyone. The milelong, rectangular course has a false flat on the backstretch and a nice kicker at Turn 3. Recall the advice of Winfield veteran Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) from his CBR interview: “It’s good to notice that the the hill doesn’t end until sometime after Turn 3. A lot of people race to Turn 3 and then think that the effort is over. After Turn 3 is an excellent place to launch an attack.” From there it’s a long, slightly downhill runway into the finish.
For those chasing USAC points, there’s a criterium in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and the Indy Crit makes its debut in Indianapolis.
Saturday Winfield Twilight Criterium ABR criterium Winfield, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008, 2009
Attitude Sports Criterium USAC criterium Fond du Lac, Wis. Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours
Indy Crit USAC criterium Indianapolis Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours
Sunday ABR National Criterium Championships ABR criterium Winfield, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008, 2009
Photo by Luke Seemann
More highlights from Saturday’s hot day of racing at the Glencoe Grand Prix:
Race reports
Adam Austin (Dominon; 4): “I got into the second group after weaving my way through two crashes, some guy who dropped his power meter and slowed down in the pack to get it, several dropped water bottles and flat tires.”
Stephen Butler (Wheelfast; 4): “The pace was furious until we hit each corner, at which point we had to slam on the brakes and then accelerate back up to speed.”
Rob Curtis (Psimet; 4): “We traded pulls and generally looked like working men through the dregs of the race.”
Ryan Fay (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “I yelled ‘NO NO NO NO’ before crashing into someone’s front yard.”
Cathy Frampton (Project 5; W-3/4): “The finish of the race was a series of attacks with the strongest riders finding the right lines to position themselves before hitting the final corner.”
Kim Gialdini (Flatlandia; W-3/4): “I knew what my plan was but I didn’t have the mindset to kick it in.”
Chris Kinonen (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): “Getting the win was surreal, and honestly still probably hasn’t sunk in.”
Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2): “The screaming crowd, which consisted of tons of friends, was highly motivating, so I decided to make the effort to catch back on.”
Jared Rogers (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4, 30+): “I took the descents like I was in Tron and scurried up the rise like I was Schleck.”
Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+, 1/2): “Attrition would be heavy here, so you had to mind the gaps.”
Wayne Simon (Verdigris; 45+): “I wait for his chin to drop again so he sees I am still on the wheel, but as soon as his head goes up, Bamm, I attack about 100 meters from the last corner.”
Wayne Simon (Verdigris; 30+): “‘Sorry, Andy, it’s racing’ as I twist the throttle, telling him there is not enough green in that break.”
Steve Tilford (Tradewind Energy; 1/2): “I like races like these because you can’t let you guard down or you miss the move.”
Photos
Jeff Chen
Amy Dykema
Gavin Gould
Clark Maxwell
Andrew Rizzo
Greg Sailor
Luke Seemann
Ed White
Just a reminder: This week’s Soldier Field Cycling race is Tuesday, not Wednesday. Pre-registration is open through tonight.
This is a make-up date for the rainout earlier this summer. No date has been announced to replace the Aug. 4 race, which was canceled for a presidential visit.
Photo by Luke Seemann / Photos 2, 3 by Jeremi Bialowas/Christian Soto
Mike Sherer (Verizon u25) picked up his first win of an otherwise blockbuster year in a big way by winning Saturday’s 1/2’s at the Glencoe Grand Prix.
Sherer, shown above leading at 75 meters, jumped well ahead of the final corner and held off newly crowned masters road race national champion Andy Crater (Aerocat), who as he crossed the finish line took exception to the line Sherer took in the sprint. (Peace was soon made.)
The two were part of a six-man break that had formed early in the 65-minute race and would build a lead of more than a minute. Other local riders to make the break were Rob Kelley (Bicycle Heaven) and Dave Moyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), who finished 4th and 5th, respectively.
After a week of the annual chatter over whether international riders belonged in the U.S. national criterium championships, American men were locked out of the profession podium, with 1st, 2nd and 3rd going to Canadian David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies), Australian Bernie Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) and Italian Alessandro Bazzana (Fly V Australia). Daniel Holloway (Bissell) was the first American, finishing 4th, and took home the stars and stripes. Holloway previously won a national championship as an elite rider in 2007.
They were all members of a 12-strong break that finally established itself a little more than halfway through the 100km race. It was an aggressive and chaotic race up to that point, chaos no doubt influenced by the prohibition on race radios, with multiple crashes on the course’s tight turns, and groups were constantly forming and reabsorbing one another.
The break hovered at 50 seconds with UnitedHealthcare and Kenda taking up the chase, but it wasn’t until the final turns that the decimated field started gobbling up riders. By that point, Veilleux and Sulzberger had escaped together and Bazzana was in no-man’s land, with the eight Americans in the break eyeballing one another closely. Some of the break got swallowed up, and Bissell ended up with three of the top five Americans: Shane Kline out of the break was 4th American and Kyle Wamsley from the field was 5th.
Former champion Rahsaan Bahati (Bahati Foundation) was involved in one of the early mishaps
and officials initially ruled that he was a lap down on the field. That was later reversed, but nonetheless he was riding solo in the peloton with no teammates to contribute to the chase. For a moment it looked like he might have a shot if the field caught the remnants of the break, but that catch came about 30 seconds too late for him to be a factor. He would finish 14th overall, 8th American.
A break of six escaped from the women’s P/1/2 race in the final few laps. Vera Bradley Foundation had two riders in it, but veteran Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita) outprinted the lot of them. In her return to the Chicago area, Devon Haskell (Tibco) finished 16th while Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) took the final money position in 20th.
Despite the technical nature of the course, which contributed to huge attrition across all fields and several crashes (Ed White (Bouledogue Tout Noir) captured one from the 1/2’s, and Nicole Goers caught Nick Frey (Jamis) going down), buzz was overwhelmingly favorable. The turns were tighter than Downers Grove and many found the kicker to be more challenging than Downers’ climb, and there was virtually no spot on the course to expect a respite. The final stretch provided a better runway for sprinting, too, although in almost every race the first rider out of the corner was the first across the line, just as was always the case at Downers Grove.
The Glencoe Grand Prix certainly raised its game to present the national championship, but after decades as a Chicago fixture, the USPRO National Championship will go to bid in 2011. Here’s hoping that after saving the race this year Glencoe can be in the running.
Full wrap-up to come. In the meantime, follow updates at Podium Insight and the Glencoe Grand Prix blog.
This was championship weekend in Chicago, with Saturday’s Grayslake Cycling Classic extra meaningful for anyone with an Illinois Cup standing on the line and ABR giving away state criterium championships in Wood Dale on Sunday. Some highlights:
Full Grayslake results. Full Wood Dale results.
Grayslake reports
Arron Hampton (Psimet; 4): “I wanted to drive us back to the pack, but the pack was flying and few were interested.”
Dan Pollard (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4): “Coming into the finishing straight I was in 2nd place. I didn’t look back.”
Matt Riezman (Spidermonkey Cycling; 5): “For one time in the history Cat 5 bike racing, the pace sped up in the bell lap.”
Jared Rogers (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4, 30+): “You’d be surprised just how much of a difference a cheer can make when your body is breaking down underneath you.”
Scott Rosenfield (IS Corp; P/1/2): “Our plan was simple: Attack and win.”
Mike Shea (Spidermonkey Cycling; 3): “The four-lap sprint didn’t go well for me. I didn’t have the mustard to move up.”
Tim Speciale (Psimet; 3): “As soon as the whistle blew the field sprinted from the line into a long strung-out line of riders.”
Andrew Zens (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4): “The pavement won today.”
Saturday we have the honor of inaugurating a new national championship course as Glencoe picks up where Downers Grove left off to host the 2010 USPRO National Criterium Championship. As an added bonus, it’s close enough that most of us can ride there.
It’s a new and interesting course that will keep riders on their toes with 10 turns, narrow stretches and a short pitch up South Avenue. Be sure to study the video beforehand. (Note that juniors and the lower categories will do a shorter, less-technical course.) I expect the area between South and Hazel will be a popular place to watch, and Hazel may be where attacks are launched coming out of that kicker.
In addition to primes, many of the races will have three sprints for points. Winners of the most points will earn either a watch or a $200 gift certificate from EJ’s Place. Consult the technical guide for complete details.
There are also some great purses: $7,500 for the women P/1/2’s, $5,000 for the 1/2’s. (At current registration levels, the last-place woman will take home $135.)
It will be a strong field for the pro men. Among them will be the world’s hottest crit racer in the world at the moment, Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia), who won six times at Superweek before winning twice at the Tour of Elk Grove and again this weekend in North Carolina. Other hot riders to look for include Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare), David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and last year’s winner at Downers Grove, Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia). None of those riders are American, however
will the national championship once again go to 2nd or 3rd place?
Former champions include Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) and Rahsaan Bahati (Bahati Foundation). With his team in disarray, however, Bahati comes with only two riders in support. Also look for the Cuban Missile, Ivan Dominguez (Jamis), who for the second year races as a U.S. citizen, and expect UnitedHealthcare to focus on Jake Keough, who finished 2nd to Cantwell this weekend and was the third American to finish in 2009.
Unfortunately, the women and elite men settled their national championships earlier this summer in Bend, Ore., so those races won’t be as cracking as they used to be. Nonetheless, the women’s P/1/2 race has large representation from the Vera Bradley Foundation and Tibco, the latter of which includes University of Chicago product and two-time Glencoe winner Devon Haskell. Also appearing will be former national champions Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) and Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita).
Note that there are several Glencoe-related events going on this week. Vera Bradley Foundation is hosting a clinic for women on Friday. Earlier that day, Start 2 Finish will host a casual ride with members of Fly V Australia. And Friday afternoon there will be an interesting seminar on going from an amateur team to UCI Continental.
Saturday Glencoe Grand Prix USAC criterium Glencoe, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 0.5 hours Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008, 2009
Naperville’s Thomas Weil (ABD) successfully defended his 65-69 road race national championship Wednesday, earning a new set of stars and stripes in a sweltering Louisville, Ky.
In yesterday’s time trial action, Leigh Thompson (Vision Quest) earned a bronze medal in the women’s 50-54, and Marc Zionts (Alberto’s) and Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) joined forces to earn silver in the 90+ tandem time trial.
Road races and criteriums continue through the weekend.
This weekend brings two fun, low-key races to help you stay sharp ahead of what should be an intense day in Glencoe.
Saturday’s criterium in Grayslake is the final race on the Illinois Cup calendar, so some people will be looking to protect or advance their individual and team rankings. It’s a flat, non-technical course in the shape of a U.
Sunday’s criterium in Wood Dale will be ABR’s state championships. I believe this will be on the south loop of the industrial park, an oval course with sweeping turns and a small kicker just ahead of the final corner.
Looking ahead to next week’s Glencoe Grand Prix, don’t forget that there is a clinic for women next Friday, and note that there are just a few spots left in the bonus Cat 5 race.
Saturday Grayslake Cycling Classic USAC criterium Grayslake, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 1 hour Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008, 2009
Sunday Wood Dale Criterium ABR criterium Wood Dale, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 0.5 hours Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2009
Photo by Luke Seemann
Other highlights from Sunday’s racing in Elk Grove:
Saturday reports
Kim Gialdini (Flatlandia; W-3/4): “I saw what this was coming down to: a sprint finish. Once again, I knew what I had to do”
Arron Hampton (Psimet; 4): “This course requires a fresh set of legs and clear mind.”
Adam Herndon (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “I see one wheel behind me. I push harder. I start to see one rider coming on the right. I now sprint all out.”
Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2/3): “I got a gambler’s prime at 1 to go, and it was a glorious feeling to be off the front so late in the game.”
Scott Rosenfield (IS Corp; 1/2): “Granted, I’ve been racing for five years, but the basics are sometimes impossible to master.”
Saturday photos
Jeff Chen
Podium Insight
Sunday reports
Kim Gialdini (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2/3): “Lesson learned. I can’t wait to try again.”
Nate Iden (Burnham Racing; 35+ 3/4): “I had a free line and I thought it was ON.”
Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2/3): “I got boxed in and had no where to sprint.”
Brian Parker (XXX Racing-AthetiCo; 35+ 3/4): “It was a blue-collar race for me. I showed up at the office, I punched the clock and went right to the front and did everything I could to stay there.”
Sunday photos
Jeff Chen
Luke Seemann
This week’s Soldier Field Cycling race has been canceled for unspecified reasons. As with the early rain-out, registrations will transfer to a new date, to be determined. Refunds will be issued to riders who cannot make the alternative date.
The next Soldier Field race is currently scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 17.
Update: ABD has sprung into action and will be hosting its Wednesday evening races in West Chicago this week. Also, don’t forget that Tuesday’s racing with the South Chicago Wheelmen will be in Joliet this week. Each evening is a great way to stay sharp in a fun, collegial atmosphere.
Photo by Luke Seemann
Superweek star and Saturday’s road race winner Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia) won again Sunday, outkicking a heat-stricken field in the bunch sprint. The time bonus gave him the overall in America’s highest paying series.
A dangerous six-man break including ABD product Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Jerem Vennell (Bissell), who came in 3rd in Friday’s time trial, put together a huge lead and came within 40 seconds of lapping the field, but UnitedHealthcare and Fly V Australia, aided by a generous Chris Horner (Radio Shack), finally took big chunks out of the lead and caught the group with fewer than 10 laps to go. The effort ate at UnitedHealthcare’s firepower, however, and overnight leader Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare) was left to fend for himself in the sprint. Consequently, he finished off the day’s podium and out of the time bonuses.
David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) finished 2nd again and 2nd overall followed by Menzies in 3rd, Mike Friedman (Jelly Belly) in 4th and Horner Vennell in 5th.
Full wrap-up to come.
I missed today’s Tour of Elk Grove action, but Podium Insight has a great photo of the pro finish, won by Jonathan Cantwell (Fly V Australia).
This is a teachable moment: It appears that if David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) had worried more about his throw and less about his post-up, he would have won the stage. With a 20-second time bonus instead of the 12 seconds for 2nd, the 2008 winner would have ended the day in a tie
with Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare) in the general classification.
Instead, Menzies sleeps in yellow. He’ll start Sunday 5 seconds up on time trial winner Peter Latham (Bissell) and Mike Friedman (Jelly Belly). A handful of other riders, including Chris Horner (Radio Shack), sit within 10 seconds.
This should make for an exciting criterium Sunday. Time bonuses will be crucial: 20, 12 and 8 seconds go to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. In addition, there will be points sprints with 25, 20 and 10 laps to go. Points leaders will get 6-, 4- and 2-second bonuses. Don’t be surprised if UnitedHealthcare lets a break get up the road to keep those seconds out of contenders’ hands.
In the amateur races, winners include Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack) in the women’s 3/4’s, Victor Rentas (Team G Force) in the 3’s and Peter Kelley (Bicycle Heaven) in the 4’s. Dave Keil (W2 Racing) rode back-to-back and won both 5’s heats. (W2 managed to nail three of the top five in the first heat, with Tim Clark in 5th both times.) Mike Shereer (Verizon u25) was the top local finisher in the 1/2’s with 6th.
Some final highlights from the last few days of Superweek:
Here’s hoping you’ve been doing your VO2 intervals and your brake pads are in good shape: It’s time for the big-money, big-money, no-Whammy experience that is the Tour of Elk Grove.
Amateurs get two days of criteriums on a flat, five-corner course. Payout is deep, and primes have historically been generous.
The first corner is a tight U-turn. Expect packs to bunch up here, especially in the lower categories. My advice is to try to stay in the middle or outside: Go inside and you’ll get pinched and have to scrub a lot of speed. If you go outside, be careful not to get run into the curb. Follow a good wheel and don’t lose your cool when someone veers into your line. The upside is that the turn is taken at a modest pace, so if there is a crash, it probably won’t be catastrophic. Get up, fix your chain and go take your free lap.
Whatever you do, downshift several clicks before the turn and get ready to sprint. You’ll need a massive acceleration out of this corner every time, and you don’t want to be overgeared. Stay up front as much as you safely can, for the accordion effect doesn’t get much bigger than here.
It’s a long sprint from the last corner with a slight chicane. Keep your head up, as lines tend to wander and overeager sprinters may crack before they get to the finish.
Note that the Cat 5 fields all have fewer than 10 spots remaining as of Sunday. Also, note that the race is looking for volunteers.
The pro men get a stage race, starting with Friday evening’s 4.5 time trial, short enough that sprinters can grab a good general classification and then move up with time bonuses over the next few days. Saturday’s 96-mile road race navigates more than two dozen corners on its 9.6-mile circuit, while Sunday’s climactic criterium uses the same course as the amateurs. This is a fun race to watch. I like to sit about 150 meters from the finish to get a prime view as the sprinters wind up for each prime.
Among the 96 pros registered is fan-favorite Chris Horner (Radio Shack), who returns to Elk Grove just one week after placing 10th at the Tour of France. He’ll be riding solo, however, facing full squads from the top NRC teams, including all four previous winners: 2006’s Hilton Clarke (UnitedHealthcare), 2007’s Mike Friedman (Jelly Belly), 2008’s David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and 2009’s Karl Menzies (United Healthcare).
Saturday and Sunday Tour of Elk Grove USAC road race, criteriums Elk Grove, Ill. Distance from Chicago: 0.5 hour Previous wrap-ups: 2007 I, 2007 II, 2007 III, 2008, 2009 I, 2009 II
Robbie Ventura (Vision Quest) was kind enough to send greetings from today’s Tour de France. John Meyers (Verizon u25) is also somewhere on the mountain. In fact, I think I may have just seen him at 1.6 km dancing in a giant banana costume.
The Bahati Foundation, which is fielding several riders at Superweek, including founder and former national champion Rahsaan Bahati, is ceasing operation, according to Bicycling Magazine’s Bill Strickland.
It’s not a huge surprise given the team’s financial difficulties earlier this summer. I’m not sure what this means for the riders racing this week, or whether the squad will still field riders at next month’s national championship in Glencoe. VeloNews reports that the current management will form a pro-am team for the balance of the season.
Bahati withdrew from Monday’s road race in Whitnall Park but won the field sprint for 4th Sunday in Evanston.
Update: Bahati released a statement Wednesday evening saying that the Bahati Foundation would continue, but that the team would be “undergoing a reorganization ... All the riders and staff who have been loyal to the team are moving forward with the new team.”
More highlights from the past week of Superweek:
Lake Geneva reports
Greta Neimanas (XXX Racing-AthletoCo; W-P/1/2/3): “Nobody ever wants to sack up and take a pull because they’ll get tired, or it’s too hot, or they have a hangnail.”
Verizon u25 (P/1/2): “Going into the finish, Mike Sherer kept Ryan is as good of a position as possible to help him fend for the win, but the pair was ‘jammed up’ on the back side in the final lap.”
Photo by Luke Seemann
Debbie Dust (Bouledogue Tout Noir) went for sprint points 10 laps into Sunday night’s 35-lap women’s P/1/2/3 Evanston Grand Prix and kept on rolling, eventually lapping the field while maintaining a 50-second gap over a lone chaser to take her first Superweek win.
In the men’s P/1/2 race, Fly V Austarlia’s Jonathan Cantwell and Ben Kersten escaped from a large but dysfunctional break midway through and built a gigantic lead over a field that could never get a chase together once it neutralized the break. The two finished side-by-side with 2008 champion Cantwell, currently higher than Kersten in the overall, taking the victory.
Coincidentally, Kersten and Cantwell also went 1-2 Saturday night at the Boise Twilight Crit, in that case with Kersten finishing first in a bunch sprint.
Notable riders in Sunday’s field included Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare) and Rahsaan Bahati (Bahati Foundation), both making their 2010 Superweek debut.
Other local results include Tony Rienks (Beverly Bike-Vee Pak), who put in a long solo effort to win the 35+ 4/5’s; Adam Lesniakowski (PACT/Dish Network), who took the bunch sprint in a 35+ 1/2/3 race that was halted and abbreviated because of a quick thunderstorm; and Justin Somerville (Bicycle Heaven) winning the 4/5’s. In the 3’s, Burnham Racing had Nick Ramirez off the front for the last several laps, but had to settle for 2nd and 3rd from Chris Curran and Nate Iden after Andrew Buntz (University of Iowa) launched a long attack to bring him back and take the win.
The BK Stacker and the dicey Turn 4 tooks their share of victims but most races were relatively crash-free this year, at least compared to previous editions.
Reports
Cathy Frampton (Project 5; W-3/4): “Then fluky things started happening.”
Arron Hampton (Psimet; 35+ 4/5): “I pushed through it, arse on the tip of the saddle, funny pain face on full display and grabbed me some 5th place.”
Photos
Lisa McMahon
Omar Patalinghug (4/5’s video): 1, 2, 3
Cecile Redoble
Luke Seemann
Ed White
Photo by Luke Seemann
A few of the many highlights from the first Illinois leg of Superweek:
Geneva reports
Nick Gierman (Burnham Racing; 3): “As this rider slots in behind me, my mark was hit and off I went. Over the bricks and through the turn, dancing on the pedals like a ProTour sprinter does.”
Arron Hampton (Psimet; 35+ 4/5): “We were racing for third, which I realized right after I lit up that last match.”
Matt Riezman (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4/5): “Midway through the race, huge gaps started forming on the hill and getting caught behind them made my race tough.”
Tati Cycles (35+ 1/2/3): “Nobody will pay any attention to your team until you’ve beaten Mark Swartzendruber, even if it is in a sprint.”
Verizon u25 (P/1/2): “The final lap almost resembled a match sprint as they cautiously eye one another, waiting to open the sprint until the final 200 meters.”
Andrew Zens (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4/5): “”
Geneva photos
Luke Seemann
Tati Cycles
Nikki Cyp
Homewood reports
Debbie Dust (Bouledogue Tout Noir; W-P/1/2/3): “Even more negative were the riders who literally tailgunned the entire race and then suddenly appeared in the front with two laps to go.”
Evan Jahn (Rhythm Racing; 4/5): “He won! We won! For the first time it feels like a team victory and not just individual.”
Matt Riezman (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4/5): “I ran out of something.”
Chris Uberti (Team Panther; P/1/2): “Thanks to attrition I was able to sneak into a money spot.”
Homewood photos
Tati Cycles
Nikki Cyp
Willow Springs reports
Arron Hampton (Psimet; 4/5): “Braking at the front on a downhill back stretch seems odd.”
Andrew Zens (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4/5): “Lots of squirrels in the field today, and to be honest I was one of them.”
Series photos
Peloton Pix
It’s official: Kaleb Koch (IS Corps) is a national champion, winning the 15-16 time trial Saturday, his third win in as many days, to secure the omnium in Trexlertown, Pa.
His teammate Chazz Martin was not a stranger to the podium, but his destiny would not be the top step this year: He finished 2nd in Saturday’s 17-18 scratch race and 2nd again in Sunday’s team sprint, a total of four such finishes over the weekend.
Meanwhile, John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) finished out the weekend with a 2nd in the 17-18 flying time trial and a 4th in the Madison.
Next month’s Glencoe Grand Prix, site of this year’s national criterium championships, have added a second Cat 5 race with a race time of 7:15 a.m. Register at BikeReg. I expect it will fill up just as quickly as the first one did. Note also the Cat 4 race is closing on capacity, too.
Kaleb Koch (IS Corps) won again at the junior national track championships in Trexlertown, Pa., Friday’s 15-16 scratch race, giving Chicago two victories on the day after the points win from John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo).
Also on Friday, Chazz Martin (IS Corps) earned his second silver of these championships by placing 2nd in the 17-18 match sprint.
This all came one day after Koch won the 15-16 match sprint competition. I should note that I may have gotten ahead of myself when I said it gave him the national championship. For age groups below 17-18, national championships are given only to the omnium winners. (This, my friends, is why I avoid covering the track.) However, after winning the first two events, Koch is well positioned for said omnium as racing continues through the weekend.
Photo by Luke Seemann
Bernie Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) opened Superweek with an impressive win in Beverly Friday evening.
Sulzberger was one of seven riders who went up a lap. With seven laps to go he escaped with Chad Burdzilauskas (Kenda). They built a large gap working together, but on the bell lap Sulzberger attacked at the top of the hill and entered the final downhill corner alone to cruise down the homestretch.
It was a small field despite $3,000 in primes, and fewer than 30 finished. Bryan McVey (ReCycling), Tomasz Boba (WDT-Allvoi) and Frank Rowley (South Chicago Wheelmen) were the top locals, finishing 15th, 17th and 19th, respectively.
Glenview’s Kaleb Koch (IS Corps) earned his first national championship Thursday by winning the 15-16 match sprint in Trexlertown, Pa.
Koch was the top qualifier with an 11.6-second 200, then proceeded to win each of his sprints.
“I couldn’t have done it without all the support that I have received this year from everyone,” he said. “Jon Fraley (WDT-Allvoi) and Tony Ruffalo really made all of this possible. If it wasn’t for their training help, I would not have had the speed out there that I had today.”
Meanwhile, Koch’s teammate Chazz Martin earned the silver in the 17-18 kilo.
Racing continues through the weekend.
Update: John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) on Friday earned his second national championship, this time in the 17-18 points race. In 2009 he won the 17-18 scratch race.
Tomlinson said that after being off the front and picking up some points early and “after a ton of Mach-speed accelerations from some fast guys,” he and Daniel Farinha (SJBC) escaped with about 20 laps to go. They traded sprints and lapped the field with about five to go. “I had no idea if I had won,” Tomlinson said, “but I knew I was podium since only two of us lapped. Turned out I was three points up on my breakmate.”
Tomlinson still has the scratch to look forward to. If he does well, he could earn a spot on the national team that will compete at the world championships in Italy.
