Pat McNally spoke to Jon Knouse, the race director behind the Glencoe Gran Prix about planning and preparation for the June 1, 2013 race

PM: Tell us about this new starting grid you keep texting me about

 

JK: We have always believed the GGP to be a cycling event and not a bike race. To some, that may be a matter of semantics, but we are really interested in providing an overall great experience in addition to great bike racing. One area we thought was lacking was the staging. We generally see it being an inelegant experience. That is to say, some riders do what is asked of them, some hang on barricades, others skip the free lap or enter the course where they see fit, all in the name of getting to the front. It seemed to be the wild, wild West. So we decided to end that by staging the riders like a Formula 1 race, without the qualifying laps. Our qualifying laps are the USAC rankings of the riders.

PM: How will it work?

JK: Ten feed feet behind the starting line will be row 1. There are ten places per row so everyone is spread out and the places are set equidistant between the barricades. Then every five feet another row until we have 12 rows of 10 (120 places) and a 13^th row of 5 for a total of 125 places (our largest field size which is the pro men). On the ground, you will see an AT&T Globe with a number on it. A rider will enter the course, look at his/her bib number, match it to the number on the ground and place the front wheel on the decal. All riders will enter the course in the same place. Once everyone is set, the referees will check to see everyone is placed properly. Call–ups will then be done, which will work great as everyone will be spread out so it will be easy for the rider to work his/her way to the front. After call-ups, referees will release the rows one by one to fill in around the start line like a traditional race. The referee will give his instructions, then race!

PM: And how will pre-registration or day-of registration factor in

JK: It will be extremely important to pre-register. All same day registrants start in the back of the field.  You may be the best Cat 3 on the planet, but if you register same-day and are rider number 76, you start in 76^th position. However, if you’ve pre-registered, you can sign in, get your race numbers and fully concentrate on your preparation and warm-up without having to worry about getting to the starting line. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible. 

PM: What made you think about changing the staging process?

JK: I attended every day of the Ryder Cup last fall at Medinah Country Club (two days too many!)  When the Americans came out of the clubhouse to head to the first tee, they walked over a bridge, were announced over the PA and the crowd went nuts. It was really a grand entrance. I thought the scene was electric. I immediately wanted to do something similar with the GGP (without the bridge). This is what I came up with. As an aside, we are taking suggestions for entrance music for each race as the riders stage. We’re open to just about anything within reason (and that can be played in front of little ones). We plan to solicit suggestions by race over at the Glencoe Gran Prix Facebook page, but I’ll gladly take suggestions here too. We’ll give preference to those actually in the race, so if, for example, if Jason Knauff suggests something for the 30+1/2/3, we’ll consider that over my eight-year-old daughter who will suggest One Direction for every race. That is, unless he suggests something by Neil Diamond. 

More on the GGP: This is the 7^th year of the GGP. The race benefits Glencoe Educational Foundation, as well as schools in Chicago, specifically, Holden Elementary and Johnson College Prep. It is hard to believe this is the 7^th year already, but time flies when you are having fun I guess. We’re once again part of the National Criterium Calendar and also this year we are part of USA Crits, which allows us for the first time to live stream our event, and elevates the profile of the GGP further as part of a nationally respected crit series. We are not hosting the IL State Criterium Championships this year, but we know St. Charles will do an awesome job with it. 

• » 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.

• » 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.

• » 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.

• » Randy Gillespie (Team Mack) has been in intensive care since Sunday after a hard crash in a race near St. Louis. Assistance for him and his family can be given by sending Pay Pal funds to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• » Dave Moyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) and Kristen Meshberg (ABD) are your 2011 elite men’s and women’s criterium champions, finishing as the top Illinois Cat 1 riders at Saturday’s Glencoe Grand Prix. That’s two in a row for Moyer. Meshberg previously earned the elite road race state championship in 2008.
• » Superweek has moved its Wednesday, July 13, race from Lake Geneva, Wis., to Brown Deer, north of Milwaukee. Registration is open, with $7 late fees kicking in Tuesday night. Superweek is also looking for host homes for riders.
• » Chicago Athlete reported this month that the 2010 Soldier Field Cycling Series is on. The 2011 edition, however, is far from certain. Be hopeful, but don’t hold your breath.

 

• » Online registration closes tonight for Saturday’s Glencoe Grand Prix, our state criterium championships and a stop on the men’s National Racing Calendar. Because of low pre-registration, the men’s 2’s race is being folded into the P/1’s race, and the women’s 3’s race is being folded into the women’s P/1/2’s. The respective 2’s and 3’s will still have separate championships based on the first Illinois riders to cross the line, and I am told an effort is being made to provide separate bib-number schemes for each field within a race.
• » West Town Bikes will be collecting donated bikes and parts at Glencoe.
• » The July 2 UWW Road Race is canceled, the third Wisconsin road race to be dropped this season.
• » Superweek registration is open.
• » The Chicago Velo Campus is looking for help to construct its temporary wood velodrome. Construction is scheduled for July 8-16. Contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to schedule a shift.
• » Meet Andrew Nordyke (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew), T-shirt model.

• » Registration closes tomorrow for Saturday’s Cobb Park Criterium.
• » The Glencoe Grand Prix will include a free women’s clinic on Friday, June 24, led by the professional racers of Tibco.
• » The Tour of Galena is soliciting feedback from riders who participated in this weekend’s inaugural edition. (There are have been many positive reports from the weekend, but my favorite may be this one from Sarah Mythen (XXX racing-AthletiCo): “Sure, the bike was big, and I didn’t have the same clips, and I wasn’t in junior gears, but I went to Galena to race, and that was just what I was going to do.”

• » ABD swept the elite road race championships this weekend behind Ben Damhoff and Jeannie Kuhajek, who both survived long ordeals in punishing heat. Both are scheduled to race their first races as state champions this Saturday at the Tour of Galena — for which I should note pre-registration closes tonight.
• » Who else is hot? Young Brian Ellison (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew), who after making his road debut with a 2nd in the 4/5’s at Monsters of the Midway has reeled off four consecutive victories: three in the 5’s, plus Saturday’s state championship Sunday’s Spring Prairie Road Race in the 4’s.
• » And the action is sure to be hot June 25. The Glencoe Grand Prix this week announced that former national champions John Murphy (BMC) and Rahsaan Bahati (SKLZ) will toe the line for our state criterium championships. That same day, more than $5,000 in primes will be on the line for the Tour of America’s Dairyland Downer Classic.
• » A $500 purse will be on the line Thursday for the inaugural Tomasz Pac Memorial Points Race, sponsored by PACT/Dish Network.

• » Sunday is Half Acre Cycling’s clinic for women, which in fact starts Thursday evening with a Q&A at Johnny Sprockets’ Broadway location.
• » Promoter RDS Cycling has pulled Vernon Hills and Fox River Grove from the calendar, although there is a movement afoot to save them. E-mail me if you think your team help and I’ll put you in touch with the right people. Should these races not be saved, Monsters of the Midway will be the only race within an hour of the city until Cobb Park in late June.
• » Registration closes tonight for Saturday’s Leland Kermesse. It’s like Hillsboro-Roubaix, but closer and not as easy.
• » David Veilleux (Europcar) was off the front for much of Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix and finished 25th. The 23-year-old has a strong local race history: Racing for Kelly Benefit Strategies, he won August’s Glencoe Grand Prix and the 2008 Tour of Elk Grove.
• » Northbrook Velodrome’s racing schedule is online.

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

— a flat rectangle with unrestricted sight lines —

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

— the U-turn in Turn 1 is a doozy —

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.

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.

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.

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.

• » 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.

More highlights from Saturday's hot day of racing at the Glencoe Grand Prix:

• » On a course friendly for breaks, the most impressive may have come in the 3's, where Chris Kinonen (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) and David Jaggi (Flatlandia) escaped around the first points sprint and spent the balance of the race in a two-man time trial. Despite a large, strong field behind them, no organized chase ever came together, and Kinonen was able to pick up the first win of his adult career.
• » It's often fun to throw some elite cyclocross riders into a 4's race and watch it explode. It's like the doodie-in-the-pool scene in "Caddyshack." On Saturday it was Half Acre Cycling's Ben Popper and Mike Hemme enjoying their biannual road race and lighting it up from the starting whistle. With their strong fitness and superior handling they shredded the field like so much cheese, reducing the 100-strong field to small packs within the first laps. Fewer than 30 hung on to the lead group. Midway through, Popper took a strong dig off the front, cracked, pulled off course to kiss his wife and then joined the next available chase group. In the end, however, it was junior track national champion Kaleb Koch (IS Corp), shown above, rocketing out of the corner to take the win by a large margin over John Villena (Rhythm Racing).
• » In a case of bad things happening to good people and great racers, Jannette Rho (Chicago Cuttin' Crew) took a hard spill near the end of the women's 3/4's race. The race was neutralized while medics tended to her, leading to a three-lap galllop to the end, won by Holly Matthews (University of Wisconsin). Heidi Sarna (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) was the top local finisher in 6th.
• » Aerocat's Andy Crater and former Olympian Diego Garavito were men among boys in the 30+. They led each other out for sprint points, and in the final laps Garavito was able to slip away from a still-sizable field. Only Bob Karlow (Verdigris) was able to go with, and the two nursed a slender lead to the finish line, crossed first by Garavito.
• » The usual suspects drilled it early in the 45+ to separate the wheat from the chaff. Only 16 out of more than 50 starters would avoid getting pulled, and those 16 were spread across four separate groups. In the lead group were Andy Kerr (Village Cyclesport), Mark Swartzendruber and Wayne Simon (Verdigris), the latter of whom came out of the final corner with a gap to take the win.
• » Richard Kisseloff (Dogfish) has handlebar video of the first few laps of the 30+ race and the last few laps of the 3's.

Full results.

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

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 -- captured nicely by Graham Fisk -- 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. Chip times are online. Full wrap-up to come. In the meantime, follow updates at Podium Insight and the Glencoe Grand Prix blog.

• » 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.

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

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

• » Don't forget tonight is the special Bastille Day race at Soldier Field. These are fun races to watch as well as to take part in.
• » Turnout was light at this weekend's Great Egyptian Omnium, but feedback is positive over at the St. Louis Biking forum, and Scott Rosenfield (IS Corps) enjoyed himself.
• » The professional riders of Team Vera Bradley Foundation will be holding a women's clinic on Friday, Aug. 13, in conjunction with Alberto's and the Glencoe Grand Prix, where the squad will have six riders after fielding three at the Tour of Elk Grove the week before. Proceeds benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.
• » The Glencoe Grand Prix has been profiling some of its riders, including legend Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom), whom I'm excited to see will be joining us in August.
• » Chicago has a new bike park.
• » The Chicago Department of Transportation is holding a meeting tomorrow to discuss the path at Navy Pier and the potential of a "flyover" bridge.
• » Our state time trial championships will be Sept. 4 in Harvard, Ill.
• » Video of Kaleb Koch (IS Corps) winning the 15-16 scratch race at juniors nats. He makes his move around 1:56.
• » Sex advice from bike messengers.

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.

• » Important note for Tuesday night Matteson riders: The South Chicago Wheelmen will celebrate the solstice's extra daylight by racing at the Autobahn Country Club, 3795 South Patterson Road, this Tuesday, June 22. (Entry will be $20 rather than the usual $10.) Racing will be rain or shine.
• » Project 5 will host the Tour of Villas on Saturday, July 3. Race fees are $20 plus a food donation.
• » Superweek registration is open.
• » Only four Cat 5 spots remain in the The Cat 5 field at the Glencoe Grand Prix is full. Congratulations to Robert Bramlette (South Chicago Wheelmen) for being DFL.
• » Voytek Glinkowski (WDT-Allvoi) tells me that fields are filling up at the Allvoi Cup on the track. Because of light 55+ interest, that field has been eliminated and replaced with a 4/5 field, which will enable 5's to participate in the mass-start races. There had been worry that the women's field would be suspended, but after a surge or pre-registration it is officially off the chopping block. In fact, fewer than 10 spots remain.
• » Chip times are available from the Illinois state road race in O'Fallon.
• » Try to kill a cyclist, get curfew. Meanwhile, two cyclists this week were attacked near Lawrence and the lakefront path. Stay alert.
• » Steve Dennis came up with a very clever illustration to celebrate the Giro d’Italia.
• » ButtonHole Chamois Creme is the latest enterprise of Wayne Simon (Verdigris). I haven't tried it yet, but I'm told that, yes, it has the tingle.
• » Love is in the air.
• » Something to think about next time you interact with an official.

The Glencoe Grand Prix, site of this year's men's national criterium championships, opens registration for the amateur races at 8 a.m. Monday.

This will be one the summer's premier events in Chicago. There is only one Cat 5 race, so I expect it will sell out quickly, if not within a few hours. I wouldn't wait to the last minute to register for the 4's, either.

The Aug. 14 Glencoe Grand Prix -- this year's men's national criterium championship -- today updated its Web site and released information on its new course.

It's a technical, 10-turn, 1.3-mile circuit, completely different from previous editions. Roads look smooth though narrow in spots, judging from the provided video. It's mostly flat, save for a 30-foot descent and kicker on the back side. Unlike the former championship of Downers Grove, the finish from the final corner is flat, but just as short, a little less than 200 meters. With the start/finish in the same spot as previous Glencoe Grands Prix, albeit moving clockwise instead of counter, the final turn at the corner that used to be Turn 1, at Vernon and Park. An elite rider who's ridden it tells me not to expect anyone to make a pass, so just like Downers, it may turn into a race to the final corner. (We all remember how that sometimes works out.) The lineup and preliminary purses: Juniors 10-14: 25 minutes + 1 Juniors 15-18: 25 + 1 Cat 5: 35 + 1 Women 3/4: 30 + 1, $750 45+ 1/2/3/4: 50 + 1, $1,000 Cat 4: 45 minutes + 1, $750 30+ 1/2/3/4: 50 + 1, $1,000 Cat 3: 50 + 2, $1,000 Cat 1/2: 60+2, $5,000 plus jersey Women P/1/2: 55 + 2, $7,500 plus jersey Men's pro national championship: 100km, $15,000 plus jersey Registration will open on BikeReg June 14. With only one Cat 5 field, I expect that will sell out immediately. Cat 4's should not dally, either. In other news, registration is open for the popular Wednesday night Soldier Field Cycling Series: June 23, July 14 and Aug. 4. Each evening includes two juniors fields, a women's race, two for the 4/5's and a 60-minute P/1/23 race.

• » Superweek released its 2010 schedule while I was away. There are still quite a few holes, but overall it looks fairly familiar, including the big opener in Beverly on Friday, July 9, and the popular Evanston Grand Prix on Sunday, July 18. Blue Island is not there, but new venues include Palos Hills and Palatine. There's no traditional road race yet, but the series returns to Milwaukee's lakefront, albeit on the 2.2-mile "short course."
• » Half Acre Cycling is bringing the Leland-Kermesse women's 4's purse into parity with the men's.
• » ABD will be hosting a series of Wednesday night training criteriums. Details to come.
• » Registration is open for the Tour de Champaign-Urbana.
• » The Illinois Cycling Association is on the Twitter.
• » Saturday is a free nutrition and training seminar for junior cyclists led by Albero Segura (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). "Juniors and Cycling: Health and Wellness" starts at 12:30 p.m. at the 1101 W. Madison St. location of AthletiCo. RSVP to Segura at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
• » The Chicago Cuttin' Crew and Team Pegasus are taking Hillsboro-Roubaix and making it interesting.
• » Nick Frey (Jamis/Sutter Home) pays a visit to a school in Glencoe.
• » If the next bike courier to deliver a package to your building is a 6-year-old with a pretend radio, this is why.
• » Lemont's Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Transitions) has a new crib.
• » Ritte Racing is very funny, and the bikes are beautiful to boot.

USA Cycling announced today that its national criterium championship, previously a fixture in Downers Grove, will move to Glencoe in 2010.

Downers Grove has hosted the national championships on a popular figure-eight course since 1991, but the race's demise has been speculated ever since the village council pulled $37,000 in funding in December. Special Events Management will continue to manage the race, set for Saturday, Aug. 14. This is a major coup for promoter Jon Knouse and his Glencoe Grand Prix, which in only three years has built a reputation for a well-run and well-funded operation. "Once I saw Downers Grove decided not to renew," Knouse said, "I called (ICA president and SEM event manageer) Steve Hansen and said: 'We can help you. At least for this year, I know we can offer a great alternative and on short notice.' SEM agreed, and we approached USA Cycling and they agreed." I'm looking to confirm details, but I'm told that the course will be altered -- no more Amen Corner, but a hill will be incorporated -- and racing will be limited to one day, meaning less amateur racing and no more twilight pro-am. "This was really a lightning-in-the-bottle scenario," Knouse said, "and we are totally grateful to SEM management and USA Cycling for having faith in us. We plan to deliver in spades." USA Cycling had previously announced the relocation of women's and men's elite national championships, which this year will take place in Bend, Ore., but Knouse says the Glencoe schedule will include a 1/2 race and a "big women's pro race." Also of note: ABD this week announced that the Winfiled criterium weekend -- a fun, climber-friendly twilight crit on Saturday, ABR national championships on Sunday -- is returning to August on Aug. 21-22. That makes two consecutive weekends of big racing, and it means Winfield no longer conflicts with the popular Spring Prairie Road Race in Wisconsin.

After a ridiculously mild summer, the weather gods turned mighty cranky this weekend. The broiling began as soon as a light rain subsided in Grayslake on Saturday, and many a rider fizzled in the sizzle of Sunday's oppressive heat in Glencoe. The only brief relief came in the form of a quick thunderstorm that interrupted Sunday's P/1/2 race.

Some highlights:

• » With its sweeping turns, Grayslake isn't a technical course, but poor Sean Metz (Apache) had an unfortunate run-in with a mailbox in the P/1/2 race, this after lapping the field with three others. He scrambled to a replacement bike but lost the lap he'd gained. Meanwhile, fellow break mates Ryan Freund (ABD) and Scott Pearson (Comcast) set off the front a second time, with Freund sprinting and posting up for a nice win -- with one lap to go. Fortunately for Freund, he was still able to collect himself and sprint for the win a lap later, this time for keeps.
• » Bad luck also fell on XXX Racing-AthletiCo, which managed to get two riders in the break of the 3's race, only to have both flat in the final laps, and it was ICA Cup leader Justin Armstead (Team Mack) taking the win in the sprint.
• » Team BH USA very nearly swept both day's of women's P/1/2/3 podiums. Kristen Meshberg single-handedly lapped the field Saturday while teammate Devon Haskell, in her first race back from another stint racing in Europe, also went off the front to solo into 2nd place. After going up a lap, Meshberg set to work leading out Madeleine Puissant to a sprint for 3rd. The next day, in a race shortened to 20 minutes after pausing for lightning to pass, it was defending champion Haskell's turn to be off the front by herself (above). Meshberg then got to enjoy a free ride on the wheel of Jeannie Kuhajek (Team Mack), who valiantly pursued, only to have Meshberg come around in the homestretch for 2nd.
• » Burnham Racing made well-timed escapes in two races Sunday. In the 30+ 1/2/3 race, Jason Knauff and Andrew Rizzo (Comcast) slipped away a little more than midway through. They held a 20-second gap the rest of the way, with Knauff taking the win. An hour later, Julian Baumgartner did the same trick, but he lost his companion early and had to go solo for the last six laps. Meanwhile, teammate Nate Iden took the sprint for 2nd, a nice example of what can happen when you force the other teams to chase. And thanks to spending so much time off the front, Knauff and Baumgartner gobbled enough sprint points to win their respective sprint contests, contests that electrified the racing all day.
• » Team MS Racing also had a blockbuster day. It was active in all the lower-category races and showed its depth by sweeping the podium after a bunch sprint in the 30+ 4/5's behind Erik Wiebe, Dan Cooper and Sam Schaefer. Later, Schaefer created a four-man break late in the 4's race and won the sprint despite being outnumbered by two ABD riders.
• » Glencoe's P/1/2 race stayed together with New Zealand pros Josh England (Subway-Avanti) and Hayden Godfrey (Subway-Avanti) going 1-2 in the sprint. Brian Cornelius (Landis/Trek) reeled off the day's fastest circuit, a factoid for which we can thank chip timing, averaging 30.8 mph on the final lap to take 3rd. Mike Sherer (Alderfer Bergen) in 4th was the top local finisher.
• » Sherer had a successful Saturday, too, going 1-2 with teammate and Northwestern University student Will Nowak at the Warsaw Downtown Criterium in Indiana.

Full Glencoe a.m. results. Full Glencoe p.m. results.

Grayslake reports ABD Cycling (P/1/2): "Ryan Freund turned a potentially embarrassing situation into another win."

Kevin Butler (Wheelfast; 30+ 4/5): "This what separates us from our golfing and softball-playing adult-sports bretheren."

Liam Donoghue (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): "I wanted to get in a break and have it be more than me, myself and I off the front."

Bryan McVey (Vision Quest; P/1/2): "There are a few things that I think accounted for my suckiness, but I'll spare you."

Madeleine Puissant (Team BH USA; W-open): "We decided to make it hot from the start and boy did we!"

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): "We floated backward together, he daring me to surge forward and take a pull."

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+ 1/2/3): "There should be some good video of my substantial arse posted somewhere."

Mike Shea (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4): "I knew as I was entering the turn that I was not going to make it."

Grayslake photos Andrew Rizzo

Glencoe reports Julian Baumgartner (Burnham Racing; 3): "Coming up to the line amidst a sprint for a two-man wine prime I found myself in perfect position."

Devon Haskell (Team BH USA; W-P/1/2): "It was a tough battle trying to stay away, but there were lots of people hanging out in the rain and providing encouragement."

Joey Iuliano (P/1/2; Purdue): "Somehow in the next few laps became stupid and forgot those oh-so-nice lines I was taking just a few minutes earlier."

Chris Koster (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): "There were 300 meters to go and I think the others were not expecting to start the sprint that early."

Derek Laan (Panther/RGF; P/1/2): "Ryan, Greg and I planned to race aggressively and hope a break went with one of us in it."

Thomas Macneill-Zimmerman (Half Acre Cycling; 5): "I was defending my position and ready to sprint at any point."

Bryan McVey (Vision Quest; P/1/2): "I just focused on my position and not making any moves unless I felt good enough to make them."

Martin Michalowicz (Team MS Racing; 30+ 4/5, 4): "As I cleared the apex, I started to feel my front wheel skid. Now I knew I was in trouble."

Will Nowak (Alderfer Bergen; P/1/2): "A rainstorm rolled though right before our race, which conveniently cooled down what had previously been an unbearably hot day."

Joe Schubert (Half Acre Cycling; 4): "I was stuck in the accordion and found myself after the natural breaks after each corner."

Frank Shapiro (Alberto's; 5, 30+ 4/5): "In all my nervousness, I had forgotten to remove my saddle bag before the race. What a rube."

Mike Shea (Spidermonkey Cycling; 30+ 4/5, 4): "Tactics. Hmmm."

Stan Sterlinski (Half Acre Cycling; 4): "I felt crossing that line was a type of win itself at Glencoe, and I’ve got some great sunburn as my prize."

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+ 1/2/3): " I attacked the field immediately after we caught them as I don’t generally like other people."

Glencoe photos Amy Dykema Carolyn Golz Luke Seemann Frank Shapiro Ed White

The Glencoe Grand Prix has added some sprint competitions to spice up Sunday's races.

Women's P/1/2/3's, 45+, 30+ 1/2/3's, 4's, 3's and P/1/2's will each have five sprints during their races, with points going seven deep (7, 6 ... 1). Winners get a $200 gift certificate to EJ's Place, the Skokie restaurant owned by longtime cycling supporter EJ Lenzi (PYOC). Glencoe is keen on attracting more athletes to the women's P/1/2/3 race, so that sprint winner will receive a $800 pair of 14K white gold diamond earrings, donated by Shelle Jewelers. Finally, organizer Jon Knouse tells me that Glencoe Grand Prix kits are for sale: $65 for tops, $75 for bottoms. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if interested. And Dan Labovitch (Half Acre Cycling) reminds us that his sponsor will be providing free brew for registered racers. The faster you race, the sooner you get to enjoy. How's that for motivation?