Pedals have turned in anger for the first time in 2010, although it’s hard to get too angry at a small ABR race where your primary objective is to stay warm.

Conditions warmed up by the afternoon but wind was the biggest factor at Sunday’s kick-off in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. A fierce headwind on the backstretch required concentration lest a gust turn a crossed wheel into a trip to the tarmac.

I heard more than one lower-category rider blame the wind for their inability to break away, but it didn’t stop Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless) from taking leave of both the 30+ and 40+ races. In the 40+, he lapped the field with Ricardo Otero (WDT-Allvoi) in tow and kept on going to win solo. In the ensuing 30+ he broke free again but couldn’t shake John Acker (Wheel & Sprocket) and settled for 2nd.

The 4’s and 5’s started separately but were a single group by the end of their race. Out of that scrum Bryan Witry (Spider Monkey Cycling) took 4th in the 4’s and Patryk Limanowicz (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) was 1st among the 5’s.

Continuing an ABR tradition of “call your own category,” Chris Padfield and some of his ReCycling mates lined up for the 3’s. After some early attacks, Padfield escaped and cruised to a win (photo above). A tangle in the chase brought a handful of riders down, including ReCycling’s Bryan McVey and Ben LaForce. Scott Knoepke (Psimet) caught the worst of it and left in an ambulance, but he’s already back on the bike.

Meanwhile, Mark Serafin (PACT/Dish Network) showed his usual stellar spring form by winning the field sprint for 2nd. I’ve lost count of how many Kenosha field sprints Serafin has won over the years, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s double digits.

Padfield doubled up with the 1/2’s race and finished 4th, having helped initiate the chase after two unattached Wisconsin riders slipped away from a small field.

No Chicago women made the trip, aside from Debbie Dust (PACT/Dish Network), who threw down with the masters men, finishing 8th in the 40+ and 3rd in the 50+. Interesting to see Sam Schneider (Tibco) of West Allis, Wis., make an appearance in the women’s race: She’s one of three women with Midwestern roots to join that top pro team this year.

Racing continues the next two Sundays, weather permitting.

Full results.

Race reports
Stephen Butler (Wheel Fast; 4): “The field never strings out, which is both a good and a bad thing.”

Debbie Dust (PACT/Dish Network; 40+, 50+): “I decided to just roll off the front and was surprised to see that I had a gap.”

Ed Hernandez (North Branch; 30+): “Within two laps, the attacks had begun and the hammerfest was underway.”

Chris Padfield (ReCycling; 3, 1/2): “Extra Belgian-style training points for the wind.”

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 1/2): “Having a teammate — especially incognito — could make or break the race.”

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 30+, 40+): “I cajoled the Spanish sprinter to take a pull or two, to which he indicated he could (would) not and suggested that he was more than happy with 2nd place so long as I did not attack him.”

Andrew Zens (Spider Monkey Cycling; 3, 4): “All attacks had the same result: They died on the back stretch as they went straight into the 20 mph wind.”

Photos
Katie Cook
John Wilke

Sunday
Kenosha Velopsort Spring Training Series
ABR Criterium
Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours
2009 wrap-ups: I, II

Seems like yesterday we were celebrating the Fall Fling and mourning the end of another road season, and yet here we are already, ready or not, starting a new season with the traditional north-of-the-border training criteriums.

Kenosha Velosport hosts three consecutive Sundays of races at an office park in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. After months on our trainers and rollers, the flat, gentle loop presents a good, safe opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with our bicycles’ steering and braking mechanisms. More important, these early-season races are always fun, low-key reunions with fellow competitors we haven’t seen in months.

It looks like we’re in for some rain this week, but that should just wash the last of the snow away. The weekend forecast is sunny and warm. Ish.

Sunday
Kenosha Velopsort Spring Training Series
ABR Criterium
Kenosha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours
2009 wrap-ups: I, II

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. Or, race up a category and enter the off-season with a taste of what you have to work toward in 2010.

The time trial returns to Maple Park, but the other three courses are new. Saturday’s criterium is a flat, .8-mile loop with very gentle corners. Sunday’s road race looks to be a fairly flat 6-mile square with long lines of sight. The following Sunday we get a rolling, 1.5-mile circuit with two roundabouts to navigate each lap. All three courses are fairly unsheltered, so something tells me any brisk fall breeze could go a long way to shake things up.

ABD will be providing a free lunch to riders and volunteers Sunday, and indoor locker rooms will be available for changing.

Saturday
Fall Fling Criterium No. 1
ABR criterium
West Chicago, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Sunday
Fall Fling Road Race
ABR road race
Crete, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday, Oct. 4
Fall Fling Criterium No. 2
ABR criterium
West Chicago, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

With the advent of online pre-registration I’ve noticed a peculiar tipping point with some fields. Categories showing the faintest possibility of selling out will experience sudden runs on registration. Meanwhile, fields with less demand will sit dormant, which in turn stifles demand even more. After all, if only one person has registered for a race -- I’m speaking completely hypothetically here -- should we be surprised if only, say, four showed up on race day? Who on earth wants to race against just one person? (Besides match sprinters, of course.)

And so it is that we welcome the inaugural Ronald Reagan Criterium in Dixon this Saturday, a figure-eight course with a bit of elevation change. It’s late in the season, it’s an unknown course far from the city, and many of us will be spending Saturday meditating over tire pressure and admiring our cyclocross skinsuits in the mirror. So it’s not too surprising that pre-registration has been light, but I hope enough people jump on board to make the racing interesting and perhaps even justify a return in 2010. (Pre-registering before Thursday night saves $5. Entry fees are modest, and overlapping categories provide ample opportunity to double or triple up.)

Elsewhere there is a curious two-day road race in Indiana, and we get one more chance to race in Kenosha.

Saturday
Ronald Reagan Criterium
USCF criterium
Dixon, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Huntington Bicycle Challenge
USCF road race
Huntington, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Sunday
Huntington Bicycle Challenge
USCF road race
Huntington, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Kenosha Business Park Criterium
ABR criterium
Kenosha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

We’ve been racing non-stop for almost six months. Save for those misfits who peak for cross, many of us may find our needles tilting toward “E,” but it’s time to eek at least one more race out of the tanks with Saturday’s state road race championships Willow Springs.

As previously discussed, the course is a 10-mile, mostly flat triangle with excellent pavement. There’s a kicker at Turn 2, but it’s too short to be of much consequence.

The real challenge is the climb from Turn 3 off Archer up to the finish line atop 104th. The milelong, three-section ascent is an enigma that has left this rider scratching his head on many a reconnaissance ride. Jump at the base? In the flat? On the final, steepest pitch? Attack too early and you’ll fold like a crêpe. Wait too long and you’ll run out of road. Indeed, race winners won’t necessarily be the best climber nor the best sprinter. Victory awaits the crafty rider who can best decode the climb’s mysteries.

Although 104th will animate fields on each trip up, I’m not convinced it’s long enough to yield any selections. However, it could open the door to some creative counterattacks and allow for unexpected moves in the false flats.

Traffic is closed one-way the entire course, but larger fields may experience congestion on the somewhat narrow roads. Be up front lest you get left out of any separations.

Online registration is open through Thursday and saves you $10. I’m a bit dismayed that no P/1/2/3 women have pre-registered. Recall that no Illinois women showed up to June’s criterium championships in Proctor.  Meanwhile, the 40+ 4/5 field is exactly one spot away from filled to capacity.

Note that there is some sort of golf tournament going on nearby, so traffic may be heavy.

Saturday
Illinois state road race championships
USCF road race
Willow Springs, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hour

I caught some grief last month when I declared the Chicago Criterium the best race our region has to offer. Several people made a strong argument for Downers Grove, and although I’m not ready to retract my claim, in retrospect I’ll concede some hometown bias. Indeed, Downers Grove is about as good as it gets for both racers and race fans.

We get two hot days of action, professionally managed by Special Events Management, which also handled Chicago and the Tour of Elk Grove. National championship jerseys are available only to Cat 1 men, pro men and pro women, but anyone who wins this weekend will get to spend 2010 being recognized as “the one who won Downers last year.” Most race glory is fleeting and is forgotten by the next week, but Downers Grove’s sticks around.

Expect the races to be fast, wild and woolly on this figure-8 course. This is a very technical circuit, so it’s crucial to be up front and out of danger. One can get through these turns without braking up front where it’s single-file, but in the bunch it can be a mess. And in the lower categories, the accordion at the back will squeeze you a mournful dirge as you fade into a DNF.

Because of the turns, climbs and wide talent disparity, it won’t take long for the 5’s races to splinter. Keep an eye on the gaps and always be ready to jump across. And if you fall off the pace, don’t be surprised if officials pull you from the course.

With the exception of the occasional late-race flier, breaks rarely succeed. Count on bunch sprints in just about every race.

If you haven’t seen it already, find a way this week to watch “Race Day,” a training video that Robbie Ventura (Vision Quest) shot from within the 2005 masters race. It’s a fun way to preview the course.

Someday someone should make a video for how to survive the “race before the race,” a spectacle that at Downers Grove is as pivotal as it is absurd. It isn’t unusual for racers to abandon their warm-ups and start crowding the barriers 20 minutes before their race.

A few notes about the course:

Turn 1: The best way to do well is to get to the front and stay there. This starts from the gun. Fortunately you’ve been practicing your clip-in. Once you’re near the front, defend your position and jump on opportunities to move up. And don’t shy away from taking a pull. Indeed, keeping the race fast can be a key to staying up front, lest the pace slow and you get swarmed.

Between Turns 2 and 3: Here’s a long, shallow climb. If there’s room, it’s a great spot to make up some ground. Keep an eye out for people moving up the sides and grab them for a free ride.

Between Turns 3 and 5: At Turn 4 there’s a short, steep kicker. It can be a good launchpad for attacks. One can also advance positions on the wide, fast descent between Turns 4 and 5, but the trick is slotting back into the pack by the time you get to Turn 5, an obtuse angle that can be taken super fast. You don’t want to have to create your own line and risk running out of room. (And you don’t want to be the jerk who bombs the inside because he got greedy and careless.)

Turn 5: On the last lap and on any big prime laps, the pack may bunch up ahead of this turn. Nobody wants to be in the wind too early, and some will still be recovering from the climb. You can exploit this hesitation by jumping hard. Don’t even look back to see if you’re clear.  Ride it like you stole it and there’s a chance you’ll stay away for the final kilometer. Not a good chance, but a chance, and even if you fail, this can be a good way to create opportunities for your team’s sprinter.

Between Turns 7 and 8: Turn 7 is slightly less than 90 degrees with some street furniture on the far side, so don’t take Turn 7 too wide. Depending on the wind, you’ll probably want to ride up the right side, however, so you can get the right apex at Turn 8 and to block people from charging up that side.

Turn 8: From the last corner it’s 150 meters to the finish line. Good luck! There’s a climb through the start/finish area, so take care to not be overgeared coming out of Turn 8. If it’s the last lap, you’re going to want to be first or second coming into the turn. Keep in mind that you’ll be going faster on the last lap, so you might not be able to take the same line as on other laps -- keep your inside pedal up. Even the pros will eat hay here, as Ventura famously demonstrated on the last lap of the 2004 national championship.

Have fun, ride safe and stick around for all the weekend’s races. Sunday’s pro races are always spectacular. There’s not a dull spot on the course, but I recommend the bleachers at Turn 7 for the best end-of-race spectating. At the elite level, the true sprint will take place between Turns 6 and 7 as sprinters try desperately to be the first onto Main Street. From that corner you can see all the action develop down Curtiss Street and then watch as someone raises their arms in triumph 150 meters up the road.

Saturday and Sunday
Downers Grove National Criterium Championships
USCF criteriums
Downers Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

With Superweek and the Tour of Elk Grove behind us, the racing scene takes a collective breath this weekend before the summer’s final blowout weekend, that of Downers Grove. But that doesn’t mean there’s not any racing going on. In fact, this week is one of the year’s busiest with many options within just a few hours of Chicago.

And you never know what pros and top elites will decide to hit the local crits to earn some gas money. Indeed, it’s not uncommon this time of year to see some heavy hitters take on Matteson or the track to stay fresh before Downers. Just last week Adam Myerson (Mountain Khakis) showed up at Soldier Field to put a thumping on the A field.

Starting with our Illinois Cup races, Saturday sends us to Grayslake for the Grayslake Cycling Classic.  It’s a U-shape course with wide, rounded corners that in the past has been friendly to breaks.

Sunday’s Glencoe Grand Prix has always been a very well-run event, and chip timing returns this year. This weekend the P/1/2 price purse was increased to $5,000, including 10 $100 primes. It’s a flat course that for the afternoon races will feature a tight, acute final turn 300 meters from the finish. (Lower categories and juniors take a less technical turn.) It’s no BK Stacker, but it nonetheless earns its own moniker: Amen Corner. Say a prayer each time that everyone makes the turn safely. Mind your inside pedal, especially on the last lap, when you will be going faster and leaning more than previous laps.

Special note to women: Francine Haas (Alberto’s) will lead a free clinic the day before the race, Saturday 2:30 p.m. This will be an excellent opportunity to preview the course and pick up pointers from experienced racers.

Farther from home there is the Warsaw Downtown Criterium in Indiana, a flat, .45-mile course. And up in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Meijer Grand Cycling Classic throws three sections of brick at riders, not to mention $8,000 to the P/1/2’s.

Finally there is a rare opportunity to compete in a stage race with the Indiana Stage Race, an ABR omnium in Indianapolis. Promoter Dan Daly runs it, and he always treats Chicago riders like royalty.

Saturday
Grayslake Cycling Classic
USCF criterium
Grayslake, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Warsaw Downtown Criterium
USCF criterium
Warsaw, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Meijer Grand Cycling Classic
USCF criterium
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

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

Sunday
Glencoe Grand Prix
USCF criterium
Glencoe, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Indiana Stage Race: Ft. Ben Road Race
ABR road race
Indianapolis, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

The year’s biggest money will be on the line this weekend at the Tour of Elk Grove. Seriously, the money is ridiculous. Expect the competition to be fierce and the leashes short.

The criteriums take place on a flat 1.2-mile five-corner course. The first corner is a U-turn, not unlike what we experienced in Elgin. Expect packs to bunch up here. My advice is to try to stay in the middle: Go inside and you’ll get pinched and have to scrub a lot of speed. Go outside and you can misjudge the far curb. Stay tucked in the middle, follow a good wheel and don’t lose your cool when someone veers into your line. Whatever you do, downshift several clicks before you turn. You’ll need a massive acceleration out of this corner every time, and you don’t want to be overgeared.

The final stretch is long with a slight chicane. It’s a perfect spot for a two- or three-person leadout. Overeager sprinters who jump out of the corner will likely fade halfway to the line. Payouts go deep, so contest every position, but keep your head up so you don’t plow into someone who’s pulled the plug.

I count 26 turns in the road race that the pros will contest on Saturday. I can’t imagine this will be popular with them, but it should be very spectator friendly, and hopefully it can facilitate some breakaways, lest the overall be decided by Friday’s 4.5-mile time trial. Bring a lawn chair and newspaper and enjoy the action. They’ll do 10 laps, with sprints for cash and points with seven, five and two laps to go.

We should also see some exciting sprints in Sunday’s pro criterium with $3,700 in primes on the line, including $800 and 45 and 15 to go and $1,000 at 30 to go.

Saturday and Sunday
Tour of Elk Grove
USCF criteriums
Elk Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

I made this claim last year, and I’ll make it again: Sunday’s Chicago Criterium is the finest criterium course in the Midwest and perhaps the entire United States.

The money will be huge, the crowds will be enormous and some of the biggest names in domestic racing will be putting on the greatest show on two wheels Sunday. This race was a hit in its 2008 debut, and with the 2009 edition making the National Racing Calendar, the P/1/2 field should be even stronger -- especially with Euro Chris Horner (Astana) and possibly Mike Friedman (Garmin-Slipstream) making appearances.

And lucky us, we amateurs get to race, too.

The course is great. Most of the turns are wide and smooth. Turn 2, a downhill left onto Michigan Avenue, requires concentration, although it proved not much of a problem last year. Keep your inside pedal up as you lean. Do not use this turn to advance positions. Find a wheel you trust and stay there. Bomb the inside and you will get pinched and yelled at. Advance on the outside and you will quickly run out of real estate and run up into street furniture.

Cat 3 and below should expect a lot of accordion effect at this corner.  The first 10 riders will go through at speed, but after that it will bunch up and nervous riders -- guilty as charged -- will brake to scrub some speed. This will open the slightest of gaps and require huge accelerations once onto Michigan.

Here’s handlebar video from first first and last laps of last year’s Cat 3 race.

Consult the race bible for a list of the cash primes available, including $1,000 for the half-race leader in the P/1/2’s.

Conventional wisdom is that the future of the Chicago Criterium hinges on the Olympic bid. If Chicago is unsuccessful, this could very well be the last time we see bicycle racing on Michigan avenue. Don’t squander the opportunity: Ride well, but also make time to watch an entire day of great racing.

It was a rough Superweek in 2008. Venues were late in being secured, and some turned out to be of questionable design. Crashes seemed endemic, many because of rider error but some because of dodgy courses. And then there was the matter of cashing those prize checks.

Some speculated that that might have been the end of Superweek, but indications are that complaints were well-taken, and in its 41st year, Superweek seems to be more on track, with experienced race directors and event producers being brought on board to help.

Prominent teams aren’t shying away. Rock Racing has registered eight riders, and there will also be representatives from Garmin-Slipstream, Team San Jose Hotel, Jelly Belly and Fly V Australia. Strong teams on the women’s side inlclude Colavita/Sutter Home and Hub Racing. (Host housing in Chicago is sought for some of these riders.)

Here is the the complete 17-day schedule. Fee-free registration closes tonight. I haven’t been to every venue, but here’s what I know:

Beverly (Friday, July 10)
Opening night is P/1/2-only, but all cycling fans should visit this charming Chicago neighborhood and take in this stellar course. A steep hill at Turn 1 takes its toll on riders, and a screaming downhill turn sends racers down the homestretch at a frantic pace. The atmosphere is electric, the sprints are wild and this could be Chicago’s most fun race to watch. Metra is close, handy for those heading straight from work.

Blue Island (Saturday, July 11)
Flat rectangle. What more can be said, other than this takes place in another great neighborhood with good community support?

Elgin (Sunday, July 12)
The 4/5’s have already sold out and there’s much excitement for Elgin, which reprises a course long ago used as a UCI juniors event. To honor that pedigree, an extra $1,000 is on the line for U-23 riders in the P/1/2 field. It’s a residential route with plenty of rollers. Enough to facilitate separations? Possibly.

Richton Park (Monday, July 13)
Of the courses that made their debut in 2008, this was the most acceptable. Good pavement and good turns around a suburban park.

Arlington Heights (Tuesday, July 14)
A new course: Flat figure-8 with two long stretches that should allow for high speeds.

Bensenville (Wednesday, July 15)
The village of Bensenville generously paved a path through a park for us to race bicycles on, but it’s not ideal: The path is narrow with off-camber turns. The finish line is again on a chicane, which will allow for hundreds of nearby concertgoers to enjoy the finishing action, but it makes for a dangerous sprint. Keep your head up as you clear the line.

Lakefront, short course (Thursday, July 16)
Superweek is calling this a road race, but since it’s less than 5 km, I’m not sure it qualifies. In either case, it’s a fun course in a great Milwaukee location that has been unavailable because of construction since 2005. There’s a steep kicker on each lap. I’m a bit wary of races being run concurrently. Lap traffic would be dangerous with only one field on the course at a time, so with no more than 2 minutes separating fields, I hope officials are vigilant about pulling riders out of competition. (P/1/2’s and women will race in Shorewood, Wis., in the evening.)

Tour of Holy Hill (Friday, July 17)
This is Superweek’s lone remaining true road race. There are a few uphill kickers, but nothing that will afford climbers much advantage. The steepest pitch comes after Waterford turns into Kettle Moraine, but it’s followed by a long, straight descent that will allow laggards to catch back on. Also beware of the jokers who will drill it up the feed-zone climb. Give yourself time to scout out the uphill finish, as it’s a stretch of road that’s not covered on the rollout or the 8.1 mile course. Last year many people didn’t heed this advice and were caught off-guard by the finish line and the slight incline leading up to it.

Schlitz Park (Saturday, July 18)
Another Milwaukee course that’s been off-limits for a few years, this one features a steep climb and fast, technical descent.

Evanston (Sunday, July 19)
I’m not suggesting a conspiracy, but in this race’s two-year history it has sent more than its share of riders to the sponsoring hospital. It shouldn’t be a dangerous course, but all fields have been susceptible to gnarly pile-ups in two of its six corners. The first is Turn 4 as Davis turns onto Orrington. Riders on the outside have a habit of clipping the barriers in front of Hotel Orrington. Even more problematic is the famous BK Stacker in Turn 5. Here two lanes become one, and the outside curb pinches in more sharply than you expect. If you’re not directly behind someone’s wheel into this corner, you may be in trouble. Meanwhile, riders at the front will be taking the turns smoothly and blasting out of them, leading to a significant accordion effect in the back.

Whitnall Park, long course (Monday, July 20)
Another road race in name only, this is a good, rolling closed course in a botanic garden. Races will be decided on the final climb that’s followed by no more than 50 flat meters before the line. Note that since this is not a criterium, there will be no free laps.

Whitnall Park, short course (Tuesday, July 21)
The action stays in the park, this time on the same course that has in the past been used as a spring criterium. It features long stairstep climbs -- I have always had success here attacking at the base of the second stairstep. The finish line is shown to be on the course’s lone flat stretch, which comes after a long, curving descent. (P/1/2’s race in the evening in Cedarburg, Wis.)

Lakefront, long course (Wednesday, July 22)
This 4.2-mile course uses the same course as the short course, but then adds one more up-and-down for good measure. This time there are three fields on the course at one time, so once again I am hopeful that officials clear out the lap traffic, all due respect to those who paid $30 only to get popped in the first few laps.

I am not familiar with the balance of the Wisconsin schedule, but July 25’s Great Downer Avenue Bike Race is always a crowd pleaser with giant primes and large turnout of spectators.

Independence Day weekend brings us two quality races that should be useful final tuneups before everything gets frantic with Superweek and beyond. The Whitewater Road Race doesn’t necessarily have epic climbs, but it has some nice rollers in a beautiful stretch near Kettle Moraine. On Sunday, ABR awards its state championships on an industrial-park course in Wood Dale.

Saturday
UWW Road Race
USCF road race
Palmyra, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2007

Sunday
Wood Dale Criterium
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

It’s hard to believe we’re barely a week out of arm warmers and it’s already state championship time.

The fight for Illinois honors returns to Peoria on Sunday with the Proctor Cycling Classic. It’s a fun eight-corner course with wide, smooth roads and a short kicker right before Turn 8.

Open the legs up Saturday with The Downer Classic in Milwaukee, a longtime popular Superweek criterium that this year is also part of the Tour of America’s Dairyland.

Saturday
ToAD: The Downer Classic
USCF criterium
Milwaukee, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Sunday
Proctor Cycling Classic (state criterium championships)
USCF criterium
Peoria, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

ToAD: Carl Zach Cycling Classic
USCF criterium
Waukesha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

The Illinois Cup comes back into play this weekend with two local criteriums.

Saturday is the Cobb Park Criterium, hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen in Kankakee. It’s a flat, triangle-shape course along the Kankakee River. Online registration closes tonight, and the SCW asks that you contribute to its food drive by bringing items off this list.

Sunday’s Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge made my list of top 10 races. It’s a course as fun to watch as it is to ride, and I hope that this year it gets the turnout it deserves. I checked the course Sunday morning, and promoter Robert DiSilvestro was already out there hanging up streamers at the start/finish.

The infamous climb starts not far from the start. It will take 45-60 seconds, depending on your legs, too long for most of us to tackle out of the saddle, so sit as long as you can. The steepest pitch is at the bottom. You need to approach the turn in your small ring and one of your bigger cogs -- better to spin for a bit than to be overgeared and risk a shifting mishap. Halfway up it becomes a series of shallower stairsteps.

The pavement at the top of the descent is choppy but nothing to alter your line over. After that it’s smooth, fast sailing all the way to the bottom. If you’re gapped over the top, it’s possible to hammer down the hill to regain contact, but do it quick, because if you don’t get any recovery before it’s time to climb again, your next gap is going to be even bigger.

The finish line is about 150 meters from the final corner. Winners will be either sprinting out of that corner or, more likely, zipping up and performing an elaborate post-up.

Meanwhile, the Tour of America’s Dairyland will be in full swing up in Wisconsin. Saturday features the popular Giro d’Grafton, with a twilight P/1/2 race at 7 p.m. It’s a technical course with a bit of a climb, while Sunday’s Maritime Bay Classic in Manitowoc, Wis., is on a fast, flat, 1-kilometer rectangle.

Saturday
Cobb Park Criterium
USCF criterium
Kankakee, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2009

ToAD: Giro d’Grafton
USCF criterium
Grafton, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2009

Sunday
Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge
USCF criterium
Fox River Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008, 2009

ToAD: Maritime Bay Classic
UCF criterium
Manitowoc, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

There are times I’m really, really happy to have a job. And then there’s this week.

Three weekday races make their debut, starting with the Soldier Field Cycling Series and continuing with the first two stages of the Tour of America’s Dairyland.

Wednesday’s races will run clockwise in the south parking lot of Soldier Field, directly off the bike path in a 1-kilometer, U-shape course with six turns. Parking-lot crits are nobody’s favorite, but this should be a great location and atmosphere. Registering for the entire series by tonight gets you free parking. (Otherwise, parking is $10 at the Waldron parking deck, across from the race course. Riders with roof racks should be mindful of Waldron’s short ceiling and take advantage of a drop-off area at the north end of the race course.) Juniors race for free and receive certificates for free Chipotle burritos.

The inaugural Tour of America’s Dairyland kicks off Thursday with what is shaping up to be its queen stage: The Blue Mounds Race of the Future, held on a course being considered for the 2016 Olympics. Buzz is fever-pitch for this 22-mile circuit, which has has 2,200 feet of climbing per lap, including a brutal 3-mile finishing stretch. I’ll be curious to hear how the racing plays out: Will anyone be aggressive enough to make moves in the rollers, or will everyone just recover and let the climb sort things out?

Friday the series continues with the Waterloo Classic in Trek’s backyard. The 1.6-mile circuit has a steep kicker at the beginning of each lap, then a shallow descent leading to a flat finish.

Wednesday
Soldier Field Cycling Series
USCF criterium
Chicago
Distance from Chicago: 0 hours

Thursday
ToAD: Blue Mounds Race of the Future
USCF road race
Blue Mounds, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Friday
ToAD: Waterloo Classic
USCF criterium
Waterloo, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

It’s time again for the luxury of racing within the city, compliments of the Sherman Park Criterium, put on by XXX Racing-AthletiCo.

The course is a milelong loop through a historic South Side park. There are no turns to speak of, nor any elevation changes.

The most technical part of the course will be handling the occasional pothole, but those who train on Sheridan Road may not even notice. The alderman has promised some fresh pavement, but lower categories need to take heed: Stay cool. In any race, but especially when there is imperfect pavement, havoc can occur when inexperienced riders overcorrect for bumps or cracks. Don’t swerve, don’t panic. Keep your body and arms loose and absorb any bumps.

Purses and primes are bigger this year, including some of Get a Grip Cycles’ famous bike fits, a wheelset from Johnny Sprockets and three iPod Shuffles from CycleAnalyze Training Systems.

The morning 5’s race has reached capacity, but there is still room in the masters 4/5 field and the afternoon 5’s race.

XXX Racing-AthletiCo turns 10 this year. On Saturday the team remembers two of its beloved teammates by inaugurating the Beth Kobezska Women’s Open and the Pieter Ombregt Men’s 4’s.

This is an important race to me and to my team. Consider this your opportunity to show your appreciation for Chicago Bike Racing. I get a lot of support already, but nothing would please me more than to see you out there this Saturday.

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

Wisconsin State Criterium Championships
USCF criterium
Ripon, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Seems like quite a few people took this weekend off from racing. Given the weekend coming up, I can’t blame them for saving their legs for some of year’s most fun courses.

Action starts Saturday afternoon with the Winfield Twilight Criterium.  It’s an interesting course with a long, gradual climb on the backstretch. 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, but be ready to bridge to a forward group. Meanwhile, the course is just difficult enough to facilitate breaks 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.”

Sunday’s state road race championship in Wisconsin is a rolling 6.5-mile rectangle with high exposure to the wind. Senior fields will do between four and 12 laps. There’s a steep but short climb before the start/finish, pictured above, that can crack the legs of even the lightest riders, yet it’s not quite long enough to eliminate the fatties. (Alas!) Each time up is liable to cut a field in half -- be up front, be on guard and be sure to anticipate the climb by being in your small ring before Turn 4. Shifting on the climb will lead to unnecessary hardships.

Save something for the top, because there’s a long false flat up to the finish line.  Theoretically this can be the perfect spot to attack, but a long, straight descent following the finish line will give chasers a window to catch. If you attack, you need to commit early, and you gotta get yourself organizized. All it will take is for one mope to not pull through and your break will be, well, broken.

For people desperate for another road race, there’s also Indiana’s state championship Saturday in Fishers, Ind. So far this is the only event 2009 announced for Benga Sports.

Saturday
Winfield Twilight Criterium
ABR criterium
Winfield, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Indiana State Road Race Championsips
USCF road race
Fishers, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
ABR National Criterium Championships
ABR criterium
Winfield, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Spring Prairie Road Race
USCF road race
Burlington, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

I don’t know a lot about this weekend’s races -- the O’Fallon Grand Prix is in its second year, and the Wonder Lake Lakeside Criterium is new -- but I do know this: Both those races close pre-registration today. Sign up now or you’ll end up paying extra on race day.

Saturday
Chiropractic Criterium
USCF criterium
Brookfield, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

O’Fallon Grand Prix
USCF road race
O’Fallon, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 5 hours

Sunday
Wonder Lake Lakeside Criterium
USCF criterium
Wonder Lake, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Sussex Criterium
USCF criterium
Sussex, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

One of the summer’s most exciting weekends is upon us with four great races near the Quad Cities and three days of masters racing in the suburbs.

The weekend’s jewel is the legendary Snake Alley Criterium on Saturday. 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 navigate the climb. (Tradition in the Pro/1/2 race is for fans to hand cold beers to racers as they throw in the towel.)

The race plays out almost like cyclocross: The sprint comes at the beginning, not the end, and packs will immediately disintegrate into small clusters of riders. Success hinges on being among the first to the Snake on the first lap, lest you get bottlenecked behind the inevitable crashes. Get forced to dismount and you’ll be half a lap down by the time you get to the top. And if you’re not passing people on the way up, you’re doing something wrong.

Once the race starts, riders will be too fried from climbing the Snake to think straight, so it’s important to have a reliable routine for getting through the rest of the course. This turn-by-turn guide from Steve Thordarson (Smart Cycling) is essential pre-race reading. Read it. Memorize it. Tape it to your stem.

The weekend stays hot with big criteriums in nearby Muscatine, Iowa, and Rock Island, Ill.

Locally, ABD is hosting not one, not two, but three days of masters racing in Wood Dale. The categories start at 30+ for both men and women, and on Monday there will be a skills and tactics clinic at 9:15 a.m. for newer riders.

Friday
Wapello-Burlington
Road Race
USCF road race
Burlington, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours

Saturday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

Snake Alley Criterium
USCF criterium
Burlington, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Sunday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

Melon City Criterium
USCF criterium
Muscatine, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Monday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

Quad Cities Criterium
USCF criterium
Rock Island, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

There’s no better location for a race than the location you can ride to, and Saturday brings us Monsters of the Midway, held on the beautiful Midway Plaisance at University of Chicago.  The long, rectangular course isn’t the most interesting, but it’s nonethless a Chicago jewel and is very spectator friendly. The landscape provides a clean view of all the action, and the atmosphere is always festive and exciting.

Separations are typical in the smaller fields, including women’s and masters races, but the long straightaways and unobstructed views make breaks nearly impossible in the large 3’s and 4’s races. Hold tight and get ready for a raucous sprint. About that sprint: Mind the wind. With a stiff breeze off the lake, you can launch yourself out of the final corner. With a headwind, however, you’ll want to wait another 100 meters or so.

The 5’s race is on its way to 100 riders. I would not want to have to score that one. Expect it to start fast and and detonate by the backstretch, thanks to the great disparity of talent within the 5’s. Get a good clip-in and spend your first two laps advancing positions to ensure you’re in the lead group.

For climbers and other road race fans, Wisconsin beckons with LaRue-Denzer-LaRue, a modified version of the former Denzer Delight. On each trip through the main 11-mile circuit, the road pitches up to climb about 700 feet over the next mile. It’s a steady, unrelenting climb that will break legs and shatter fields.  A false flat follows the climb, and then there is a short descent with a sharp right turn and steep kicker at a bottom. Don’t be caught off guard. As soon as you see the marshal, be moving to a smaller gear. (The big ring should suffice, however.)

This year the main loop is augmented by an extension to and from a new start/finish area. As I read the flier, this is what the new course looks like. Organizers tell me the extension includes a climb that is just as challenging as the main loop’s.

The next day is Wheels on Willy in Madison, which this year will be Wheels off Willy, thanks to construction on the traditional course. Races will go around the capitol, a fun course that I’m told has been used in the past for collegiate racing.

Saturday
Monsters of the Midway
ABR criterium
Chicago
Distance from Chicago: 0 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

LaRue-Denzer-LaRue
USCF road race
Denzer, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

SundayWheels on Willy
USCF criterium
Madison, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2007, 2008

Lots of racing options this weekend, including our first suburban crit. Here’s what I know:

Saturday’s Circuit of Sauk near Baraboo, Wis., is a long haul but I’ve always found it to be worth the trip. VeloNews even named it as one of 63 “must-do” races. Each of its scenic, 15-mile laps throws two challenging climbs at us. They aren’t particularly long, but they are steep, especially for urban flatlanders such as ourselves, and they are more than capable of popping riders off the back. Here’s an elevation chart from the 2005 edition. (The course has changed slightly since then, but the main hills are the same.) The first climb is harder because after a short reprieve the road continues to pitch upward. The second climb, on the other hand, is followed by a long, windy but safe descent that can give some riders a chance to catch back on if they’ve been dropped.

Two tips for these climbs: Switch to your small chainring before you start going up. Wait too long and you risk dropping your chain. Second, keep your head up and mind what the riders ahead of you are doing. Many will start to do the “paperboy weave” as they crack, and others will drift backward as they rise out of the saddle. This is not a time to worry about the draft. Find a lane and don’t let anyone disrupt your rhythm.

Sunday’s Vernon Hills crit is a milelong, mostly circuit with gentle corners. It’s in an exposed park so wind can be a factor, but Sunday’s forecast calls for sunny skies and minimal breeze. Note that the Cat 5 field is filled via pre-registration.

Saturday’s
Circuit of Sauk
USCF road race
Baraboo, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2009

Fat and Skinny Tire Fest Road Race
USCF road race
Winona Lake, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Vernon Hills Grand Prix
USCF criterium
Vernon Hills, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour
Previous wrap-ups: 2009

Kenosha Business Park Criterium
ABR criterium
Kenosha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Fat and Skinny Tire Fest Road Race
USCF criterium
Winona Lake, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Cone Azalia Classic Road Race
USCF road race
Milan, Mich.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

The spring race schedule is a funny thing in Chicago: We get so worked up for Hillsboro-Roubaix, but then it’s almost a month before there’s another local race.

There’s nothing local this weekend, but there are options within driving distance. Madison hosts two days of the Greg Bednorski Memorial Criterium, and the Indiana season kicks off with the Ceraland Classic on Saturday and the Mooresville Criterium on Sunday. Both of those are a bit of a trek, but if you go, don’t forget the time change. (At every Indiana race there will be at least one Chicagoan who shows up 10 minutes before his start because he forgot about the time zone. Don’t let it be you!)

Saturday
Greg Bednorski Memorial No. 1
Madison, Wis.
USCF criterium
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Ceraland Classic
Columbis, Ind.
ABR criterium
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Sunday
Greg Bednorski Memorial No. 2
Madison, Wis.
USCF criterium
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Moorseville Criterium
Moorseville, Ind.
ABR criterium
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Its final climb is not the Bosberg. Its bricks lack the treachery of the Arenberg’s pavé. It’s a hair shorter than Milan-San Remo.

Nonetheless, Saturday’s Hillsboro-Roubaix, the Hell of Downstate, has earned its reputation as a spring classic in these parts, and it’s not a huge surprise that so many fields sold out on the first day of registration. In one race report, Mark Swartzendruber (Verizen Wireless) described it as “86 miles of narrow back roads that would make the stoutest of Belgians feel right at home. Except for the deep piles of gravel dropped here and there the roads show no evidence of visits from a county maintenance crew in years.”

The course’s defining landmark is the circuit through town that closes each 22-mile lap. This video from 2008 includes several passes. It starts with two short climbs. There are other short climbs on the course, but I don’t recall any having as much impact as these. The first bump contains the feedzone, which should be necessary only for those doing three or more laps. If you’re taking a bottle, move to the right; otherwise, stay the heck out of the way. (Etiquette says not to attack in the feed zone, and the promoter is calling that stretch neutral.) The second climb is steeper and just a few riders wide. Cones will mark the centerline, and weaving around them will risk disqualification.

Turning left off the climb, a steep, straight descent on dodgy pavement sends you screaming into the bricks -- uneven, jutting, deteriorating bricks. Stay loose and turn a big gear. A lot of riders position their hands near their stem to limit the vibrations.

After a few blocks of the bricks, a left turn puts you onto a slightly longer stretch of similar bricks, and finally another left turn puts you back on solid ground, about 400 meters from the start/finish.

Many of the roads are narrow. The larger races should expect congestion until the herd thins after a lap or so. Don’t even think about crossing the centerline to gain position, whether the line is painted or not. There will be moments when crossing the line is unavoidable, but to do it for tactical purposes is foolish and unsafe, and should elicit shame from the pack, if not disqualification from the officials.

There’s a fair amount of bumpy pavement and gravel. Don’t be surprised if people flat; the promoter recommends new tires. (There may be a follow vehicle with wheels, but good luck catching back on.)

There are more than 20 turns, and each one is a good opportunity to get dropped if you’re at the back and not paying attention, especially when turning into a headwind.  Wind is often a major factor, particularly as crosswinds whip across some of the unsheltered roads, and right now it’s pegged at about 13mph out of the southeast. Happily, temperature is forecast to be in 50s.

The racing starts in waves at 11, with each field getting a neutral rollout out of town. Afterward, the top three riders in each field get a trophy fashioned from a brick.

Please note: Organizers report that this beloved race is in jeopardy because neighbors have complained about our behavior, including nudity, drinking and urinating in public. To drive the point home, riders must sign this code of conduct. We ought to be good guests wherever we race, but let us be especially careful this time.

Saturday
Hillsboro-Roubaix
USCF road race
Hillsboro, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

It’s back to Blackhawk Farms this weekend as we return to the Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit for the Spring Super Criterium. This was a popular course when Burnham Racing introduced it last year, and it’s a good, non-technical opportunity to work out the early-season kinks.

Here’s some video of the course. Last year a crisp south wind influenced sprints and break attempts. (Tip: Attack into the wind where it’s hard, not with it where it’s easy.) Weather may be decisive again, with a cold and possibly wet day forecast, and this time the wind will be from the opposite direction. Dress appropriately!

Consult the technical guide for more information. And Cat 5’s shouldn’t forget the race-safety and skills clinic at 7:30 a.m. I’ll be helping Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) with this, and we promise to get you to your 8:15 start in time.

Also this weekend: The Kenosha Velosport Criterium Series wraps up on Sunday, and Michigan offers its own gravelly road race in the form of Barry-Roubaix.

Saturday
Spring Super Criterium
USCF criterium
South Beloit, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours
Previous wrap-ups: 2008

Barry-Roubaix
USCF road race
Middleville, Mich.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Kenosha Velosport Criterium Series
ABR criterium
Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

I regret that work will keep me from the Kenosha Velosport Criterium Series this year. Traditionally it’s always a pleasant reunion and a good way to kick off the season.

Part of that tradition of late has been a strong showing from WDT-Allvoi and Sunday’s opener was no exception. Rookie Monika Peszek won the women’s 4/5, Alex Bolivar won the men’s 4/5 and in the 30+ Tomasz Boba, shown above, outkicked formidable sprinters Andy Crater (Team Wheel & Sprocket) and Tim Henry (Project 5 Racing) to win out of an 11-man break.

I understand WDT-Allvoi was also instrumental in chasing down a dangerous late break in the 3’s, but this was won by Marek Serafin (Cracovia-Poland) and WDT-Allvoi had to settle for 2nd and 3rd from Ricardo Otero and Chicago Cycling Forums proprietor Waylon Janowiak. I’m happy to see Serafin return to racing: He’s been sidelined with a back injury since July 2007. Until then he’d been an unbeatable sprinter, and although I’m sure it will come at my expense any time I race against him, it’s great to see him pick up exactly where he left off.

Other notable Chicago results include Dan Robertson (Team Mack) getting 3rd in the 1/2’s and Dan Verner in the 40+ earning his first outdoor win under the colors of PACT-Dish Network.

I’ve come across no complaints about the new course, and if it stays dry the weather should again be very raceable. The series continues Sunday and the 29th.

Full results.

Race reports
Craig Erbach (Project 5 Racing; 3, 1/2): “The attacks kept coming. That’s one thing about the 1/2’s: The accelerations are nuts.”

Kevin Krakovsky (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3, 30+): “The goal is to boost fitness as much as possible.  Results?  Not important.”

Photos
WDT-Allvoi
John Wilke

A local team recently asked me to give a presentation on the upcoming season. In doing so, I came up with a list of a top 10 races to look forward to. As we start the new year, I thought I’d share it with everyone.

For those unfamiliar with the scene and unsure how to plan their season, this is somewhere to start. These are the most fun, prestigious and competitive races you’ll find within a four-hour drive of Chicago. Naturally, this list includes some personal bias, and by no means should anyone limit themselves to this list. Indeed, the best racing plans will include a mix of high- and low-priority racing.

Are your favorites missing? Feel free to state your case in the comments. (I’ll be bringing the full 2009 calendar up to date shortly. Hold your horses.)

1. Chicago Criterium
Chicago
Sunday, July 26
Depending on the Olympic bid, this could be the last year for this amazing course. It’s downtown in beautiful Grant Park, zipping past Buckingham Fountain and careening down Michigan Avenue. It would be a great course anywhere, but the fact that it’s downtown is extra special. This year the race is on the National Racing Calendar, too, so the pro race should draw even more stars than last year.

2. Hillsboro-Roubaix
Hillsboro, Ill.
Saturday, April 4
It’s our spring classic. Registration sells out earlier and earlier each year, and for good reason. It’s a grueling, wind-swept and hilly road race -- “The Hell of Downstate,” I like to call it -- that tests your early-season mettle. Just about every race is one of attrition as fields of 100 or more get whittled to just a dozen or so. The finish isn’t exactly the pavé of Belgium and Northern France, but several blocks of uneven brick will nonetheless rattle your fillings and make you feel like Tom Boonen (Quick Step).

3. Snake Alley Criterium
Burlington, Iowa
Saturday, May 23
Along with Hillsboro-Roubaix, this is one of two road-trip races that everyone owes it to themselves to do at least once over their racing careers. The course includes a ridiculously steep switchback paved with bricks. It’s not uncommon to see people resort to running their bikes up. It’s a long way from Chicago, but I recommend making a weekend of it. Stay in Burlington the rest of the day and enjoy the atmosphere as fans on the hill get progressively rowdier, and then take in the other, highly competitive criteriums in the Quad Cities the following two days.

4. Downers Grove
Downers Grove, Ill.
Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 15-16
For the pros, this is the national championship. For the rest of us, it’s the equivalent of playing a game of two-hand touch at the Superdome the morning of the Superbowl. This is a challenging figure-eight course that will test all the skills you’ve been developing the rest of the year: climbing, cornering and sucking wheel.

5. Proctor State Criterium Championship
Peoria, Ill.
Sunday, June 28
Here’s your first chance to earn a state championship jersey. Like Downers Grove it’s also a figure-eight course with just enough elevation change to make it interesting.

6. Tour of Oak Brook
Oak Brook, Ill.
Sunday, Aug. 23
It’s a small course as far as road races go, but it’s challenging and fun. It was a hit in 2008 and I expect will be even more popular in 2009, especially now that the organizing team has an entire year to put it together.

7. Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge
Fox River Grove, Ill.
Sunday, June 21
Underrated and under-attended. I’ve done it only once but I’m a big fan. Its main feature (or bug, depending on your point of view) is a long, steep climb that takes a little bit more out of you on each lap. It’s a one-of-a-kind course that’s a welcome reprieve from the typical flat, industrial-park courses most of our criteriums are held on. Like Snake Alley, this is not a race where the pack will stay together. It’s more like a cyclocross race, where the field gets strung out and you spend the entire time killing yourself to advance. In addition, the promoter (Robert DiSilvestro of RDS Cycling) goes all out to provide a “Euro” atmosphere at his races, complete with flowers and podium girls.

8. Evanston Grand Prix
Evanston, Ill.
Sunday, July 19
Turin does a fantastic job in organizing this race, which is part of the Superweek series. Of the Chicago Superweek races, this is the most competitive and popular. However, it’s notorious for its high-speed crashes in two, surprisingly tricky corners. Personally I’m hoping the course is tweaked to address the turns that give people so much trouble each year.

9. Tour of Elk Grove
Elk Grove, Ill.
Saturday-Sunday, July 31-Aug. 2
The course itself is not much -- a long, flat L-shaped course with two 180-degree turns -- but the mayor raises an obscene amount of money for this race and a lot of it trickles down to the lower categories. (At least for the men. Women and juniors are different stories.) Purses are huge, and this also is an NRC event, so it’s another chance to catch the stars of American cycling.

10. Denzer Delight
Denzer, Wis.
Mid-May
The Wisconsin Cup has three road races within 3.5 hours of Chicago, and this is my favorite. Granted, this may be because it favors climbers: A milelong climb here is the closest the Midwest gets to a true ascent, and it will break flatlanders’ legs on every lap. Consider staying overnight: The following day’s Wheels on Willy in Madison is a fun criterium that draws hundreds of enthusiastic spectators.

Honorable mentions: Monsters of the Midway, both days of Winfield, the Sherman Park Criterium, the Glencoe Grand Prix, the Spring Prairie Road Race and the Great Downer Avenue Bike Race all have significant merits, too.

Three series to look forward to in 2009
Midwest Cycling Series: This weeklong series of races in June presents a serious rival to our other big summer series, July’s Superweek. The full schedule has not been announced, but given the organizers’ track record, expect quality.

Matteson: I’ll never quit praising our Tuesday night series in the south suburbs. Even if it means taking a day off work, I urge all beginners to attend at least one session of these practice criteriums before attempting full-blown competition.

The spring warm-ups: We’re lucky to have several weeks of tune-up races in March. They don’t offer much in the way of prizes, but the racing is low-key and collegial. They’re good opportunities to get the kinks out of the system after a long year on the trainer and to reconnect with the friends you haven’t seen in six months. Three consecutive Sundays of racing in Kenosha, Wis., start on March 15. (Weather permitting, naturally.) Then on March 29 the Spring Super Criterium returns to a motor speedway near Rockford. The course is fun and well worth the drive.

Six months after we first turned the pedals in anger in Kenosha, the road season wraps up over the next two weekends with the Fall Fling, a four-race omnium series. Riders can do just one race or as many as four, unless they have their sights on the overall prizes, in which case they must do at least three.

Many of us have moved on to the winter pastime of cross, and others have moved on to the winter pastime of beer, football and the couch. For everyone else, the Fling is an excellent way to get in some final licks and take advantage of any lingering fitness, and the beginner fields can be excellent initiations for new racers.

Saturday’s road race is the same course used in previous years. The 8.1-mile rectangle has rollers on each side but nothing that should break up any groups. There’s a long, straight descent into the finish will yield some fast sprints. The biggest factor may be the wind, which can be heavy on these exposed roads. Be ready to echelon in the crosswinds.

The 3’s will race with the 1/2’s but will be scored separately. I expect the field will break up significantly and that success will go to the 3’s who can best hitch their wagons to the stars of ABD/Geargrinder.

The Sunday crits will be in a Wood Dale business park: Hansen Court, Gerry Drive and Aec Drive this weekend, Mittel Drive, Pond Drive and Wheat Lane the next.

Saturday
Fall Fling Road Race
Westlake Village, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Sunday
Fall Fling Criterium No. 1
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Sunday, Oct. 5
Fall Fling Criterium No. 2
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

ABR holds its masters national road race championships Saturday near Rockford, with categories from 30+ on up through 80+. It’s held on the familiar West Lake Village course, so one could use it to preview the following weekend’s Fall Fling road race. (Or depending on your perspective, I suppose one could use the Fall Fling as a review.)

The 8.1-mile rectangle has rollers on each side but nothing that should break up any groups. There’s a long, straight descent into the finish will yield some fast sprints. The biggest factor may be the wind, which can be heavy on these exposed roads. Be ready to echelon in the crosswinds.

ABR masters national road race championshps
ABR road race
West Lake Village, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Chicago racing has pretty much wrapped up for now, but Saturday there’s a road race not far away in West Lafayette, Ind., put on by Benga Sports on a 10.5-mile loop with one climb per lap. (Don’t forget the time change!) And a handful of us will be making the long drive to St. Louis for the Gateway Cup, which kicks off tomorrow. As noted earlier, organizers there are making a push to attract female riders. I hope they’re successful.

Saturday
West Lafayette Road Race
USCF road race
West Lafayette, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Tower Racing has really outdone itself in promoting our state road race championshp, the Tour of Oak Brook. Despite inexperience and short notice, the team has recruited a full peloton of sponsors, meaning that on top of $4,000 in prize money there will be an astounding $8,000 in merchandise primes at Saturday’s race. Prizes with an average retail value of $130 will be available on nearly every lap in some fields, which should make for some very fast races.

There will also be a raffle with some attractive prizes, including a SRAM Force gruppo, luxury White Sox tickets and a Nike watch signed by Lance Armstrong. Tickets are $5.

The course itself is interesting, and I’m curious to see how the races unfold. Spring Road, the hypotenuse on this triangle-shaped course, is a narrow, two-lane road with shallow stairstep climbs. They’re not challenging enough to require the small chainring, but by the end of a race they may put some riders in spots of bother. Note that traffic is open and the centerline rule will be in effect. Expect congestion.

We’ll have a closed road once the course turns onto 31st Street, a flat, two-lane section that could present opportunity to move up, but it’s also where the primes will be contested, so the pace may be too hot to move around much.

Two likely points of attack will be at the end of Spring Road, after the modest climbing has softened the pack, and following the primes. If you get away and want half a chance of staying away, I recommend calling a prime truce with your breakmates. Pledge to split your winnings or the sprints will disrupt your paceline and soon return you to the pack.

At only 3.2 miles, the shortness of the course may cause problems if fields and groups start overlapping one another. We’ll need everyone to be patient and sporting in letting groups through. Expect officials to neutralize your group if you’re being overtaken.

The masters 4/5 field has already reached capacity. Online registration closes tonight at midnight. And Cat 5 men and Cat 4 women should remember to show up early for the pre-race safety clinic.

Saturday
Tour of Oak Brook
USCF road race
Oak Brook, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hour

FRIDAY UPDATE: Lemont’s Christian Vandevelde (Garmin-Chipotle), 5th place in this year’s Tour de France, will be among the stars in Sunday’s USPRO championship. Neat! Check out the preliminary start lists for this and other fields at the race Web site.

Seems like yesterday we were getting snowed out of races in Kenosha, and now already the season’s most prestigious local races and the final major crits are at hand.

Just like at Elk Grove, amateur races at Downers Grove are longer than in the abbreviated 2007 schedule. On Saturday, 4’s will again be racing with the 3’s, but the 3’s get their own race Sunday, so many may opt to do only that. Saturday evening’s pro-am doesn’t start until 7 p.m., and I’m curious how dark things will get.

Expect the races to be fast, wild and woolly on this figure-8 course. This is a very technical course, so it’s crucial to be up front and out of danger. One can get through these turns without braking up front where it’s single-file, but in the bunch it can be a mess.

For God’s sake, do not bomb these corners, people, unless you keep a stack of “Sorry I crashed you out” cards in your glove compartment. That hole you see on the inside is not really there.

Because of the turns and climbs, it won’t take long for the 5’s races to splinter. Keep an eye on the gaps and always be ready to jump across. And if you fall off the pace, don’t be surprised if officials pull you from the course.

If you haven’t seen it already, find a way this week to watch “Race Day,” a training video shot from within the 2005 masters race. It’s oh so very Robbie Ventura (Vision Quest), but it’s an unbeatable way to preview the course.

Someday someone should make a video for how to survive the “race before the race,” a spectacle that at Downers Grove is as pivotal as it is absurd. Watch! As riders abandon their warm-ups to crowd the barriers 20 minutes before their races! See! The officials insist on pre-riding the course! Laugh! At the suckers who do so! Behold! The riders who cruise down Main Street and insert themselves at the front of the waiting pack, as if they had called ahead for reservations. Listen! As everyone else grumbles and curses!

A few notes about the course:

Turn 1: The best way to do well is to get to the front and stay there. This means sprinting for the first corner like it was the end of the race and not the beginning. Fortunately you’ve been practicing your clip-in.

Between Turns 2 and 3: Here’s a long, shallow climb. If there’s room, it’s a great spot to make up some ground. Keep an eye out for people moving up the sides and grab them for a free ride.

Between Turns 3 and 5: At Turn 4 there’s a short, steep kicker. If you’re going to attack, do it here. My admonitions against riding the inside notwithstanding, it’s sometimes safe to squeeze by there since the pack isn’t taking the corner at speed. Better, however, is to take it outside and come around everyone. You can advance a lot of positions on the wide, fast descent, but the trick is going to be getting back inside the pack by the time you get to Turn 5, an obtuse angle that can be taken super fast. You don’t want to have to create your own line and risk running out of room. If you see you can’t slide behind someone’s wheel by Turn 5, go ahead and eat the wind by going all the way to the front so you have the entire road at your disposal.

Turn 5: On the last lap and on any big prime laps, the pack may bunch up ahead of this turn. Nobody wants to be in the wind too early, and some will still be recovering from the climb. You can exploit this hesitation by jumping hard. Don’t even look back to see if you’re clear.  Ride it like you stole it and there’s a chance you’ll stay away. Not a good chance, but a chance, and even if you fail, this can be a good way to create opportunities for your team’s sprinter.

Between Turns 7 and 8: Turn 7 is slightly less than 90 degrees, and I recall there being some dodgy pavement on the far side of Curtiss Street, so don’t take Turn 7 too wide. Even the legendary Steve Tilford (HRRC/Trek Stores) hit the curb coming out of this corner last year. Depending on the wind, you’ll probably want to ride up the right side, however, so you can get the right apex at Turn 8 and to block people from charging up that side.

Turn 8: From the last corner it’s 150 meters to the finish line. Good luck! There’s a climb through the start/finish area, so be sure not to be overgeared coming out of Turn 8. If it’s the last lap, you’re going to want to be first or second coming into the turn. Keep in mind that you’ll be going faster on the last lap, so you might not be able to take the same line as on other laps -- keep your inside pedal up. No, really, I mean it. Even the pros will wipe out here, as Ventura demonstrated in spectacular fashion on the last lap of the 2004 national championship, and about 30 others demonstrated in the rain-soaked 2007 edition.

As always, your mileage may vary. Feel free to consult last year’s wrap-up to learn from other racers’ experiences.

Have fun, ride safe and enjoy all the weekend’s races. Sunday’s pro race is always a treat, and the crowd will roar waiting to see which Canadian, Australian or Cuban will win and which American will come in 2nd. And don’t forget to play the national championship drinking game: Take a swig of Southern Comfort every time an announcer refers to the “Stars and Bars” on the line.

Saturday and Sunday
Downers Grove National Criterium Championships
USCF criteriums
Downers Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

This weekend is a bit of a break from the last few weeks of high intensity and drama, but the racing should be just as good, and I expect more than a few big names and teams will show up for a final tune-up before the national championships at Downers Grove the following weekend.

Saturday’s race in Grayslake takes place on a U-shaped course on good pavement in a nice housing development. Veloist has video from last year. The corners are sweeping and gentle, perfect for beginners, a little tougher for breakaway artists, but it can be done. Could this be the first race in a month where we go without a spate of crashes?

The Glencoe Grand Prix was a hit when it made its debut last year and it should be even better this year. Winners get jerseys, and thanks to chip timing, everyone should get results promptly and accurately. Even better, much of the course has been newly repaved.

Turn 4 may prove tricky for the higher categories, especially when it’s taken at top speed on the frantic final lap. (Lower categories and juniors use a less technical route. Check out the maps and videos.) It’s much sharper than 90 degrees -- don’t you dare try to sneak up the inside.

Note that online registration saves you $5 at either event, although Grayslake‘s deadline has passed, and less than a day remains to register for Glencoe.

For anyone with gas to burn, the richest races of the weekend will be down in Marion, Ind., where a total of $20,000 is up for grabs Friday and Saturday. Most of that is reserved for the P/1/2 invitational. I don’t know if it’s too late to secure an invitation, but one can e-mail the promoter to try.

Friday
Marion Classic Criterium
USCF criterium
Marion, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Saturday
Grayslake Cycling Classic
USCF criterium
Grayslake, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Marion Classic Criterium
USCF criterium
Marion, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Sunday
Glencoe Grand Prix
USCF criterium
Glencoe, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Superweek and the Chicago Criterium merely set the stage for weeks of big-prestige, big-money racing.

It starts this weekend with the Tour of Elk Grove, where a total of $225,000 is up for grabs for amateurs and pros. Of note is the separate 1/2 series, where a total of $35,000 will go to the riders who spent the past two weeks making donations to Superweek.

After last year’s short races left many riders sour, the 2008 schedule is a little more generous. Still, expect the races to be fast and frantic, and most will come down to a bunch sprint down the curving Elk Grove Boulevard. The finishing stretch will be marked every 50 meters, but this is another course where it behooves you to scout the finish to pick your cues.

This time of year there are a lot riders trying cycling for the very first time, so there will be a wide range of skill level in the 5’s, from seasoned racers to triathletes to dudes with toe clips and Discovery jerseys. Stay near the front from the start. Expect gaps to open early and often. Look for them and quickly skip around slower riders and on to the lead group. If you hesitate, the gaps will grow too big to jump across.

Each day’s courses are L-shaped, effectively flat on smooth roads. (Saturday’s $5,000 Cat 3 race is on a T-shaped variation.) The U-turns, one of which is pictured above, are guaranteed to cause some low-speed drama. Riders at the fore will have an easier time, so get up front and stay there.  Shift down twice before each turn so that you’re able to accelerate out and close any gaps.

Payouts go 20 deep in the 3’s and 4’s, so sprint every last inch even if you’re mid-pack. Quitting early can cost you a nice dinner out.

Once the amateurs are done, the real business starts with the pro races. On Saturday we get to watch the pros roll in from their 150km road race. Grab some lunch in town, replenish your carbohydrates with a cold beer and make a day of it.

I don’t know which pro teams are making the trip, but the action should still be electric. (The race is not on the National Racing Calendar this year, but I expect many big teams will want to come for the big money, at least on the men’s side.)

But Elk Grove isn’t the only big race this weekend. Elgin returns with an interesting neighborhood course on Sunday. The money’s pretty good here, too.

Saturday
Tour of Elk Grove
USCF criterium
Elk Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Sunday
Tour of Elk Grove
USCF criterium
Elk Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Elgin Cycling Classic
ABR criterium
Elgin, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

In all the Superweek hoopla, I’ve neglected to preview the biggest Chicago race of the year: our Chicago Criterium.

I did a few circuits of the course this evening. It’s fantastic. This is unquestionably the finest criterium course in the Midwest and perhaps the entire United States. USA Cycling should move the national championships here.

It has everything: Technical corners. Climbs. A long stretch on which to wind up some wicked speed. And the views! In fact, this could be the course’s only drawback: Between the architecture, the sculptures and even Lake Michigan, it will be dangerously difficult to focus on the race. People will want to dismount and write postcards.

The stretch down Michigan Avenue and Congress Plaza is particularly amazing. Chicago hasn’t enjoyed a backside this perfect since Beyonce played the United Center. (By which I mean the B-side of “Dangerously in Love.” What did you think I meant?)

The money will be huge, the crowds will be enormous and some of the biggest names in domestic racing will bring their legs of great wattage to the City of Big Shoulders. Indeed, the final sprint Sunday could very well become the fastest a bicycle has ever gone within city limits since Major Taylor did a mile here in 1:19.

If that’s not enough, I have two words for you: “Jumbo” and “Tron.”

And lucky us, we amateurs get to race, too.

Depending on how the barriers are set up, Turn 2, a downhill left onto Michigan Avenue, may prove dicey. Keep your inside pedal up as you lean. Do not use this turn to advance positions. Find a wheel you trust and stay there. Advance up the inside and you will get pinched and yelled at. Advance on the outside and you will quickly run out of real estate and run up into one of our mayor’s beautiful concrete planters. Let’s not have to christen this corner the Art Institute Stacker.

Cat 4 and 5 riders should expect a lot of accordion effect at this corner. The first rider will go through at full speed, but the second will slow a smidgen. The third will slow two smidgens. And so on. By the 20th rider, you’re going through at 15 mph and already seeing the leaders go up Congress Plaza.

What do you do? Make your way to the front 10 riders and stay there. Failing that, be sure to shift down once or twice before the turn and be ready to sprint out of the corner to catch the rider ahead of you. The first time you let a gap open here may well be your last.

Consult the race bible for a list of the generous primes available. Primes are so generous, in fact -- $425 for the 3’s, an astounding $2,800 for the P/1/2’s -- that I’d be surprised if any breaks got off. If someone is foolhardy enough to try -- and especially if that someone is, say, a XXX Racing-AthletiCo rider who hasn’t gotten much sleep lately -- I recommend not wasting any energy in pursuit.

Team tents can be set up at Columbus and Balbo, Turn 4. It’s there that you’ll find Vitaminwater-Trek giving away World Bicycle Relief water bottles in return for a $6 donation.

If you’re dropping off bikes or other gear, do so on Columbus north of Jackson.

This will be fun!

The races will be longer, the weather will be hotter and the racing will be faster and more breakneck than ever. Superweek is here. Are you ready?

This year’s 17-day, 19-venue series has several new courses (which have yet to be revealed) and I don’t have experience with all the old ones, but here’s what I know:

Beverly (Friday, July 11)
Opening night is P/1/2-only, but all cycling fans should pay a visit to one of Chicago’s more charming neighborhoods and take in this doozy of a course, perhaps the jewel of the Superweek portfolio. A steep hill at Turn 1 takes its toll on riders, and a screaming downhill turn sends racers down the homestretch at a frantic pace. The atmosphere is electric and the sprints are wild.

Evanston (Sunday, July 20)
Beware the BK Stacker! Gorgeous weather and solid organization made this a racer- and fan-favorite in its 2007 debut, but lower categories had more than a few troubles getting past the Burger King at Turn 5, where an optical illusion makes the turn look wider than it actually is. Avoid the outside line on the early laps until your pack gets the hang of it. Turn 6 also narrows before spitting out into the wide finishing stretch of Sherman Avenue. Lower categories should count on bottlenecks at both corners and be prepared to accelerate out of them. Stick to the front or you’ll be sapped by the accordion affect.

Holy Hill (Monday, July 21)
Disputes with local authorities have taken away the popular Alpine Valley and Proving Grounds courses, making Holy Hill our only true road race. There are a few uphill kickers, but nothing that will afford climbers much advantage. (Sigh.) Last year the biggest challenge was getting through a dodgy mile of chip seal. Hopefully a year is enough time for it to have settled into a smooth surface. Give yourself time to scout out the uphill finish, as it’s a stretch of road that’s not covered on the rollout or the 8.1 mile course.

Whitnall Park (Wednesday, July 23)
This is a gorgeous course. It’s in the same botanical garden as April’s Whitnall Park Criterium, but the course is longer (2.3 miles) and in the opposite direction. Nominally it is a road race, but it’s a closed course and feels more like a crit. The finish is uphill following a sharp left turn, and the line will come at you sooner than you think. The winner will make this turn no farther back than 10th, and a good leadout will deposit its rider at the hill’s base. Late-race fliers have worked here, too.

Downer Avenue (Saturday, July 26)
Lower categories don’t always get a chance to race this course, so this year should be special. And if the racing doesn’t work out, there will be a Belgian beer festival in which to drown sorrows. This is a nice bookend to the fan-friendly Beverly as tens of thousands of spectators will line up along this technical, triangular course in Milwaukee.

I’ll be busy racing but will provide highlight reports as best I can. I’ll also be aggregating all the race reports that I can. If there’s a blog or report archive I should know about, including out-of-town guests, let me know.

ABR holds its state championships Sunday with the Wood Dale Criterium. The course is in the industrial park that hosted the masters and juniors criteriums over Memorial Day weekend. Note that a previous flier listed only a P/1/2/3 race, but there will indeed be a separate race for 3’s.

In Wisconsin we get one of our last road races of the year with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater road race. It’s a new course this year so I can’t comment much, but the area is thick with rolling hills, and it appears there is at least one challenging climb on each of the 5.5-mile laps.

Saturday
UWW Road Race
USCF road race
Palmyra, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday
Wood Dale Criterium
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday the South Chicago Wheelmen return to Kankakee for the Cobb Park Criterium. Pre-registration will save you $5. It’s a fast, flat three-corner course. The Wheelmen are also putting on a new-rider clinic at 10:30.  I highly recommend this for many of our Cat 5’s.

Put down that cheesecake if you plan to tackle Sunday’s Fox River Grove Cycling Challenge. It features a ski-jump climb (above) that may feel like the Alpe d’Huez by the end of the day. (I do not know if the recent flooding will impact the course. I’ll post if I find out anything definite. UPDATE: Ricard Otero (Team Mack) drove the course and reports there are no flood-related obstructions.)

Note that Illinois Cycling has brought its Illinois Cup standings to life. Both of these races earn points toward the seasonlong series.

To pursue the big money and big crowds -- and big competition -- head to Wisconsin for the Wisconsin Cycling Series. Both days feature more than $12,000 in prizes, and Saturday’s twilight pro race in Grafton should be particularly exciting. Be sure to pre-register, as entry fees go up $10 on Thursday.

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

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

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

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

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

The course is a milelong loop through a historic South Side park. There are no turns to speak of, nor any elevation changes. The most technical part of the course will be avoiding the occasional pothole, but those who train on Sheridan Road may not even notice. And dig those race lengths: Have the 3’s enjoyed a 60-minute criterium yet this year?

The Cat 5 race has reached capacity, but there is still room in the masters 4/5 field.

Primes are improved this year, including cash primes for the lower categories compliments of Chicago Bike Racing. XXX Racing-AthletiCo is also placing a premium on safety precautions. An EMT will be on site, and the team is doubling marshaling efforts to keep riders and neighbors safe.  (Your help is needed: Volunteer here.)

Naturally, this is an important race to me and to my team. Please consider this a personal invitation to come celebrate bike racing in Chicago. If you appreciate the work I put into this site, race Saturday and you can thank me in person.

Elsewhere, Wisconsin is having its state criterium championships in Ripon, and for a more informal road race experience, there is the 62-mile loop of the Great Carroll County Cycling Event, which this year starts in the town of Savanna.

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

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

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

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

I’m most familiar with the Spring Prairie Road Race. It’s popular with Chicago riders, and I’m happy to see that out-of-state 4/5’s continue to outnumber cheeseheads 11 to 1.

The course is a rolling 6.5 miles with high exposure to the wind. Senior fields will do between four and nine laps. There’s a steep but short climb before the start/finish that will crack the legs of even the lightest riders (above). Each time up is liable to cut a field in half. Be sure to anticipate the climb by being in your small ring before you make Turn 4, then save something for the top, because there’s a long false flat up to the finish line.

Don’t forget the construction on 94 and give yourself extra time to get there.

Many people have written to ask about the Wheaton Criterium, which was originally scheduled for this weekend. I’m told Wheaton declined to give its blessings for a return, so that race is off. No doubt there were multiple concerns, but it’s something to think about next time you’re wondering whether that sticky gel wrapper should go back into your pocket or flutter into the breeze, or when you’re debating whether to wait in line for the potty or to drop trow behind the hydrangeas.

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

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

No organization puts on more races than long-time CBR supporter Athletes by Design, and this weekend’s races are the crown jewels of those efforts.

The action starts Saturday afternoon with the Winfield Twilight Criterium.  It’s an interesting course with a long, gradual climb on the backstretch. The residential course brings out the neighbors, often including a block party on the climb (above) that will call king-of-the-hill primes. Expect the lower-category races to shatter in the first few laps. Stay near the front from the gun so you don’t have to play catch-up. Meanwhile, the course is just difficult enough to facilitate breaks in the 2/3 and P/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.”

For USCF sticklers, there’s a criterium in Sussex, Wis., and there’s a new road race in downstate O’Fallon. Organizers promise a Hillsboro-like experience with windy roads and “short but formidable” climbs.

Saturday
Winfield Twilight Criterium
ABR criterium
Winfield, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

O’Fallon Grand Prix
USCF road race
O’Fallon, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 5 hours

Sunday
ABR Criterium Championships
ABR criterium
Winfield, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Sussex Criterium
USCF criterium
Sussex, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

One of the summer’s most exciting weekends is upon us with four great races near the Quad Cities, three days of masters racing in the suburbs and a two-race series in Indiana.

The weekend’s jewel is the legendary Snake Alley Criterium on Saturday. 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 navigate the climb. (Tradition in the Pro/1/2 race is for fans to hand cold beers to racers as they throw in the towel.)

The race plays out almost like cyclocross: The sprint comes at the beginning, not the end, and packs will immediately disintegrate into small clusters of riders. Success hinges on being among the first to the Snake on the first lap, lest you get bottlenecked behind the inevitable crashes. Get forced to dismount and you’ll be half a lap down by the time you get to the top.

Once the race starts, riders will be too fried from climbing the Snake to think straight, so it’s important to have a reliable routine for getting through the rest of the course. This turn-by-turn guide from Steve Thordarson (Smart Cycling) is essential pre-race reading. Read it. Memorize it. Tape it to your stem. Also be sure to consult last year’s reports.

The weekend stays hot with big criteriums in nearby Muscatine, Iowa, and Rock Island, Ill.

Locally, ABD is hosting not one, not two, but three days of masters racing in Wood Dale and Batavia. This year the categories start at 30+ for both men and women.

Also close is the Great Race in Elkhart, Ind., which features a crit on Sunday afternoon and a road race on Sunday. The road race route is new, but count on rolling hills and narrow roads.

Friday
Wapello-Burlington
Road Race
USCF road race
Burlington, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours

Saturday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Snake Alley Criterium
USCF criterium
Burlington, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours

Sunday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

The Great Race: Elkhart Criterium
ABR criterium
Elkhart, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Melon City Criterium
USCF criterium
Muscatine, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Monday
ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Race
ABR criterium
Batavia, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Quad Cities Criterium
USCF criterium
Rock Island, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

One of the spring’s biggest weekends is upon us.

Saturday brings us the first of only a few hometown races with Monsters of the Midway, held on the beautiful Midway Plaisance at University of Chicago.  The long rectangular course isn’t the most interesting, but it’s spectator friendly as it provides a clean view of all the action. The atmosphere is always festive and exciting. This year the UC Velo Club adds a women’s Cat 3 field, and I join them in hoping enough women show to justify making it a fixture.

Separations typically occur in the smaller fields, including women’s and masters races, but the long straightaways and unobstructed views make breaks nearly impossible in the large 3’s and 4’s races. Hold tight and get ready for a raucous sprint. About that sprint: Mind the wind. With a stiff breeze off the lake, you can launch yourself out of the final corner. With a headwind, however, you’ll want to wait another 100 meters or so.

Chicago Bike Racing is happy to sponsor three cash primes to the lower categories. Keep your ears peeled and your legs ready. And don’t forget Flatlandia’s Moustaches of the Midway competition: Best finisher with a moustache gets a prize, plus mass adoration.

It’s also a big weekend in Wisconsin. Saturday’s road race in Denzer is one of the best around, especially for the climbers. A mile and a half into each 11-mile lap the road pitches up to climb about 700 feet over the next mile. It’s a steady, unrelenting climb that will break legs and shatter fields.  A false flat follows the climb, and then there is a short descent with a sharp right turn and steep kicker at a bottom. Don’t be caught off guard. As soon as you see the marshal, be moving to a smaller gear.

Near Denzer on Sunday will be Wheels on Willy, a popular crit in Madison that brings out loads of neighbors and spectators. The kilometer-long course features a long, gradual climb into the start/finish.

But wait, there’s more! Le Tour de Lafayette makes its debut in Indiana, giving 3’s, 4’s and 5’s a chance to try stage racing under USA Cycling sanction. Saturday’s criterium looks like a fun, hilly course complete with King of the Mountain competitions. Sunday’s road races are only 20 and 32 miles, so I expect the weekend will be decided with Sunday afernoon’s 5.8 mile time trial.

Saturday
Monsters of the Midway
ABR criterium
Chicago
Distance from Chicago: 0 hours

Le Tour de Lafayette
USCF criterium
Lafayette, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Denzer Delight (Leland Grand Prix)
USCF road race
Denzer, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Le Tour de Lafayette
USCF road race
Lafayette, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Wheels on Willy
USCF criterium
Madison, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Not a whole lot going on this weekend, but with a mess of great racing around the corner, perhaps a break is called for. In any case, both available crits promise uphill finishes, and Wisconsin’s criterium in Muskego is the third annual memorial for Matt Wittig (IS Corp).

Saturday
Matt Wittig Memorial Race
USCF criterium
Muskego, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Eagle Creek Traditional Crit
ABR criterium
Indianapolis
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

There’s a lot of good racing this weekend, which means some choices for Chicago racers not scared off by the price of gas.

Saturday brings us two road races. The closer one is an 8-mile circuit in Winona Lake, Ind., part of the Northern Indiana Fat & Skinny Tire Fest. The one I’m more familiar with is the Baraboo Road Race up north of Madison. It was my very first road race back in 2005 and I’ve been sweet on it ever since.

Each of Baraboo’s scenic, 15-mile laps throws two challenging climbs at us. They aren’t particularly long, but they are steep, especially for urban flatlanders such as ourselves, and they are more than capable of popping riders off the back. Here’s an elevation chart from the 2005 edition. (The course has changed slightly since then, but the main hills are the same.) The first climb, shown above, is harder because after a short reprieve the road continues to pitch upward. The second climb, on the other hand, is followed by a long, windy but safe descent that can give some riders a chance to catch back on if they’ve been dropped.

Two tips for these climbs: Switch to your small chainring before you start going up. Wait too long and you risk dropping your chain. Second, keep your head up and mind what the riders ahead of you are doing. Many will start to do the “paperboy weave” as they crack, and others will drift backward as they rise out of the saddle. This is not a time to worry about the draft. Find a lane and don’t let anyone disrupt your rhythm.

Baraboo races tend to be affairs of attrition. The sprint is tricky, as the finish line is much farther than you think. Be patient. Wait, wait, wait -- pounce. (I recommend hesitating two or three extra beats if you are in my Cat 3 race.) Indeed, this is a sprint that will exemplify Hennie Kuiper‘s maxim that racing “is licking your opponent’s plate clean before starting on your own.”

Sunday brings us four criteriums, and I’m afraid I don’t have experience with any of them. The closest is in Vernon Hills, but we also have an ABR crit at the business park in Kenosha, Wis., and the bike fest’s companion criterium in Winona Lake, Ind.

Saturday
Village of Winona Road Race
USCF road race
Winona Lake, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Baraboo Road Race
USCF road race
Baraboo, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Vernon Hills Grand Prix
USCF criterium
Vernon Hills
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Kenosha Spring Criterium
ABR criterium
Kenosha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Village of Winona Criterium
USCF criterium
Winona Lake, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

After the Kenosha criteriums, the Super Criterium and this weekend’s Menomonee Park Criterium, we’ve hopefully all mastered the art of navigating flat courses with gentle corners. But what happens when the road pitches upward? We’ll find out Saturday at the Whitnall Park Criterium, a fun course in a scenic botanical garden near Milwaukee.

Each lap begins with a long descent with a sweeping right turn at the bottom. After enjoying the 1.1-mile course‘s only flat section, we turn right and head up three stairsteps that total 80 feet of climbing. (See photo.) At the top of the last step is the finish line, which will also be used to score King of the Hill contests, points being given to the top three finishers on three predetermined laps.

This is one of my favorite criterium courses, and it’s one that lends itself nicely to breaks, thanks to the difficulty of the climb and the potential to get out of sight.

Elsewhere, there’s a two-race event in Iowa City, Iowa, and Benga Sports returns with the Brown County Road Race in Nashville, Ind. The promoter down there seems to still be working out the kinks, and he has introduced a payout scheme that makes prizes wholly dependent on the number of entries, rather than an announced purse.

Saturday
Whitnall Park Criterium
USCF criterium
Hales Corner, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Iowa City Road Race
USCF road race
Iowa City, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Saturday
Old Capitol Criterium
USCF criterium
Iowa City, Iowa
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

Brown County Road Race
USCF road race
Nashville, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

This weekend brings four more spring tuneups.

Fans of the Spring Super Criterium may enjoy Saturday’s Menomonee Park Criterium, which has a similar long, winding course profile. Then on Sunday the WCA schedule returns to Madison for Great Dane No. 2.

Farther from home there are ABR crits in Columbus and Mooresville, Ind., both of which are advertised as having the feel of a road race. Here is one team’s analysis of how to do well at Saturday’s Ceraland race.

Saturday
Menomonee Park Criterium
USCF Criterium
Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Ceraland Classic
ABR Criterium
Columbus, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Sunday
Great Dane No. 2
USCF Criterium
Madison, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Mooresville Bike Race (REJ Memorial)
ABR Criterium
Mooresville, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

This weather doesn’t put me in a mood to race, but hardier souls have options Saturday Sunday, including what will be the opener of the Wisconsin Cycling Association schedule and the debut race from promoter Benga Sports in Indiana.

Sunday
Great Dane No. 1
USCF Criterium
Madison, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5

Victory Criterium
USCF Criterium
Auburn, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Everybody’s favorite reason to call in sick returns this week when the Tuesday Night Criterium Series resumes in Matteson. From April 8 until September, races will start at 6 p.m. at the Ace Hardware paint factory, and with construction completed on the Dan Ryan, it should take less than an hour to get there from the city.

Opening night will be special: We will first pause to remember Pieter Ombregt (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), whom we lost in September. We’ll celebrate him with a few words, a moment of silence and a memorial lap. Our hosts the South Chicago Wheelmen ask that people arrive and take care of paperwork early so that the memorial -- and then the racing -- can start promptly.

(We won’t be the only ones honoring Pieter this week. His father, Ludwig Ombregt (XXX Racing-AthletiCo), will honor him by riding the Ronde van Vlaanderen route Saturday. “I plan to do about 180 km,” he says. “The whole trip as Pieter used to do will be a bit long.” God bless the Belgians, for whom 180 km is the “short” route.)

Just $7 gets you three races each night at Matteson. Lengths will be announced before each race and will largely depend on the available daylight. Racers are split into two fields: A for 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and ambitious 4’s and women, and B for 4’s, 5’s, juniors and women. The two groups race concurrently. Don’t be surprised if one group passes the other. Likewise, don’t do any surprising of your own: If your group is about to surpass another one, call it loud and clear, especially in the corners.

The course is a flat, .6-mile rectangle. The last corner is a bit over 100 meters from the finish. You’ll want to be out of the saddle as you exit the turn and launch yourself toward the finish line.

Have I ever mentioned how valuable these races are? I’ll mention it again: Making visits to Matteson part of a complete training plan will shave a year off the time it would otherwise take you to go from Cat 5 to Cat 3.

Ah, spring. Finally our weekends are again chock-full of racing opportunities. Goodbye, hours wasted sleeping in. Farewell, brunch and $12 omelets. Sunday New York Times? You’re canceled!

This weekend’s big event -- the super event, if you will -- will be Sunday’s debut Spring Super Criterium, hosted by Burnham Racing and Vitaminwater-Trek in South Beloit. I’m eager to see how the 1.9-mile course plays out. It might be curvy enough to help potential breaks get out of sight, but the lack of technicality will work to the chasers’ advantage. CBR prediction: Field sprints in the 3/4, 4/5 and masters 4/5 races, lead groups of 4-10 riders everywhere else.

Remember that beginning racers are encouraged to attend the 8 a.m. clinic put on by Randy Warren (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). Two bonus competitions of note: The World Bike Relief Team Challenge will honor the team with the best overall performance, and as noted when I announced the race, I’m offering a Clif Bar to the masters rider who does best in the Cat 3 trifecta (masters 1/2/3, 3/4 and 1/2/3).

Farther from home, there is a crit Saturday in Sheboygan, Wis., where the flier promises a 1-mile course with a steep hill before the start/finish. And the Indiana Race Series kicks off with the Mississinewa Reservoir Road Race in Peru, Ind., a 15-mile loop along rolling, windswept roads. (Reminder: Someone always forgets the time change on their first racing trip to Indiana. Don’t drive three hours just to be an hour late!)

Saturday
Evergreen Park Criterium
USCF criterium
Sheboygan, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Mississinewa Reservoir Road Race
ABR road race
Peru, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday
Spring Super Criterium
USCF criterium
South Beloit, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Its final climb is not the Bosberg. Its bricks lack the treachery of the Arenberg’s pavé. It’s a hair shorter than Milan-San Remo.

Nonetheless, Saturday’s Hillsboro-Roubaix, the Hell of Downstate, has earned its reputation as a spring classic in these parts, and it’s not a huge surprise that so many fields sold out on the first day of registration. In one race report, Mark Swartzendruber (Lucas Oil) described it as “86 miles of narrow back roads that would make the stoutest of Belgians feel right at home. Except for the deep piles of gravel dropped here and there the roads show no evidence of visits from a county maintenance crew in years.”

The course’s defining landmark is the circuit through town that closes each 22-mile lap. It starts with two short climbs. There are other short climbs on the course, but I don’t recall any having as much impact as these. The first bump contains the feedzone, which should be necessary only for those doing three or more laps. If you’re taking a bottle, move to the right; otherwise, stay the heck out of the way. (Etiquette says not to attack in the feed zone, and the promoter is calling that stretch neutral.) The second climb is steeper and just a few riders wide. Cones will mark the centerline, and weaving around them will risk disqualification.

Turning left off the climb, a steep, straight descent on dodgy pavement sends you screaming into the bricks -- uneven, jutting, deterioriating bricks. Stay loose and turn a big gear. A lot of riders position their hands near their stem to limit the vibrations.

After a few blocks of the bricks, a left turn puts you onto a slightly longer stretch of similar bricks, and finally another left turn puts you back on solid ground, about 100 300 meters from the start/finish.

Many of the roads are narrow; think MGA Proving Grounds. The larger races should expect congestion until the herd thins after a lap or so. Don’t even think about crossing the centerline to gain position, whether the line is painted or not. There will be moments when crossing the line is unavoidable, but to do it for tactical purposes is foolish and unsafe, and should elicit shame from the pack, if not disqualification from the officials.

There’s a fair amount of bumpy pavement and gravel. Don’t be surprised if people flat; the promoter recommends new tires. (There may be a follow vehicle with wheels, but good luck catching back on.)

There are more than 20 turns, and each one is a good opportunity to get dropped if you’re at the back and not paying attention, especially when turning into a headwind.  Wind is often a major factor, particularly as crosswinds whip across some of the unsheltered roads, but it’s pegged at only 10 mph out of the east. Temperature is forecast to be in the upper 40s to low 50s. Dress accordingly.

The morning will start with a parade lap through town at 10:40 a.m. The racing starts in waves at 11, with each field getting a neutral rollout out of town. Afterward, the top three riders in each field get a trophy fashioned from a brick.

Saturday
Hillsboro-Roubaix
USCF road race
Hillsboro, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

UPDATE: Because of the weather, Sunday’s race has been canceled, and an already-packed calendar makes a rescheduling unlikely.

ABR’s MAJOR series -- Masters And Juniors Only Racing -- opens Sunday with a criterium in Wood Dale. Racers under 18 or over 40 can burn some calories before hitting the Easter brunch buffet.

Sunday
MAJOR Wood Dale Criterium
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Let’s get this season started, shall we?

Once again we head north for our first chance to show off new kits, new bikes and new legs. Kenosha Velosport will host two Sundays of racing, this time at a new venue, the Kenosha Industrial Park.

The finish for the four-corner, 1.1-mile course is on a long, gradual uphill, 300 meters from the final corner.  Official Carl Wilkins tells me the surface is not as smooth as the old Parkside course, but there will be cones to mark any trouble spots. Wilkins was out there yesterday with a pick and shovel. “There will be ice in the gutters,” he says, “but this course is twice as wide as the Parkside course.  It is two traffic lanes plus two regular parking lanes. Unless it snows, at least 3 1/2 lanes should be dry to race on.”

Registration will be in a tent near the entrance. Facilities will be limited to port-o-potties, but Wilkins points out an upside to winter: “They should not overheat or smell real bad.” On the other hand, the seat might be cold. He recommends the Kwik Trip at Highway 158 and Green Bay Road for coffee, snacks and bananas at 29 cents a pound. (A man after my own heart, he also notes a Culver’s across the street, truly the best part of racing in Wisconsin.)

With no indoor area to warm up in, bring plenty of clothes and layers, and keep in mind that water bottles may freeze. A high of 28 is forecast for Sunday.

These aren’t the best conditions, but I strongly recommend braving the elements. Race twice if you can. After months on our trainers and rollers, it’s important to get reacquainted with this whole racing thing. Our competitive instincts have been dormant since September, and handling may be rusty. (Yes, even yours.) Work the kinks out now while there’s nothing on the line.

Sunday, March 9 and 16
Kenosha Velosport Spring Training Series
ABR criterium
Kenosha, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Both Fall Fling races this weekend are on courses we saw in September: Saturday’s road race is the same 8-mile rectangle as the ABR masters national road race championsip, and Sunday’s criterium is the same easy, office-park course as last week.

Saturday’s weather looks perfect: 80 degrees, sunny, 15 mph wind out of the south. That wind may be enough to let someone drill it down the gutter of the homestretch and relish the field flailing to keep up in their wake. Good times! If this forecast holds, anyone new to racing in the crosswind just needs to remember this: Ride near the gutter in the homestretch, ride near the yellow line (but not over it) on the backstretch.

There are plenty of other Chicago sports distractions on Sunday, including the Chicago Marathon and possibly a baseball game in the afternoon. But this will be the last race of the year, and anyone with a shot at the overall will be sure to be there. Official CBR recommendation: TiVo the game and go get your crit on in Lombard.

Saturday

Fall Fling Road Race

ABR road race

Westlake Village, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday
Fall Fling Criterium No. 2

ABR criterium

Lombard, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: .5 hour

With all the drama of the past few weeks, one can almost forget that there’s still racing going on.

This weekend kicks off ABD’s two-weekend Fall Fling stage race. As with most ABD and ABR events, there’s a festive, low-key vibe to these races. Mike Ebert and company are good hosts. I haven’t missed an event in the past two years, and I regret that I’m not going to be able to do them this year.

It’s a great series for just about everyone. There’s a citizens field, making it a good opportunity for new racers to give this racing thing a shot before diving into it full-steam next year. For riders who may have gotten a late start to their training, it’s a chance to shine at a time of year when many others have either burned out or moved on to cyclocross. Finally, it’s an opportunity to end the season on a good note. Doing so will go a long way toward motivating those three-hour trainer rides in January.

Saturday will be a 10-mile time trial. The course is mostly flat with one turnaround. Wind is often significant, and it’s one of those magic Chicago winds that’s always in your face. The finish line is not at the same spot as the start line. You’ll want to note its position so it doesn’t surprise you at the end.

Sunday is a criterium in Lombard. The oval, office-park course will be repeated the following Sunday. Corners are soft and easy. There’s a shallow descent between Turns 1 and 2, then a steeper climb between Turns 3 and 4. Successful sprints will start right before Turn 4, so on the final lap make sure you start the climb in good position and be ready to jump. I’ve never seen a break get off in a 4’s or citizens race, but the 1/2/3’s and masters races will be all over the place.

Sunday

Fall Fling Criterium No. 1

ABR criterium

Lombard, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: .5 hour

How about some good news for once: The ABR masters national road race championship is on! This Saturday, Sept. 22, near Rockford.

The course is a rolling, 8-mile rectangle. The hills are nothing to speak of, although there’s a long, straight descent that leads to a short hiccup of a climb right before the finish line, just enough to make the sprint interesting.

The biggest feature is likely to be the wind, which can be ferocious on these unsheltered roads. Echelon smartly. Figure out beforehand which way the wind is coming from so you can anticipate which side of the pack you want to be on on each side of the course. And if you’re feeling strong, drill it in the crosswinds and watch the carnage ensue.

I don’t expect the fields will be very big, but it’s a good chance to get in one last road race, and it’s the same course that the Fall Fling road race will be contested on two weeks later, so it could be a good chance to preview the conditions.

Photo by some neighborhood kid I lent my camera to

We’re all a bit gassed and maybe even burned out from a run of intense racing that started back with Superweek, but there’s still some great racing to do this summer. In fact, consider this weekend’s races a nice low-key antidote to the big-money, big-hype racing of the past two weeks. Sherman Park will have the history. Glencoe Grand Prix will have bigger prizes. Do both!

Saturday’s Sherman Park Criterium takes place in one of Chicago’s great parks, a hidden treasure of the South Side with a gymnasium designed by Daniel Burnham. The famous Olmsted brothers had bicycle races in mind when they designed the park. Apparently technical crits were not in vogue in 1905 as there’s not a single hard corner on the course. This makes it a perfect, manageable course for beginning cyclists, men and women alike. (Men should know that there’s a 50-rider limit in the Cat 5 race, and there currently are no provisions for a second field.)

Sight lines are limited, so it’s not unusual for breaks to get away. Otherwise it’s essentially flat. Did I mention that there are no hard corners?

Primes have improved over last year. In fact, I have it on good authority that a certain cycling Web site is donating cash primes for the lower categories.

The neighborhood around Sherman Park, well, let’s concede it’s not the North Shore. It’s still a safe, beautiful venue. Residents may not be accustomed to bicycle racing, but most are curious and accommodating. Just don’t be surprised if some need reminders not stroll down the course. (XXX Racing-AthletiCo will be throwing all available resources toward marshaling, but keep your head up and be alert.)

Your second race is $5 cheaper. Masters riders could potentially get in 90 minutes of racing for about the same price as the 20 minutes they got at Downers or Elk Grove.

And don’t miss the children’s races at 1 p.m. Watch as kids tear off from the start line not quite realizing how far a mile is. Ten minutes later they will limp across the finish, coughing up lungs and collapsing in the grass. Good times!

Note also that the women’s 1/2/3 race will include a special dedication for XXX Racing-AthletiCo’s teammate Beth Kobeszka, who lost her life racing in July.

Sunday brings us the inaugural Glencoe Grand Prix. This will be a nifty opportunity to race close to the roads where many of us train. Cat 5’s and juniors will use a slightly less technical version of the course than the rest of us. It’s great to have another race so close to home, and I hope a large turnout helps make it a success.

Farther away there’s the Indiana Stage Race, which includes a road race, time trial and criterium near Indianapolis.

As many of you know, I race for XXX Racing-AthletiCo, so I do not pretend to make an unbiased recommendation. However, allow me to make a personal pitch for Sherman Park.

I’ve appreciated all the people who have e-mailed or introduced themselves at races and said how grateful they are for this site. Many have offered to help. Others have hooked me up with potential advertisers. But here’s the best way you can thank me: Come race Saturday. Come show that you think bike racing in Chicago is important. Come show you support what I’m trying to do here. Come show how much you love what you do.

And of course, come to say hi. I’ll be helping out all day and racing the 3’s, masters 1/2/3’s and elite 1/2/3’s. This will be fun!

Saturday

Sherman Park Criterium

USCF criterium

Chicago, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 0 hours

Ft. Ben Road Race

ABR road race

Indianapolis, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

Sunday

Glencoe Grand Prix

USCF criterium

Glencoe, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Indiana State Fairgrounds Criterium

ABR criterium

Indianapolis, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 3 hours

And now the race that many of us have been preparing all year for.

The money’s not as good as Elk Grove and the races are still short, but Downers Grove remains the most prestigious on the calendar, more so even than the state championships. Even though a national championship isn’t on the line for the lower categories, people will long remember who wins this Saturday. (For a few months, at any rate.)

Just like at Elk Grove, expect the races to be fast, wild and woolly on this figure-8 course. The 3/4’s race is capped at a hundred riders, so in theory it should be less congested, but with the added technicality, it will be especially important to be up front and out of danger. One can get through these turns without braking if you’re up front where it’s single-file, but if you’re in the bunch it can be a mess.

For God’s sake, do not bomb these corners, people. That hole you see on the inside is not really there.

Because of the turns and climbs, I expect the 5’s races will break up even more than at Elk Grove. If the lead groups are bigger than 15 riders I’ll eat my chamois. So, keep an eye on the gaps and always be ready to jump forward. And if you fall off the pace, don’t be surprised if officials pull you from the course.

If you haven’t seen it already, find a way this week to watch “Race Day,” a training video shot from within the 2005 masters race. It’s oh so very Robbie Ventura (Vision Quest), but it’s an unbeatable way to preview the course.

A few notes about the course:

Turn 1: The best way to do well is to get to the front and stay there. This means sprinting for the first corner like it was the end of the race and not the beginning. Fortunately you’ve been practicing your clip-in.

Between Turns 2 and 3: Here’s a long, shallow climb. If there’s room, it’s a good spot to make up some ground. Keep an eye out for people moving up the sides and grab them for a free ride. I’m told this section was paved this week. That will make for a very slick ride if it gets wet. “If it rains,” my source tells me, “bring Band-Aids.”

Between Turns 3 and 5: At Turn 4 there’s a short, steep kicker. If you’re going to attack, do it here. My admonitions against riding the inside notwithstanding, it’s sometimes safe to squeeze by there since the pack isn’t taking the corner at speed. Better, however, is to take it outside and come around everyone. You can advance a lot of positions on the wide, fast descent, but the trick is going to be getting back inside the pack by the time you get to Turn 5, an obtuse angle that can be taken super fast. You don’t want to have to create your own line and risk running out of room. If you see you can’t slide behind someone’s wheel by Turn 5, go ahead and eat the wind by going all the way to the front so you have the entire road at your disposal.

Turn 5: On the last lap and on any big prime laps, the pack may bunch up ahead of this turn. Nobody wants to be in the wind too early, and some will still be recovering from the climb. You can exploit this hesitation by jumping hard. Don’t even look back to see if you’re clear.  Ride it like you stole it and there’s a chance you’ll stay away. Not a good chance, but a chance, and even if you fail, this can be a good way to create opportunities for your team’s sprinter.

Between Turns 7 and 8: Turn 7 is slightly less than 90 degrees, and I recall there being some dodgy pavement on the far side of Curtiss Street, so don’t take Turn 7 too wide. Depending on the wind, you’ll probably want to ride up the right side, however, so you can get the right apex at Turn 8 and to prevent people from charging up that side.

Turn 8: From the last corner it’s 150 meters to the finish line. Good luck! There’s a climb through the start/finish area, so be sure not to be overgeared coming out of Turn 8. If it’s the last lap, you’re going to want to be first or second coming into the turn. Keep in mind that you’ll be going faster on the last lap, so you might not be able to take the same line as on other laps. Even the pros will wipe out here, as Ventura demonstrated in spectacular fashion on the last lap of the 2004 national championship.

And that’s how I read the course. As always, your mileage may vary. Have fun, ride safe and enjoy all the weekend’s races.

Saturday and Sunday
Downers Grove National Criterium Championships
USCF criteriums
Downers Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

In a proper world, fans would line for all our races. High-value primes would shower down like candy from a piñata, and the prizes would come close to matching the prodigious expenses and risks we bear for our sport.

Alas, that’s not the world we live in -- except for this weekend.

I have no idea how they did it, but the Tour of Elk Grove organizers have returned with an even bigger pot of gold for the event’s second year. How long can this bounty last? I don’t know, but come out and enjoy it while you can.

That said, while the good promoters giveth, they also taketh away. Presumably to accommodate an extra 5’s race (a noble thing!), other amateur races are unusually short. Thus expect these races to be fast and active. In the men’s 3/4’s race it will be like Gallipoli out there: As soon as one attack gets reeled in, new ones will stubbornly launch, certain doom notwithstanding. That’s my prediction, for what it’s worth.

My advice to the 5’s here is no different than for at other races: There will be a wide range of skill level. Stay near the front from the start. Expect gaps to open early and often. Look for them and quickly skip around slower riders and on to the lead group. If you hesitate, the gaps will grow too big to jump across.

Each day’s courses are L-shaped, effectively flat on smooth roads. As I mentioned in my last post, the U-turns are guaranteed to cause trouble. We haven’t had a lot this season, and someone is bound to misjudge one in every race. (It’s partly for this reason that I’m opting out, but don’t let that dissuade you.) Riders at the fore will have an easier time, so get up front and stay there. (Easier said than done, granted.)

The further challenge of the U-turns will be re-accelerating out of each one as you try to go from a near standstill back up to 25 mph without losing any ground.

I forget whether free laps were given last year. With laps of 2.3 and 1.7 miles, I expect not.

Payouts go 20 deep, so sprint every last inch even if you’re mid-pack. Quitting early can cost you a nice dinner out.  You’ll be surprised how much riders ahead of you are fading, and you’ll be astonished how quickly the riders behind you are gaining. (Even the women’s 3/4’s go 20 deep, plus $500 in primes. Viva la egalitie!)

Once the amateurs are done, the real business starts with the pro races. Grab some lunch in town, replenish your carbohydrates with a cold beer and make a day of it. A complete start list has not been released, but known notables include Tour de France finishers Chris Horner (Predictor-Lotto) and Christian Vandevelde (CSC). Sunday’s 110k race at 2 p.m. should be dynamite, with $45,000 on the line plus another $60,000 for the overall, not to mention primes of $1,550, $2,500 and $3,000.

This should be a fantastic weekend. Race well, race safe and be sure to let Elk Grove know how happy you are to be there.

Saturday and Sunday
Tour of Elk Grove
USCF criteriums
Elk Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Superweek may be over, but the local racing is just getting started. This weekend kicks off four consecutive weekends of racing within an hour’s drive of the city. For anyone not burned out (or crashed out) from Superweek, these races will be a nice break from racing against the Midwest’s very best, and a nice pause before doing it all over again at Elk Grove and Downers Grove.

This is the second year for Saturday’s criterium in Grayslake, put on by our friends at North Branch Cycling. The U-shaped course winds through a housing development. I recall it getting positive reviews last year. There are two flights of Cat 5/citizens races, which should keep those fields manageable and make them excellent races for new riders.

A new course on Sunday cuts a figure-8 through downtown Elgin. Again there will be two flights of Cat 5’s, and there are some generous purses available in the other categories, including $2,500 for 3’s and $800 for 4’s. Register online by July 31 to avoid a $5 late fee.

Saturday
Grayslake Cycling Classic
USCF criterium
Grayslake, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Sunday

Elgin Cycling Classic

USCF criterium

Elgin, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: .5 hour

Superweek returns to the Chicago area Sunday with the inaugural Evanston Northwestern Hospital Grand Prix, a race that many of us are extremely excited about. This was the first 4/5 field to fill up, and I expect the other fields to be bigger than usual as well. In addition, Cat 3 women who have missed out on the week’s fun will finally get a chance to race as the women’s races expand to P/1/2/3.

It’s a doozy of a course in Evanston, basically a modified figure-8. (Figure-6?) There’s a long straightaway down Sherman Avenue, so speeds should be high as racers barrel toward the start/finish at Sherman and Davis. The two turns on Clark street may be dicey. Traffic islands at each corner will funnel the packs through tight holes, and as sprinters anticipate the final tear down Sherman, these corners should yield plenty of mayhem on the final laps.

Because of the capacity field, organizers urge 4/5 racers to to check in at least 45 minutes before each race, lest their slots be turned over to wait-listed riders.

As for the rest of the races, the only course I’m familiar with is Monday’s Tour of Holy Hill. It’s been two years since I’ve been there, but I don’t remember the hills being that significant. More challenging was the wind. There is, however, a steep climb when the race exits the course and goes up Powderhill Road toward the finish line.  Just like Alpine Valley and the Proving Grounds, this is a finish that demands to be checked out beforehand. Ride it, drive it or walk it, just don’t be surprised by it.

Holy Hill, by the way, is the course where a rider was killed in 2006. Aaron Bieberitz (PCW) was off the back of the 4/5 race when a commercial driver stopped at an intersection but continued onto the course and into Bieberitz’s path. Without blaming either party, the incident is a reminder to keep your head up at all times, and not to assume any vehicle sees you or will yield for your behalf.

Full Superweek schedule.

Photo by luke seemann

It’s go time.

In 1969 Otto Wenz Jr. organized a bike race in Milwaukee as a companion to a new musical festival called Summerfest. As Summerfest grew beyond expectations, so did the bike racing, and the International Cycling Classic is now too super to be contained in one week alone. This year it features 19 venues across 17 days (four of them near Chicago), making it the biggest racing series in America and a bonanza for regional amateurs.

Action starts Friday with a fun, hilly course in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. Yes, hills! In Chicago! This is a P/1/2-only affair, but it’s worth the trip to come watch. Top-caliber racing is always thrilling to see up close, plus it’s a chance to experience a tidy, tranquil part of town that is a secret to most Chicago residents. Racing starts at 5:45 p.m., and there’s a Metra stop nearby (107th Street station on the Rock Island line; take the 5:05 p.m. from LaSalle Street).

Races will be longer and faster than we’re accustomed to, and the prizes will be bigger as well. Race a few days with the same, tough competitors and you’ll likely find yourself with new boundaries and new friends (and maybe a nemesis or two).

We have more hot weather coming next week, so pre-hydrate well and carry as much liquid as you can, especially if you don’t have anyone to offer hand-ups. Two bottles alone may not be enough. Note: Except in extreme heat, the criteriums will not have feed zones.

Red alert for 4/5’s: As of Tuesday morning the Evanston race is full and Bensenville and Blue Island are close to capacity. Register now!

Here’s a preview of the road races I’ve been to, and I invite readers to give the crit lowdown in the comments.

Read more ...

The only racing this weekend is a crit in Wisconsin and a road race near Iowa.

Thus let us take a deep breath. With Superweek around the corner and eight days of local criteriums to look forward to in August, only the truly compulsive will be turning the pedals in anger this weekend. The rest of us will be spending time deep in thought, painting that bathroom or reacquainting ourselves with our loved ones. It may be September, after all, before we can come up for air again.

The site may never return to normal, but I will have a traditional Proctor wrap-up later this week.

Be fast. Be safe.

Saturday

Wisconsin state criterium championships

USCF criterium

Elkhorn, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday

Mississippi Bluffs Cycling Road Race

Rapids City, Ill.

USCF road race

Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Photo by Luke Seemann

I did the UWW series last year, when a last-minute venue SNAFU had us racing the criterium in a tight parking lot. Between the treacherous corners and the intermittent rain, few races finished without a crash. This year, thankfully, the course will be on a park loop.

The UWW road race will be the same course as last year -- I remember it as being mostly rollers (above) through a pleasant lake area with one or two short out-of-saddle climbs -- except it will be run in reverse. If my memory is correct, this will put a moderate climb right before the start/finish. Fun! This could be an excellent tune-up for the following weekend’s Proctor Road Race, the Illinois state championships.

Then there are two crits closer to Chicago. Saturday’s Cobb Park Criterium, hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen in Kankakee, will be on a flat three-corner course. Sunday’s Fox River Grove Criterium is decidedly un-flat: A steep climb right after the start/finish will split many a field. You won’t want to line up in the second row for this one. Ron Cook (ABR) has created this course map of Fox River Grove at MapMyRide, which provides satellite views and an elevation profile.

Saturday:

Cobb Park Criterium

USCF criterium

Kankakee, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

UWW Criterium

USCF criterium

Whitewater, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday:

Fox River Grove Criterium

USCF criterium

Fox River Grove, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

UWW Road Race

USCF road race

Whitewater, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Pike’s Peak Road Race

ABR road race

Nashville, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Giro d’Grafton organizer Bill Ochowicz will be on the radio Friday at 4 p.m. to discuss Saturday’s race. (You can listen online.) It looks to be a great inaugural event.
The course looks interesting: six corners with one wicked acute-angle turn. Note, however, that winners of the Cat 3 and masters races will receive Festina watches -- supposedly valued at $350 -- instead of cash, a structure that may encourage the fields to let a solo rider escape.

Also, Scott Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks) comments in my previous post with some extra details about Saturday’s Carrol County road race.

I’m not sure what to make of this Saturday’s road race, the Great Carrol County Cycling Event. If anyone has done it, please share in the comments.

The fact that it’s a 62-mile single-lap course is itself pretty nifty. It’s sanctioned by ABR and is included in the Tour of Illinois/Wisconsin, so it should attract the dozen or so riders who pay attention to that. But according to the results, last year’s fields were thin and spread out. That’s not necessarily reason to avoid the race, however. If nothing else it can be a good training ride, a chance for 4’s to tackle a long road race or an opportunity to improvise tactics on an unusual course.

I don’t know much about the weekend’s crits, either. I don’t even have a flier for Fon du Lac. Do you? The MAJORS race looks like a fun event for those who get a Father’s Day exemption from church and yardwork. The women’s 4’s get an unusually big payout at Fon du Lac ($300, 10 deep). The payouts are even more generous at Saturday’s Giro d’Grafton: $6,500 for the P/1/2 (to be raced under lights at 8 p.m.), $2,000 for the women’s open and $350 for the women’s 4’s. There’s even a $200 pool for the U-14 juniors.

In other calendar news, I have in my hand a flier for the Fox River Grove crit on June 24 and have added it to the race schedule, but I have not found a copy online. You? and I just found a version online.

Saturday

Great Carrol County Cycling Event

ABR road race

Chadwick, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Giro d’Grafton

USCF criterium

Grafton, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday

MAJOR series (masters, juniors)

ABR criterium

Elgin, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Fon du Lac criterium

USCF criterium

Fon du Lac, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

I’m sorry to be missing this Saturday’s Spring Prairie Road Race, Wisconsin’s state road race championship.

It’s a fun, challenging course. The flier promises “hellacious climbs,” but it’s really only one. Most of the 6.5 rectangle course consists of big-ring rollers, but a short, steep climb leading into the start/finish area will break more than a few legs.

4/5 men will do six laps, and each time up this hill will be an opportunity for separation. The final trip will be as close to a mountain-top finish as we get around here. The climb is short enough so that climbers won’t have an exclusive advantage, but it’s steep enough that the sprinters will have to adjust their timing. The prudent racer will pre-ride the approach to the hill so it doesn’t catch him by surprise during the race, and will use the first few laps to fine-tune his gear selection and timing for the endgame.

Registration is available online.

Sunday’s course is new: a flat rectangle in downtown Wheaton.

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

Sunday
Wheaton Criterium
USCF criterium
Wheaton, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

This weekend brings two great days of racing to Chicago with the Winfield criteriums. Saturday will be the twilight criterium, run on a slightly different course than Sunday’s race, which serves as the ABR national criterium championship. ABD puts on these races and they’re always well run with generous primes.

Here are brief course descriptions. I’ve never done the twilight event, but Sunday’s course is a long milelong rectangle. The backstretch is a shallow incline with a short kicker at the end. You turn left into a short descent, and then turn left again and have about 300 meters to the start/finish area. It’s not very technical, but it’s not unheard for breaks to get off on this course.

I won’t be racing, but I may go just to see whether Marek Serafin (WDT) is beatable. With a jersey on the line, my guess is “probably not.”

Both days have citizen fields, and Sunday’s even is unusual in that there’s a 5-lap citizen women’s race. This is an excellent opportunity for women to try their first race and see if it hooks them, or for women who have until now been forced to ride in the open fields.

If crits aren’t your thing and you have a place to bunk near Indy, the Indiana Race Series has a road race about 4 hours away with the St. Crispian Junior Road Race. (Don’t be thrown by the name: It’s not just for juniors.) It’s a challenging course with a nice climb close to the finish. Personally, I’ve never regretted driving so far for the IRS races that Dan Daly puts on. They’re low-key, fun and good opportunities to nab some upgrade points.

Saturday

Winfield Twilight Criterium

ABR criterium

Winfield, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

Sunday
ABR National Criterium Championship

ABR criterium

Winfield, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

St. Crispian Junior Road Race

ABR road race

Nashville, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

One of the summer’s most exciting weekends is upon us with four great races near the Quad Cities: one road race on Friday followed by three days of crits.

The jewel of the weekend is the legendary Snake Alley Criterium on Saturday. The course features a treacherous, steep switchback paved with brick. Here are photos I took last year.

As the day goes on, the hill becomes more crowded with rowdy spectators who badger and cajole riders struggling to navigate the climb. Tradition in the Pro/1/2 race is for fans to hand cold beers to racers as they throw in the towel. In 2006, restaurateur Jack Piper dressed up as Duff Man to do so. What stunt will he pull in 2007?

Success hinges on being among the first to the Snake on the first lap, lest you get bottlenecked behind the inevitable crashes, so the race before the race is to register early to secure a good starting position. (The Editor is blessed to be in the first row of the 3’s race.) Once the race starts, riders will be too fried from climbing the Snake to think straight, so it’s important to have a reliable routine for getting through the rest of the course. Smart Cycling’s Steve Thordarson has an excellent turn-by-turn guide that is essential pre-race reading.

Friday

Wapello-Burlington
Road Race

USCF road race

Burlington, Iowa

Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours

Saturday

Snake Alley Criterium

USCF criterium

Burlington, Iowa

Distance from Chicago: 4.5 hours

Sunday

The Great Race: Elkhart Criterium

ABR criterium

Elkhart, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Melon City Criterium

USCF criterium

Muscatine, Iowa

Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Monday

The Great Race: Bristol Road Race

ABR road race

Bristol, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours

Quad Cities Criterium

USCF criterium

Rock Island, Ill.

Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

I’ve done both both of this weekend’s road races and it was tough to decide which to do this year. I’m opting for the Denzer Delight, which reprises the old Leland Grand Prix course. I love to support the Indiana Race Series, but Denzer’s topography is slightly more interesting than McCormick’s Creek: one long, gradual climb and several bare-knuckle descents.

Saturday

Denzer Delight

USCF road race

Denzer, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 3.5 hours

McCormick’s Creek Road Race

ABR road race

Spencer, Ind.

Distance from Chicago: 4 hours

Sunday

Wheels on Willy

USCF criterium

Madison, Wis.

Distance from Chicago: 2.5 hours