• » It’s not too late to register for Turin’s power training seminar this Saturday.

• » Speaking of Turin, it’s sponsoring Sunday’s state cyclocross championships in Montrose Park. This edition should be especially spectator-friendly. Bring $20 and you can go home with another brilliant print from cyclist and artist Jay Ryan. Also think of bringing canned foods for Turin’s food drive, benefiting Greater Chicago Food Depository.

• » :25 ... :26 ... :27 ... KAPOW! (From an even better angle.)

• » After you’ve changed into clean clothes and gotten your core temperature back above 90, head to the ICA awards banquet.

• » “I realize that the road is to be shared by everyone ... If I was physically able to ride a bike, I would ride one myself.” A hit-and-run driver apologizes.

• » In case Santa brings you too much or too little, two post-Christmas bike swaps to note: In Madison the Brazen Dropouts present the 18th Annual Chronometro Bike Swap, one of the largest in the country, on Jan. 10. The following weekend our own Chicagoland Winter Bike Swap returns to Harper College.

• » The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Active Transportation Alliance has started a support group for victims of crashes. Its next meeting is Saturday. Friends and family members of those who have been killed or injured in traffic crashes are also welcome to attend. Related reading from Pez: “Recovering from crashes.”

• » Anyone who has raced against Kayle Leogrande (Rock Racing) since Superweek 2007, go ahead and increase your placing by one. (Some further background.)

• » Why Chicago? Hot dogs. Vote for a wiener winner here.

No links today, but some sober news instead: Thursday evening a cab struck Steven Vandeven (Team Get a Grip Cycles) as he rode south on La Salle Boulevard toward Goethe Street. He sustained major head injuries. Following extensive surgery, doctors induced a coma. He remains under sedation.

The long-term prognosis is undetermined. Those of us who have raced against Vandeven, however, know that he is a fighter and a finisher. If he has any say in the matter, the recovery will be nothing short of full.

As with all car-on-bike collisions, this one could have been much worse. Join me tomorrow in giving thanks for Steven, a class act and an ace cyclist, as well as thanks for one another and for the thousands of our rides that do not end in catastrophe.

Thomas Lynch pleaded guilty this morning to a Class A misdemeanor of attempted aggravated battery for the September 2007 paceline attack on St. Mary’s Road.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007, a group of 17 riders -- myself among them -- was riding single-file close to 30 mph when Lynch veered into its path and braked, causing a large crash, then sped away. One victim was transported to the hospital for examination. Another would eventually have surgery for injuries suffered in the crash.

Lynch called 911 to claim that cyclists had kicked out his taillight after he had stopped to avoid hitting a squirrel. On the dispatcher’s recommendation, Lynch returned to the scene to turn himself in.

In February prosecutors charged Lynch with seven felonies, including felony hit-and-run. In the interest of a guaranteed conviction, however, we recently agreed to the compromised plea bargain.

While we feel felony convictions would have properly reflected the magnitude of the attack, we understand the unpredictability of the jury system. Misdemeanor in hand, felonies in bush, as it were. But we are pleased that the terms of the plea include extensive punishment and reparation. Among these terms:

• » Two years of probation, transferred to Florida, his home state;

• » Prohibition from driving on St. Mary’s or Everett Roads;

• » Court costs;

• » Letter of apology to the League of Illinois Bicyclists;

• » $3,500 donation to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (now the Active Transportation Alliance);

• » Anger-management evaluation and treatment.

I have no doubt that even when we ride single-file and within our rights our presence vexes many drivers on the North Shore. This was not the first time that a driver has maliciously braked in front of a paceline of mine. In August an Alberto’s ride was attacked, also on St. Mary’s Road, and a similar attack to ours occured in L.A. in July with much more dire consequences.

We hope publicity from this case will remind both drivers and cyclists of the need to share the road peacefully and responsibly.

We are thankful to all the cycling advocates who wrote on our behalf and offered other support. And we are extremely thankful to our Lake County prosecutors, Brett Henne and Lonnie Renda, for seeing this case through to its conclusion. Not every prosecutor would have taken our grievances seriously. They went the extra miles to see that felony charges were made, and then ensured that the ensuing plea held adequate punishment.

Is your team’s information in the team directory accurate? With so many people thinking about joining teams for 2009, this is a good time to make sure. Some of these listings haven’t been updated since I first created the directory, and in most cases I’m counting on you to help me keep the listings current. Please alert me to any errors, as well as any errors in the ride list.

Speaking of group rides, I’m alerted that Judson will be convening Thursday and Friday this week. The rides will leave at 8 a.m. from Plaza del Lago. Four straight days of Judson to work off that Thanksgiving chow!

How far would you travel for a quality road race? Hillsboro? Wisconsin? Arkansas?

Belgium?

That’s where Vision Quest’s Bryan McVey and Luca Lenzi headed this summer, becoming the latest in a long line of young American riders to rough it in one of the world’s most grueling and hard-nosed racing environments.

To learn more about the experience, I checked in with McVey, originally of Arlington Heights, who enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks in 2007. He’s back in Illinois after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering, and we should see more of him in 2009 now that he’s working for Caterpillar in Joliet. He’ll continue to ride for Vision Quest, but the 23-year-old says his services are available to teams racing at the NRC level.

In May 2007 you were racing (and winning) the citizens category at Monsters of the Midway. A year later you were Cat 2 and racing in Belgium. How the heck did that happen, and did it involve a time machine or space travel?
Unfortunately there was no time travel. In the summer of 2007 I felt I was trying to make up for starting the sport later in my career. I stacked my schedule with as many races as I could.

What sports did you do before cycling?
I competed competitively in cross country and track for 10 years prior to making the switch to full-time cyclist in May 2007.  My last season as a runner was my junior year track season at Virginia Tech in spring 2007.

What was your primary event?
I was primarily mid-distance in high school and distance in college. In high school my best event was the mile, and college I ran the 3k, 5k and 3k steeplechase the most.

How did you and Luca get hooked up with racing in Belgium?
I had some teammates from my collegiate team at Virginia Tech (Eric Chrabot, and John Zaccone) who were at the Johan Bruyneel Cycling Academy, and `Racers will do anything to advance their position for the inevitable break in the peloton somewhere around the hour mark.’they gave me the information and inside scoop on the program.  I then relayed the info to Luca and he was in.

What kind of contact did you have with Bruyneel himself?
There wasn’t any.  But you have to remember that he was in season as well directing Astana, so there are priorities. He was at the pre-season camp in February in Arizona, although I wasn’t there, and he did have constant contact with our director, Bernard Moerman.

Is the program just for Americans?
The JBCA is not just for Americans, but it caters to Americans very well, so that is why most of the people there are from the States.  It is pretty much a home away from home to live with other people that all have similar goals, which is to test themselves against some of the greatest riders in the world, in some of the greatest venues in the world.  There were a few Belgian riders I raced with and became good friends with.  They didn’t live at the house, but would race with us as a part of the JBCA team. 

How long were you there and how often did you race?
I was there for about 2.5 months, and I raced a total of 17 times: 11 single-day races and one five-day, six-stage race.

How is the racing style different from American racing?
It is much more cut-throat since every race is so important.  A good finish in a race there will get you a lot of credit, compared to the average race in the states.  Racers will do anything to advance their position for the inevitable break in the peloton somewhere around the hour mark.  This includes riding on sidewalks, through gas-station parking lots and up the middle of the peloton through very narrow openings.  It was very intimidating at first.

How are the Americans received?
For the most part we were just another racer they needed to finish in front of.  But every once in awhile you would run into the hot-headed person that did not like you being there, and they made it known to you.  The American-flag kit made it a bit obvious. At times I was glad I didn’t speak Flemish.

How would you describe a kermesse to someone who’s never seen it?
It’s an extremely fast race, 100-120km in distance, on a 5-12k loop.  The start/finish is in a small town, with the course on a mix of `Every once in awhile you would run into the hot-headed person that did not like you being there, and they made it known to you.’small country roads with tight turns and larger exposed main roads.  Simply put, a pure suffer fest.

Is it true that Belgians go watch bike races even if they don’t have family or friends in them?
There is always a crowd for the races, usually in town by the start/finish area where families and spectators can sit and enjoy the race, as well as good food and beverages.

How was the beer?
Excellent, and very strong.

What’s one aspect of Belgian racing you’d like to see adopted here?
The longer distance racing.  You don’t even need a large loop to do it on! You can have long races and still be spectator-friendly, which I think is key.

Looking at you I’d peg your weight around 90 pounds. Do you consider yourself a climber? How much does it drive you crazy to be in flat Illinois?
Good guess, but about 60 pounds off. I do consider climbing as my best discipline, but I strive to be as much as an all-around rider as I can.  Not being able to do climbing races around here is a bit rough, but I was lucky to have a whole collegiate season in the Appalachian Mountains last spring.  I always look forward to the hilly races.

What are your cycling plans in 2009?
Right now my plans for 2009 are to continue to ride for Vision Quest, with coaching from Jason Schisler.  I will also be looking for any openings available with teams in some bigger races in the U.S. to help build my resume.

What’s your off-season training look like? How does cyclocross fit in?
I am working a full-time job and also training as much as I can full-time as well. Lots of running and trainer time, as well as strength training. Cyclocross for me is added fitness to mix up training in the off-season, so I don’t put too much emphasis on it.  I’m not very good at the technical stuff, but I love the races and the atmosphere.

What 2009 races are you looking forward to most?
Whichever races I can do over three hours with more than 10 feet of elevation gain!

Honestly, I am looking forward to racing as much as I can, and hopefully getting into some bigger races.  So if anyone has any contacts for teams that need riders for any of the NRC races, drop me a line! Also feel free to check out my blog.

Happy Wednesday! This week: Cross videos. XXX babes. IRO Sprints!

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$22 for dinner and award presentations at Old Orchard Country Club in Mt. Prospect.

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Happy Wednesday! This week: ICA meeting. Power clinic. Lots of cross.

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Happy Wednesday! This week: ICA awards dinner. Cyclocross fun. Steve Tilford saves a kitten.

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Happy Wednesday! This week: Wisconsin is en fuego! Indoor training. CBR revealed to be in the tank for a certain candidate.

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