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.

• » Beverly Bike-Vee Pak put together an impressive video to celebrate its cyclocross season.

• » Promoter Dan Daly has posted his Indiana Race Series schedule.

• » Don’t forget our two upcoming bike swaps: Madison on Jan. 10 and Palatine on Jan. 17.

How many races this year came down to Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) and Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles)? I count five: Meshberg was first to Haskell’s second at Grayslake, Sheboygan and at both days of Winfield. The order was reversed at the Proctor Criterium, our state championship. At numerous other races they finished in the top 5 together.

We learned about Haskell last December. For my latest interview with the stars of 2008, I caught up with Meshberg, 38, a stay-at-home mother of two who had a dynamite year, earning state championships for both road race and criterium in addition to excelling on the track. She also took her show on the road, hitting National Racing Calendar events in California and the prestigious Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minnesota.

For five years she’s been teaching Pedaling with a Purpose, a winter training class in Chicago and Westmont, and for two years she’s raced for Flatlandia. In 2009, however, a big change is in the works, one that could alter the complexion of women’s racing the Midwest -- and it just happens to include her frequent nemesis Haskell.

You did some early-season racing in California this year. How is the scene there different from Chicago?
The scene out in California is that everyone is pro!  `The best part of being on a club is that you don’t feel any pressure to get results.  You can do what’s right for you to develop as a rider rather than worry about team results.’There’s better weather, and some really good topography out there.  But we really do have a great cycling scene here in Chicago.  Chicago is the place to be if you’re a crit rider!

Do you plan to go back in 2009?
I am planning to race the 2009 Tour of California Women’s crit.  It was supposed to be expanded to a three-day stage race, but we just got word that it’s back down to a one-day crit, which is a bummer.  But I’m planning on staying a week and turning it into a training week.  Going out there in February and coming off the trainers, it’s just good for training and fun to combine it with our NRC season opener.

What other goals do you have next year?
I’m super excited about my new team for next year, “Team BH USA.” We’ve got some really great sponsors, including “The Bike Shop” in Glen Ellyn. 

New team?
Devon Haskell, two other just as fabulous women from Wisconsin, Anne Meyer (Mercy-Specialized) and Madeleine Puissant (IS Corp), and myself have created a four-person women’s team for next year.

Wow! It’s like your own personal all-star team. You and Haskell should be particularly formidable together. What are your goals with the squad?
We plan to do most of the bigger races that are within driving distance of Chicago, but we hope do a handful of bigger races that we will travel to.  Fitchburg in Massachusestts, Nature Valley in Minnesota and the Tour of California to name a few.

“The Bike Shop” in Glen Ellyn is really supportive of women’s racing, as is BH Bikes and our other sponsors.  They are committed to helping women get started in bike racing.  This is also one of my personal missions.

This year we needed to keep the team small since it’s our first year.  Long-term we’d like to keep having a kick-ass elite team, but ultimately we’ll expand to include a developmental women’s squad fostering a fun environment where women can be supported and become better bike racers.

You were a messenger for awhile. What was it like back then?
I loved it. It was probably one of the best times of my life.  It was the first time I learned how independent and free the bicycle can make you.  `[Messengering] was the first time I learned how independent and free the bicycle can make you.’I also learned how to ride hard.  I did it for a year and a half so in messenger terms “one winter.” It was pre-Sept. 11, 2001, so compared to now I imagine there was probably a lot less security.

Who got into racing first: you or your husband?
Jason got into racing first, in 1999.  He kept trying to get me to race and I found out later it was mainly because he wanted me to come watch him.  It took me about a year, but when I finally did start I was hooked immediately. Now he’s sorry.

Does the fact that both of you race make it easier or harder to juggle family and racing?
It’s definitely harder to juggle two people racing when you have kids.  But it helps that we both understand what it takes to bike race, and we try to help each other.  The way we work it out is that I get the focus for the road season and Jason gets the focus for cross season.

Are your kids itching to race yet, or do they roll their eyes when they get dragged to yet another criterium?
They do pretend to race when they are riding their bikes at home.  On the way to the park from our house there’s a part where the sidewalk ends and you have to go on grass for a while.  They call it “doing cyclocross” when they have to pick up their bikes.  When she was 2, my daughter used to call her tricycle her “track bike.” I was so proud! They love to help clean the bikes and they are both pretty good with learning the tools.

Right now they love going to the races, especially the velodrome.  They love cheering, but mostly they love running around with the other kids on the infield.

At the other races we do consider the environment as to whether or not we take the kids.  Cross races are the best for the kids.  As long as there’s a park they’re happy.  St. Charles got an A+ for taking kids with the course being right by the playground.  The industrial-park crit, not so ideal.

I think as they get older their enthusiasm may wane, which is why I’m trying to pack it in now.

How did Flatlandia come about?
The three founding fathers of Flatlandia -- Jason Wagner, Rom Tamondong, and my husband -- just wanted to start a fun team.  It’s a play off of the old Flandria team from Belgium.  They thought about Belgium: harsh weather, windy and kind of flat.  Yet somehow a lot of good, tough bike racers have come from there.  They thought it sounded a lot like Chicagoland, and we should celebrate our region and be proud of where we are from.

What are the tradeoffs of a being a “club” vs. being a “team”?
The best part of being on a club is that you don’t feel any pressure to get results.  You can do what’s right for you to develop as a rider rather than worry about team results.  If you end up doing well, everyone’s just really happy for you.  It’s a really supportive environment.

One tradeoff in my mind is that although you can’t offer sponsors space on your jerseys, you get to enjoy very clean, sponsor-free kits. I’ve always`There are so many strong women out there that would be fantastic bike racers but are afraid or don’t know how to start.’ been a fan of the Flatlandia look. Who designed it?
I think you can credit Jason Wagner for the design and coming up with the name.  We got a lot of compliments on it.

But we did get some sponsors for last year: BH bikes and Hinsdale Orthopaedic Associates.  BH bikes have been around in Europe but are fairly new to the U.S.  They are awesome!  And Hinsdale Orthopaedic is an incredible group of doctors (two of whom are crit-racing teammates) that unfortunately we bike racers need to see every so often.

What’s your favorite motivation or distraction while you’re putting in the winter base miles? Music? Movies? CBR archives?
CBR archives of course!  But I also watch race footage, listen to music, and honestly the people that come to Pedaling with a Purpose motivate me quite a bit.  I couldn’t get through all those hours on the trainer without them, and that’s why I run the program.

Are there any races -- past or future -- that you visualize when you get on the trainer?
I visualize quite a bit on the trainer.  Rather than focus on individual races, I usually visualize specific situations that I’d like to have happen in races.  Any more specific and I’d be giving away all my secrets.

What skills or strengths to you emphasize in your classes?
I emphasize the importance of base miles and working within your zones. The most common mistake people make is thinking that they have to kill themselves 100 percent of the time on the bike.  I also emphasize consistent training and positive thinking.

If a woman tells you she’s thinking about taking up bike racing, what’s your pitch?
I say YES!!!  I try to be very encouraging because I love racing and we need more women out there.  It can be an intimidating sport to get into.  I never would have started if my husband hadn’t been so encouraging.  There are so many strong women out there that would be fantastic bike racers but are afraid or don’t know how to start.

Also, people and women especially need to know that it usually takes a while to get good.  So don’t give up just because you aren’t awesome right away.

• » The indoor time trial season started Sunday with Vision Quest’s debut in Highland Park. Results here, with top performances coming from masters riders: Charles Gerlach (Unattached) went 12.12 miles in 30 minutes and women’s 45-49 national time trial champion Leigh Thompson (VisionQuest) went 11.26 miles. The series continues Sunday. Meanwhile, ABD’s 10th annual indoor time trial series kicks off Jan. 11 in Winfield.

• » Hinsdale native and 2008 Superweek sprints champion Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe’s) was diagnosed with Iliac endofibrosis, an ailment known to afflict elite cyclists. He was scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

• » World Bicycle Relief, a favorite cause of many Chicago teams, is holding an innovative fund drive this week, with contributions matched through Friday.

• » The start of a 2009 ABR calendar is up. Looks like our outdoor season will once again officially start, weather permitting, with the Kenosha Velosport Spring Criterium Series on March 15.

• » Speaking of calendars: USA Cycling has its 2009 national championship schedule.

• » Changes for Team Get a Grip Cycles. UPDATE: Representatives of the team e-mail me to clarify the team’s future: “Team Get A Grip Cycles is still very much alive and kicking. In fact, we are healthier then ever.”

• » Renowned coach Joe Friel has some advice as you start base.

• » Meet junior racer Keeanu Reeves (Unattached).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Wednesday! This week: Vande Velde. Track Cats. Sherman Park already?

Read full post ...

Meet multiple state champion and masters national champion Wayne Simon.

Read full post ...

The announcement puts the Midwest Cycling Series squarely on Superweek turf.

Read full post ...

Happy Wednesday! This week: Cyclocross championships. Bike swaps. Support for crash victims. Hot dogs and pizza.

Read full post ...

Heal quickly, heal completely.

Read full post ...