Hard times call for hard men, women and juniors. This Saturday Flatlandia obliges us with a hard race indeed, the Leland Kermesse, a circuit that should leave no field intact.

For some insight into the event, I hit up the team’s Ted Burger. Who would have imagined such a cruel course could come from such a nice guy?

How did this race end up in Leland?
It’s near Paw Paw, Ill., where the team’s sensei (Jason Wagner) was the promoter of the 40km TT when he rode for another team. So we knew the area would be great for a windy road race, but we did not pick Leland till after a reconnaissance trip during the winter.

Illinois is a notoriously difficult state to get a road race off the ground. How hard was it to secure this location?
Leland was very easy to work with and the race is part of their 150-year celebration. We hope that over the years the popularly this event will grow to complement that great event that hapens in Hillsboro every year, and maybe we will have our own humble version of the Cobbled Classics here in the Midwest.

When I heard you had a 1-mile stretch of gravel in store for us, I was imagining something no more challenging than a typical ride up the destroyer of wheels we call Sheridan Road. But your video makes it looking like a freakin’ moonscape.
Perfect. That was the goal!

What’s it like to ride?
The gravel section is a real beast and should `There will be no chase on the last lap, only regrets.’not be taken lightly, but it is totally rideable. It will be treacherous and someone from XXX will cry (my money is on Mike Kirby), but we completely expect road bikes to go the distance. Albeit with larger tires; I would think 700x25’s at 95psi would be ideal. Big gaps should occur since riders will have to pick a line, but the good news is you have 9 windy miles of pavement to chase back on if need be.

Any advice?
Keep in mind that the 1-mile gravel section ends about 1/4 mile from the finish, so there will be no chase on the last lap, only regrets. My other advice would be to arrive early to preride the gravel section (please go the direction of the race, i.e. southbound). As you know I am a really big fan of the preride.

Will there be follow vehicles in case any of us pull a Hincapie?
There should be support vehicles for all races --wheels in, wheels out -- mostly in thanks to our sponsor VW of Countryside.

If it rains, will you guys be out there with ShamWows drying it up for us?
Race is on rain or shine, no ShamWows. (Did you know they are made in Germany?!)

For those unfamiliar with the term, how would you define a “kermesse”?
Kermesse translates in Flemish to carnival, like town carnival.  The way I understand it, back in the day, to help get folks to the carnival, they would hold a bike race on a certain night to help earn money for the carnival owners.  Folks would come out to see the race and buy some cotton candy.  I don’t think all kermesses today are necessary associated with a carnival per se, but the name stuck.

I guess that makes you the carney. What are you guys doing to embody that spirit?
We are embodying that spirit only by the fact that our course is roughly the same length -- 16km -- and it incorporates both the town and local farm roads, not to mention the wind `The fact that our race incorporates the gravel I think is a huge homage to a kermesse.’and flatness of those roads.  In other words, the race is easily accessible to the town folks.  It is part of Leland’s 150-year anniversary but no carnival is happening on April 25th.  It would be fun to have that in the future.

All that being said, we are certainly using some poetic license in calling the race a kermesse. The fact that our race incorporates the gravel I think is a huge homage to a kermesse.  The way I understand it, kermesses in Belgium do not mess around, and bring in all the elements of the town. Over there it’s mainly with pavé.  And in Belgium there is just one category. That’s the direction I would like to see our race go.

Will you get to race this bad boy yourself?
It would not really be fair for the participants if I race. I have such a complete understanding of every detail of this course, if I was really racing I would just ride way from the pack never to be seen again till the podium girls dirty my checks.

In all seriousness, maybe ... but my race calender is already chock-full of great excuses for my poor performance, the best being: My newborn son is way too fun to focus on racing. See attached photo of why I will forever stay at Base 2. The kermesse will be a strong man’s race and I would just get in the way. I will be far better suited with a coffee thermos, mesh vest and a little flag, and leave the racing to the Al Urbanski‘s (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) of the world.

OMG, I’m not even into babies but that’s the cutest picture I’ve ever seen.