Fliers were the Saturday special in Downers Grove, with late attacks working out in both masters races and in the 3/4’s race, above, where Ryan Freund (IIT) and Julian Baumgartner (Vitaminwater-Trek) kept rolling after a prime with two to go and held a monster gap all the way to the line, where Freund took a close two-up sprint.

Team Tibco has often found success in Chicago. It won last year’s pro-am and the inaugural Chicago Criterium three weeks ago. Saturday its Lauren Franges won a four-up sprint out of a break that started early in the women’s P/1/2/3, a race that typically has most of the favorites keeping their powder dry ahead of Sunday’s championship.

The men’s pro-am finished in near darkness, which may or may not have contributed to a crash with two to go. By that point, Kelly Benefit Strategies had yanked all its riders from the fray, leaving Rock Racing, Colavita and Jelly Belly as the major players in a field about half as big as the roughly 170 who started. Rahsaan Bahati (Rock Racing) lead it out coming out of Turn 4, but coming out of Turn 8 it was his teammate and Superweek revelation Sterling Magnell bounding up Main Street for the win.

The real action starts today, culminating with the USPRO national championship at 3 p.m. CyclingNews has a good preview.

FYI: Although CBR is always first in my heart, I’m going to be on the clock today for an out-of-town publication, so expect my wrap-up here to be delayed.