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