State road race is on
Aug 25
2009
Filed in: Race news


Comments (28)

It’s official: We have a state road race championship.

Last year’s host Tower Racing steps up again, this time securing a course in beautiful Willow Springs, not far from the city. It’s a popular training route, and surely I am not the only one who has fantasized of racing there. It’s not Ventoux, but it’s about as good as it gets within 30 minutes of State and Madison.

Registration is open.

The Sept. 12 race comes late in the season, but the upside is that the delay came because of a paving project on 104th Avenue, meaning pristine tarmac. I rode the course this weekend. It’s exquisite. Some imperfections remain, but Tower tells me they will be patched in the next two weeks.

The triangular course resembles an M.C. Escher drawing, seemingly rising via false flat on all three sides. Traffic will be closed in both directions on 104th avenue between Archer and 95th Street, closed in one direction the rest of the way. The start/finish will be at the crest of 104th, north of 95th. Parking and registration will be at the Willowbrook Ballroom on Archer.

The most severe pitches come on 104th, turning right off of Archer. From the base there are three stair-step climbs, totaling just under a mile. For most of us it should be a big-ring, 2- to 3-minute effort.

The first part of the climb is the steepest but shortest. The final, pivotal stair step is .3 mile. At the top will be the start/finish, which should lead to some dramatic sprints, and I expect there will be fireworks every trip up this stretch.



Update: Tower Racing has published a technical guide. It’s worth a look. One interesting passage is a budget summary. Including a donation to World Bicycle Relief, Tower estimates per-rider expenses to be $43.88

—

which makes the $35 entry fee look like a bargain indeed. (Note the $10 fee for day-of registration. Note it and pre-reg instead.)

As many race promoters have found, sponsorship is tight this year, so there will be no primes. However, Tony Cacchillo (Tower Racing) tells me that once again a Ferrari or Lamborghini will pace some fields.

Comments

1.

Aug 25
2009

3:08 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Unattached)

I’m really hoping Ben Widoff can pull out the double at this race.  He’s had such a difficult Cat4 season with only 6 USAC wins. Thankfully there is still time for him to finish on a high and maybe carry some momentum into his next Cat4 season.

2.

Aug 25
2009

4:07 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

According to his USAC palmares he is also two time defending CAT 4 TT champ as well and is registered again for the 4’s next week. Good luck to him….

3.

Aug 25
2009

4:11 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Unattached)

If he keeps this up, he’s a lock for the Cat4 hall of fame!

4.

Aug 25
2009

4:30 pm

Luke Seemann's avatar

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo)

Play nice, gentlemen.

5.

Aug 25
2009

6:25 pm

Steve Hansen

On a fun note, for many of the Illinois races, you can see any rider’s result profile on the ICA web site.  In Ben’s case you can see how he’s done here:  http://tinyurl.com/m5vvnr  You can use this to see any rider or almost any USAC Illinois race you want.  Check it out!

6.

Aug 25
2009

6:37 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Too funny!

Simply keeping up a longstanding Midwest tradition. How’s about a BW - Timmy P IL/WI cagefight?

7.

Aug 25
2009

7:05 pm

thesuperrookie (Grumpy's/LGR)

Smells like a sandbagger all the way up here. Is Dave F. still dealing out upgrades?

S-R stirring the pot since ‘81

8.

Aug 25
2009

8:16 pm

Tim Speciale (PSIMET Racing)

I have to get out of my work obligations for this…

9.

Aug 26
2009

10:41 am

usrnull (Chicago Cuttin' Crew)

In terms of distance, this race doesn’t qualify as a “road race” for women’s 4s or cat 2s.

It’s 5 miles shy for the ladies, and 10 miles short for 2s looking for upgrade points. I know it’s splitting hairs, since it counts as a circuit race/crit, but in a state where road races take a back seat to crits, it would be nice if the state championship fit the bill for all of the racers.

10.

Aug 26
2009

10:53 am

usrnull (Chicago Cuttin' Crew)

...I don’t mean to disrespect the efforts of Tower. It’s a perfect stretch of road, a great technical guide, and it looks like a lot of fun. Maybe this is an oversight or a logistical wrinkle that can’t be avoided.

If it were easy to throw road races, we’d have one every weekend.

11.

Aug 26
2009

3:12 pm

RHRoop (Team Higher Gear)

This is a USA Cycling criticism not Tower racing since the technical guide explains the budget.

A fit (i.e. sandbagging) cat five rider can score the state rr hat trick thanks to having three opportunities to race!

The question everyone will want to know is- Can one rider unite the crown? If not, where will the grudge match take place?

And again with the combined Masters 30+ Cat 4/5 race? Is there anyone who can win all four?

12.

Aug 26
2009

6:53 pm

bobw (xXx Racing-AthletiCo)

Big thanks to Tower for taking on this task again this year and seeking out a more challenging course. Rock!

13.

Aug 26
2009

11:34 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Unfortunately, and while there are Cat 5 categories at the race, to the best of my knowledge there is no such thing as a State Champ designation for Cat 5’s… similar to how there is no Cat 3 (or 4 or 5) National Crit Champion designation at Downers Grove.

Many thanks to Tower Racing for tackling this huge event!

14.

Aug 27
2009

9:16 am

Steve Hansen

After pondering the rulebook and doing some math, here is something to think about:

It is a statistical improbability that anyone can win the Cat 4 Illinois Cup that is a strong Cat 4 rider.  The reason is once the rider receives 30 points, they are supposed to get an automatic upgrade to Cat 3.  Since there are 12 races in the series, someone who wants to win it as a 4 is almost by default going to grab enough upgrade points that they’ll be forced out of the competition in the Cat 4 series before the season is over. 

It is another question at the higher levels. Going from 3-2 the requirement is 40 points for an automatic upgrade and 2-1 is 50 points. It is much harder to force an upgrade in those categories.

Should the game for the Cat 4’s become who can win just enough races to avoid an upgrade to win the series?  Do you want someone to soft pedal to a finish line to game the system?  Do you want the best Cat 4 to win the trophy?  At want point is the rider a sandbagger or just a tough competitor? How should the Illinois Cup account for the question of mandatory upgrades?

Food for thought.

15.

Aug 27
2009

9:35 am

Peter Allen's avatar

Peter Allen (XXX Racing/Athletico)

One thing to keep in mind is that there are good number of I&M;Canal Path users on Saturday mornings. Please keep this in mind when parking and warming up on the trail.  I was surprised by the trail usage last year in the Willow Springs TT.  Hopefully, there won’t be as many in September. It would suck to lose this course because someone was acting like Fred on the LFP while warming up.

16.

Aug 27
2009

9:36 am

psimet's avatar

psimet (PSIMET - hell on wheels.)

Sanbagging is a sad thing.  It’s a slap in the face to everyone else who is working hard to improve but doesn’t get results because they get nipped by perpetual sandbaggers.

Nothing new.  It’s always been an issue in cycling, but I thought that’s what the auto upgrades were designed for.  Who’s asleep at the wheel?

17.

Aug 27
2009

9:43 am

RHRoop (Team Higher Gear)

I’m just a nut on a soap box that doesn’t understand why USA Cycling won’t allow any mass start road race for Cat 5s to have more than 50 participants while allowing up to 75 if the race is combined with another category (regardless of whether or not other categories race at the same time). I hear the safety argument but think the implementation is incongruent with the logic.

The result is you get a Championship race with three heats for pure cat 5s. While no one can win all three because some are on the course at the same time. I also appear to be offering a solution to something that is not a problem to most people including cat 5s (which I am not).

Perhaps next year if the rules have not changed the ICA can stage the three heats so that the A heat includes the Cat 5s with the most ICA Cup points which comes closer to awarding a championship to the best rider.

It would also make sense to do away with the combined Cat 4/5 heat as this is not a clean category for a Championship either.

Better yet- get a waiver on the number of entrants given the race venue so that a true open championship can be enjoyed by all competitors.

18.

Aug 27
2009

10:13 am

Luke Seemann's avatar

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo)

Rob, there is no combined 4/5 heat, unless you’re talking about masters.

As Jason pointed out, there is no state championship for Cat 5, and there is no Illinois Cup for Cat 5. And that is the way it should be. Category 5 should be about development and experience, not championships or glory.

I know the 50- and 75-rider caps have been a bugaboo to you all year. Frankly, I don’t get what the problem is. I think these numbers strike a good balance between keeping races safer and providing enough opportunities to race. It cheers me to see three Cat 5 races. This will give up to 150 beginning riders a chance to race, and up to 30 of them will experience the thrill of a Top 10!

As for overextending one’s stay in a category, such is the tradeoff of rider-of-the-year prizes and other seasonlong competitions.

On the one hand, it’s great to have renewed interest in the Illinois Cup. (All hail Jason Knauff for the improved record keeping!) But on the other hand, it provides a disincentive to upgrading to one’s appropriate category. Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to ride out the last few races in order for a well-earned trophy? (And indeed, the rider in question has told me he plans to upgrade after this race.)

19.

Aug 27
2009

10:23 am

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Burnham Racing)

Ok, so I’ve got my pitchfork in one hand and a lit torch in the other.  I have a backpack full of toiletpaper and several dozen eggs.

Where do the sandbaggers live???

20.

Aug 27
2009

10:58 am

psimet's avatar

psimet (PSIMET - hell on wheels.)

As Luke mentioned - Cat 5 isn’t about championships…it’s about racing and moving on.  Period.  Don’t like the field sizes - cat up. Don’t like the race structure - cat up.  Just takes 10 races.  Looks like you could get a few of them out of the way at this race.

Having 4/5 fields give the opportunity for the promoter to essentially have more cat 5’s participate at the same time as giving them an opportunity to see what is in store for them in the 4’s. 

Which fields sell out at just about every race?  Cat 5.  When in doubt there should always be more cat 5 fields.  It gives 5’s more chances to upgrade sooner, brings in more $ for the promoter (shorter races = more fee/minute ratio), allows more new racers to make that last minute decision that they want to give it a shot instead of having to know they want to race way back in Feburary and have to wait by their computer for the 5 second window to register.

What’s crazy is not 3 cat 5 fields.  Crazy is one cat 5 field of over 100 racers - like Monsters.  *shiver*  Tagaderm anyone?

21.

Aug 27
2009

1:21 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Unattached)

Once potential solution to the Cat4/Illinois Cup dilemma would be to steal an idea from minor league baseball.  For Cat 4’s or the 4/5’s split it into two halves.  After the first half you declare a Illinois Cup Champion.  He would then be ineligible for any second half points.

I doubt it would really reduce the sandbagging, but it would certainly eliminate THAT incentive to overstay your welcome.  It would also give Cat5’s half of a season to upgrade, and still compete for a meaningful, multi-race award.

Not that it really should be a subject for debate.  If the “mandatory” in “mandatory upgrade” really meant “mandatory” the USAC would make this a non-issue.  Cat4 riders would either have to pick their races wisely to avoid upgrading out of the competition (adding another layer of strategy), or take their lumps and move up.

I know that if I can ever get my fat arse in shape enough to qualify for Cat 3 I’ll be submitting the request in about 30 seconds, no matter where I stand in the Illinois Cup.

22.

Aug 27
2009

2:30 pm

Luke Seemann's avatar

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo)

I say we steal the relegation system from European football. The top three finishers in any Cat 4 race are automatically upgraded to Cat 3. The last three finishers in that day’s Cat 3 race are automatically downgraded to Cat 4.

Likewise, the top three Cat 3 finishers are upgraded to Cat 2, and the last three P/1/2 finishers are downgraded to Cat 3.

The top three finishers of any P/1/2 race are bronzed and put on display like Han Solo.

23.

Aug 27
2009

2:32 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Unattached)

“I love you…”

“I know.”

Best line in any movie.  Ever.

24.

Aug 27
2009

3:23 pm

psimet's avatar

psimet (PSIMET - hell on wheels.)

Luke…you’re a genius. 

I would also like to propose that all those moved down are force to wear a jersey that says, “I suck” on the back of it. 

BTW - can’t wait until this pushes me back down to a 5.  looking forward to the jersey too…championships…geez you guys have the wrong focus….

25.

Aug 27
2009

3:35 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Being an even slower Cat4 racer than above blogger psimet (Robert Curtis of Bicycle Heaven) and probably having a fatter ass than MJH (as he refers to himself) , it is no big deal to me, Curtis you yourself could be look at as a sandbagger seeing you have done over 45 Cat4 races.  This so called sandbagging thing is a judgment call as far as I see it.  Above Luke Seemann brings up a great point EVERYBODY is on the move ALL the time that way no body can keep track of the sandbaggers, ha ha! Upgrade one week, Sandbag the next week, I love it!  Above Steve Hansen brings up the dilemma that doing all the ICA Cup races auto upgrades the strong guy, and the next guy in line wins the CUP by default, very interesting, indeed. Bottom line, if we all were Lance Armstrong, I guess we would want the fast guy off the team, too.  I bet Alberto Conntador is not on Lances Radio Shack team next year. See, even Lance wants to get rid of the fast guy - SO HE CAN WIN!  You all need to put your pee pee s back in your pants and just go faster no matter what your category, 1,2,3,4,5,30+ 40+ etc … does it really matter because 99.9% of us racers are What-O-Beezzzz when the dust settles, anyway you look at it.  I suck I know it, and that’s that.  Go look in the mirror and ask yourself, “Mirror Mirror on the wall who’s the fastest of us all” and when the Mirror does not answer that is the answer, NO BODY.  There is always somebody faster, just ask Lance Armstrong. In conclusion, I hear concern from all sides, so I hope USCF can figure out some new rules that figure out who the mirror mirror on the wall should say is the fastest of them all.  I love cycling even from the DROP ZONE, Open views, Spacious Roads, What could be better!

26.

Aug 27
2009

3:59 pm

Tim Speciale (PSIMET Racing)

“Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to ride out the last few races in order for a well-earned trophy?”

Joel Friedman comes to mind. He was killing the Cat 4 Illinois Cup…and the Cat 4 field. So he upgraded…

27.

Aug 27
2009

9:19 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Two things: Matt Smith is funny and Joel Friedman +1 (see above post)

28.

Aug 28
2009

5:00 pm

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

In case all of you Cat 4’s missed it, Joel F won the Cat 3 Sunday race at Downers Grove. I mention this not to imply any sandbagging the rest of the year, but to point out you can still cat up at the end of the year and not be relegated to pack fodder. Nice ride Joel.

 

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