Photo by Luke Seemann

I did the UWW series last year, when a last-minute venue SNAFU had us racing the criterium in a tight parking lot. Between the treacherous corners and the intermittent rain, few races finished without a crash. This year, thankfully, the course will be on a park loop.

The UWW road race will be the same course as last year

— I remember it as being mostly rollers (above) through a pleasant lake area with one or two short out-of-saddle climbs — except it will be run in reverse. If my memory is correct, this will put a moderate climb right before the start/finish. Fun! This could be an excellent tune-up for the following weekend’s Proctor Road Race, the Illinois state championships.

Then there are two crits closer to Chicago. Saturday’s Cobb Park Criterium, hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen in Kankakee, will be on a flat three-corner course. Sunday’s Fox River Grove Criterium is decidedly un-flat: A steep climb right after the start/finish will split many a field. You won’t want to line up in the second row for this one. Ron Cook (ABR) has created this course map of Fox River Grove at MapMyRide, which provides satellite views and an elevation profile.

Saturday:
Cobb Park Criterium
USCF criterium
Kankakee, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

UWW Criterium
USCF criterium
Whitewater, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Sunday:
Fox River Grove Criterium
USCF criterium
Fox River Grove, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1 hour

UWW Road Race
USCF road race
Whitewater, Wis.
Distance from Chicago: 2 hours

Pike’s Peak Road Race
ABR road race
Nashville, Ind.
Distance from Chicago: 4 hours