Highlights from a busy weekend of racing:

• » Verizon u25 had a cracking weekend as several of its riders get ready for this week’s collegiate national championships in Madison. At the Fat & Tire Skinny Festival in Indiana, Will Nowak a close 2nd to Hillsboro-Roubaix winner Chris Uberti (Panther) in Saturday’s road race. In the next day’s criterium it was Mike Sherer‘s turn. He would get 2nd after being in a group that lapped the field early in the race. Also on Sunday, Verizon u25 animated the P/1/2 race at the Vernon Hills Grand Prix. After the field split and then came back together, Waylon Janowiak and Nowak were off the front in a group of six, with Janowiak taking the win.
• » Verizon’s elder statesmen fared well at Vernon Hills, too: Mark Swartzendruber and Dave Stone made the break in the 40+, with Stone taking the win, and Steve Broglio finished 2nd to Paul Swinand (Comcast) after the two of them slipped away in the 30+.
• » Sunday was a good day for Patrick Fasse (Bicycle Heaven): He made that final break of the P/1/2’s, finishing 2nd, and won the field sprint for 3rd in the 30+. Same for Ricardo Otero (WDT-Allvoi): He lost a close sprint to Stone in the 40+, then held on for 6th in the P/1/2’s
• » A few riders tangled at the bell of the women’s 3/4’s race at Vernon Hills, but fortunately road rash appeared to be the worst of it. Gina Romero (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) went on to take the win. The women’s open race was also a bloody affair, although more benign: Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) found herself with a mysterious bloody nose mid-race. It didn’t stop her from going solo for the last several laps for a clean win, however.
• » I was counseling riders to be patient in the sprint at Vernon Hills, but long sprints won both the 3’s and 4’s races. Shows what I know about sprinting. Matt Haiduk (Bicycle Heaven) took the 4’s (photo above) and Nate Iden (Burnham Racing) won the 3’s, a repeat of 2009.
• » Omar Patalinghug (Unattached) takes us on a video tour of the final lap of the 5’s race. Two of the Verizon u25 were geared up for video, too, but it hasn’t left the editing studio yet.
• » Some good results from young ISCorp riders: Chazz Martin (ISCorp) got 2nd in the 3’s at Vernon Hills, Northwestern University’s Scott Rosenfield (ISCorp) won Saturday’s 3’s road race in Indiana. Meanwhile, young Trevor Rolette (South Chicago Wheelmen) placed 3rd in Sunday’s 4/5 criterium in Indiana.
• » The two crosswind sections at Saturday’s Circuit of Sauk near Baraboo, Wis., proved almost as formidable as the course’s two big climbs, and the strong, gusty wind left at least one rider ruing his choice of deep-dish wheels. (He would spend the evening researching how to remove grass stains from helmets.)  XXX Racing-AthletiCo didn’t get a win but came close all day: Ian Murray and Liam Donoghue placed 4th in the 4/5’s and 3’s, respectively, and William Pankonin followed a top 10 in the 4/5’s with a 3rd in the 30+ 4/5’s, just behind Tom McNulty (Tower Racing). In the P/1/2, Dave Moyer won the sprint out of first chase group to take 3rd.
• » Sunday’s Kenosha Business Park Criterium was lightly attended, but PACT/Dish Network made a good showing and dominated the results.

Full Saturday results
Fat & Skinny Tire Fest Road Race
Circuit of Sauk

Full Sunday results
Kenosha Business Park Criterium
Vernon Hills Grand Prix
Fat & Skinny Tire Fest Criterium

Fat & Skinny Tire Fest Road Race reports
Will Nowak (Verizon u25; P/1/2): “I never like to sit on a group, but we are racing for first place.”

Mike Sherer (Verizon u25; P/1/2): “The race started off fast and aggressive.”

Chris Uberti (Panther; P/1/2): “The race got out to a really fast start. And by fast I mean real fast, there was no joking around in this race.”

Circuit of Sauk reports
Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-P/1/2/3): “I spent the rest of that lap alone, battling the wind, catching and dropping a stray racer.”

Ryan Freund (Verizon u25; P/1/2): “It appeared to turn into a game of let’s watch Cole House from the BMC team attack and then chase him down and wait for him to attack again.”

Kim Gialdini (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2/3): “Crosswind takes me away. Almost fell off my bike.”

Brandon Meinke (Team Pegasus; 3): “Everyone was battling for protection from the wind, even if it meant riding in the dirt.”

Ian Murray (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “I battled to maintain contact over the top and thought to myself, ‘What is going on?!?’”

Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia; W-P/1/2/3): “ISCorp did a beautiful attack. It was so impressive I took notes on ‘how to attack at the end of a race.’”

William Pankonin (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5, 30+ 4/5): “I only hoped that ‘the man with the hammer’ would stay away from me.”

Kenosha reports
Ron Cook (Project 5; 30+): “This race was basically a chance for Kevin and I to play tactics a bit and try to come out with a win from a four-man break.”

Vernon Hills reports
Shawn Delk (Project 5; 4): “Race went along uneventful for the most part, kind of sloppy, a lot of bumping and wheel rubbing.”

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-open): “I hate crashing, but it’s part of the sport.”

Brian Dziewa (ABD; P/1/2): “At one point my face was tingling from either lack of oxygen or lactic acid, not sure which.”

Elvis Falbo (Beverly Bike/Vee-Pak; 4): “Now I know what two rams feel like when they butt heads and get stuck.”

Waylon Janowiak (Verizon u25; P/1/2): “I was honestly scared with the amount of power he was putting out bridging the gap.”

Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia; W-open): “Blood was spewing everywhere and I couldn’t get it to stop. It was very embarrassing but I really did not want to let it to ruin my race.”

Matt Riezman (Spidermonkey Cycling; 5): “After three laps of accordion fun time, I started to feel the work in my lungs and legs.”

Jared Rogers (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4): “At four to go the lights and sirens went off and it was time to leave the lounge.”

Mike Shea (Spidermonkey Cycling; 30+): “I’ve been in that position 43 times and each time I’ve adjusted. Luck ran out yesterday.”

Grayson Smith (Rhythm Racing; 5): “The cranks shifted beautifully and I stayed in the big ring the entire time.”

Tim Speciale (Psimet; 3): “Black jerseys were constantly smacking the peloton in the face with attack after attack.”

Mark Swartzendruber (Verizon Wireless; 40+, P/1/2): “Track racing is hard and fun and gallant and all that, but a criterium is not a damn points race.”

Andrew Zens (Spidermonkey Cycling; 4): “I tried to ride around the pile but it happened too fast.”

Vernon Hills photos
Luke Seemann
Matt Smith: 3, 40+
Tim Speciale
WDT
Ed White

Fat & Skinny Tire Fest Criterium reports
Mike Sherer (Verizon u25; P/1/2): “Sunday was a wet and crazy crit.”