I’m going to come out and say it: La Rue-Denzer-La Rue is the best road race in the Midwest.

Yes, better than Hillsboro-Roubaix.

It’s more challenging, more interesting and safer. Saturday’s edition was better than ever, with an extension that added a series of killer stairstep climbs. Fields that did the 2.5-lap course endured more than 7,500 feet of climbing. Plus, any race that begins and ends at a tavern gets bonus points -- doubly so for a tavern with Spotted Cow on tap.

I’m baffled, then, at the turnout. The P/1/2’s may have attracted an ace field -- legends like Dewey Dickey (Mercy/Specialized) and Adam Bergman (Texas Roadhouse) among them -- but all other races were sorely underattended, with fewer than 30 in the 4’s and barely 20 in the 3’s.

Yes, it’s a long drive. Yes, Monsters is a very attractive alternative. And yes, I can almost understand the Cheeseheads who want to save their delicate legs for Sunday’s popular Wheels on Willy. But come on: This is as good as it gets around here.

Happily there were plenty of Chicagoans not intimidated by the tough climbing. Jannette Rho (Bouledogue Tout Noir) won the women’s 4’s, and in the masters 4/5’s, Tower Racing teammates Doug Braun and Pat Dillon formed a lead group early and then used excellent teamwork to secure Braun the win. Brian Hill (Get a Grip Off Road Racing), fresh off a 3rd-place GC at the Joe Martin Stage Race, finished 2nd in the 4/5’s, and XXX Racing-AthletiCo asserted a strong team presence in the 3’s, missing out on the win but putting three into the top five.

We had more excellent performances Sunday at Wheels on Willy, which took place around the Madison capitol. Rho hit the podium again with 3rd in the women’s 4’s, and Team BH USA put two on the steps, with Kristen Meshberg winning the women’s P/1/2/3 and Devon Haskell taking 3rd in her first domestic race since her trip to France and Belgium. And Kyle Wiberg (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) had one for the ages by attacking early in the masters 3/4 and masters 4/5 races -- both fields more than 60 strong -- to take the double victory.

And then we have poor Waylon Janowiak (WDT-Allvoi), who successfully created a two-man break in the 3’s, then won a difficult sprint. Unfortunately, the 18-year-old had neglected to change to junior gearing, so officials relegated him after he failed rollout. It’s an important reminder for juniors: Mind your gearing, even in the senior races, and don’t forget to go to rollout.

Full La Rue-Denzer-La Rue results. Full Wheels on Willy results.

I’ll wrap up Monsters of the Midway in a separate post.

La Rue-Denzer-La Rue reports
Doug Braun (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5): “The finish is after a very fast downhill, so I made sure I was on the right wheel well before we hit the sprint.”

Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; P/1/2): “Going up that hill, I started to pass lots of great riders. I went by Paul Ellis (SPBRC) and I thought, ‘Hey! An ex-pro! I must be riding well!’”

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): “Time to go for broke. Again I wait for the climb to settle into a rhythm, then shift up a few cogs and spring forward.”

La Rue-Denzer-La Rue photos
John Wilke

Wheels on Willy reports
Devon Haskell (Team BH Racing; W-P/1/2/3): “Kristen was on my wheel yelling ‘Allez allez’ with one lap left. I tried to keep the pace high and pulled hard to the final straight, where Kristen called on her ‘go-go gadget sprinter legs.’”

Tom Theisen (ISCorps; 3, P/1/2/3): “It was a big field. Well, at the start anyway.”

Kyle Wiberg (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 30+ 4/5, 30+ 3/4): “Took off between turn 1 and 2 and they didn’t catch me on my HED wheels this time either.”

Wheels on Willy photos
Patratacus
Clint Thayer
John Wilke