It was a rough Superweek in 2008. Venues were late in being secured, and some turned out to be of questionable design. Crashes seemed endemic, many because of rider error but some because of dodgy courses. And then there was the matter of cashing those prize checks.

Some speculated that that might have been the end of Superweek, but indications are that complaints were well-taken, and in its 41st year, Superweek seems to be more on track, with experienced race directors and event producers being brought on board to help.

Prominent teams aren’t shying away. Rock Racing has registered eight riders, and there will also be representatives from Garmin-Slipstream, Team San Jose Hotel, Jelly Belly and Fly V Australia. Strong teams on the women’s side inlclude Colavita/Sutter Home and Hub Racing. (Host housing in Chicago is sought for some of these riders.)

Here is the the complete 17-day schedule. Fee-free registration closes tonight. I haven’t been to every venue, but here’s what I know:

Beverly (Friday, July 10)
Opening night is P/1/2-only, but all cycling fans should visit this charming Chicago neighborhood and take in this stellar course. A steep hill at Turn 1 takes its toll on riders, and a screaming downhill turn sends racers down the homestretch at a frantic pace. The atmosphere is electric, the sprints are wild and this could be Chicago’s most fun race to watch. Metra is close, handy for those heading straight from work.

Blue Island (Saturday, July 11)
Flat rectangle. What more can be said, other than this takes place in another great neighborhood with good community support?

Elgin (Sunday, July 12)
The 4/5’s have already sold out and there’s much excitement for Elgin, which reprises a course long ago used as a UCI juniors event. To honor that pedigree, an extra $1,000 is on the line for U-23 riders in the P/1/2 field. It’s a residential route with plenty of rollers. Enough to facilitate separations? Possibly.

Richton Park (Monday, July 13)
Of the courses that made their debut in 2008, this was the most acceptable. Good pavement and good turns around a suburban park.

Arlington Heights (Tuesday, July 14)
A new course: Flat figure-8 with two long stretches that should allow for high speeds.

Bensenville (Wednesday, July 15)
The village of Bensenville generously paved a path through a park for us to race bicycles on, but it’s not ideal: The path is narrow with off-camber turns. The finish line is again on a chicane, which will allow for hundreds of nearby concertgoers to enjoy the finishing action, but it makes for a dangerous sprint. Keep your head up as you clear the line.

Lakefront, short course (Thursday, July 16)
Superweek is calling this a road race, but since it’s less than 5 km, I’m not sure it qualifies. In either case, it’s a fun course in a great Milwaukee location that has been unavailable because of construction since 2005. There’s a steep kicker on each lap. I’m a bit wary of races being run concurrently. Lap traffic would be dangerous with only one field on the course at a time, so with no more than 2 minutes separating fields, I hope officials are vigilant about pulling riders out of competition. (P/1/2’s and women will race in Shorewood, Wis., in the evening.)

Tour of Holy Hill (Friday, July 17)
This is Superweek’s lone remaining true road race. There are a few uphill kickers, but nothing that will afford climbers much advantage. The steepest pitch comes after Waterford turns into Kettle Moraine, but it’s followed by a long, straight descent that will allow laggards to catch back on. Also beware of the jokers who will drill it up the feed-zone climb. Give yourself time to scout out the uphill finish, as it’s a stretch of road that’s not covered on the rollout or the 8.1 mile course. Last year many people didn’t heed this advice and were caught off-guard by the finish line and the slight incline leading up to it.

Schlitz Park (Saturday, July 18)
Another Milwaukee course that’s been off-limits for a few years, this one features a steep climb and fast, technical descent.

Evanston (Sunday, July 19)
I’m not suggesting a conspiracy, but in this race’s two-year history it has sent more than its share of riders to the sponsoring hospital. It shouldn’t be a dangerous course, but all fields have been susceptible to gnarly pile-ups in two of its six corners. The first is Turn 4 as Davis turns onto Orrington. Riders on the outside have a habit of clipping the barriers in front of Hotel Orrington. Even more problematic is the famous BK Stacker in Turn 5. Here two lanes become one, and the outside curb pinches in more sharply than you expect. If you’re not directly behind someone’s wheel into this corner, you may be in trouble. Meanwhile, riders at the front will be taking the turns smoothly and blasting out of them, leading to a significant accordion effect in the back.

Whitnall Park, long course (Monday, July 20)
Another road race in name only, this is a good, rolling closed course in a botanic garden. Races will be decided on the final climb that’s followed by no more than 50 flat meters before the line. Note that since this is not a criterium, there will be no free laps.

Whitnall Park, short course (Tuesday, July 21)
The action stays in the park, this time on the same course that has in the past been used as a spring criterium. It features long stairstep climbs -- I have always had success here attacking at the base of the second stairstep. The finish line is shown to be on the course’s lone flat stretch, which comes after a long, curving descent. (P/1/2’s race in the evening in Cedarburg, Wis.)

Lakefront, long course (Wednesday, July 22)
This 4.2-mile course uses the same course as the short course, but then adds one more up-and-down for good measure. This time there are three fields on the course at one time, so once again I am hopeful that officials clear out the lap traffic, all due respect to those who paid $30 only to get popped in the first few laps.

I am not familiar with the balance of the Wisconsin schedule, but July 25’s Great Downer Avenue Bike Race is always a crowd pleaser with giant primes and large turnout of spectators.