I know it was a packed weekend, but I’m not sure why Saturday’s road race in Wisconsin drew so few riders. Only 19 lined up for the Cat 3 race and fewer than 30 in the 4/5’s. Road races aren’t getting any easier to come by. I would have at least expected more Madison riders.

In any case, it was a good day for Chicago flatlanders, an enormous climb notwithstanding. James Pradun (UIC) won the 4’s race, Paul Swinand (MetCycling) nabbed 3rd in the splintered masters 1/2/3 race and Doug Braun (Tower Racing) did the same . Rockford’s Jordan Heimer (Geargrinder) continued his barnstorming tour of the 3’s by spending more than half of that race solo off the front. After a chase group caught him heading into the final climb, he broke off again, this time with a XXX Racing-AthletiCo rider. You all know how this one ends: Heimer had no trouble sprinting to the victory, despite having his wheel sucked for the final 3 miles.

Sunday drew enormous fields to Madison for Wheels on Willy, a short, hilly course through a funky residential neighborhood. The P/1/2/3 race alone had 107 entrants, although many of those appeared to be 3’s taking advantage of a free third race and didn’t hang around for long.

Riding solo against some strong teams, Kristin Meshberg outkicked everyone on the uphill sprint to win the women’s open race. Vitaminwater-Trek had a profitable day, scooping up primes in both the masters 3/4 race and the 3’s, and Matt Smith came in the money in both races, 4th and 8th, respectively. And in the P/1/2/3 race, a break of five got away about halfway through, led by Saturday’s hero John Meyers (ABD/Geargrinder). It was local pro Chad Hartley (Jittery Joe’s), however, who took the win (above).

WDT-Allvoi, Beverly Bike-Vee Pak and XXX Racing-AthletiCo were among the Chicago teams who sent squads down for the inaugural Tour de West Lafayette. Hard to know who’s to blame, but parked cars obstructed most of Saturday’s criterium course, forcing organizers to cut it in half. “It was basically hill repeats,” one 4/5 competitor told me.  Thanks to the abbreviated course, only 12 out of 58 who started finished the 4/5’s criterium.

Not only that, but according to Beverly Bike-Vee Pak account, the road was open to cars during the criterium, which strikes me as seriously irresponsible. It would be great to have a viable stage race in the area: Let’s hope the promoter irons things out next time.

In the 3/4’s, Champaign’s Nicholas Dornik (Turin) came in 2nd in both the criterium and road race to place 3rd overall, followed by teammate Chris Clary in 10th overall. In the 4/5’s, XXX Racing-AthletiCo put out good results in all three stages to finish 4th, 5th and 6th overall behind Jeff Holland, Brian Morrissey and Jonathan Dugas, followed by Naperville’s Mike Will (Endure It! Sports) in 7th.

Saturday results
Denzer Delight

Sunday results
Tour de Lafayette
Wheels on Willy

Wheels on Willy photos
Vitaminwater-Trek

Denzer Delight reports
Brian Abraham (Team Brown Bear; 3): “We just rode side by side and talked because we knew we weren’t going to catch the leaders. “

Ryan Baumann (Sakonnet; P/1/2/3): “We drilled it for a while and got the break in sight on the finishing straight, but that was the last we saw of them.”

Doug Braun (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5): “On the climb for the last time. One guy is already up the road and the field shatters as soon as we hit the bottom.”

Pat Dillon (Tower Racing; 30+ 4/5): “I was white-knuckled most of the time in this race.”

Ben LaForce (Kitchi-Mi-Kana; 3): “If I could manage the hills, hanging on for the rest of the lap wouldnt be a problem.”

Seth Meyer (Turin; P/1/2): “The race was pretty much over at this point so I was like ‘Screw this, I’m at least going to race the rest of the race,’ and so I did the climb from bottom to top crazy hard.”

Luke Seemann (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 3): “Halfway up I looked back and there were only four behind me. Then only three.”

Wheels on Willy reports
Ryan Baumann (Sakonnet; P/1/2/3): “The pace was solid from the gun, and a strung-out field was splintering all over the road.”

Ben LaForce (Kitchi-Mi-Kana; 3): “After coming around the last corner of the final lap I got out of my saddle to sprint and broke the master link on my chain. I just looked down and there was nothing there so I coasted across the line in the middle of the pack.”

Seth Meyer (Turin; P/1/2/3): “I moved up with a surge on the right going into the bell and…whoops!...coasted into first wheel. What now?”

John Meyers (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2/3): “When you have a team that you take pride in, and teammates that you don’t want to let down you race to win. Period.”

Andy Skeen (ABD/Geargrinder; P/1/2/3): “I lost a contact right when I was in a position to help, and as such, had to give ground through every corner and fight my way back up every time up the homestretch hill.”

Matt Smith (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+ 3/4, 3): “I’m still kicking myself for not throwing caution to the wind and drilling it. Who knows what could have happened?”

Bennet van der Genugten (Inferno; P/1/2/3): “All of the Midwest and northern teams brought full squads and launched about a million attacks until one stuck.”

Tour de West Lafayette reports
Graham Dewart (Mesa Cycles; 3/4): “I was in no-man’s land as there was only about half a mile to go.”

Jeff Holland (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): “The field was destroyed by Lap 2, with only 12 out of 58 guys finishing. The others were pulled or dropped out.”

Brian Morrissey (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 4/5): “The line jumbled as everyone looked for an opening and a wheel at the same time.”

Damon Nelson (Beverly Bike-Vee Pak; 4/5): “We have been pulled only 15 minutes into the race! What the hell is that all about?”