• » New York cyclists, 1. Asshole state senators, 0.

• » John Wilke took video from this weekend’s big cross races in Madison.

• » Team Pegasus is preparing a racy 2009 calendar. (FWIW, CBR will be producing a racy calendar, too, as it did last year. And by “racy” I mean “There will be pictures of races.")

• » This Sunday’s cross race is way out in Dekalb, but it should be one of most fun in the series. (Waffles! Bake sale! Heated shelter!) Don’t miss it on account of gas money. Carpool!

You don’t see this every race.

In the midst of position jockeying at the end of Saturday’s Fall Fling road race, Ryan White (ABD/Geargrinder) had an opponent’s skewer make its way into his derailleur. His break had been out of sight for most of the afternoon, but now his bike was disabled, and he had no choice but to shed his shoes and make a desperate run for the finish.

Meanwhile, his teammates Rob White and John Meyers were sprinting for 1st and 3rd, after which Rob, the Tomax to Ryan’s Xamot, perhaps psychically alerted to identical twin Ryan’s distress, doubled back to provide his bike. Ryan quickly mounted and, as shown above, barely held off the main peloton -- in stocking feet -- to salvage a 7th among the 1/2’s.

ABD/Geargrinder had stacked numbers on Sunday, too, but Greg Christian (Turin) was able to take the win, with Meyers, Rob White and Josh Carter (ABD/Geargrinder) coming in 2-3-4. That puts Meyers and Christian in a tie for the overall, with Rob White just one point down.

Nathan Moorhouse and junior Waylon Jankowiak of the new United South Shore Racing squad both had a good weekend: They were among the four 3’s to make the break in Saturday’s road race, and then they went 1-2 in the criterium. That puts them in good standing for the overall, which looks to be a tight race between them, Ryan Freund (IIT) and Ricardo Otero (Team Mack).

One race wasn’t enough for John Fleckenstein (Team Mack) on Saturday. After winning the 50+ race, he immediately jumped into the 40+, where he broke away late to solo to his second victory on the day.

Team Tati had a good weekend in the lower categories, with Liam Bradshaw winning the 4’s road race and Brian Hague winning both citizens races. In women’s 4’s racing, Elena Dorr followed a 2nd in the road race with a first in the criterium.

Jessi Prinner (ABD) swept the women’s open, giving her five consecutive Fall Fling wins.

Because of egregious centerline violations in the 4’s road race, omnium points were halved, an imperfect but important sanction.

Road race results. Criterium results. Omnium standings.

Road race reports
Patrick Brock (Team Extreme; 4): “About 15 riders decided they needed a better position for the sprint and not only crossed the center line by a little bit, they were on the opposite shoulder of the roadway. The official on the motor was all over it.”

Robert Curtis (Bicycle Heaven; citizens): “I heard a guy sprinting by. Started calling out ‘Left side!’ Then I looked and saw it wasn’t just one or two or three guys, but a train -- and it was trucking.”

Tamara Fraser (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; W-40+): “A moment of inattention, a bit of nerves, and there you are.”

Don Hanke (Tower Racing; 4): “We were by far the most active team. It didn’t work out but we had a blast trying to make it happen.”

Seth Meyer (XXX Racing-AthletiCo; 1/2): “The field mostly shut down as of Lap 3 (of 6), but it was fun anyway.”

Avi Neurohr (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew; 4): “The road was narrow, the centerline rule was keeping us three abreast and slow, and a combine 30 feet wide took up the entire road for a mile, keeping us all even slower.”

Team Tati (4, beginners, W-4): “Everyone raced safely, and with style.”

Joe Tortorelli (C-U Racing; 3): “I had some fun bluffing some cramps before the start of the final lap, which caused my fellow Cat 3 to put in an attack and cramp himself out a bit.”

Criterium race reports
Patrick Brock (Team Extreme; 4): “I tried some different lines but the field was too big to get the best lines and move up at the same time.”

Robert Curtis (Bicycle Heaven; citizens): “From then it was like a time warp. I think I had visions. The surge came. I knew it would. It hurt.”

Ed Ekstrom (Tower Racing; citizens): “I am about even with the rear wheel of the new leader now and gaining. I am feeling fresh and there is no way I am losing to this guy.”

Avi Neurohr (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew; 4, citizens): “Seven of us separated from the bunch to contest the sprint, and though I thought I’d saved enough through the last climb into the wind, everyone else did, too.”

• » The Chicago Cyclocross Cup presents High-Octane Fuel for Cyclocross, a seminar by noted sports nutritionist Monique Ryan. The Oct. 7 event costs $15 and requires pre-registration.

• » Speaking of which, the Chicago Cyclocross Cup opened Sunday in Jackson park and included more than a hundred riders in the 4’s. Results are online. A few photo galleries: Mike Campbell, Carolyn Golz, Melody Kramer, Jen Schuetz, Matthew Sipple, Ed White.

• » How hot is cross? Not one but two documentaries take a look at the 2007 national championships: “Nine Ball Diaries” and “Zero Traction”

• » Check your mirror, save a life.

• » Final Illinois Cup standings are updated. ICA vice president Steve Hansen (North Branch Cycling) provides some analysis.

• » In other ICA news, the introductory officials clinic I mentioned last week has been moved to Nov. 29.

• » Have you found Universal Sports on your television yet?  World championships will be televised this week, from the time trials through Sunday’s road race.

• » Get a Grip Cycles is missing some bikes.

• » Cycling needs more fans so stark-raving mad about the sport that they don giant antlers and prance around with enormous flags. Cycling also needs more riders like Juan Antonio Flecha.
  

ABR warmed up the Westlake Village road race course this weekend with its masters national championships. The biggest field appears to have been the 50+, where Andy Kerr (Redline) narrowly took a sprint ahead of John Fleckenstein (Team Mack). In the 40+, on the other hand, it was all Mack, with Jeff Williams, Ricardo Otero, Robert Kron and Mark Tank going 1-2-3-4 in a bunch sprint. Mack also claimed the 65+ jersey behind Bob Burns.

ABD/Geargrinder took control of a small 30+ field, with Wisconsin’s White brothers riding all challengers off their wheels. Of special note in this race is the return of Marek Serafin, who after starting 2007 on a tear has been battling an injury every since. He apparently still has the stuff, winning the field sprint to take 5th.

Full results.

Race reports
Cory Hickman (Vitaminwater-Trek; 30+): “Some attacks led to a break of seven, then six, then five, then four, which was Andy, me and los hermanos Blancos.”

Six months after we first turned the pedals in anger in Kenosha, the road season wraps up over the next two weekends with the Fall Fling, a four-race omnium series. Riders can do just one race or as many as four, unless they have their sights on the overall prizes, in which case they must do at least three.

Many of us have moved on to the winter pastime of cross, and others have moved on to the winter pastime of beer, football and the couch. For everyone else, the Fling is an excellent way to get in some final licks and take advantage of any lingering fitness, and the beginner fields can be excellent initiations for new racers.

Saturday’s road race is the same course used in previous years. The 8.1-mile rectangle has rollers on each side but nothing that should break up any groups. There’s a long, straight descent into the finish will yield some fast sprints. The biggest factor may be the wind, which can be heavy on these exposed roads. Be ready to echelon in the crosswinds.

The 3’s will race with the 1/2’s but will be scored separately. I expect the field will break up significantly and that success will go to the 3’s who can best hitch their wagons to the stars of ABD/Geargrinder.

The Sunday crits will be in a Wood Dale business park: Hansen Court, Gerry Drive and Aec Drive this weekend, Mittel Drive, Pond Drive and Wheat Lane the next.

Saturday
Fall Fling Road Race
Westlake Village, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: 1.5 hours

Sunday
Fall Fling Criterium No. 1
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

Sunday, Oct. 5
Fall Fling Criterium No. 2
ABR criterium
Wood Dale, Ill.
Distance from Chicago: .5 hours

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