Peloton Star

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Visions of the Velodrome

The track racing season will be starting in a few weeks, so let's take a look ahead to see what we might expect to see. There are 22 velodromes in the USA, 6 of them are right here in the Midwest! So, dust off that track bike, it's time to get your speed on!

Northbrook, IL Ed Rudolph Velodrome is a 382 meter track that was resurfaced last in 2004. They have USAC racing on Thursday nights starting May 13, 2010. There is open riding where riders can practice or train on the track. Rider development programs are held on other nights of the week.

Indianapolis, IN Major Taylor Velodrome This is a 333 1/3 meter, concrete track with seating for 3,000 fans. The track is open for training for a $5 fee. Racing begins May 15th and then continues on Thursday and Friday nights throughout the summer.

Rochester Hills, MI Bloomer Park Velodrome This track opened in 2000 is a 200 meter wooden velodrome with bankings of 44 degrees. Their season opens Saturday May 1st with a weekly "NAS-Track" league on Fridays and some Saturdays.

Blaine, MN National Sports Center Velodrome This is a 250 meter wooden track with banking of 43 degrees. It was built in 1990 and is the same design that was used in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Racing begins Thursday May 20th, training days are running right now.

Kenosha, WI Washington Park Velodrome This is a 333 meter asphalt track built in 1927, making it the oldest operating velodrome in the United States. USAC races are held on Tuesday nights, Master's only races are on Wednesdays, and stock bike races are held on Mondays. The track is open to the public for riding and training since it is a city park. Racing begins May 18th.

St. Louis Penrose Park Velodrome This is a concrete track with 28 degree banking. The season opens May 6th with a racing clinic then continues with sanctioned racing Thursdays, time trials on Wednesdays. The velodrome is a public park so is open for riding and training on non-race days.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Weekend Review - Update: Leland Kermesse and WISPORT

The photos are now beginning to appear from Flatlandia's Leland Kermesse. Those gravel sections look tough as evidenced by this photo from "rombike". More photo links on the race web page.

Matt Hanson reports from WISPORT:

41 hardy souls braved 20 to 30 mph NW winds to turn out to Willard Wisconsin, for the inaugural event of the Wisport season, The WiSport Friendly Century or Less.
The riders started south for 4 miles with a brisk tailwind. They would enjoy very little more of that in the next 36 miles, as the route turned mostly west and north. The group stayed pretty close together with no one falling off the pace. After a brief respite from the wind while traveling east, they made it to the first rest stop at the 20-mile mark. No body wanted to linger too long and soon they set off for the next 20 miles to the second stop in Thorp, which was all into the wind.

In Thorp they met up with the riders that were doing the 40 mile route and had attended the free riding clinic where Varrick Olson put on a presentation on rest and recovery and went over some of the finer points of pack riding. Once again, Steve Fouts assisted him.

Next up was the part of the ride that everyone had been looking forward to. 20 miles back to Willard only now the wind would be at their back. It didn't take long with speeds running very close to 30 mph for the front riders. Four Big Ring Flyers made the turn towards Willard. I may have chuckled a bit to myself, okay I thought it was pretty funny, when Nate Phelps forgot how sharp that turn is when coming from the north, and was muttering a bit as he was nearly off onto the gravel.

Chris Mueller took the traditional chocolate bunny trophy for being the fastest male rider and Kim Myszkewicz took the other trophy for being the fastest female. Everyone enjoyed the post ride meal put on by Lead Butt Racing. BBQ, aged cheddar and Gorgonzola cheese, pasta salad, cookies, and banana bread

Many thanks need to go out to everyone who helped out with the ride.

Georgia J. made the BBQ Darlene B. made cookies and the most excellent banana bread Kim M. made cookies, Gary J. manned the last corner and helped with cleanup, John and Linda B. helped with set up and Linda did a great job of setting up the food. Scott B. made pasta salad, got provisions, bought beer, set things up, drove the lead vehicle, helped with clean up, Steve F. helped with setup, helped out with the clinic, Varrick O. put on the clinic Jerry B. helped with setup and clean up. Kevin S. did a few things

Monday Motorpacing #2

Something to help 'ya rev up the week.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Weekend Review

A multitude of races kept Midwest racers busy this past weekend. Each region had their own little race and riders pretty much kept it local so here's a quick recap to review the scene as a whole. Here in SE Wisconsin there was a pair of criteriums. Saturday had Velo Trocadero's race at Menomonee Park which has a 0.9 mile closed circuit around an old quarry. Every catagory had good representation and hard racing. Field sprints were the rule and the Pro 1/2 was won by IS Corp's Erik Loberg. From there, racing moved west to Madison on Sunday for the Great Dane Velo Club's (GDVC) criterium in corporate park, the same place racing was held last Sunday, but the direction was reversed.

Illinois riders headed south of Chicago for the Leland Kermesse, a farmland road race held on largely gravel roads that the city riders seem to fall in love with for one day of the year. Verizon U25 p/b Geargrinder rode away with the Pro 1/2 by sending John Meyers and Ryan Freund off the front at the start and they were not seen again until after the finish, 75 miles later. “Ryan was killing it today. It felt like there were 15 miles where my entire universe revolved around Ryan’s rear hub- the only thing I could focus on.”

Minneapolis riders took to western Wisconsin roads at the Durand Road Race held under ABR rules, on a rolling 13.5 mile loop southwest of Eau Claire. (photo: SkinnySki.Com) Breakways seemed to rule the day over there where Pat Lemieux beat Jordan Roessingh in the Pro 1/2 race. Also present were top riders Adam Bergman and Duane Dickey.

The WISPORT Series that holds most of their events in central and northern Wisconsin had the Willard Friendly Century which is metric in length and included a racing clinic for newer riders. While no prizes were awarded, reports give the impression that this was race pace to the very end.

Indiana had the Ceraland Challenge on Saturday and the Mooresville Criterium on Sunday, Michigan had the Ann Arbor Cycling Club put on their third Sunday criterium of April,, in their month long series, and in Iowa, Chain Reaction Cycling hosted the Eagle Point Criterium in Dubuque, over looking the Mississippi river. (this editor has some not so fond, painful memories from this one!) More news is needed from these events!

Edit: An XXX rider reports on his experience in Dubuque

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Menomonee Park Criterium - Menomonee Falls

Albeit breezy and a little chilly, it was a beautiful day here in Wisconsin as racers battled on the 0.9 mile twisty circuit under a cloudless, blue sky. Field sizes were not huge, but those that did show up, came to race and race to their full potential. Lots of action was to be enjoyed in all divisions. While not the fastest class of the day, the Men's 4/5 is easily the premier race of the day if judged by sheer number of riders and spectators. There is not shortage of supporters when these guys are out there.

Today's race came down to a field sprint with the top two separated by mere inches. Here Kelson Danielson (5Nines Cycling) beats Andrew Tegge (Wheel & Sprocket) right on the line with Lionel Rocheleau (Team Geargrinder) coming in third.

Twenty one riders competed in the next event, the Women's Cat. 4 plus Junior 15-18 Girls. There were several attacks throughout the race but it came down to a sprint on the line taken by 15 year old Sarah Huang (IS Corp). While she won the bunch sprint, she get's credit for the Junior 15-18 (2 riders) and Ashley Jensen (Team Kenda) get's the Cat. 4 Women's race.

Kaitlin Antonneau (Team Kenda) won the Women's Open division over Carrie Ann Kopernik (IS Corp) and Sarah Huang (IS Corp).

Next up was the Master's 35+ Cat. 4/5 which was won in a field sprint by Richard Baisa (South Chicago Wheelmen) while the Master's 35+ Cat 3/4 was taken by a solo effort given by Albertus Rohling (Unattatched). Take note of this name because he won last week's GDVC race in the same manner! Ken Peerson (Michaels Cycles) was second, Michael Davis (California Giant) third.

The Men's Cat. 3 race went pretty much straight from the gun with two riders escaping and staying away for the duration.
Brandon Meinke (Team Pegasus) and Darrell Kohli (Team Geargrinder) almost got caught but held 20 to 30 seconds on the field for the duration of the race. Meinke took the win over Kohli and a last lap crash decimated the field with Kelby Shaw (River Valley) taking third.

The Pro 1/2 race went blasting off last today and despite a very fast tempo right from the gun, numerous breaks were off the front. An initial 10 rider break got about 20 seconds but were caught at half way. 8 more got away after that and with 5 laps to go they still only had 30 seconds over the field which was chasing for all they were worth. In the closing laps two riders were attempting to bridge but were ultimately unsuccessful. Down to the final sprint it came with IS Corp's Erik Loberg taking the sweet win with a final surge at the last moment. BUT WAIT! Down goes a rider at the back of the bunch! He said that he bumped wheels with another rider and that took him down, and he went down HARD breaking both a wheel and his frame. Other than some scrapes he was okay himself which is good. On the upside, if you're going to crash, crash were there are cameras ... LOTS of them! For example, the finish line camera? Apologies for not having more Pro 1/2 results. Computer problems at the last moment prevent us from give them out at this time, but we will publish them as soon as they are available!

About now, someone is asking "What about Leland?". Well, what about it? Send us your report, we'll be glad to publish it!

fRAZZ

How about a little Frazz today?

Friday, April 16, 2010

Cycling is about community ...

Here's an interesting article from the Indiana college newspaper The DePauw:

"In the spring, I travel hours away from campus every weekend to compete against other collegiate cyclists in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin with other members of the cycling team. Being off-campus on the "biggest weekend of spring semester" is just another two days of preparation for nationals and summer racing for me. They are an opportunity to be a part of the amazing community created by collegiate cycling"

Read the entire article HERE.

Don't forget that Collegiate Nationals will be held in Madison on May 7,8, and 9.

2010 Tour of America's Dairyland registration discount

You can save yourself $20 if you sign

up for their 'Six Pack' of races.

Offer ends May 15th.

Details and registration are HERE.

The Euro Pro Connection #5

Just an update: Wauwatosa's Matt Busche (Radio Shack) will be racing in La Fléche Wallonne on Wednesday April 21, 2010 which will be televised on VS TV on Sunday April 25. After that, he will be racing in the Liege-Bastone-Liege, Sunday April 25, 2010 which is on VS TV that same day, followed by the 659km, 6 day Tour de Romandie in Switzerland. Good luck Flip!

2010 Mid-America Time Trial Series

More ways to get your pain fix. Click on document to see in full screen.

2010 Mid America Time Trial Series

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Euro Pro Connection #4

Not a whole lot to report on this week since news out of Europe is slim. We do know that Hudson's Bjorn Selander (Radio Shack) was riding in the Circuit de la Sarth, but he was not listed as a starter in the prestigious Paris - Roubaix. Well, here he is on the deck at Paris - Roubaix! Unfortunately, he did not finish, but props. for getting the opportunity to ride! (photo from Velonews).
Matt Busche (Radio Shack) was riding in the Tour of the Basque Country where he finished 98th but more importantly his teammate Chris Horner won the overall on the final day! Congratulations to Team Radio shack on this fine stage race victory.

While not a European race, the Tour if the Gila in New Mexico is listing Greenfield, WI rider James Stemper (Kenda Pro) as a starter in the Professional event. Also listed as starters are: Doug Foxworth (Bicycle Heaven), James Slouson (Bicycle Heaven), and Franco Panveno (Alberto's) all in the Masters 40+. The Category 2 start list includes David Paquette (Team Wisconsin/MC2), Garrett McAllister (Team Wisconsin/MC2) is in the Cat. 3's, Mike Balco (XXX/Athletico) is in the 4/5's, and Rebecca Much (Tibco) is in the Women's Pro 1/2. Good luck riders!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

WISPORT - That 'Other' Cycling Series

WISPORT begins it's 22nd year of grassroots racing this weekend and continues until the end of September. WISPORT proclaims that it is for the 'normally obsessed', or the weekend warrior. Not fit enough to race in a 'real' USAC race? Not sure if you can hang in a large group? Or perhaps you find yourself on vacation in Wisconsin and want to race but there are no sanctioned races around .... here you go! Don't be fooled however, these are well run, well attended events often with USAC Cat 2 racers participating, so you're guaranteed a good time no matter your level of fitness. Check 'em out at www.wisport.org.

Sat 17-Apr-2010 WiSport Friendly Century & Clinic Willard, WI Ride

Sat 24-Apr-2010 Pedal for Proceeds Road Race Whitewater, WI RR

Sat 01-May-2010 Dar's Midwest Time Trial Championships Willard TT

Sat 15-May-2010 Rib Falls Time Trial Rib Falls TT

Sun 23-May-2010 L'Alp Bl'Huez Time Trial Blue Mounds State Park TT

Sat 05-Jun-2010 Panther Dash Time Trial Montfort TT

Sun 06-Jun-2010 Panther Dash Road Race Montfort RR

Sat 12-Jun-2010 Frederic Lions Time Trial Frederic TT

Sat 26-Jun-2010 Brice Prairie Time Trials Brice Prairie TT

Sun 27-Jun-2010 LaCrosse Area YMCA Road Race Holmen RR

Sat 03-Jul-2010 Omro Classic Road Race Omro RR

Sat 10-Jul-2010 Greenwood Road Race Greenwood RR

Sun 11-Jul-2010 Get the Lead Out Time Trial Greenwood TT

Sat 17-Jul-2010 Penokee Range Bike Classic Mellen RR

Sat 24-Jul-2010 Blue Mounds Classic Road Race Blue Mounds RR

Sat 31-Jul-2010 Fire House Fifty Road Race and TT Grand View TT

Sat 14-Aug-2010 Real Wheel'n Road Race Mauston RR

Sat 21-Aug-2010 Kirke Vei 20K Time Trial Cottage Grove TT

Sat 28-Aug-2010 Big Ring Flyers Time Trial Hudson TT

Sat 04-Sep-2010 Flambeau 40 Bike Race Park Falls RR

Sat 11-Sep-2010 Ride the Rock Road Race Fort Atkinson RR

Sun 12-Sep-2010 Cleghorn Road Race Cleghorn RR

Sat 18-Sep-2010 L'Alpe Bl'Huez Time Trial II Blue Mounds State Park TT

Fri 24-Sep-2010 Wisport World's Drag Race Waumandee DR

Sat 25-Sep-2010 Wisport World's Road Race Waumandee RR

Sat 25-Sep-2010 Wisport World's Time Trial Waumandee TT

Sat 25-Sep-2010 WIsport Year End Banquet Waumandee

Thursday Night TT's - Madison - Starting in May

Madison's Two Tyred Wheelmen are again holding time trials on Thursday evenings beginning in May. These flyers were posted at the GDVC race this past Sunday and do not seem to be online anywhere.

Wednesday Fixie Fix #4

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010 Hillsboro - Roubaix ... The Stories

Here's a quick review of rider blogs. What happened out there? Not to be all inclusive, just a few of the 600 stories from out on the roads Saturday.

Super Ape: I gave it everything i had on that last climb and only andrew was chasing. about a block or 2 after the climb he caught up as we started the first descent onto the bricks. still giving it everything and were both neck and neck to that last 90 and were both sprinting for the long straight to the finish. lungs, body, legs are screaming and i am not giving up without a fight. i feel all pain and just push through it. i am in the drops out of the saddle, were close, really close. hes still in the saddle and throws his bike at the line. my wheel crosses first, by an inch and it is done. funny though, as we both acknowledge i took it at the line, his timing chip actually makes it to the line first in a fraction of a second.

Pedaling With A Purpose: For the last two years this race has been a qualifier for the Nature Valley proride composite team. The top finishing cat 1 Man and 1/2Woman each earn a spot on an all expenses paid composite team for the Nature Valley Grand Prix Stage Race coming up in June in Minnesota. What a cool opportunity. Since I'm not currently on a supported team this year, I was really hoping to win this. ... Turns out the 7 ahead of me for whatever reason took a pass on the pro ride, so I'm going to Nature Valley this year!!! Pretty excited to be on a fully supported team and get to just race.

To be Honest with You: 4 miles in i was in the back 1/3rd of the pack. not due to fitness, but more a lack of skills. i need to work on getting my arse in the front half of packs and hope that comes with more races. the back was all that CAT 5s are said to be; brakes, surges, brakes, surges, squirrels, brakes, and surges.

then, everyone yells slowing, i hear brakes, i hear metal, i hear a pop, and the guy in front of me locks up his brakes. i got no where to go, so i continue forward on my line, slowing, but not braking, and i believe i pushed that guy off the road into the ditch. i either got my tire square on his or into his RD. not sure, but my first thought was braking hard was not the right thing. 5 seconds later i see Matt, who had been riding well near the front, floating back. remember the pop? as we pass i say, "flat" he says "flat" then i say "fuck" and slam my bars.

4 miles in his day was done.

Chris Uberti (P1/2 Winner): To give you an idea how fast we were going, going into the last lap the breakaway, which was no fluff group (Kyle Jacobson, Ryan Freund, and Ben Damhoff) had four minutes on the field, but within twenty miles from the start of the final lap they had all been brought back.

... Going into the finish it was looking more and more like a field sprint so I stayed in the top five going up the climb. By the top Greg and Kirk had moved up to the front ahead of me and our lead-out was set. We made the sharp downhill left-hander and hit the cobbles for the last time with Greg at the front at 45 mph. We made it through the descent without getting swarmed, Greg swung off just before the last corner, and Kirk took over the lead-out. Since it was a strong headwind I tried to wait on the sprint. By the time we hit the 200 meters I still hadn’t seen anyone so decided to initiate my sprint. After a few pedal strokes I still hadn’t seen any wheels, so I looked back: I saw Kirk, then a bunch of space. Going through the corner and coming out Kirk had gapped pretty much the entire field, and I had some space for the win.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Gregg Bednorski Memorial (GDVC) #1 - Madison

The Wisconsin Cup is off and running after the first USAC race in the state yesterday on Madison's southwest side. The course is a "D" shaped course, just under a mile long and next week's race will be run on the same course, but in the opposite direction. In the early bird races this week, the U15 Juniors was won by Everett Jones (Baraboo Sharks), the 15-18 Juniors was won by Spencer Oswald (Baraboo Sharks), and Heidi Stangl (unattached) took the Women Cat. 4's.

The Master's 3/4 riders had their hands full with Albertus Rohling (Unattached) who rode off the front by himself, and just kept going! There were multiple attempts to catch him, but they were all unsuccessful and absorbed. Jeff Melcher (Unattached) came in second, Richard Amen (Team Extreme) third.

Rohling didn't seem too taxed after crossing the line. He seemed to be thinking: "That's it? Hmmm, maybe I should do another race?"

The Men's Cat. 5/Citizens race featured a field of 52 riders at the start, but the fast tempo quickly had riders trailing off the back like a comet getting too close to the sun. About half of that number gelled into the main pack. On the bell for the final lap, two riders escaped off the front barely holding off the fast approaching field as they crossed the line. It was 1. Patrick Diamond (Gear Grinder), 2. Erik Kolda (O2 Cycling), 3. Jarred Cassady (Fisher Road Team)

The Cat. 4 event developed in a similar fashion to the Cat. 5 in that after one lap of easy going tempo, the afterburners were lit, and slower riders were sent off the back in a hurry. With 10 laps to go it was obvious that it was probably going to come down to a field sprint and that's just what happened. Ryan Carlson (Wheel and Sprocket) appeared to have it in the bag, but once again Matt "Speedy" Haiduk came from behind and nipped Carlson for the win. Check out the finish line photo!

Master's 4/5. Some riders, who rode the Elite Men's 4 race, stuck around to do the Master's 4/5 which immediately followed. This race too, came down to a field sprint with Michael Froh (Velo Trocadero) opening it up from the last corner and holding it to the line for the win. As the dust settled, it became obvious though, that this wasn't a straight cut sprint finish as we now see three riders laying in the road just after the final turn. Word has it that the field came through that last corner real hot, and the rear wheel of one rider simply skipped sideways, putting his bike into a wobble that ultimately he could not control. Two others went down with him and none were quick to get back on their feet. They hit hard and they stayed down. It was apparent that one rider had hit his head and he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We with him well and hope for a full and fast recovery.

Masters 1/2/3. Deja Vu for the fast Masters racers as Chris Halverson (IS Corp) get's his first win of the season. A group of 10 riders got away in the first half of the race and it looked like they were going to be able to hold it to the end. As the bell rang for the last lap, the pack had gained enough time on the break to get just within striking distance and a number of riders let it all hang out in order to bridge that gap. Additional attacks on the back straight must have been fast and furious because the field came around the last turn all strung out and it was Halverson powering ahead for the victory. Surely, many more will follow.

Andrew Stoll (IS Corp) won the
field sprint in the Men's Cat. 3 event which was a barn burner - start to finish. The entire race was attack! attack! attack! with a few racers getting up to 10 seconds advantage ,but no more. At the bell, Chazz Martin (IS Corp) took a serious flyer, but even he was denied escape. Ric Damm of Ripon shares his Garmin data with us and it shows that the speed of that race was around 40kph the entire time.

About 60 riders lined up for the Pro 1/2 event, and it was fast as usual. Again and again riders would gain up to 10 seconds only to be denied escape. There was always plenty of horsepower at the front and at one point the field was strung out to a long single line, not unlike like a rubber band being stretched to it's breaking point. If even just one rider had let a gap open up, the field would have been split in two, but everyone stayed on the gas and the pack stayed together. Strongmen Chad Hartley (Kenda/Gear Grinder) and James Stemper (Kenda/Gear Grinder) were often at the front pressing, pressing to get something going, but in the closing laps it was Kyle Jacobsen (IS Corp), Adam McClurg (LAPT), and Tristan Schouten (Planet Bike) who managed to get a 15 second lead. With two laps to go, Stemper was again on the point, pulling for all he was worth, trying to bring back the escapees - which he did. Crossing the line as the bell rang, Stemper pulled off - job well done, however it was Dan Ajer (Unattatched) taking the hotly contested field sprint for his second win of the year. It took a photo finish to separate the top 5 riders in this one.

The Women's 1/2/3 race was the
last of the day, and Team Kenda was present in force showing a total of 8 riders on the start line. It was no surprise then that they ended up with two in the breakaway with Kristin Wentworth getting the win over
Rachel Roessingh (IS Corp), and Kelly Hess (Kenda) coming in third.

Racing continues at this same course next Sunday after Velo Trocadero's event at Menomonee Falls Park on Saturday.

[Excuse the spaces in the text above making it hard to read. This software is horrible! Will be looking for a remedy A.S.A.P. - Editor]

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Paris - Roubaix LIVE

This WAS, Paris - Roubaix live! Eurosport coverage, in Spanish (English is mostly blocked in North America)

Mute the audio in the vid, and open this link in a new window for English comentation: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/271.16/popup/index.php?cl=10133858&t=em&sid=0 The audio is about 10 seconds ahead of the video but features the great Sean Kelly in his thick Irish accent.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

2010 Hillsboro-Roubaix

The 9th Annual Hillsboro-Roubaix is in the books with a huge turnout of over 600 riders under a cloudless, sunny sky and temperatures reaching 75F degrees.
I now know why this race is such a huge success, this is Spring Break ... Illinois Style! Today there were 50 riders in the Women's Cat. 4, 100 Cat. 3 Men, 110 Cat. 4 Men, and 125 Pro. 1/2 Men today competing on the 29 mile circuit between Litchfield and Hillsboro. The exact blow by blow of each race will have to be revealed in the blogs of riders in the days to come. There were reports of several crashes and a few broken collar bones some where out in the farmland, so that should be interesting reading. Some results are available but we'll consider them 'un-official' until they are posted on the web.

In the Master's 50+ it was Mark Gowler taking the win, David Stone the Masters 40-49, and Stacy Applewick the Women's Category. 4. The Men's Cat 5 was taken by Brett Boharan, Chris Monroe was second, and Jamie Sanchez third. (the rider's teams were not listed on the posted results). Men's Category 3 was won by Dan Damotte, Karl Schult was second, and Bryan Rheude third. (my copy of the Cat. 4 is blurry, which is too bad since he had the post-up of the day and would love to share it!).

Rita Klofta took the Women's 1/2/3 race in a sprint over Briana Kovac, and Rachael Roessingh.

Just to keep things interesting, so we don't get bored, as the Elite Women's field was finishing, the Pro 1/2 field came around the last corner and beared down on them at full speed making for a very chaotic scene! Christopher Uberti took the sprint over John Grant, Noah Singer, Ryan Knapp, Todd Hancock, Mike Sherer, and Chad Hartley. He did give a post - up as he crossed the line, but at the same time he was also swerving to miss the women who were finishing their race, as well as spectators jamming the road trying to get a good view of the action!

While it's great having a road race with such great popularity that hundreds of riders drive many miles to attend, the crowd control at the start / finish line could really be improved. Throughout the day, there was a steady stream of riders finishing their race, often many minutes behind the main field of their category, sometimes sprinting full out - as other riders who had already finished, crossed the road to pick up wheels, or were simply hanging in the road sharing race stories. This really came to a head when the Pro 1/2 Men almost caught the Elite Women right on the line for their sprint! What chaos!

All in all, though, it was a great day for racing and the organizers did a wonderful job of putting on a super event. No doubt the 10th annual Hillsboro - Roubaix will be even better.

BREAKING NEWS: Official results are posted!

Friday, April 9, 2010

626 Riders Registered for Tomorrow's Hillsboro-Roubaix

According to the stats at BikeReg.Com there are 626 pre-registered riders for the Hillsboro-Roubaix race tomorrow in west-central Illinois. The catagory breakdown is as follows:

Masters 40-49 - 72
Masters 50+ - 70

Women 4 - 50
Women 1/2/3 - 44
Men Cat. 5 - 50
Men Cat. 4 - 116
Men Cat. 3 - 99
Men Pro 1/2/3 - 125

The weather looks great for tomorrow's event. Good luck racers!

WORS Women Off Road Duathlon April 17th @ Lapham Peak

Spring Fling Event Schedule

9:30am - 10:15am - Registration

10:30am - Off-Road Duathlon Begins

10:40am - Off-Road Bike Race Begins

11:30am - First Finishers

12:00pm - Potluck Lunch

After lunch we have a variety of activities for all ability levels. You can chose one, all, or just hang out and enjoy the day on the trails! Also available throughout the afternoon will be Trent from Faith Mobil Fitting who can provide more information on fit and frame selection, as well as, the importance of shoes and pedal type.

1:30pm - Learn to Race Clinic, led by Claire from Team WORS

1:30pm - 2:00pm -Race Mishap Maintenance complete with hands-on practice for fixing flats, shifting adjustments, and other trail side mishaps that might occur.

2:30pm (after the learn to race clinic) - Pre-Race ABC’s: Air Pressure, Brake Check, Chain Lubed, and a few other key items to check before you race.

Details of the course

1.5-mile run followed by an 8-mile bike. All off-road!

For more info: http://worswomen.org/?page_id=693

Free WiFi at Hillsboro courtesy of Verizon U25 Team!

Race Day WiFi Access & Live Video This Weekend!

Home, Press Release No Comments

The Verizon u25 Team p/b ABD is proud to start offering race day WiFi access and live video feeds this weekend at the Hillsboro Roubaix Road Race in Hillsboro, Illinois. The team will be on-site starting around 9 a.m. and will be broadcasting a wifi signal from their team vehicle for up to 10 users at a time. In addition, the team will also have a Verizon 3G-enabled netbook available for public use and riders and staff’s Motorola Droids can be used to stream live video at points throughout the day. (The WiFi signals will be broadcast even when the team is out racing).
Any live videos the team captures will be streamed at www.qik.com/vzwcycling and uploaded to the YouTube channel at http://www.verizoncyclingteam.com/gallery/video/
The team invites and riders, officials or spectators to use any of the devices to tweet, blog, or upload photos or videos about your race and your team.
Passwords for the MiFi devices are available by calling 818-396-7713 and listening to a 10 second message (it is not a marketing message and your information will never be shared). The password will change every weekend but this will most likely be the number to call into.
In order to access the MiFi devices, just head over to the team car and search for SSID’s “Verizon MiFi Secure …”. (SSID’s are the name of the wifi signal the devices are sending out). Punch in the password and you’re all set! Since we are only able to accommodate so many users at a time please limit your sessions to 15 minutes if others are waiting.
See you at the race!

Team Extreme Training Camp May 14-15, 2010

Join Team Extreme, Tom Schuler and Robbie Ventura on May 14th and 15th, 2010 at the Country Inn and Suites in Germantown, Wisconsin for a unique cycling experience!

The camp will be an opportunity to meet other riders, build cohesiveness across teams and help promote safe racing through education. The camp will offer something for racers of all categories and will focus on further developing racing skills, confidence, race strategy and how to win a race through team work.

For the second year, the camp will be lead by Tom Schuler who has been a team director or manager of several professional teams for the past 20 years, including Team Saturn (1991 and 2003) and Team Type 1 (2008-2009). Tom also represented the United States at the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics and was one of the original seven members of the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. He won the USPRO National Road Race in 1987 and the US Pro Criterium in 1981. Tom's sports management company, Team Sports Inc. is based in Wauwatosa.

Robbie Ventura will also be co-leading the camp on Friday.Robbie raced professionally for 11 years with his last four years being on Lance Armstrong's US Postal squad. Robbie was a criterium specialist and amassed over 70 victories over his 12 year pro career. Robbie currently owns Vision Quest Coaching and is helping athletes of all levels reach their goals.

“The art of learning to position oneself in a peloton in field sprints is of utmost importance in racing success. Learning how to corner fast and effectively can be a bigger determiner in racing success then absolute power numbers. Everyone will learn how to draft effectively, rotate both single line and double and get the most out of the work of others. At this clinic, we will teach everyone the tricks needed to hold and take a wheel. These are all skills that turn the good biker into a great one.”

**Camp limited to 50 Riders!!!**

More information and registration forms available at http://www.teamextremecycling.com **

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Women's Beginner Cyclist Race Clinic in Madison April 17th

Women's Beginner Cyclist Race Clinic in Madison

Open to Women of ALL Cycling Abilities!

* Learn what you need to know to race SAFELY

* Learn basic to advanced cycling skills

* Learn and understand cycling lingo

* On-the-bike technical drills

* BRING YOUR BIKE AND SHOES!

Euro Pro Connection #3

As some of us here in the Midwest awaken to a fresh layer of snow(!) on the ground this morning, let's take a look back on this past week to see how our area riders are doing in the European Pro Peloton.

Recall that Matt Busche (Radio Shack) from Wauwatosa, WI had finished his first stage race last week, the Criterium International finishing 81st on general classification (G.C.) and from there he headed back to HQ in Gernona, Spain to train with a bunch of other English speaking Pro's. Now currently, he is riding in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco or Tour of the Basque Country in Spain where he was challenged before even turning a crank in competition because his bike was stolen right from under the mechanic's noses! Now riding his spare bike, he is in the groove and making the adjustment to riding with the big boys. He states in his blog: " I was in the middle to second half of the peleton and we hit the final climb and it was over. I felt strong, but I was not going to catch the front group. The final climb was about 7km and averaged 11%, but about 3km of that was 20%+. It was probably the steepest climbing I have ever done. It was absolutely insane. Then we had a crazy descent with at least a dozen switchbacks to the finish." It's hilarious reading about Matt blowing his nose onto Frank Schleck and the pleasant odors emanating from veteran racer Jens Voigt. See, not only do you have to look good, but you should smell good too in order to be a top "PRO" !

Our other Midwestern representative on Team Radio Shack, Bjorn Selander of Hudson, WI is racing in the Circuit de la Sarth or Circuit Cycliste Sarthe in the Normandy region of France.The big news out of this stage race is the abandonment of Lance Armstrong and many of the Radio Shack crew that rode in the Tour of Flanders and picked up an intestinal virus. Our hero Bjorn Selander continues after three stages and 269km, he is 62nd on G.C.

In other news, our good friend Luke Seemann of ChicagoBikeRacing.Com just returned from his trip to The Tour of Flanders and has some terrific stories to tell in his expose' which is a MUST READ! "Saturday Ludwig picked us up at 6 a.m. and we drove to Bruges, where Kirby and I would walk across the same stage that the professional riders would walk across the next day, and our adventure began: 255 kilometers, a nearly meter-for-meter, cobble-for-cobble simulation of the great monument." Among his many adventures was spectating at the E3 Prijs race. You can see him here in this screen grab of the TV coverage offered on YouTube. The actual video that he shot can be seen HERE. It sounds like a great trip.

That's enough for today. Don't forget that Paris-Roubaix is this coming Sunday! It will be broadcast on VS TV in the evening and I'll try to post a live broadcast viewing right here. See you then!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Top Bike Friendliest Cities

Bicycling Magazine just released their list of the top 50 bike friendliest cities. Three cities in the Midwest made the top ten. Which ones? What places? Which Midwest city was NUMBER ONE?

Wednesday Fixie Fix #3

Messengers ...

Messenger Mayhem from Kai Hsing on Vimeo.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Be Organized

Ha!

Video 57.MP4 -- powered by

It's Raining. So?

April showers ...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Argyle TV

Not much going on here in the Midwest, so here's a neat one from yesterday's Tour of Flanders.

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Peloton Star looks forward to helping you get the word out to racers and spectators about your event, services, or product through varying size banners or side 'widgets'. Rates are based on a monthly basis. Contact us now to see how we can help you reach your target audience, email us at: pelotonstar@gmail.com .

Motorpaced Monday

Something to kick start the new week with:

Derny Race
- Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Illinois Cup point standings.

The Illinois Cycling Association has posted the latest IL Cup point standings. They report changes are due to some riders upgrading.

Men 4
1 Michael Shea 273424 34 Spidermonkey Cycling 37
2 Matthew Haiduk 279407 37 Bicycle Heaven 33
3 Raviv Wolfe 289003 30 PSIMET Racing 20
4 Joseph Berenyi 74392 42 PSIMET Racing 18
5 Michael Keller 283391 16 South Chicago Wheelmen 15

Men 3
1 Thomas Briney 274455 27 xXx Racing 33
2 Liam Donoghue 206188 26 xXx Racing 31
3 Joel Friedman 293444 26 Bicycle Heaven 29
4 Karl Schult 94072 36 Capital Bicycle Racing Club 25
5 Nate Iden 266664 39 Burnham Racing 18

Men 1/2
1 Andrew Lister 148168 30 Dogfish Racing Team 37
2 David Moyer 273323 26 xXx Racing 36
3 Tomasz Boba 265181 31 WDT-Allvoi International Cycling Team 29
4 Patrick Fasse 211519 34 Bicycle Heaven 24
5 Ryan Freund 279249 24 Verizon u25 Team p/b ABD 20

Women Open
1 Morgan Moon 270955 27 Team Kenda 30
2 Stacy Appelwick 298018 38 Bouledogue Tout Noir 29
3 Leah Sanda 268129 43 Flatlandia Cycling Team 25
4 Valerie Brostrom 244852 32 Bouledogue Tout Noir 25
5 Cathy Frampton 275322 45 Project 5 Racing 21

Ronde van Vlaanderen

This was live coverage of the 2010 Tour of Flanders from Belgian TV in both Flemish and English. Race coverage, podiums, and post race interviews with the podium finishers as well as Tyler Ferrar and Lance Armstrong.

XXXX
XXXX

Will try to repeat this feed for next week's Paris-Roubaix.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Space Age Chamois from P.I.

How can you not want one?

L.A. in Madtown?

Madison's progressive newspaper, The Cap Times is reporting that Lance Armstrong will attend the Ride the Drive event on Sunday, August 29th. They are reporting: "On Sunday, August 29, the route will be extended to more than 11 miles. Trek Time Trials will be held from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. for professional and amateur cyclists to race each other for the best time, then Trek-sponsored athlete Armstrong (who won the Tour de France seven times in a row) will open the second Ride the Drive event for the community from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m." They don't give an information about registration for the time trials however.

Velodrome Bike Cam

Opening nights at both the Northbrook and Kenosha Velodromes is

about a month away, but that doesn't mean we can't start thinking

about it. Here's some neat video taken by (Dave?) Schneider at

the Kenosha Velodrome.

Main Points Races Kenosha WI 06/09/09 from D Schneider on Vimeo.

Euro Pro Connection #2

This is an update on how our mid-western Pro's did in Europe this past week.

In the Criterium International, Matt Busche (Radio Shack) from Wauwatosa, WI, rode to 82nd in the Stage 1 road race, 62nd in the Stage 2 Criterium, and 77 th. in the final time trial, 59 seconds behind the winner David Millar. Overall "Flip" finished 81st out of 112 finishers in his first outing with the European peloton. In his blog he reports: "Euskatel Euskadi went to the front and it immediately got difficult. Not going to lie, I was in the pain cave feeling like quitting instantly." He writes further: "Sunday afternoon brought the TT. It was another lesson for me! I had not ever ridden my TT bike, so that was problem number one. I did not pre-ride the course either = problem #2. I suppose there were maybe only 2 problems, but they certainly hurt my chances of going faster than I did." None the less, congratulations to Matt for a successful first European Pro race!

Also riding for Radio Shack, Bjorn Selander (USA) Team Radioshack competed in the 90th running of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, finishing 147th out of 156 in the seven stage, 988km stage race near Barcelona, Spain.

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin - Transitions) from Lemont, IL. also rode Spain's Volta Catalunya. He finished a strong 31st and he's got the Tour de France on his radar. You can read more about that HERE in an interview at Cyclebetting.com.(originally from Velonews).

Upcoming races: Bjorn Selander will be racing in the Circuit de la Sarthe in France on April 6-9, 2010 along with teammates Lance Armstrong, Yaroslav Popovych, Jose Luis Rubiera, and directors Johan Bruyneel and Alain Gallopin. Matt Busche will be riding in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco in Spain on April 5 - 10, 2010 along with teammates Chris Horner, Andreas Kloden, and Haimar Zubeldia with directors Viatcheslav Ekimov and Jose Azevedo.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

2010 Superweek Schedule Published (No Kidding!)

The 2010 Superweek schedule went online April 1st
and their webpage is up as well:

(Click the photo)

There are still a few gaps in the schedule and a

few rider favorites are missing, but we know that a great Superweek is in the offering. Peloton Star will keep

an eye on things and report as more information

is available.

Thu, July 8     Bravo Cucina Italiana Media Day     Milwaukee, WI
Fri, July 9     Beverly Hills Cycling Classic presented by Vee Pak/Beverly Bike & Ski Chicago, IL
Sat, July 10     TBD     TBD
Sun, July 11     The Palos Hills Festival Criterium Palos Hills, IL
Mon, July 12     Richton Park Criterium Presented by Chicago Dough     Richton Park, IL
Tue, July 13     The Palatine Cycling Classic presented by Hotel Indigo     Palatine, IL
Wed, July 14     Lake Geneva Criterium     Lake Geneva, WI
Thu, July 15     The South Shore Cyclery Cudahy Criterium     Cudahy, WI
Fri, July 16     TBA     TBA
Sat, July 17     Schlitz Park Endeavour Cycling Challenge     Milwaukee, WI
Sun, July 18     The NorthShore University HealthSystem Grand Prix     Evanston, IL
Mon, July 19     TBA     TBA
Tue, July 20     Wheel & Sprocket Whitnall Park Road Race     Hales Corners, WI
Wed, July 21     Lake Front Road Race     Milwaukee, WI
Thu, July 22     Racine.org Criterium     Racine, WI
Fri, July 23     Chase Food Folks & Spokes     Kenosha, WI
Sat, July 24     The Great Downer Avenue Bike Race     Milwaukee, WI
Sun, July 25     Whitefish Bay Classic     Whitefish Bay, WI

Schedule and prize amounts are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of the promoter

Format Change for 2010 Superweek

The new schedule hasn't quite been formalized for the 42nd running of Superweek, but for good reason according to long time race promoter Otto Wenz Jr. "We've shortened the schedule down to 9 days, but added the thrill of making it a true timed stage race including a time trial and a point to point race." "It's been quite an undertaking", he added, "but I guarantee it will be worth the wait."

The USA Cycling Hall of Fame member Wenz continued: " In addition to the Downer Avenue Criterium and the Holy Hill road race, there will be a 40k individual time trial held just north of Milwaukee on the old Ulao / Lakefield course which was used in the 1975 Nationals, and a point to point race starting from South Shore Park in Bay View and ending on the velodrome in Northbrook, IL. We feel this is an important addition to the series and the communities we are working with are behind it 100%."

According to Wenz, the 70.2 mile Milwaukee to Chicago race was last held in 1972 and won by former Olympian John Howard who has agreed to be the honorary starter after the 3 mile neutral roll out. "Once we get onto HWY 31, near Carrolville, the riders will be released and allowed to race as usual. The race will continue past Racine and Kenosha and include a time bonus sprint at the state line, before continuing down into Illinois through Waukegan, Lake Bluff, ending finally with a lap on the Northbrook Velodrome. The race will be using chip timing for keeping track of the overall classification and the lead pace cars will be equipped with GPS units so that spectators in Northbrook can follow the progression of the race on a large projection TV screen." Wenz also alluded to the possibility that several smaller Pro teams from Italy and Belgium are sending squads over who have had "considerable experience in these sort of events" and that cut off times will be strictly enforced, so riders "better come prepared". Local TV media has shown some interest in providing at least partial, time delayed coverage of this historic event, perhaps providing some helicopter footage if weather conditions allow.

In conclusion he added: "This new format for the 42nd Annual Superweek will put us back on the map in the eyes of USA Cycling and we hope that the riders will enjoy it as well."

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