Author Archives: Rob Curtis

2024 Cyclocross State Championship Bidding Open

The ICA is now accepting bids for the 2024 Cyclocross State Championships. Any race wanting to be considered has until Wednesday June 26 to fill out the application.

Races will then be present in order for a vote to take place. As before all teams/clubs have a single vote each. The club system is responsible for all races that take place in the state. It was reaffirmed at the board meeting on 6/12/24 that by choosing not to participate in the club system, unattached riders are sacrificing their opportunity to participate in deciding what club’s race will be state championship. If you are currently unattached and want to be heard we encourage you to find and join a club. There is a tool at USA cycling that will help you find a club

Also the ICA is in fact also a club within the USA Cycling system and if nothing else will work then unattached riders do have the option of “joining” the ICA club within USA Cycling. They are then asked to send their “vote” for consideration in to the ICA email at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Questions can be sent to the same email address.

Published June 13, 2024

2024 State Championships Update

The votes have been tallied. The Elmhurst Cycling Classic on June 8, 2024 will be our State Criterium Championship.

We have added a State TT championship as there is now 1 TT scheduled under USA Cycling for the year under the Autobahn Omnium. The following are our current State Championships for 2024

TT: Autobahn Omnium hosted by South Chicago Wheelman March 30/31

Criterium: Elmhurst Cycling Classic June 8th

Gravel: Little Apple, August 4, Manhattan, IL

A note on voting: when we have voting for State Championships we allow 1 vote per team. We do this to help balance out the state. The overwhelming majority (at times upwards of over 80%) of licensed racers in the state live in the greater Chicagoland area. At times some of the teams in that area have been so large (some of the largest in the country) that if we allowed individual votes we might as well simply ask those teams what they want as their numbers would decide the outcome on their own. By making the vote 1 vote per team we are effectively reducing the large teams into a single and equal vote.

If as an individual you feel that your voice isn’t being heard then we highly encourage you to join a club/team so that you may help that team to vote when it comes time.

Participation in this year’s vote was low enough that the board refrained from voting.

Speaking of the board we have a new Secretary: Kaiwen (Kai) Luan (Indigo Cycling)

Also here’s a reminder regarding State Championship Jerseys. USA Cycling took steps about 3 years ago to massively change the funding each Local Association receives. The old model used to include getting a portion of each license payment. Under the new system a small portion of each rider day is sent to the LA. This has effectively cut the funding of the ICA to a small fraction of what used to be received. It no longer allows for us to pay for a free jersey for every single State Championship winner and still be able to maintain the LA resources such as the reg computer, 2 way radios used at each event, finish Lynx camera system, lap counter, etc. As such we are slowly working through the remainder of the jerseys we have in inventory. When they are gone they are gone. Working with Pactimo we will occasionally have an open “store” where a jersey in the needed size can be ordered by any winner who wishes to purchase one on their own.

If you ever win and want to purchase a jersey on your own then please let us know so that we can include you on an email when that store is opened the 1 or 2 times a year it will open. You can email us at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Final Illinois Cup schedule is near completion so please look for it here when it is available.

Published February 23, 2024

2024 Criterium Voting and Board News

There have officially been 2 races that have submitted applications to be the 2024 Illinois State Criterium Championship. As of now all voting is open. Each Race’s statement will be at the end of this post. Each registered club with USA Cycling will be allowed 1 vote as a club. The board of the ICA will be allowed to vote as a “club” with a total of 2 votes (discussed and confirmed during the last open board meeting). Clubs may officially submit their vote via email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com. Voting has been extended to Feb 13 so that we may decide/announce at our next board meeting on the 14th.

The Annual Race Director’s meeting is being held at the Chicago Winter Bike Swap THIS Sunday Feb 11 from 1-3. Please use the following link to RSVP for the event so we are prepared. http://tinyurl.com/ICA-RD-Meeting At these meetings we usually cover upcoming changes in store for race directors in 2024, answer questions and generally share ideas and contacts, etc. All are welcome to attend in person or virtually. In person will be held at the bike swap venue in a meeting room on the second floor.

This year we had one individual nominated to run for the role of Secretary of the ICA. This individual will be replacing Kevin Pietka and we will formally welcome them at our next board meeting.

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Candidate 1 – Elmhurst Cycling Classic – The following is their submission in their own words:

We respectfully submit the June 8, 2024 Elmhurst Cycling Classic for Criterium State Championship venue.

We believe the State Championship designation is important as we relaunch our event post-Covid and post-Intelligentsia, and we feel we have created a schedule, arena and reputation worthy of the designation. Our all-volunteer team is working hard to make this a fan-packed, exciting day of racing and family fun. Some highlights:

Payouts – We have attractive payouts that make Elmhurst an exciting, competitive venue. Please note, as of early January, we are already at a $250 crowd prime for P 123 men and women each. We expect that to grow significantly.
Schedule – We generally mirrored past State Championship schedule for cycling, and have added the Elmhurst Twilight Mile so competitors can bring family or friends who want to compete on a 1 mile course in front of the same crowds. It is a FULL DAY of activity. We end the day with a Family Fun Ride in front of the crowds.
IL Cup – We have been accepted by Chad Briggs in to the Illinois Cup and adjusted our schedule to reflect necessary categories.
Venue – The race circles scenic Elmhurst University and is next to Wilder Park. Families will have plenty to do, including park attractions and a Beer Garden at Wilder Mansion (Beer, and yes, an actual garden).
Spectators – The return of the Elmhurst Cycling Classic has been met very positively by the City and residents, and there will be thousands of fans throughout the day watching the races. For teams with a corporate sponsor, this is a fantastic opportunity to highlight their sponsor’s brand in front of spectators.
Residents – The residents on the course want the race back and hope for a great turn out. We have identified some homes that want the racers to stop by their party after they race. We may print signs (or the residents will) for teams that send multiple racers, especially in the latter events. Personal cheering sections!
Logistics – We are easily accessible off 294/290, and have a ton of parking on the course (Elmhurst University). There will be food, neutral support, hotel blocks at a discount, and we are working on a hospitality tent for athletes. We anticipate this being a draw from all of Chicagoland, but also WI, MI, IN, IA and more.

Our mission – The Elmhurst Cycling Classic is the premier event of DuPage Cycling Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We seek to:

Offer a healthy lifestyle event for the area, whether bike racing, running, or fun ride
We want to bring the community together, and that includes the cycling community and the residents
And ultimately, we do this for charity. If we are able to have any surplus funds after hosting the event, we drive that back in to the community through charities that help those in need. Nobody on EMC2 nor DuPage Cycling Foundation takes any compensation. We are doing all this to give back.

They also included the following Preliminary Flyer

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Candidate 2 – Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival – The following is their submission in their own words:

Our Criterium is late season, always the 3^rd Saturday of August, this year August 17. This is our fourteenth event.

The attached flyer, while not 100% final nor permitted, will allow you to visualize our event and races.

Our Criterium has a great history of an event that is safe for racers/spectator, and a very lively/large crowd. Our course is challenging. There’s something for most any racer.

We were pleased to host our first IL Cup in 2023 and will host another this year. We learned a few things from last years event and have made adjustments. We are always willing to adjust.

One change is we’ve gone from 5 minutes between races to now 10 minutes.

We are adding an award stand with a backdrop near the S/F line. This will allow for awards, that due to time constraints, aren’t possible to be podiumed between races.

We will continue to use our mobile platform to recognize the top finishers between races, under the S/F line banner.

Edwardsville is a vibrant, growing community. Edwardsville has ample hotel accommodations and great dining options. Edwardsville is also surrounded by an amazing network of bike trails.

Checkout this great video of the 2023 Criterium: https://youtu.be/sdqD9VuQTXw

Our website is in the final stages of being update/freshened. Please don’t get the wrong impression due to last years information still being present. https://edwardsvillecriterium.page/

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Again each registered club is allowed 1 vote. Each club may submit their vote via email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com until midnight on Feb 13.

Published February 5, 2024

2024 Early News

With the 2024 season quickly approaching we have quite a few things to go over.

Applications for the 2024 State Championships are now open. Races can put their name in the hat for selection by sending an email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com and including their race name, date of event, a flyer if available, and a couple of paragraphs that will be sent to all voting teams for consideration. The following championships are now open for application through Jan 27, 2024:

Criterium
Road Race
Mtb
Gravel
Time Trial

Voting will then take place from Jan 28 through Feb 9th. Each registered club with USA Cycling will be allowed 1 vote as a club. The board of the ICA will be allowed to vote as a “club” with a total of 2 votes (discussed and confirmed during the last open board meeting). Due to the ongoing low number of races applying we will once again forego having a State Championship Committee for 2024.

Track championships will once again be a part of the programs at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome. Refer to https://www.northbrookcyclecommittee.org/ for any pertinent information as it develops throughout the season.

We will open applications for the 2024 Cyclocross State Championship in June 2024.

Speaking of the board we have 3 board positions that are currently up for vote:

Treasurer: Currently held by Brenda Feehrey (South Chicago Wheelmen) who will run for the position again.
Vice President: Currently held by Michael Kelly (South Chicago Wheelmen) who will run for the position again.
Secretary: Currently held by Kevin Pietka who has stated he will continue to fill the role if no one steps up but would like to see someone new step up to take it over.

To nominate someone please send your nomination in to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com through Jan 27, 2024. Do us all a favor and please discuss your nomination with the individual you are nominating before submitting it and save everyone some time and refrain from submitting it if that individual has no intention of filling the role. Voting will take place at the same time as the Championships voting.

All Clubs must be in currently good standing with USA Cycling and a member of the Illinois Cycling Association as their Local Association designator in order to place a vote.

Our annual Race Director Meeting will once again be held during the 2024 Chicago Winter Bike Swap. Interested parties may attend in person or virtually. Please use the following link to RSVP for the event so we are prepared. http://tinyurl.com/ICA-RD-Meeting At these meetings we usually cover upcoming changes in store for race directors in 2024, answer questions and generally share ideas and contacts, etc.

Speaking of race directing a new web series is being hosted by USA Cycling for all who are interested. Topics and dates are as follows:

Tuesday, January 23: CHAMPIONING USA CYCLING’S SAFE SPORT PROTOCOL AT SANCTIONED EVENTS
Tuesday, February 20: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 101
Tuesday, March 19: EVENT INSURANCE
Tuesday, April 16: STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE YOUR EVENT
Tuesday, September 17: STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING YOUR EVENT
Tuesday, October 15: STAFFING YOUR EVENT FOR SUCCESS
Tuesday, November 19: BUILDING ROBUST CLUB AND COLLEGIATE CYCLING PROGRAMS

More information about the series as well as registering is available at https://usacycling.org/2024-event-organizer-webinar-series

Illinois Cup is being finalized but may see as many as 7 events take part in this years series so keep your eyes open for announcements.

Published January 16, 2024

State Cyclocross Championships 2023

Montrose has won the voting for State cyclocross Championships for 2023. Look to their race flyer for State Championship information.

Published August 22, 2023

Cyclocross State Championships 2023

After a long process we have 2 races that have requested to be the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships for 2023. As such we will post a statement from each race here and open voting up to the teams in Illinois. Each team gets 1 vote. In order to vote a team has to be a currently registered club with USA Cycling. Voting opens 8/14/23 and will close at 5pm on Monday 8/21/23. Votes may be submitted in email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com or via the contact form on this site. Please spread the word to all you know.

Option 1 – Pumpkin Hop Cross – Beardstown, IL Oct 7
“Greetings, cycling teams of Illinois and beyond! I’m Nathan Carls, and I’m the race director for Pumpkin Hop Cross in Beardstown, IL. In 2021, we were fortunate to be able to host the state championship races. I was so pleased to have such a great representation of riders from across the state. It was a privilege for me to be able to show and share this event that I love so much with a lot of new folks. We held two days of races, making the trip a little more worth it for those traveling longer distances. This year will be no different, and in fact even better. Night races will be on offer again (after being off for a few years) on Friday evening, followed by full days of racing Saturday and Sunday. We are running October 6th through the 8th this year, on multiple courses, and plenty of race opportunities for everyone! Since 2021 was still a little iffy regarding distancing and such, we didn’t offer food. But last year we brought that back and fed everyone! And our facilities are the tops, as well. Not luxurious, of course, but, “hot showers,” surely says a little something. For lodging, there are several AirBnB properties around, as well as hotels/motels in and around Beardstown (and camping at the park). Last year, I offered a one-price-race-all-day entry fee, and I am working on a similar model for this year, likely a weekend rate. If selected as the host venue for the Illinois State cyclocross championships, those races will be held on Saturday, October 7th. Pumpkin Hop Cross: if you know, you know. If you don’t…you should. Thanks so much for considering adding us to your CX racing schedule for 2023. Be sure to visit the Pumpkin Hop Cross Facebook page and @mid_life_cxrisis on Instagram.”

Option 2 – Montrose Harbor – Chicago, IL Dec 3
“The Montrose Beach CX race committee is asking to be considered for the Illinois State Cyclocross championship event. The event last hosted the championships in 2018. As the largest cyclocross event in the state year-over-year, both by overall participation and by Illinois residents, it is an ideal event to crown worthy champions.

As well, the December date, the week before nationals and the end of the domestic racing season, gives participants a sense of finality to the season. The event itself has both high production value and a challenging course. The natural sand dunes provide a challenge not found at any other venue in the region. Since it last hosted the State championship the event has served as the Midwest Regional championship, and in doing so added a pavement start and expanded the pit to upgrade the racing experience to be in line with international standards.

For these reasons, along with its history as the state championship, the race committee will ensure a competitive and high-quality experience for all racers.”

Voting is now open. Please submit your votes as quickly as possible.

Published August 14, 2023

State Championships 2023

The ICA is currently accepting applications from races to be the 2023 State Championships in the following disciplines:

Cyclocross

Road Race

Track championships will be carried out by the Northbrook Cycle Committee.

If interested please forward on a request to be considered to the ICA at ilcyclingassociation-at-gmail-dot-com

We have so few events events in many disciplines so in the case that there is multiple entries for the same championship consideration we will open up a club/team vote as we have done in the past. That said the ICA board reserves the right to pick by open board vote if the situation necessitates it for reasons such as last minute or other timing issues for situations beyond consideration.

The 2023 Criterium Championships is Cobb Park on July 9 – Gravel will be Little Apple on August 13.

Published June 6, 2023

ICA BOARD MEETING 5-11-2022 IS CANCELLED

Due to a complete lack of new business, officiating the Skyway and other we are going to cancel the tonight’s board meeting . If you have any business that you would like for the us to consider before the June meeting then please contact us here.

Published May 11, 2022

2021 Early News

Let’s start by saying that any racing that is planned for 2021 is being done so “tentatively” at best.

State Championships

Applications are now available for 2021 State Championships. If you are interested in hosting a State Championship this year then please apply. The current deadline for applications is by our board meeting on Tuesday March 9, 2021. That deadline may be extended, by discipline, if we don’t receive any applications.

The 2021 Illinois State Cyclocross Championships will be contested on Saturday October 2, 2021 at the Pumpkin Hop Cross (#resurgenCX2021) at Roy Roberts Park, Beardstown, IL 62618. The race is a 2 day event but State Championships will be contested on the first day – Saturday – to help avoid conflicts with Sunday race series out of St Louis and Chicago.

From the promoter – Nathan Carls – “Wheel Fast Cycling Team is privileged to be hosting the Illinois State Cyclocross Championship in 2021 at Pumpkin Hop Cross, in Beardstown, Illinois. The championship races will run on Saturday, October 2^nd, the first of two days of racing. In addition to the 6 daytime runnings, Pumpkin Hop Cross has also hosted 4 years of night races, and at the moment is planning on a fifth year! These will commence in the final hours of the day once the sun has set on the State Champs. Free camping will be available at Roy Roberts Park on Saturday night, with racers rising to a new dawn of racing on Sunday the 3rd, when a cross-series day will unfold. Points will be awarded for both the Heart of Illinois Cyclocross Series (HICX), and the St. Louis area-based Bubba Memorial Cyclocross Series. A beautiful geographical mash-up in the heart of our great state! We’re excited and delighted to be hosting the state races this year. And what a culmination this could be, as great promise is in on the horizon. We are full of optimism for the summer and fall months and will continue to persevere. Today’s announcement from the Illinois Cycling Association has just made the light at the end of the tunnel that much brighter!”

Pumpkin Hop Cross was the only application received for the 2020 season and was awarded the Championship then but was not formally announced. Because racing was cancelled last year their bid and award was carried over to 2021.

We need individuals to serve on the State Championship Selection Committee. We need 5. Please let us know by emailing the ICA at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Board Elections

Three years ago the ICA Board split up elections for board positions so that we could eliminate having a completely new board that has to start from scratch after elections. As such 2 of the 5 positions are up for election this year: President – currently held by Robert Curtis, and At-Large – currently held by Chad Briggs. Nominations are open now. Submit nominations in writing to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com . In order to save time please confirm the individual you nominate is interested in filling the role before you nominate them. Self-Nominations are acceptable. Nominations will be accepted on our monthly call Tuesday February 9 at 8:00pm CST (details– zoom link). Nominations will close by the subsequent meeting – Mar 9, 2021 08:00 PM. Voting – Each team registered with the ICA receives 1 vote for each office. Voting will be conducted the following week and results announced by or before our meeting Apr 13, 2021 08:00 PM.

Robert Curtis is planning to run for the position again but would like to say, “I love the sport and if I’m the best person to keep advocating for it then I am happy and honored to keep doing so. If there is someone out there who can dedicate more time, or thinks they’d do a better job then I’d welcome them to run as well. I want what’s best for all of us whether or not that’s me and I will help make that a reality either way.”

Chad Briggs feels similar about his position, “I would be willing to run again if there are no other candidates. I do enjoy organizing the IL Cup, but willing to defer to someone coming in with new ideas and enthusiasm for carrying that on.”

Published February 8, 2021

Illinois Cup Update – July 2019

*** The Illinois Cup is drawing to a close with the last race being the Elgin Road Race which takes place on 7/21 and is a part of the Intelligentsia Cup. Illinois Cup director Chad Briggs took a moment to sum up some of the close competition that is still going on in many of the categories. Stop out and put your best effort in or watch the competition come to a close as we celebrate the season’s efforts with final Illinois Cup Presentations at the Elgin Race in real time. ***

The Jr Boys 17-18 category features a tight race with Alex Tantasook (xXx Racing) and Sam Cummins (The Pony Shop) in a tie for first place with 50 points each. Ethan Hansen and Julian Mejia (Team Veloz), however, are also within striking distance of winning the IL Cup with 36 points each.

The Masters 40-49 category standings are very tight with 6 riders still in contention for the Cup: Jason Knauff (Burnham Racing) is in the lead with 77 points, followed closely by Jose Rodriguez (INTENT, 71 pts), Rick Schopp (INTENT, 66 pts), Mark Nowack (Franco Factory Racing, 61 pts), Nate Iden (Burnham Racing, 58 pts), and Tim Strelecki (Franco Factory Racing, 52 pts).

In the Masters 50+ category, Aaron Katin (Burnham Racing) leads Dean Abt (xXx Racing) by 22 points with 25 points up for grabs to the winner of the Denis Jurs Memorial State Championship Road Race in Elgin.

Three riders are in contention for the Women 4 Cup: Margaret McGill (105 pts) and BFF Bikes teammate Donais Deetz (85 pts) lead, but Jacqueline Wunrow (The Bike Hub) is in a close third with 84 points.

In the Women’s 1/2 Category, Katherine Isermann (PSIMET Racing) has the IL Cup sown up, but there is a battle for the other two podium spots between Francine Haas (PACT, 76 pts) and PSIMET Racing teammates Allison Schroeder (71 pts) and Leah Sanda (61 pts).

The Men’s Category 3 Cup is wide open: First and second place are currently occupied by Craig Kielbasa (75 pts) and Ryan Beeson (University of Illinois, 63 pts), but both riders have upgraded to Category 2 and are no longer eligible to earn points. That leaves the IL Cup up for grabs among three riders who are closely behind: Kurt Druffel (Waukesha Animal Hospital Cycling, 62 pts), Chase Negley (60 pts) and Dominic Lopez (xXx Racing, 56 pts).

The Men’s 1/2 Category comes down to Michael Lanyon (Burnham Racing, 88 pts) and Craig Kielbasa (72.5 pts) who upgraded from Category 3 mid-season and promptly won his first race (the Region Riot Criterium) as a Category 2 rider.

Published July 10, 2019