Author Archives: Rob Curtis

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 2nd, 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

2019 State Criterium Championships Voting Results

A new system was used to determine our State Championship Criterium. The full explanation as well as all of the votes and comments are included below. To save time the final result is that the Winfield Criterium has won the voting.

Committee Vote (5 votes total): Winfield 4, Cobb 1, Lake Bluff 0
Board Vote (1.5 votes): Winfield 1/2, Cobb 0, Lake Bluff 1
Team Vote (3 votes total): Winfield 4, Cobb 6, Lake Bluff 1

Total vote Count: Winfield 4.5 , Cobb 4, Lake Bluff 1

Continue reading for the full story.

The system of voting used to determine the outcome for the 2019 State Criterium Championships is a pilot program designed to test revising the existing system of selection. Main focus of revision was to achieve the following:

  • Make the selection a transparent process. All votes are public.
    • Helps everyone see how the voting developed and see that the decision was made through general trend and majority – not through special purpose or agenda.
    • Allows for a simple record to direct others to in the future when they question race selections
    • Allows promoters of all races to begin to understand what the racers and the committee and board finds beneficial in a State Championship Race.
  • Involves the voice of the ridership
    • Makes all of the information regarding all of the possible choices available to all members and allows all teams to vote to have their opinion heard.
    • Takes the decision out of the hands of a few and places it into the hands of many.

The vote is made up of separate voting structures that allocate points to each race.

  • Selection Committee
    • More traditional system of nominated individual association members that work to review and discuss the races individually and make a decision
    • Required to vote as individuals while providing justification for their votes.
    • Each of their votes counts as a single full vote to the race each member selects.
  • ICA Board
    • Members that do not recuse themselves due to conflicts of interest with any of the races are allowed to vote
    • Each board vote counts for 1/2 of a vote
  • Team Vote
    • Each team is allowed to vote 1 time.
    • The race with the majority of team votes is selected as the “Team Selection”
    • That Team Selected race receives 3 total votes

Results:

  • Committee Vote
    • Maria Larkin – Chicago Cuttin’ Crew – Winfield Criterium (1 Vote)
      • Cobb Park, Lake Bluff and Winfield are great races and are put on by stellar teams and have made for a tough decision which we debated over two calls. Lake Bluff was ruled out early due to it’s participation in the Intelli Cup series, which already hosts the road state championships. We had heard push back from many racers on the impact of outside racers on the IL state champs. We also did not want the series to have a monopoly on state championship races. Considering the excellent course, quality competition and party atmosphere, we did not think that Lake Bluff would be adversely affected by not being awarded the crit state champs. That left us with Cobb and Winfield. Initially my vote was for Cobb based on it’s central Illinois location, the excellent SCW production and it’s affordability, Cobb Park is also benefiting from being an IL Cup race. Upon further deliberation I believe that all these reasons will ensure that Cobb Park is a well attended race in 2019 irregardless of if they host the state championships. I think that in the interest of getting encouraging attendance of more racers at more races I will be voting for Winfield Crit. While the late date on the calendar is one factor that gives me pause, I believe that Winfield will would benefit the most from hosting the state championships and have the best venue and race course to encourage dynamic and exciting racing. As a lower attended race in 2018 I believe bestowing the Crits Champs will boost their attendance and hopefully mean that we will see a Winfield crit in 2020 and beyond. The length of the season is long, but with five months between the start and the end of the season, that give enough time for people to peak for early season races, recover and then peak again coming into Memorial weekend and the final race of the season.
    • Bill Barnes – PSIMET Racing – Winfield Criterium (1 Vote)
      • I voted based on three main points of view: Promoter reputation/quality of “putting on an event”: While all three are well respected and experienced promoters, the nature of Lake Bluff’s being part of Intelligentsia cup would no doubt mean it comes with more fanfare and technical support. Course quality: Course quality is obviously subjective. I find the elevation change, and proximity to festivities at Winfield to be something a little more special than the others. Lake Bluff being part of a series could be considered either a negative or a positive, again, being subjective. Cobb Park is a fun course, but not as fun to race as Winfield in my opinion. Timeliness and how it fits into the season: Each of these has an advantage as far as the date goes, depending on your point of view. They are spread out over the peak months of the season, so the only one with a potential disadvantage in my mind is Lake Bluff – and not because of the race date itself – but because it’s compressing both the State road race, and the State Criterium championship into an already targeted week of racing (The Intelligentsia Cup). To me, it feels like it makes that week of racing more important than the rest of the season, and I would rather see racers have multiple chances to fight for a title throughout the season, even if it’s just separated by a few weeks.
    • Lisa Hilleren – BFF Bikes – Cobb Park Criterium (1 Vote)
      • Cobb Park, Lake Bluff, and Winfield are all great races and are put on by excellent teams. This certainly made it a difficult decision which the committee debated over two calls. Lake Bluff was ruled out early due to its participation in the Intelligentsia Cup series, which already hosts the road state championships. We had heard push back from many racers on the impact of outside racers on the IL state champs. We also did not want the series to have a monopoly on state championship races. Considering the excellent course, quality competition and party atmosphere, we did not think that Lake Bluff would be adversely affected by NOT being awarded the crit state champs. When it came to be time to choose between Winfield and Cobb Park, I was very torn. Both have unique advantages and great race atmospheres. My ultimate decision ended up being 100% about when in the season the races fall. I think Winfield and Cobb are both great venues and put on by great teams, but I think Winfield is just too late in the season. There are a number of folks who would be interested and in contention for state that are also geared up right now to race the early season April races. I know from my own race experience last year that trying to race in September when you geared up for April is very, very difficult. A June race gives folks time to plan a build if they want to and a fair shake to people who are also hitting the early season. Perhaps with more notice to racers going forward a September race would be more acceptable to me, but I think doing that this year doesn’t give people the chance to be fully informed when making their season plan. This is in addition to my own personal extreme mental fatigue when I think about racing a highly competitive race the week after Gateway Cup. I definitely think Winfield is a great course and would be worthy of a state championship, but the timing of events in this particular year has made Winfield a less ideal choice for the state championship in 2019.
    • Anna Affias – Spidermonkey Cycling – Winfield Criterium (1 Vote)
      • Before joining the IL Crit State Championship Committee, I anticipated choosing an IL State Championship crit race would be fairly easy. However, after much debate, turns out, narrowing it down to just one race was far too hard. Therefore, my proposal would be to allow each race to run as their own separate IL State Championship. JK. JK. JK. In all honesty, it was a really hard decision. Lake Bluff, Cobb Park, and Winfield are all great races in their own regards and each bring unique factors to the table. That said, Lake Bluff was the easiest to eliminate off the bat as we wouldn’t want both road State Championship titles given out in the same series. The real debate came down to Cobb Park and Winfield. While my initial vote was for Cobb Park, after numerous discussions with the committee, it became apparent that while both are great courses ran by respected teams, choosing Winfield as the State Championship race might help bring their numbers up and protect us from losing another race in our community. This is definitely a gamble, as we know numbers at Cobb will likely be down this year (due to loss of Glencoe racers in town), but we figured it’s our duty to give it a try. On top of trying to boost numbers, the Winfield Crit is set on a dynamic course that provides excitement for both racers and spectators alike. Therefore, my final vote for the IL State Championship race is with Winfield.
    • Andrew Zens – Burnham Racing – Winfield Criterium (1 Vote)
      • It will result in more people on bikes more often. Extension of season. Best course
  • ICA Board Vote
    • Robert Curtis – President – PSIMET Racing – Winfield Criterium (1/2 Vote)
      • I love all three of these races. It was not an easy choice. I chose Winfield because I believe the later date int he calendar will help to start to reverse the trend we have been having of ending the road season at the end of  July. I also selected it because the ABD club has been an anchor in local racing for a long time but has not been hosting as many USA Cycling sanctioned races, choosing ABR instead for many different reasons. While it was common for most in the road racing community to have deep knowledge of both sanctioning bodies and therefore heavy attendance at all races regardless I have felt that has not been the case for quite some time. ABD has made repeated efforts to help bring USA Cycling and its racers back to its events and honestly I think we in the USA Cycling community of racers have really fallen short. I personally believe the time has come for us to re-unite our racing communities and show our love and appreciation for these promoters by having their race represent what we feel to be the pinnacle of criterium racing for racers in our state. While I am gutted that by choosing Winfield I must also NOT choose Cobb Park and Lake Bluff. I trust though that everyone involved in all of these races understands that I view all of them as critically important to the racing community here in Illinois.
    • Michael Kelly – Vice President – South Chicago Wheelmen – Abstain (0 Vote)
      • Michael is currently a member in good standing of the South Chicago Wheelmen team – the named promoter of Cobb Park. As such he has decided not to participate in the vote.
    • Brenda Feehery – Tresurer – ICA – Abstain (0 Vote)
      • Although not technically on the team Brenda’s husband is a member of SCW – the team promoting Cobb Park. Brenda often helps with the race and therefore decided not to participate in the vote
    • Kevin Pietka – Secretary – CWEC – Lake Bluff Criterium (1/2 Vote)
      • I believe it is the best run race of the 3 options as well as the highest attended. We have always struggled with State Championship attendance when the race has been small or distant from Chicago. Lake Bluff is close to Chicago and is a large event with large turnout. I feel this will give the best option for large turnout as well as a challenging course.
    • Chad Briggs – At Large – Christian Cycling – Lake Bluff Criterium (1/2 Vote)
  • Team Voting – (3 Total Votes to majority winner)
    • The Cyclery – Cobb Park Criterium
    • Tower Racing – Cobb Park Criterium
    • PSIMET Racing – Winfield Criterium
    • Wølfpack Bike Racing – Winfield Criterium
    • Midwest Masters Cycling Team – Winfield Criterium
      • 1. great, challenging crit course 2. long standing crit venue 3. ABD always presents a classy event for both riders & spectators.
    • Bloomington Cycle and Fitness – Cobb Park Criterium
    • CDF Cycling – Winfield Criterium
      • Lake Bluff is awesome, however since it’s part of a series, there will be lots of out of state racers and that can “mess up” the results in terms of how the race plays out, etc.
    • xXx Racing – Cobb Park Criterium
      • While we would love to change it up from previous years, we aren’t keen on having both the State RR and Crit as part of Intelli. That said, the Lake Bluff course is a great one. Winfield would be a great courses well, but that’s too late in the season with CX dropping/burnout, etc.
    • Spidermonkey Cycling – Lake Bluff Criterium
    • Chicago Cuttin’ Crew – Cobb Park Criterium
      • Although all the listed venues are amazing, we as a team voted in favor of Cobb Park.
    • BFF Bikes – Cobb Park Criterium

Teams who didn’t vote:

  • ASU Junior Development
    Beverly Bike
    Bike Surgeon Cycling built by The Korte Company
    Bonkers Cycling
    Bouledogue Tout Noir
    Burnham Racing
    Chicago Womens Elite Cycling
    Club Bicicletta
    Comrade Cycles Racing
    DIRTy Squirrels Racing
    EMC2 / Elmhurst Masters
    George Garner Cyclery Track Team
    Half Acre Cycling
    Heckawee
    INTENT
    KLiCK Cycling
    Little Ade’s
    Main Street Bicycles Sasquatch Squadron
    Meteor-Allied
    Mox Multisport
    Northbrook Bicycle Club Inc.
    Northbrook Cycle Committee
    Northwestern University
    Pact- DISH Network Cycling
    Peoria Bicycle Club
    Plus Cycling Team
    Polish & Slavic FCU International Cycling Team
    Skunkworks Racing
    SLF Motion
    SRAM Factory
    Team Bicycle Heaven
    Team Mack Racing Assoc. LTD
    Team Veloz
    Team World Bicycle Relief
    Ten27 Cycling Club
    Tenspeed Hero
    The Bonebell
    Tuxedo Thunder Cycling
    Union Cycling Team
    University of Chicago
    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    UPB Cycling
    Velo Club Roubaix Inc / VCR
    Vision Quest Coaching
    Wheel Fast Racing
    Wild Card Cycling

 

Published March 23, 2019

USA Cycling announces Regional Race Director Summits

USA Cycling announces Regional Race Director Summits

Colorado Springs, Colo.– USA Cycling announced today the start of a new series of Regional Race Director Summits. These summits, the first two taking place in Chicago Ill., Rock Hill S.C., were created with the goal of making resources more readily available for race directors in the USA Cycling community as well as facilitating networking opportunities with other local directors.

“Race Directors are a vital part of the USA Cycling community,” said Chuck Hodge, Chief of Racing and Events, “We created these regional summits to be able to reach more of our race directors and ensure they are supported and have the resources they need to continue to run top-notch events, as well as provide feedback to each other and USA Cycling.”

Each Regional Race Director Summit will feature several topics, including how to engage new cyclists, the changing landscape of events, working with your local association, risk management, and event planning, safety and guidelines. Speakers at this event will include USA Cycling National Events Staff as well as prominent local race directors in each region, as well as open discussion on a variety of topics.

Regional Race Director Summit Dates: 

  • Chicago, IL , April 27-28, Hyatt House Chicago Naperville-Warrenville, IL
  • Rock Hill, SC, June 8-9, Giordana Velodrome, Rock Hill, S.C.

*Other dates and locations for later in 2019 will be announced shortly.

For more information, please contact Kelly Fox at kfox@usacycling.org

About USA Cycling (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Within the United States, USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.

USA Cycling is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020. In 1920, the organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s 100,000+ members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.

Published March 22, 2019

Upcoming Events

You can always check our calendar for upcoming events and races but just in case we don’t have it updated with the latest information you can always check – https://www.usacycling.org/events?state=IL

When possible registration takes place at Bikereg.com – https://www.bikereg.com/events/Illinois-Cycling-Assoc/ILLINOIS/

Officials Clinic Level B and C

Friday, March 22, 2019 – Monday, March 25, 2019
Chicago, IL 60007
Autobahn Spring Criterium

Race Event | Road | Status: Permit in process

Sunday, March 31, 20193895 Centerpoint Way

Joliet, IL 60436
Autobahn Spring Criterium

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, March 31, 20193795 Centerpoint Way, Joliet, IL 60436

LaBagh Woods Practice Crits

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, March 31, 2019 – Tuesday, May 14, 2019Labagh Woods, Chicago, IL 60646

Skyway Classic Criterium Series

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Monday, April 1, 2019 – Thursday, April 4, 2019Calumet Park, Chicago, IL 60617

Rough Road 100 Open

Race Event | Road | Status: Permit in process

Saturday, April 6, 2019211 West Illinois Ave, Morris, IL 60450

Rough Road 100

Race Event | Road | Status: Permit in process

Saturday, April 6, 2019211 West Illinois Ave, Morris, IL 60450

Spring Super Crit

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, April 7, 201915538 Prairie Road, South Beloit, IL 61080

Sylvan Island Stampede XI

Race Event | Mountain | Status: Permitted

Sunday, April 7, 2019Sylvan Island, Moline, IL 61265

USA Cycling Regional Race Director Summit- Chicago, IL

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Saturday, April 27, 2019 – Sunday, April 28, 201927576 MaeCliff Drive, Warrenville, IL 60555

Lincoln Park Criterium

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, April 28, 2019Chicago, IL 60640

2019 Monsters of the Midway

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Saturday, May 4, 20191212 E 59th St, Chicago, IL 60637 (Midway Plaisance), Chicago, IL 60637

Thursday Night Track Racing

Race Event | Track | Status: Permit in process

Thursday, May 9, 2019 – Thursday, September 5, 20191479 Maple Ave, Northbrook, IL 60062

O’Fallon Grand Prix

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, May 19, 2019201 East State Street, Ofallon, IL 62269

Fox River Omnium

Race Event | Road | Status: Permitted

Sunday, May 19, 2019Fox River Grove, IL 60118

Sprinters Dream Omnium Series

Race Event | Track | Status: Permit in process

Saturday, May 25, 2019 – Saturday, July 20, 2019Northbrook, IL 60062

Published March 18, 2019

State Criterium Championships – Team Vote

As a part of determining the 2019 State Criterium Championship venue we have decided to hear form all of the teams. Each club/team that is a member of the Illinois Cycling Association is allowed to vote 1 time. Each club should select one member to vote on their behalf. Usually this should be your club or team president/leader, etc. Your choice.

Below is a brief statement from each venue:

Cobb Park, June 2, 2019.  Kankakee, Illinois

The South Chicago Wheelmen are one of the oldest, most respected bicycle teams in Illinois.  Many club members have been with the team for 20 years plus.  Three members are currently, or have recently, sat on the board of the Illinois Cycling Association.  Three members are USAC Officials.

The South Chicago Wheelmen have a long history of hosting bicycle races, averaging four per year: including the two day cyclocross racing at Pheasant Run.

The South Chicago Wheelmen have hosted many State Championship races in their long history: including the first National Cyclocross Championship in 1963.

The South Chicago Wheelmen have cultivated an excellent relationship with the community surrounding Cobb Park.  Many homes turn the event into a holiday and have large parties and cheer on the races.  Former Governor George Ryan lives on the course.

Cobb Park is a lovely park alongside the Kankakee River.  It has many amenities for the whole family making it an ideal place to spend the day.

The .7 mile course is mostly oval with a few “narrowing” spots on the backside.  It is not overtly technical.  It is, essentially, a racers course which favors the strongest rider of the day.  It offers few places to hide and cannot be finessed.  To win at Cobb Park, one must be the best rider of his category: making it an ideal course to crown a State Champion.  “

 

Lake Bluff – July 27

Thank you for the opportunity to state how holding the 2019 ICA IL State Criterium Championships in Lake Bluff, IL on Saturday, July 27, 2019 would be good for Illinois bike racing.  As you know, the Lake Bluff event is part of the Intelligentsia Cup series.  Here are some of the benefits of the Lake Bluff venue:

The Lake Bluff racecourse is tried and true. Several NCC/PRT events have been held on this course.  It is a fast, challenging six-corner course – worthy of the state crit championships.

The Lake Bluff event draws an average of 4,000 to 5,000 spectators each year in good weather, with many lawn parties around the course. A big, lively crowd of spectators makes for better bike racing.

Holding the state crit championships near the end of the crit season is an advantage in that competitors will be in good racing shape then.

Ample food and beverages (ie, beer) will be available in the vibrant Block Party area in Lake Bluff adjacent to the racecourse and live music is also scheduled there after the racing. Kids and adults will enjoy BMX stunt rider Chris Clark who will do several shows in Lake Bluff. So, competitors and family and guests will all have a good time.

Truly excellent first aid facilities are provided at the Lake Bluff venue by Northwestern Medicine, including experienced ER doctors and nurses.

Holding the state crit championships in Lake Bluff serves the Illinois cycling community by providing nearby access to many Illinois racers who live in the Chicago Metro Area and northern Illinois.”

 

Winfield Criterium – Sept 7

Founded over 37 years ago, Athletes by Design originally focused on the development of young junior riders but has now grown to include riders of all ages and abilities, including paracycling.

We host several events throughout the year beginning in January with our indoor time trial series. We also host a 3 day criterium series specifically geared towards masters racing on memorial day weekend, an end of season series known as fall fling which runs over two weekends and includes a circuit race, two criteriums, and a time trial; and our Sunrise park cyclocross race which has been a staple of the Chi-cross cup series for over 10 years.

Our biggest race of the season however has always been the Winfield criterium. For the past 21 years it has been a staple in the Chicagoland area’s road racing calendar and brings to the table a proven venue and top notch production, as well as an ability to integrate riders who are traditionally ABR Criterium racers into the mix as well.

Tied into the Winfield Good Ole Days festival, the Criterium is one of several attractions that brings out crowds and participants of all ages. It’s the perfect backdrop for hosting the State Championship and exposing the community to competitive cycling.

The course itself is very different than the flat, four corner crits commonly found in the Chicagoland area. Consisting of 9 corners, a moderate uphill on the front section of the course, and a fast winding descent before the flat and wide open finishing straight a racer at the Winfield criterium must bring more than just big sprinting legs to the table if they want to win.

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood just east of Oakwood park in Winfield the course offers minimal traffic, ample parking, public transportation from the Winfield Metra station which is located less than a mile from the course, multiple different viewpoints for spectators, and the park itself makes the location extremely family friendly. Families living in the neighborhood have taken a liking to the race as well, often inviting family and friends over to barbecue and watch the race.

Strategically placed on a Saturday the first weekend in September it will be a perfect ending for many rider’s road season or tune up for final races like the Gateway cup. Not being a part of a series also allows us an opportunity to focus on elevating the prestige of each individual State Championship victory.

Please take a minute and vote. We wish to receive all votes by March 22, 2019

Team votes can be placed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/87KQQQP

Published March 18, 2019

Officials Clinic

The work of the ICA includes helping to train and retain local officials to help raise the quality of our events as well as helping to keep our overall event promotion costs lower (by using locals). Everyone familiar with our local officials is keenly aware of how talented and capable they are. Unfortunately as time goes by our number of talented local officials drops slowly. To that point we now find ourselves in a bit of a crunch and occasionally have to bring in officials from outside our region to fill gaps we may have.

So we really need to have more people step up to be trained so they can fill those roles for us in the future. Local racing depends on it. It has been the position of the ICA for a long time to encourage every club

A class has been scheduled for the south side of Chicago. The Officials 101-C class will take place Friday March 22 5-9 pm and then continue Saturday 23 8-11 am, attendance is required to both days.  The preliminary location is 3301 Flossmoor Road.  If you are still interested in attending the course please express your interest by using our contact form. If you know of anyone else that may be interested in becoming a cycling official please pass on this information and have them get in contact with me. Thanks.  I look forward to meeting you and then working with you at a race.

There is a Chief Referee Workshop in the same location Sat, March 23, 12-5 PM and Sun, March 24, 8 AM-12 PM. If interested please contact us using this form’s contact page or email us at ilcyclingassocaition@gmail.com

Published March 18, 2019

Early 2019 News

We are attempting to test a new process for determining State Championship venues. The process will now include 3 parts – a Committee nominated by members and selected by the board form those nominations, a vote of the board, and votes of the club/team members. We are using this process to determine the 2019 State Criterium Championship venue. As such we are opening up nominations for committee members. We will need enough nominations to allow us to fill the 5 positions.

All nominations must be from a ICA licensed member (if you have a 2019 USA Cycling License that is valid and in good standing and your listed address on that license is Illinois then you are automatically a member of the ICA) in good standing and the nominated individuals must be members also. Please submit your nominations to the ICA via email at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Last year the ICA board voted to shift the terms of some of the officers in an effort to allow gradual change as new officers come on board instead of a completely new board after an election as has happened in the past. It can take a long time to find all of the logins, accounts, information, files, etc so it is easy to understand why that decision was made. What that means is that the election last year for Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President were for 2 year terms and will be up for re-election next year. The position of President (currently held by Robert Curtis) was only a 1 year term. The At-Large position held by Chad Briggs was held over from the previous board and will join the President in being elected in off years.

This means that these two positions are now open for election. Robert and Chad have both expressed that they both would like to serve in those positions again and will run. That being said we are still holding an election and are now stating that this will be the open nomination period for the positions of President and At-Large for the ICA-Board. As above if you are a licensed member of the ICA in good standing you are free to nominate any other member in good standing to run for either position. That member must accept that nomination in order to participate in the election.

As in years before – once the nominations have been made all teams will be allowed to cast a single vote in each race – as a team.

The nomination period for both the committee for State Championships and for the election will be open until Monday 3/4/19.

Published February 20, 2019

End of 2018 License Data

It’s that time of year where the racing is officially done and many are looking for data to reflect on or provide perspective sponsors. We’ve wrestled up some data from the USA Cycling Rider Database to pass along. As with all data – the devil is in the details. If you have any questions please feel free to forward them on to us using the contact form on this website.

Total Licensed (IL) Female Male Junior Elite Masters
Total 1933 281 1652 210 502 1221
Teams
*Unattached* 808 83 725 79 223 506
xXx Racing 79 18 61 3 22 54
The Pony Shop 72 14 58 46 3 23
PSIMET Racing 69 18 51 8 15 46
INTENT 53 8 45 1 17 35
The Cyclery Racing Team 32 9 23 0 10 22
Bloomington Cycle Racing Team 31 2 29 1 2 28
Half Acre Cycling 30 10 20 0 13 17
Vision Quest Coaching 29 3 26 0 0 29
Team Bicycle Heaven 28 2 26 2 8 18
Spidermonkey Cycling 27 7 20 0 7 20
UPB Cycling 25 7 18 9 0 16
ABD Cycling Club 25 1 24 3 3 19
Union Cycling Team 23 6 17 0 8 15
Main Street Bicycles Sasquatch Squadron 21 3 18 4 5 12
Sammy’s Racing 19 7 12 15 3 1
Team Mack Racing Assoc. LTD 18 1 17 1 3 14
Korte Hammer Down Racing 18 1 17 1 5 12
Peoria Bicycle Club 17 3 14 0 0 17
BFF Bikes 16 16 0 8 8
Burnham Racing 15 15 0 0 15
Tower Racing 14 14 0 1 13
Polish & Slavic FCU International Cycling Team 14 2 12 0 3 11
Club Bicicletta 14 3 11 4 0 10
F3 Cycling p/b 7 Mile Cycles 13 1 12 3 1 9
Velosmith Bicycle Studio 13 13 0 1 12
SRAM Factory 13 13 0 4 9
Bonkers Cycling 12 1 11 0 10 2
Team Veloz 12 2 10 2 10 0
Comrade Cycles Racing 11 4 7 0 7 4
Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association (PAMBA) 11 3 8 5 1 5
Wild Card Cycling 11 2 9 0 2 9
Plus One Cycling 11 1 10 1 3 7
South Chicago Wheelmen 10 10 0 3 7
Spin Doctor Cyclewerks Cycling Club 10 1 9 0 1 9
RAPHA CYCLING CLUB 10 2 8 1 2 7
The Chainlink 9 9 0 1 8
EMC2 / Elmhurst Masters 8 2 6 0 1 7
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 8 8 0 8 0
Pact- DISH Network Cycling 8 2 6 0 0 8
Wolfpack Bike Racing 8 8 0 0 8
Chicago Cuttin Crew 8 3 5 0 4 4
Cycling Republic Racing Team 7 7 0 2 5
Indiana University-Bloomington 7 1 6 0 7 0
Plus Cycling Team 7 7 1 1 5
Flatlandia Cycling Team 7 7 0 1 6
Scarlet Fire 7 7 0 1 6
Wheelfast Cycling Team 6 6 0 2 4
ASU Junior Development 6 6 4 2 0
Team Got Wind? 6 1 5 2 2 2
Midwest Masters Cycling Team 5 2 3 0 0 5
Northwestern University 5 1 4 0 5 0
KLiCK Cycling 5 5 0 3 2
Team Wisconsin 5 2 3 1 3 1
Mox Multisport 5 1 4 0 2 3
Beverly Bike 5 5 0 2 3
Northbrook Bicycle Club, Inc. 5 5 0 1 4
Colavita Racing, Inc. 5 1 4 0 0 5
Heckawee 4 4 0 0 4
Schellers Evansville Racing 4 4 0 2 2
Tread Head Cycling 4 4 0 1 3
Skunkworks Racing 4 4 0 1 3
Ten27 Cycling Club 4 4 0 0 4
SLF Motion 4 4 0 3 1
DIRTy Squirrels Racing 4 1 3 0 1 3
George Garner Cyclery Track Team 4 4 0 1 3
Tuxedo Thunder Cycling 4 1 3 0 2 2
Chicago Womens Elite Cycling 4 3 1 0 3 1
Bouledogue Tout Noir 4 1 3 0 0 4
Intelligentsia-Allied 4 4 0 0 4
ChristianCycling.org 3 3 2 0 1
University of Chicago 3 1 2 0 2 1
CDF Velo 3 3 1 0 2
Little Ade’s 3 3 0 0 3
Wheel Fast Racing 3 3 0 0 3
Kenosha Velosport Cycling 3 2 1 3 0 0
Friends of Off-Road Cycling (FORC) 3 3 0 1 2
MSN Pro Coaching 2 2 0 0 2
Franco Factory Racing 2 2 0 0 2
Trek-Verge Racing 2 2 1 0 1
Alumnus Project 2 2 0 2 0
Bike Haven Race Team 2 2 1 0 1
Major Taylor Development Team 2 1 1 0 0 2
Morning Bird Studio 2 2 0 0 2
Rule # 5  Nick’s Cycling/Mennen Plumbing 2 2 0 0 2
Quantum Solutions Racing 2 2 0 2 0
Tenspeed Hero 2 1 1 0 0 2
Paniagua Cycling 2 2 0 0 2
The Bonebell 2 2 1 0 1
Billy Goat Racing Team 2 2 1 0 1
Momentum Racing LLC – MO 2 2 0 1 1
Project Echelon Racing 2 2 0 2 0
Region Racing 2 2 0 0 2
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 2 2 0 2 0
FloridaVelo 1 1 0 0 1
Whole Wheel Velo Club 1 1 0 1 0
Velocity Racing 1 1 0 0 1
Montana State University 1 1 0 1 0
Twin Six 1 1 0 0 1
ZENBERRYMIX.COM 1 1 0 0 1
USA Cycling Coaches 1 1 0 0 1
GP Velotek 1 1 0 0 1
West Town Bikes 1 1 1 0 0
Colorado State University 1 1 0 1 0
Lindsey Wilson College 1 1 0 1 0
St. Nicholas Brewing Company Cycling Club 1 1 0 0 1
Palomino American Cyclocross 1 1 0 1 0
Stanford University 1 1 0 1 0
Lindenwood University 1 1 0 1 0
BELGIANWERKX 1 1 0 0 1
Velo Force 1 1 0 1 0
Pete’s Garage Racing 1 1 0 0 1
Bike Law Cycling Club 1 1 0 0 1
Alberto\’s Sport 1 1 0 0 1
Seattle Race Club 1 1 0 1 0
Team Oakland Cycling 1 1 0 0 1
Peace Cycling Performance 1 1 0 1 0
Team Switchback 1 1 0 0 1
Marian University 1 1 0 1 0
Kentucky Flyers Cycling Inc 1 1 0 0 1
Dogfish/Team Noah 1 1 0 0 1
Bissell/ABG Cycling Club 1 1 0 1 0
First Internet Bank Cycling 1 1 0 1 0
TeamODZ 1 1 0 0 1
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor 1 1 0 1 0
Macomb Area Cycling MTB Club 1 1 1 0 0
US Military Endurance Sports 1 1 0 0 1
Force Power Racing 1 1 0 0 1
Velo Club Roubaix Inc / VCR 1 1 0 0 1
Neff Cycle Service 1 1 0 1 0
Velocause Centraal Cycling 1 1 1 0 0
Headwind Cycling 1 1 0 0 1
Evolution Cycling Club 1 1 0 0 1
Belmont Abbey College 1 1 0 1 0
Wake Forest University 1 1 0 1 0
Main Street Elite p/b Main Street Bicycles 1 1 0 1 0
Western Illinois University 1 1 0 1 0
The Velo Ambassador Team 1 1 0 1 0
Zubaz Racing 1 1 0 1 0
Gateway Harley-Davidson 1 1 0 0 1
Case Western Reserve University 1 1 0 1 0
Lake Geneva Youth Cycling 1 1 0 0 1
Wolverine Sports Club 1 1 0 0 1
Ruckus Racing Project 1 1 0 0 1
Tulane University of Louisiana 1 1 0 1 0
Ames Velo 1 1 0 1 0
Bahati Foundation 1 1 0 0 1
Pastaria – Big Shark Racing 1 1 0 0 1

 

Event Permits By Team (By Permit Number – not race days)

Team Road / Crit Time Trial Track Cyclocross Mtb Fondo Total
Northbrook Cycle Committee 8 8
Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association (PAMBA) 7 7
South Chicago Wheelmen 2 1 1 4
xXx Racing 1 2 3
Peoria Bicycle Club 1 2 3
PSIMET Racing 2 1 3
Scarlet Fire 2 1 3
Half Acre Cycling 1 1 2
The Cyclery Racing Team 2 2
Wheelfast Cycling Team 2 2
Bloomington Cycle Racing Team 1 1 2
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 2 2
ABD Cycling Club 1 1 2
Wild Card Cycling 1 1 2
Team Mack Racing Assoc. LTD 1 1
University of Chicago 1 1
Main Street Bicycles Sasquatch Squadron 1 1
Team Bicycle Heaven 1 1
Northbrook Bicycle Club Inc. 1 1
Beverly Bike 1 1
Comrade Cycles Racing 1 1
Spidermonkey Cycling 1 1
Macomb Area Cycling MTB Club 1 1
SRAM Factory 1 1
Glencoe Educational Foundation 1 1
Chicago Cuttin Crew 1 1

 

Clubs/Teams Who Were Not Listed as Primary Club on any Permit in 2018

Team Name  Riders
The Pony Shop 72
Vision Quest Coaching 29
Union Cycling Team 23
Sammy’s Racing 19
BFF Bikes 16
Burnham Racing 15
Club Bicicletta 14
Polish & Slavic FCU International Cycling Team 14
Tower Racing 14
F3 Cycling p/b 7 Mile Cycles 13
Velosmith Bicycle Studio 13
Bonkers Cycling 12
Team Veloz 12
Plus One Cycling 11
Spin Doctor Cyclewerks Cycling Club 10
The Chainlink 9
Pact- DISH Network Cycling 8
Wolfpack Bike Racing 8
Cycling Republic Racing Team 7
Flatlandia Cycling Team 7
Plus Cycling Team 7
ASU Junior Development 6
Team Got Wind? 6
KLiCK Cycling 5
Midwest Masters Cycling Team 5
Mox Multisport 5
Northwestern University 5
Chicago Womens Elite Cycling 4
DIRTy Squirrels Racing 4
George Garner Cyclery Track Team 4
Heckawee 4
Intelligentsia-Allied 4
Skunkworks Racing 4
SLF Motion 4
Ten27 Cycling Club 4
Tuxedo Thunder Cycling 4
CDF Velo 3
Little Ade’s 3
Wheel Fast Racing 3
Morning Bird Studio 2
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 2
Tenspeed Hero 2
The Bonebell 2
Alberto\’s Sport 1
Force Power Racing 1
St. Nicholas Brewing Company Cycling Club 1
Velo Club Roubaix Inc / VCR 1
West Town Bikes 1
Western Illinois University 1

*Teams missing from the permit list and the non-permit list most likely were listed on a clinic or non competitive permit for 2018.

Published December 27, 2018