by Imelda March
The 7th stop of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup traveled to the Village of Northbrook, a suburb north of the City of Chicago. The race brought out the dedicated to mix it up in the treacherous cross conditions. The village has many charms, including that of Hollywood fame with several scenes of the movies Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Ice Harvest been filmed at a hotel located in the village. The mud-filled course kept many of the riders hitting the deck multiple times. The culprit was a section near and around the stair case run up section that got worse as the day went on.
Garner/Northbrook Bike Club and Flatlandia Cycling did a fantastic job setting up a cross course that would make the ancestors from Belgium very proud. The muddy course had no barriers; however, the two-stair run up was enough to keep the heart beats well elevated. The weather hovered around the low 30 degree Fahrenheit, damp and partly cloudy.
The course design and amenities received raved reviews from the riders who finally were able to let the mud fly with a course that was very difficult both technically and physically. To top things off organizers ensured that hot coffee and coco was available for a quick warm up just steps from the finish line.
Elite Men
In the Elite Men’s race, Mike Sherer (Pony Shop) made the trip down from Indianapolis to school the locals. He pressed on the gas early and got away very quickly. He was followed by yet another out-of-state visitor, James Lalonde (Ellis Cycles) of Wisconsin taking 2nd, with locals Scott McLaughlin (Sram) 3rd, Kevin Klug (Killjoy) 4th and Luca Lenzi (Pony Shop) rounding out the podium.
Elite Women
In the Elite Women’s race, Rebecca Much (XXX Racing/AthletiCo), the current United States U23 TT Champion plowed through the field with an effort unmatched by no other rider. She arrived solo at the line taking yet another win in the series. The battle behind laid with the chasers Holly Klug (Killjoy) 2nd, Jessica Hill (Trail’s End Cycling) in 3rd, Pam Loebig (Bike Reg.com) 4th and June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes) completing the top five spots./
Upcoming Events
The next stop for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup is the Lan Oak Park #8 scheduled for Sunday, November 16, Lansing Illinois. The race allows collegiate riders to earn points toward the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC) Cyclocross Series. This is the first time the series has incorporated a collegiate race as part of the race offerings.
Individual series winners of the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC) Cyclocross Series earn front row privileges in the upcoming 2008 USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships scheduled for December 11-14, 2008.
Further information about the race and the series be found by visiting www.chicrosscup.com
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