Nowak's Nordic News - Issue 2

Hello all,

Hope everyone got a chance to get out to ski in the great conditions that we had the last two weeks.

Nothing really to report other than most everything around here is going buh-bye.

For the die-hards, there may be a good chance to do some crust skiing on golf courses on Sat/Sun depending upon how much rain we don't get and then how cold it gets Fri night. I have a few spots that are my super secret training areas, but would be willing to share if the conditions present it.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Again, if anyone has any ?'s let me know.

Also, pencil in Jan 8th and 9th for local races. Info can be found here: http://www.ninordic.blogspot.com/

Jim

Nowak's Nordic News

I know that there are a few of you who like to x-country ski, and there are many more who are interested in starting.  I've had a few people ask me about it and where they can ski, and where you can rent ski's from.  Here is a quick breakdown on that info with some links to websites where you can get more info.

Local places:
Most of the municipal golf courses will allow you to ski on them.  A few that I know of are:

Arrowhead GC (Wheaton).  Located on Rt 56 (Butterfield Rd) between Winfield Rd and Naperville Rd.  There is ski rental here and they do groom trails for classic and skating.
Bartlett Hill GC (Bartlett).  Located just west of Spin Dr. Cyclewerks.  Basic grooming for classic skiing.

Katherine Legge Park in Hinsdale is groomed by the people at King Keyser.  It is located on S. County Line Rd about 1/2 mile south of 55th St.  A short trail, but good grooming to skate and classic ski.

Dupage Forest Preserve Dist. also grooms trails.  However most of these are multi-purpose which means that people walk/run/snowshoe/bike on the trails.  The FP flattens the middle to skate on and then set a classic track on the edges.  Depending upon how much use and amount of snow we get, the trails can range from awesome to poor.  Some places that I have skied are Herrick Lake, Danada, and Tri-Counties St. Park.  There are a lot of places though that get groomed.  See the FP website for details.  They also have a phone number that you can call to get trail conditions.  Website: http://www.dupageforest.com/Recreation/ActivitiesAndFacilities/Winter_Activities.html

Cook County FP only grooms at Camp Sagawau (Rt. 83 and 111th St.)  I have never been there.  They also groom.  The place that I ski in Cook County FP is Deer Grove FP located in Palatine.  The "grooming" there is human powered, i.e. skied in classic tracks and then a few us have a groomer that we use to create a skate lane on a unused drive.  Parking is best at the far west lot which is located just east of the Rt. 14 (Northwest Hwy) and Rt 68 (Dundee Rd) intersection.  Access to the trails is best there.  Again, these are multi-purpose trails that can get beat up, but are generally very good.  Website: http://www.fpdcc.com/tier3.php?content_id=40

Rockford:
There are several places to ski in Rockford.  Most of the info can be found on this website: http://ninordic.org/ which is updated on a regular basis with trail conditions.  I have skied at Rock Cut and when it is groomed it can be very good.  However at times it is hit and miss.  From what I have heard Sinnissippi Golf Course is supposed to be very good but have never been there.

Joliet:
Woodruff Golf Course is groomed when there is enough snow and I believe that they also rent skis there but I would call before heading out.  Joliet Nordic has a website but it not updated regularly.  http://jolietnordic.homestead.com/

So. Kettle
For those of you who are willing to venture and challenge yourselves, the So. Kettle area west of Milwaukee has some of the best nordic skiing around.  There are several different locations with multiple trail options.  The two closest are McMiller and Nordic.  Nordic is located by LaGrange and McMiller by Palmyra.  These are maintained by the Wisconsin DNR so you will need a parking sticker and trail pass.  A one day pass can be purchased or you can buy a year pass.  Info can be found on the WDNR website:  http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/ski/  Also trail reports can be found here: http://www.laphampeakfriends.org/ViewSkireportsExpanded.php

A few other websites that have info are Bob Richard's blog: http://www.ninordic.blogspot.com/
and Skinnyski.com which is out of Minneapolis but has trail reports, etc. for the Midwest.  http://www.skinnyski.com/

See you on the trails,
Jim

UPDATE: Ski Herrick Lake at lunch. They have rolled it but there are no set tracks. People are skiing in a track. Took a look at Arrowhead GC and they have packed down a skate lane, but there does not appear to be any set classic tracks. Hopefully with the anticipated snow on Fri/Sat they will be able to do so. I'm headed up to McMiller tomorrow in the So. Kettle. I'll try to post a report when I get back. Enjoy the snow, you never know how long we will have it for...

End of Year Wrap and 2011 Sneak-Peak

This past Saturday ABD held our annual EOY Party. The host was gracious (thanks Farrell!), the food was delicious (thanks Vicki and Mary Lee!), and as Lisa Pena pointed out- true to ABD EOY party history- the weather was horrendous!

At the party we took a look back at 2010 and another successful season. Some acheivements we recognized were:
- Tom Weil's second consecutive National Championship!
- Jessi Prinner's silver medal at Nationals followed by her second consecutive trip the Junior World Championships.
- The rapid rise of Konrad Witt as a speedy Junior who took home the hometown win in the Cat 4's at Winfield.
- The racing in the Chicago Cross Cup by Jim Nowak,  Ben DeMong,  Jason Addante,  Jay Corgiat, Walter Stoops, Jessi Prinner & Andy Walker (and also Gina Kenny and Sue Semaszscuk before the injuries!)
- Curtis Bice's storm through the Time Trials this year (and now a Category 2!).
- The success of the Verizon p/b ABD team, including a 1-2-3-4 sweep at Winfield. We're happy to report that Mike Sherer will be joining ABD alumni Reid Mumford at the Kelly Benefit Strategies Pro Team next year! (We also showed off the team videos at the party and you can view them all at the team's YouTube channel).

A few off-the-bike acheivements that deserved props were:
- All of the ABD events went silky smooth thanks to the efforts of all of our volunteers, and a big highlight this past season were the Wednesday Night Races! A big thanks to the Witt's, the Redlich's, Lisa Pena, Mary Lee & Rich Johnson for all their efforts in getting this series off the ground. For anyone who hasn't made it out, we can't recommend these races enough as a fun and challenging mid-week workout.
- A huge effort by Jim Nowak to run the highest-attended ABD event of the year at the Sunrise Park Cyclocross Race- where 432 riders toed the line!
- It's always nice hearing a friendly voice- and a lot of times this year that voice was none other than our own Todd Busteed. In addition to announcing all of the ABD events Todd could be heard at the Tour of America's Dairyland, the Chicago Triathlon, the Hot Chocolate Run, the State Cyclocross Championships and many, many other events.

Last but not least, we were (and are) very proud to announce, after a 5-year hiatus, an ABD Elite Women's Team! A few of the women were able to join us and we were happy to introduce:
- Stacy Applewick, 2010 National Track Champion (from Bouledogue Tout Noir)
- Sarah Demerly, former Professional Triathlete turned roadie (from Wolverine)
- Kristen Meshberg, Category 1 rider and all-around Midwest-speedster (from Flatlandia)
- Jessi Prinner (the aforementioned- we all know her!)
- We're also hoping to add another woman or two and just need to iron out the details.

There's a lot in the works for 2011, not to mention preparations for the Indoor TT Series kicking off on Sunday, January 23rd! (Another date to mark down is the Winfield Criterium Weekend on August 13 & 14). As you might have noticed, Miss Prinner will be volunteer coordinating the event so if there's a job you're itching for please shoot her an e-mail.

We're also working on Winter Camps for our members. If any ABD'ers would like to escape winter for sunny Southern California the second week of February shoot an e-mail to the Prez. This will be a Borrego Springs Camp with riding, hiking, relaxing and EATING (since Bill Heun has agreed to attend as the unofficial chef). We're also looking at a race-prep camp at the end of March somehwere driveable and warm (Tennessee is in the front-running). Stay tuned for details on that.

Thanks to all of the ABD'ers and our participants for an amazing 2010. May you have a safe and fun Holiday season.
-Ebert



Konrad Report - My First Cat 4 Win

Ed. Note: This report originally appeared at CriteriumCoaching.com as part of a race report contest.

When it was over I threw up. I was exhausted, exhilarated, and ecstatic. I have been racing bikes since I was about ten years old. My racing age this year is 15. I have won (and lost) many junior races over the last six years. However, this is the first full year that I have also raced in the men’s Cat 4. I first raced Cat 5 in 2009. When I first raced Cat 5, I could not keep up with the pack for the entire race. I was usually dropped off the back. In 2010 I began the season again as a Cat 5 racer, but eventually qualified to move up to Cat 4. For the 2010 bike racing season I usually participated in both the junior category and the Cat 4 category at any race I attended. I have always done pretty well in the junior races, but racing against a much larger field made up of much older riders was a big challenge this season. I was again dropped off the back during a few races, but I also began doing better in this category and was able to achieve some decent results. Our bike club, ABD (or Athletes by Design) put on a big race weekend at the end of August this year. It was at this event that I had one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life when I won my first Cat 4 race ever.

The Winfield Criterium is the biggest bike race that our club sponsors each year. I have participated in this race for the last six years, and this year I would be racing in two events: Junior 15-16 category and Cat 4. It was a beautiful summer Sunday, and the juniors’ race was the American Bicycle Racing (ABR) National Championship race and was scheduled for early in the morning. There were only seven of us in this race, but the competition was pretty tough. In the end I was able to sprint to the finish line and claim first place, but it was a close race and a tough one. The second race for me that day was the Cat 4 race. Up until this race, the best I had finished in this category was in the top ten. It was not a huge field of racers, but about 35 Cat 4 racers came to the line. Some of the juniors who had raced earlier (including the 1^st and 2^nd place winners in the Junior 17-18 Category) were also racing Cat 4. In addition, there were many riders that I knew from our bike club as well as riders I had met at other races. Although I had decided to give the race everything I had, with three laps to go I actually had thoughts of giving up. I pushed myself past these thoughts and decided to stick it out and give it my best shot. On the last lap I sprinted to the line and with less than ten feet to go I pushed ahead of the rest of the riders and took first place.

In looking back at this momentous win, I can remember some parts of the race very well while others are really just a fast-motion blur. Sitting at the start line, my adrenaline was pumping like a jackhammer tearing up a street. Although I could distinctly hear the crowd around me chatting away, I hit my mental mute button and took off at the sound of the starting whistle. This race was scheduled to be 35 minutes long plus three laps of the course. This meant I would be going around this one-mile course about 20 times. While there were only four corners to this course, the first one is only about 30 yards from the start line. The next corner leads up to an extremely steep hill on the back side of the course. I knew this was a mountain that I would need to climb at least 20 times in the next half hour or so. At the top of the climb there is another sharp angle followed by a quick descent into the final corner of the course. The last section of this course is a pretty straight, flat section of the street leading up to the finish line. It was this part of the course that I considered my best chance to move ahead. As I mentioned before, I considered giving up on the race entirely with three laps to go. But somehow I was able to dig down deep inside myself and pull out just a little bit more. I rode the last two laps of the race like a car running on empty. I desperately pushed down on the pedals again and again and just hoped I had enough in me to make it to the end. On the final straightaway I was in the lead pack with about six other guys. No one was more surprised than I was when I somehow managed to cross the line ahead of them all!

Looking back on this significant occasion, I can honestly say that it was both memorable and a bit of a blur. Thankfully, I have pictures of the winners on the podium, and I am the one standing above the number 1. This race was probably the most exhilarating race that I have been in during my six-year career. While this will hopefully not be my last Cat 4 win, it was undoubtedly the one that I will remember the most. Oh, and the prize for first place was $90, which was a really nice bonus!

Here is a podium shot from my Cat 4 win:

And, just for fun, here are a couple of the Junior 15-16 podium shots:

(There were rumors that the cute girl in the white shorts was going to give me a kiss, but she must have chickened out….)

Podium shot from the ABR National Championship Junior 15-16 win:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! DeMong's Cross Primer

What Does ABD Cyclocross look like:
I've been slacking on race reporting during this cross season but wanted get something out there for the group before we hold our Cyclocross race on Sunday in Bartlett.  Your ABD Cross unit consists of mostly Masters Men and Woman.  Currently a strong portion of our Woman's Team is on the disabled list with some injuries, heal up ladies.  Our team would easily accept anyone on 2 wheels Sunday as it promises to be a fun event.  As for performance, we have had some decent results and you are more likely to see us in the front 1/3 of the race than the back 2/3rds.  

What Cross is:
For those of you who didn't get the bug or gist of cross from Rich's previous account, which described the event and evidently Jason and my "slow" efforts over some dirt mounds.  I would love to judge Rich's style of riding but for the record I have never actually seen him pedal a bike. (JOKE, kind of)  CycloCross is the intersecting point of Road and Mountain biking and each of them have brought a friend to the party:  Pain and Suffering.  It's redline from the gun, it's a pretty tough workout but it is probably the most fun I have had on 2 wheels.  The crowds are great and the smile they bring to your face helps numb the pain.  For example last year, the small mound in the middle of the course in Bartlett last year was topped with a couch, people on megaphones and enough hipsters to consider it a rally.  It has unofficially been referred to as "Heckler Hill" recently.  They spent there day cheering, handing out bacon, dollar bills or insults; and if you were lucky, all of the above.  At Cross races you are always allowed to let your freak flag fly.  Whether you are someone who enjoys the thrill of a great race or the carnage of a series of crashes; you can have it all in Bartlett on Sunday.

If you wanted to race cross and don't know where to start:
It doesn't take much to toe the start line!  All it really takes is a mountain bike or if you really feel like it a cross bike.  Although no bike company has tons of different models of Cross bikes, Trek/Gary Fisher have numerous Cross bikes at various price points.  I have gotten everything that I am riding on (Bike, Wheels, Tires) through Prairie Path and I know Mike, Mary Lee and the Gang would be happy to get you rolling.  I think you would be surprised at how low the cost of getting rolling is if you don't have a mountain bike hanging in the garage.  Also, for you time trialists out there, the dominant cycling clothing involved in Cross is the Skinsuit and what better way is there to increase the ROI on that sexy Onesie than a few more races.  In all honesty, you could actually just wear you skinsuit to watch, you wouldn't be the most unusually dressed person.  

See you Sunday!
The 2 enduring factors that go along with ABD are the top notch events we put on and the people that make up our club.  The Captain of ABD Cyclocross Jim Nowak will have the course set for the throw down on Sunday, so we know the event will be great.  We would love to see everyone out there cheering, heckling, racing or volunteering; come take a look to see what it is all about.  It is an extremely family friendly good time.

Take care,
Ben

Bob Marshall Report: Crystal Lake Duathlon

After battling a soleus injury pretty much all season, and even though I had been doing only one treadmill run per week over the last 10 weeks, I thought I would try an end-of-season Duathlon.

ABD newby, Mark Lemke, close friend of Andy Kerr, had mentioned a few weeks back that he had entered the Crystal Lake Duathlon. So, after testing my soleues (lower calf) with my first outdoor run last week, a 4.5 miler, with positive results, I entered the Du as well.

So, after picking up my race packet, I get the TT bike over to transition area, with TT helmet, etc. After, a short warmup spin on my Cyclops trainer, I get over to starting area.

The game plan was to hold back on first running leg, 2 miles 12:59 held back as planned, maybe way too much. Then over to transition area, put on TT helmet, shoes and proceeded out of transition onto bike course.

I felt very good, and was ready to pick guys off one-by-one as planned. Then ~1 mile out & notice a wierd sound comming from my rear disc wheel, so I tried shifting down a cog, no problems there, then continued on. I now realized something serious was wrong with the bike, as I couldn't get up to speed, and kept hearing an odd
sound comming from the back of the bike. So, somewhere around the 1.5 mile mark, I pull over to the side of the road, and take a closer look and notice my rear disc wheel is completely flat.

After blurting out some fowl language, similiar to the old man's on the movie, "The Christmas Story", when the dogs raid the turkey in the kitchen, I turn around and head back to transition area. I tell race officials what happened and then proceed over to my car, pull out my spare 404, and get it partially on, then notice it's very low in air as well. So, I pull my road bike out of my van and take off the CPX-30, and put it on.

Finally after about 10 minutes or so, I'm back out onto the bike course, and wieving in-and-out, around all kinds slower cyclists. Now I know how Rob Jungles felt a couple years ago, (we did a Team Du in Tinley Park) going around people at speed...very scary! After, completing the somewhat hilly 20k bike, I go back thru transition, change shoes, etc, and out onto the final 2 mile run leg.

I managed to finish the race, 85th place overall, and after reviewing the posted results, realized that if I hadn't flatted, the worst I would have finished was 3rd place overall, in fact if I had a hammered the bike leg, as planned, I may have won the race.

I did have fun, enjoyed the post race activities, spoke with Derrick Ungaro, WDT, whom won the Team Du quite easily with Brain Ackers on the bike leg. Despite the disaster, I'm glad I completed the race anyhow, after all, I just couldn't let ABD newby, Mark Lemke down, I had to finish this one.

So, what did I learn from this day..."there is always another day"! You can shuffle the cards all day long, and sometimes, you just get a bad hand!

P.S. - I couple weeks ago, I remember seeing a facebook post from Mike Sherer, regarding his disaster in one of his early Cross Season races in Wisconsin.

See ya next season,

Bob Marshall/
ABD Multisport

ABD Fall Fling kicks off next weekend; Pre-Reg Deal Ends This Sunday

The 2010 Athletes By Design Cycling Club Fall Fling kicks off next weekend and the four pack pre-registration deal- all 4 races for $95- ends this Sunday night! Register online at Active.com.

This year's Fling introduces some new changes and a revamped schedule. The series kicks off with a criterium at the "Pelladrome" in West Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, September 25 and then travels West to Maple Park for the Time Trial on Sunday, September 26. The Pelladrome is where we've hosted our Wednesday night training crits and has proved to be a very popular course. This Fall we'll be using the 10 mile TT course with two turnarounds. Riders will be departing at 30 second intervals and as always it's imperative that riders race smart and heads-up. We'll also be featuring LIVE results courtesy of Verizon Wireless. This was the system we used at the John Fraser Memorial Time Trial as well as the Verizon 40k Two Person TT and in most cases riders' results were posted by the time they got back to their cars!

The second weekend of the Fling features the return of last year's popular circuit race course in the DuPage Tech Park in West Chicago, IL. It only measures 1.5 miles around but our memory of the wind is that it felt more like 3 or 4 mile a lap! We'll also have kids' races on Saturday starting at 1:40 pm. The Fall Fling finale brings the joy of the "combined" Wood Dale course that we've used for the Masters' Weekend to everyone. The course uses the north and south criterium courses at Wood Dale to create a challenging circuit with some technical turns with a brutal little "kicker" before the finish.

The two biggest changes to the revamped schedule is that we've combined the Men Category 1/2, 3 and 40+ (1/2/3) riders into one race and added a separate Men 40+ Category 4/5 race.

The speedy 1/2, 3's and 40+ (1/2/3) will each have their own daily and overall prize lists. The Fling is all about getting in some great workouts and having a good time before Winter and we felt that combining all these categories would make the races more exciting and push all the riders that much more.

We added a separate 40+ 4/5 race because the 40+ age group is where we've seen the biggest growth over the year. Many of the newcomers are good enough to be out of the "beginner" race but have no interest in mixing it up with the young guns in the Cat 4's and aren't quite ready to have their legs ripped off by the Category 1 and 2 riders that are 40+. So for lack of a better term we'll call this the "gentlemen's" category. If you're an experienced 40+ rider but not quite ready to trade pulls with the likes of Druber, Kron, Stone, Doughty, Doering, etc. (who can now tear the legs of the young whippersnappers in their new combined race) then we strongly recommend jumping in the Cat 40+ 4/5.

As always, we also encourage all the Juniors to come out and they can race the four events in their senior category for just $50.

See you next weekend!

Wednesday Night Training Crits, Training Cross & A BBQ- Oh My!!!

Everyone is invited out for a fun and festive evening on what might be our final Wednesday Night Training Criterium of the year!

We're going to have our usual slate of races, barriers set up for anyone wanting to mix in a little cross practice beforehand (or instead of one of our three races), and we'll be grilling up brats and offering beverages plus a few other goodies for all riders and spectators.

As always, racing is just $10 and if you've never been to a Wednesday night race here's what to expect:
- Fun and safety are the two most important rules of the evening so if you join us be sure that you're having fun and being safe!
- Next up: our friendly registration crew will get you all signed up in record time
- At 6:15 we fire off the Cat 5 race and all the Category 1-4 riders ride behind them for a warm up.
- After that it's an all category scratch race and if you get dropped you're welcome to just wait for the group to lap you and jump back in. (please tell our volunteer officials when you come by that you are a lap down)
- Last up is the all category points race and again if you get dropped you're welcome to jump back in when a group comes around.

Hope you're able to join us!

...and since you're going to be at the Pelladrome you're probably going to be thinking of the Fall Fling, and guess what- we've got the flyer posted! You can download it at http://www.abdcycling.com/events_files/FlingFlyer_10.pdf

New for 2010- Double Circuit Races! We've also extended out the length of the circuit race at West Chicago so riders have that much more time to beat each other up before the season ends. The other two big changes is that we've combined the Men's 1/2 + 3 + Masters 40 but everyone will have SEPARATE overall prize lists, AND we've added a separate category for the Masters 40+ Cat 4/5 beginners. [As per the Men 1/2/3/40+: we like watching big fields (and sitting in their draft) so we're putting everyone together.]

Hope to see you all on Wednesday (tomorrow) night!

Winfield Criterium Results and the Fall Fling Schedule Are Posted!

Thank you riders for a fantastic weekend of racing and a huge
congratulations to all of our winners.


Saturday night's race was non-stop action with the "King of the Hill"
party giving away prizes ranging from a can of Red Bull to Weber
grills to bottles of wine to cold hard cash.


Sunday's "Summit Hill" proved challenging as always and we saw
breakaways succeed in most races. For the first time ever we saw
riders lap the field in the Men's 1/2 race as Ryan Freund and Mike
Sherer took a lap en route to a Verizon u25 p/b ABD sweep of the top
four.


Check out the full results at www.ABDcycling.com and we'll be posting
photos as soon as we get them. (Keep an eye on our Twitter feed for
updates: www.twitter.com/abdcycling)


We are also pleased to report that we have the Fall Fling Schedule all
buttoned up and are pulling a "Double Circuit Race All the Way" for
our closing weekend! The full schedule is:

- Saturday, September 25: Criterium at the Pelladrome

- Sunday, September 26: Time Trial in Maple Park

- Saturday, October 2: Circuit Race at the DuPage Tech Park

- Sunday, October 3: Circuit Race in Wood Dale


Full details and registration information will be posted soon at
www.ABDcycling.com

Finally, thank you again to all of our sponsors who help make our
events happen. These are all business and doctors that we and our club
members have worked with and highly recommend. We're proud to have
their support.

Central DuPage Hospital, www.cdh.org

OAD Orthopaedics, www.oadortho.com

Midwest Neurosurgery & Spine Specialists, www.mnss.org

Winfield Community Bank, www.winfieldcommunitybank.com

Prairie Path Cycles, www.prairiepathcycles.com

Packey Webb Ford, www.packeywebbford.com

Orange Home Services, www.orangehomeservices.com

Verizon Wireles, www.Verizon.com

11th Annual Winfield Criterium Weekend!

The 11th Annual Winfield Criterium Weekend, featuring over $8500 in Cash & Prizes and the ABR National Championship, is this Saturday and Sunday, August 21st & 22nd! Full details are posted at www.ABDcycling.com/

Pre-registration is open through Thursday at Midnight at www.Active.com.

Both courses feature a challenging hill and the "King of the Hill"
party & prizes are back for Saturday night! They repaved the home
stretch for Sunday's course too so it's a smooth as silk sprint to the
line. (Unfortunately the second to last stretch is still rough).

Tune-up your skills ahead of the Winfield Crit Weekend with our ABD Cycling
Training Crit on Wednesday night!

Jessi Prinner takes 13th at the Junior World Championships

A HUGE congratulations to ABD'er Jessi Prinner on her 13th place at Junior Worlds! You can read the full story at http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=5264

Ryan Freund Wins Stage 1 of TOAD!

Originally published at www.VerizonCyclingTeam.com

Ryan Freund won the first stage of the Tour of America's Dairyland, winning out of a breakaway that was all but absorbed by the field in the final sprint. Freund jumped around Team Kenda powered by Geargrinder rider Chad Hartley for the win and former Pro criterium champion Raashan Bahati won the field sprint for third place.

Freund almost didn't make it to the race as he came straight from his job two hours away and was caught in traffic. He was the final rider to check-in before the officials closed registration.

When asked about how the final laps played out, Freund said, "I was feeling good and put in some hard pulls, but the whole time I was just thinking, 'How am I going to beat Chad.' He's a fast sprinter, but I knew that he was concerned with the overall standings and I think that lead him to do a little more work in the sprint. I'll be getting married next weekend so I was able to just focus on getting the win today."

Hartley joked, "Last year I went down to the ABD Cycle Club's Fall series and beat up on Ryan at his club's race, so I suppose it's only fair that he came up and won the race that Geargrinder sponsors."

See Photos from the Stage

Masters Results & another Wednesday Night Training Crit!

Overall & Daily results for the ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters Races are posted at www.ABDcycling.com! Congratulations to our overall winners:

Beginner Men: Carlos Meza

Beginner Women: Jeanette Fortmann

Men 60/65: Longin Kusal

Men 70+: Bob Burns, Midwest Masters

Men 75+: Gerald Beam, Turin

Women 60+: Nancy Iglinski, IS Corp

Women 70+: Patricia Beam, ABD

Men 50/55: Wayne Simon, Verdigris

Men 40+ 1/2/3: Gene Tolli

Men 40+ 4: John Westergaard

Men 30+: Erik Tomlinson, Spokes

Women 30+: Stacy Applewick, Bouledouge Toit Noir

Women 40+: Lynne Arrigoni, Village Cycle Sport

Women 50+: Marilyn Powell, ABD


An enormous thank you to all the riders, volunteers and official and sponsors who helped make this another fantastic weekend of racing!

----------------------------------------------

The ABD Wednesday Night Training Crits Return!!!

You can't keep a good race down! We figure that after three (or four) days of great racing you've all had a nice day off but by tomorrow are itching to get back out there... so we're proud to announce we've lined up another night of Wednesday Night Training Crits at the Pelladrome! Full details at www.ABDcycling.com

The beginner's event (and warm-up race) kicks off at 6:15, with the 1/2/3 & 4/5 races starting around 6:35. Hope to see you there!

WED Night Crits Return & Masters Weekend Pre-Reg extended though tonight!

We've just received clearance from the good folks at Pella Windows for another night of training criteriums so we hope to see you all out there! The Cat 5 & warm-up race starts at 6:15. The 1/2/3 vs. 4/5 pursuit will start around 6:35. Sue Witt has whipped up a batch of brownie cupcake primes for this round too!

We had a few technical glitches with our online registration so we've extended the pre-registration deadline for this weekend's Masters Races until tonight at midnight- again that's three days of racing & $5000 in prize money for just $65! Double up on races for just $17 each! Full details at www.ABDcycling.com

Pair of Seconds. Will Nowak's C-U report

Will throws his bike to the line in a bid for the win in Urbana.

Republished from www.verizoncyclingteam.com

Tour de Champaign

This race started off quick, but we Verizon guys were chilling mostly in the pack just letting everyone chase each other down. I bridged to one threatening move that had all the big teams (Panther, RGF, Texas Roadhouse, Nuvo) but we came back. Soon thereafter, Chris Uberti (a familiar name in these race reports by now) attacked and I followed. We were quickly by my teammate Ryan Freund and riders from Geargrinder and Roadhouse. This move had all the right teams represented in it and after a short period of miscommunication we started working well together. There were some fast finishers in our group, especially after Jeremy Grimm of RGF bridged solo, but I had to be confident that Ryan and I would be strong enough to attack the group and get away.

Our gap grew and grew and I attacked for the crowd prime with 8 to go. I was quickly brought back but Ryan immediately threw down a counter-attack as the group sat up and he was gone. The three remaining riders tried to organize a chase and I did my best to disrupt it. After some strong attacks by Chris and John Grant (Roadhouse), Ryan still had his gap, and I knew he had it locked up. Uberti had been working hard and in the finish came around him for second. Mike Sherer won a blazing field sprint for 5th and it felt great to go 1-2-5 with the Verizon masters and our sponsors watching.

Urbana Grand Prix

This was an absolutely brutal day. 95 degree heat, a half-mile course and a 180º turn with 250 meters to go led to massive attrition in every field of the day, and ours was no different. Although 75 riders started on Saturday only 53 toed the line on Sunday. In our pre-race meeting we likened this race to a flat Snake Alley in that the race would only be at the front with gobs coming off the back, and I worked to stay in the top 10 pretty much the entire race. The pace and the heat took its toll, and in the end the 'peloton' was worn down to only 11 riders, of which we had three as Freund and Sherer both made it into the group. The pace and the weather were excruciatingly hot, and my attacks didn't really go anywhere. It become apparent that this race was going to end in a sprint (or as much of a sprint as you can have .5 mile course with 4 turns and a 180). In the last few laps I took to the front to ensure that no one snuck away from Sherer, but in the end I wasn't able to hook up with Mike for the sprint and had to go for the win myself. I made it through the final corner in 3rd or 4th wheel, but failed to come around everyone, with John Eisiner (RGF) beating me with a bike throw at the line. Third place Kirk Albers was only inches behind us.

Despite not doubling up on wins it was a great weekend of racing for Verizon u25 pb ABD and Mark Swartzendruber put on a pair of fantastic races. A huge thanks to him for a good weekend, and to all of our sponsors for their support.


Will

Wednesday Night Crit & Registration Deal for Memorial Day Masters' Races!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT TRAINING CRIT: THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Tomorrow night (May 19) is our last scheduled Wednesday Night training criterium, but if we have enough of a turnout then we'll happily work with the good folks at Pella Windows to continue the races through the summer (except of course for the nights that the good folks at Spanglish are holding their Soldier Field races).

The weather is supposed to be gorgeous so come on out and turn a few pedals in anger! Tomorrow night we'll be running the beginner's "warm-up" race, the 1/2/3/4 pursuit/scratch race and a points race--perfect for practicing those leadouts!

6TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND MASTERS' RACES!
The biggest bargain in grassroots racing!

The ABD Memorial Day Weekend Masters' Races return for their sixth season with THREE days of racing and $5,000 in overall prizes for Men & Women over 30. Pre-register by SUNDAY AT MIDNIGHT for all three days and pay just $65- that's $21.66 per race with a boatload of prize money!

The races will be held in Wood Dale, Illinois and include criteriums on Saturday & Sunday and the return of the popular circuit race course for Monday.

Head on over to www.ABDcycling.com for full details on the Wednesday Night Training Crit and the 6th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Masters' Races.

Prinner Photos from Spain

Jessi Prinner wrapped up her successful European campaign with a 2nd place in the road race stage of the Costa Brava Tour. At one point her and two other USA riders had a 6 minute gap on the field! Here's a few pics of her with her teammates and USA Cycling posted a great photo of the entire team. We're looking forward to Prinner's full report.

Prinner wins TT in Spain!

Huge news from across the pond- on Saturday Jessi Prinner won the Time Trial stage of the Costa Brava Tour that she's racing at in Spain! You can see a YouTube video of some of the action and the podium at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DghSeIaCMMg

ABD's Wednesday Night Training Crits Start Tonight!

The ABD Cycle Club kicks off a series of Training Criteriums at the "Pelladrome" in West Chicago, Illinois tonight. The course is a .8 mile loop on smooth pavement just off of Fabyan Parkway and was used for a stage of the 2009 Fall Fling. Full details at www.ABDcycling.com

These are strictly training races in that we want everyone to focus on getting a great workout and being safe- results are secondary. We will allow lapped riders to jump back in the race and we're only picking the top 5 finishers by sight. [This would be the low-tech counterpart to our live TT results at the JFMTT.] We are also going to be mixing up the events with some track-style races to keep it interesting out there.

We'll start off our first night with a 15 minute beginner/warm-up race at 6:15. This race is for TRUE newbies and we ask that any advanced riders (Category 1-4) that would like to use it as a warm-up to do it solely as pack filler. Go the same speed as the pack and sit-in so that the new riders get used to racing in a field. Advanced riders are not permitted to attack or go with breakaway riders- however they can pace dropped riders back up to the field.

After the warm-up race the official "A" (category 1-3) and "B" (category 4-5) races get started at 6:30 for a 25 minute straight-up race. We still start the A riders first and 20 seconds later start the B riders (the number series will be different so you know who you're racing against).

We will keep track of lapped riders and dropped riders. As mentioned, if you get dropped you can roll around to the pit and jump back in after we've written down your number.

ALL SOLO RIDERS WHO HAVE BEEN DROPPED MUST YIELD TO LARGER GROUPS AND REPORT BACK TO THE PIT.

The 25 minute race will conclude with a 3-lap countdown around 7 p.m. After that race is over we will have a brief 10-minute rest.

The final event of the evening starts around 7:15 and will be an all category points race with sprints every 5 laps for points (4-deep: 5,3,2,1). We'll race until it's too dark and the rider with the most points when it's called wins (like an unknown distance points race). We expect the first night to last 20 to 30 minutes and get longer as the series goes on. Points race rules apply in that if there is a breakaway then those riders are the leaders and get max points, but as soon as they catch the largest group on the road then whatever chase group was behind them becomes the leaders.

Again, ALL SOLO RIDERS WHO HAVE BEEN DROPPED MUST YIELD TO LARGER GROUPS AND REPORT BACK TO THE PIT. There are going to be sprints every 5 laps and if you are out there by yourself after being dropped we may hold you in the pit until after the sprint. This is entirely for everyone's safety.

Any questions? Ask 'em tonight and we'll make up an answer for you.

APRIL 28 SCHEDULE:
6:15 Beginner’s Race (Category 1 through 4 riders warm-up)
6:30 25 minute Scratch race (straight-up race. "A" and "B" groups)
7:15 Points race, all categories.

Monday Night Recovery Rides Return May 3rd

The ABD Monday Night Recovery Rides from Prairie Path Cycles-Winfield will officially be starting on 5/3/2010 @ 6:15 pm. After Memorial Day the rides will start @ 6:30 pm.

If it’s raining or there is a chance of rain the ride will be cancelled and a notice will be broadcast immediately at http://twitter.com/ABDCycling and http://www.facebook.com/abdcycling

Below are some of the guide lines that we ALL need to follow for this ride to be successful. These rules are for everyone’s safety- always remember that when you are wearing the ABD colors you are representing not only ABD but also Prairie Path Cycles. Lets show the rest of the world what cyclists are all about !

(One more thing, if when riding the pack gets wider than 2 riders the local police can hand out tickets, just ask a single cyclist from the Elmhurst Bike Club who was riding on Butterfield road in Oakbrook Terrace that received a $75.00 traffic ticket for “impeding traffic”.)

The following is to be observed on all Monday Night Rides and will be repeated in some form by the designated ride leader(s) before we roll out.
- The Monday ride is held as a casual, social and safe ride for riders to fine tune their pack riding skills and/or recover from a tough weekend of racing.
- If you are not comfortable riding side by side in approximately ONE-HALF LANE OF THE ROAD AT a 16 mph to 18 mph PACE (a little slower on the uphills/a little faster on the downhills), then please practice sitting on the back in a single file line until you are ready.
- Any riders found drifting too far towards the yellow line or not respecting pace/speed restrictions will be asked to go to the back. Don’t take it personally, it’s just the rule.

Last but not least, competitiveness has no place on a “social spin” such as the Monday Night ride. If you are looking to get a workout or challenge other riders, please look elsewhere.

Thanks,

Ken Glinka
ABD Cycling Team

Official Leland Results- Huge Props to the ABD'ers who tackled it!

While some ABD'ers were working on their base miles in Bloomington, others were turning pedals in anger over the gravel roads of the Leland Kermesse, a quickly growing classic. Here's the link to the officials results  and a big congrats to the ABD'ers out there - http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2010-516

Gary Anderson and Steve Lockwood mixed it up and finished(!) in the Men's 5 and Men's 40+ races on a day when many riders didn't. 

Adam Leibman finished top 25 in a Men's 1/2/3 race that saw over half the field drop out.

Konrad Witt  took 5th place in the Junior Men's race!

Verizon u25 p/b ABD riders Ryan Freund and John Meyers attacked 1.5 miles into a 77 mile race to power away to a one-two finish in the Men's 1/2/3 race.

Great job, everyone!

JFMTT Pre-Reg Closes Sunday Night; Live Results Postings; Wed Night Crits!

The John Fraser Memorial Time Trial, a 10 mile outdoor Time Trial and the final round of the 2010 ABD Cycle Club Indoor Time Trial Series, is next Sunday, April 11th in Maple Park, IL! 

Pre-registration for the event closes this Sunday night (April 4) at midnight! So far over 240 riders have registered and start times for pre-registered riders will be posted at www.ABDcycling.com no later than Wednesday morning. The first rider will be off at 8:01 a.m. and on-site registration opens at 6:45 a.m.

LIVE RESULTS POSTING! Que up those smartphones folks- you're result will be available IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR FINISH at www.ABDcycling.com and displayed on a monitor back at registration. Thanks to our support of the Verizon u25 Team p/b ABD (www.verizoncyclingteam.com), we'll be using a Verizon netbook and MiFi devices for a live posting of results. Log into ABDcycling.com the morning of the event to check your result back at the car or if you're not able to join us you can follow along at home!

IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION: We are asking that all riders park along DeKalb street off County Line Road (across the field south of registration) or in one of the few spots at the civic center. THERE IS NO RIDER PARKING NORTH OF THE CIVIC CENTER- in front of any houses, in the downtown area, or in the neighborhood around the start/finish area. Please understand that when 200 people descend on a small town at 6:30 in the morning on a Sunday that we cannot risk upsetting our hosts. A parking map will be available at www.ABDcycling.com in the next few days.

And here's a few other spicy announcements that we'll be posting more details about soon: 

- Better set-up the TiVo for American Idol and CSI- ABD is hosting Wednesday Night Training Races at the "Pelladrome" on April 28, May 5, May 12 and May 19!

- The Memorial Day Masters Weekend returns with the popular circuit race course! May 29, 30 & 31 we'll be hosting three days of racing for Men & Women 30 and older with over $5000 in prize money!

www.ABDcycling.com | FaceBook | Twitter 

ABD Cycling is proud to have the support of:

Prairie Path Cycles - www.prairiepathcycles.com

Trek Bicycles - www.trekbikes.com

Serfas Components - www.serfas.com

Verizon Wireless - www.verizon.com

Bontrager - www.bontrager.com

Shimano - www.shimano.com

ABD Indoor TT Hill Climb Results are Posted! Let us know how we did

Three down and one to go!

Thanks to all of the riders, sponsors, officials and ABD volunteers that made our 11th annual indoor time trial series another great success. We had close to 600 finishers over the three dates and our first ever “Hill Climb” event this weekend. Full results and current overall standings are posted at http://www.ABDcycling.com.

We’ve also posted a brief online survey for participants of this year’s indoor time trials. It would be a huge help if you could let us know how we’re doing at http://www.abdcycling.com/events/tt_survey.html

Next Saturday, March 27th, we’ll be hosting our first ever indoor invitational event at Prairie Path Cycles-Batavia! The top men and women from the Hill Climb will receive e-mails this evening inviting them to tackle the Morgul Bismark course in a mass-start Computrainer event with drafting enabled!

For riders that aren’t attending the invitational we recommend heading north on Saturday to Burnham Racing’s Spring Super Criterium at Blackhawk Raceway in South Beloit, IL. Full details are available at: http://burnhamracing.org/index.php?module=pages&func=display&pageid=3

The final event of the 2010 ABD TT Series is the John Fraser Memorial Time Trial and will be held on Sunday, April 11th in Maple Park, IL. We’ll be using our two-turnaround course that is just shy of 10 miles long. Stay tuned to www.ABDcycling.com for important parking information and a course map. NOTE: no rider parking will be allowed in the residential areas north of the Maple Park Civic Center.

The John Fraser Memorial Time Trial is also the opening outdoor event of the Mid America Time Trial Series, but MATT’s organizers will count the current overall indoor results as one (1) MATTS result. Riders competing in more events will be placed higher, i.e. a rider who competed in all three indoor events will receive more MATTS points than a rider that only competed in two indoor events. For more information on the Mid America Time Trial Series go to http://www.ambikerace.com

Preliminary Results Posted for ABD TT#2. Round #3 and the Invitational are just a month away!

        Thanks to everyone that came our for round #2 of the 2010 ABD Indoor Time Trial Series. 216 riders tackled CompuTrainer's official 10k course, with Will Nowak (Team TBD)again coming out on top for the men with a time of 14:16.46 and Stacy Applewick (Bouledogue Tout Noir) climbing from third to first with a time of 16:35.00. Complete results are posted at http://www.ABDcycling.com

        Round #3 of the ABD Indoor Time Trial Series is Saturday, March 20th on an all new Hill Climb course! After testing out this course we have finalized the distance at 8.5 kilometers and the course profile will be as follows:
        1 km @ 0% grade
        1 km @ 2%
        1 km @ -2%
        1 km @ 0%
        1 km @ 1%
        1 km @ 2%
        1 km @ 3%
        1.5 km @ 4%
If you have a Computrainer or access to a Cycling Center Facility (like the ABD Cycling Center at Prairie Path Cycles!), then you can download the course at http://www.abdcycling.com/events_files/TT_climb.crs

        PLUS, the top 16 Men and 8 Women from the Hill Climb qualify for the first ever ABD Invitational hosted by Prairie Path Cycles on Saturday, March 27th! Riders will race over the fabled “Coors Morgul Bismark” course in 8-up racing with drafting ON! All riders who qualify race for FREE and we have plenty of prizes and goodies on hand for the racers. Download the invitational flyer at http://www.abdcycling.com/files/Invitational_flyer.pdf

        Registration for round #3 and the John Fraser Memorial Time Trial on April 11th is now open and spots are filling quickly. Pre-Registration is strongly recommended to reserve a spot. Registration for the March 20th event closes at midnight on Sunday, March 14th.

Check us out on FaceBook and Twitter for all the latest updates:
http://www.facebook.com/abdcycling
http://www.twitter.com/abdcycling

The 2010 ABD Time Trial Series is brought you by:
Prairie Path Cycles: http://www.prairiepathcycles.com
Trek Bikes: http://www.trekbikes.com
Serfas: http://www.serfas.com
Bontrager: http://www.bontrager.com

John Fraser Memorial TT Returns to Maple Park & Winfield Weekend Returns to August!

        We are very pleased to report that the John Fraser Memorial Time Trial will be returning to Maple Park for the eigth consecutive year! The event is the final race in the 2010 ABD Indoor Time Trial Series and takes place on Sunday, April 11th. Registration information is available at ABDcycling.com.
        After discussions with the good folks of Maple Park we’ve found an agreeable parking solution that will lighten our early morning impact. Please be sure to stay tuned to ABDcycling.com for more details on the event- including the official flyer and parking maps.

        We are also very excited to announce that the Winfield Criterium Weekend has returned to original dates in late Summer on August 21st and 22nd. The town of Winfield is very excited about the switch, especially Tim Allen, host of the increasingly popular “King of the Hill” party during Saturday evening’s race. More details coming soon!

Preliminary Start Times are Posted for over 200 riders!

Start times for round #1 of the 2010 ABD Cycle Club’s Indoor Time Trial Series presented by Prairie Path Cycles are posted at www.ABDcycling.com!

The first event features our tried-and-trued FLAT 10k course. In 2009 Dan Verner (PACT-DishNetwork) and Jessica Prinner  (ABD) posted the fastest times on this course with a 13:53 and 15:50, respectively.

The 2010 ABD Time Trial Series features three indoor events and an outdoor Time Trial. The indoor events each feature different terrain with a flat course, rolling course and all-new “Hill Climb” course that ends with a 5 kilometer climb.

The fastest 16 men and 8 women from the Hill Climb will also receive FREE entry to an invitational indoor “Face-Off” at Prairie Path Cycles on Saturday, March 27th! The men will race two rounds of mass-start, drafting-enabled racing on the  famed Morgul Bismark course and the women will blaze through one round.

Winners of the overall time trial series from each category with at least three riders will take home a CycleOps JetFluid Pro trainer! These trainers are brand-new and will only be used in the CycleOps warm-up area for the three indoor events.

Thanks to all our sponsors!
http://www.PrairiePathCycles.com
http://www.Saris.com
http://www.Serfas.com
http://www.TrekBikes.com
http://www.Bontrager.com

2010 LMC Collegiate Cycling Opportunity

WE ARE RECRUITING FOR 2010 AND FUTURE STUDENTS

“It’s a great area for riding very hilly, but I’d say it’s the best area for training in the whole of the United States.”     --Lance Armstrong on Boone and Banner Elk, NC
Dear Cyclist,
At an elevation of 4,000 feet our riders train and study in some of the best terrain in the country.  We are minutes away from thousands of acres of national forest yielding over 500 miles of trails as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway, which lines our mountain tops with over 700 miles of paved roads.  This area is truly a mountain biker and road racer’s dream with epic climbs and great descents. 
Our campus sits in the shadow of Beech Mountain where Lance Armstrong renewed his passion for cycling only to win the Tour de France the very next summer.  At Lees-McRae College we are passionate about our surroundings and equally excited about the development of our cycling team and the individuals that make our team.
If you are looking for an opportunity to continue to develop your riding and move forward in your education, we would like to talk to you about a place on our cycling team.  We are a fully funded race team, recognized by USA Cycling and the South East Collegiate Cycling Conference.  Look for us at any major collegiate events throughout the country including Mountain, Track, Cyclocross and Road national championships. 
We are actively recruiting additional riders who are able to race mountain, track, cyclocross and or road.  We would like to discuss this opportunity with you.  Scholarships are available.
Check us out at www.lmc.edu or http://www.bobcatsports.lmc.edu/teams/index.php?sportcode=cycling  We look forward to hearing from you.
 
Luke Winger                                                                                                       Robert Jameson
Head Cycling Coach                                                                                         Assistant Cycling Coach
Lees-McRae College                                                                                       (828)898-3432
wingerlb@lmc.edu                                                                                          jamesonr@lmc.edu
(828)898-3432

·         DII, Mountain Bike National Champions 2003
·         DII, Mountain Bike National Champions 2004
·         DII, Mountain Bike National Champions 2005
·         DI, Cyclocross National Champions 2006
·         DI, Cyclocross National Champions 2007
·         DI, Road National Champions 2008
·         DI, Cyclocross National Champions 2008
·         20 plus National Championship podium finishes
 
 

Registration for ABD TT #1 & Pre-Reg Deal for the Series Closes Sunday Night!

The first ABD Indoor Time Trial of the year is next Sunday, January 24th and Pre-registration closes this Sunday at midnight!

This Sunday also marks the close of the "Series Pre-Reg Deal" - all 4 races for just $80! Save yourself $20 and sign up today!

Full Details and registration information is available at http://www.ABDcycling.com

PRELIMINARY START TIMES FOR ALL PRE-REGISTERED RIDERS WILL BE POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20th

Any riders who aren't pre-registered can sign up the day of the event for any available time slots.

The 2010 ABD Indoor TT Series is in it's 11th year and this year the overall winner of each category receives a CycleOps JetFluid Pro Trainer valued at $369.99! The dates of this year's series are:

TT#1: SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 - FLAT 10K
TT #2: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21 - ROLLING 10K
TT #3: - SATURDAY, MARCH 20 - 9K HILL CLIMB
INVITATIONAL - MARCH 27 (The top 16 men & women will race at the Prairie Path Cycles Cycling Center)
OUTDOOR FINALE: SUN, APRIL 11: JOHN FRASER MEMORIAL TT