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 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 filmed at a hotel located in the village.
A damp and partly cloudy day brought out the dedicated to mix it up in treacherous cross conditions with temperatures that hovered around the 30 degree Fahrenheit mark.
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 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.
The course design and amenities received rave 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 Sheer (Pony Shop) made the trip up from Indianapolis,IN 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 who took second. Locals Scott McLaughlin (SRAM), Kevin Klug (Killjoy), and Luca Lenzi (Pony Shop) rounded out the podium.
Results - Top 10
1 Mike Sheer (Pony Shop)
2 James Lalonde (Ellis Cycles)
3 Scott McLaughlin (SRAM)
4 Kevin Klug (Killjoy)
5 Luca Lenzi (Pony Shop)
6 Wayne Simon (Verdigris Custom Homes)
7 Christando Lombardo (Verdigris Custom Homes)
8 Michael Hemmi (Bicycle Heaven)
9 Kyle Jacobsen (Iscorp)
10 Matthew Stewart (Bicycle Heaven)
Elite Women
In the Elite Women's race, Rebecca Much (xXx Racing/AthletiCo), the current United States U23 TT Champion plowed through the field. Unmatched, Much arrived solo at the line to take yet another win in the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series.
The battle held by the chasers went to Holly Klug (Killjoy). The remaining podium spots went to: Jessica Hill (Trail’s End Cycling) in 3rd, Pam Loebig (Bike Reg.com) 4th and June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes) in 5th.
Results - Top Ten1 Rebecca Much (xXx Racing – AthletiCo)
2 Holly Klug (Killjoy)
3 Jessica Hill (Trail's End Cycling)
4 Pam Loebig (Bike Reg.com)
5 June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes)
6 Debbie Pielet (Albertos)
7 Leah Sanda (Flatlandia)
8 Wendy Gaddy (Albertos)
9 Beth Christensen (xXx Racing - AthletiCo)
10 Heidi Sarna (xXx Racing – AthletiCo)
Upcoming Events
The next stop for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup is the Lan Oak Park #8 scheduled for Sunday, November 16. This race will feature collegiate racing for both men and women. Additional information about his race and the series can be found by visiting www.chicrosscup.com
Photos: Luke Seemann (first through fourth); Amy Dykema (fifth through seventh).
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