Images From Downers Grove

Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine) greets teammate Laura Van Gilder at the start of the Saturday's Cat 1/2/3 race.

Amber Rais (Team TIBCO) shows off her cornering skills; a must for the 8 corner course at Downers Grove.

Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) and Laura Van Gilder (Cheerwine) mark each other in Saturday's race. The pair is inextricably linked to the races in Downers Grove because of the 2006 finale.

My former teammate who currently runs the website Chicago Bike Racing, Luke Seemann (xXx Racing - Athletico) competed in the Cat 3 race and then filled in for an under-manned Velonews staff.

Meredith Miller (Aaron's Women's Professional Cycling) was active all weekend. Finishing second on Saturday, Miller attempted another breakaway on Sunday.

Vanderkitten's Leigh Valletti "rips" it up heading into the first turn during Sunday's SRAM Elite Women's National Criterium Championship.

Ken Hanson (California Giant Berry Farms) takes the victory in the Double Tree Guest Suites Elite Men's National Criterium Championship.

The quintessential racer, Antonio Cruz (BMC Racing) narrowly missed taking the stars and stripes jersey finishing in fourth on Sunday.

Kirk O'Bee (Health Net presented by Maxxis) showed well over the weekend in defense of his title. He would finish in fourth during Saturday's warm-up and in 24th on Sunday.

A surprise to most in the field, and probably moreso to himself, Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Chipotle) a Lemont, IL native lined up for Sunday's SAAB USA Cycling Professional Criterium Championship. Despite carrying the American banner in the Tour de France, Vande Velde was not too well respected by some in the field. That is, until he took a flyer late in the race and put the peloton into some difficulty.

Photos: Leonard Basobas