By Imelda March
A sunny but extremely windy day greeted the riders in the Village of Bartlett, a northwest suburb of the city of Chicago. This was the second year that this race was held in this suburb. The race course was peppered with multiple twists, fast pavement, mud and four barriers. A single barrier greeted the riders moments after the gun, with a 3-barrier combination was strategically placed within yards of the finish line. A twisty section with an up hill combination would lead riders to a sharp left and onto the final straightaway up to the finish line.
Elite Men
Scott McLaughlin (Sram Factory Team) added a second victory to his racing resume in as many races. The winner of Chicago Cross Cup #4, McLaughlin took the victory in Barlett in front of Wayne Simon (Verdigris Custom Homes), Kevin Klug (Killjoy), Luca Lenzi (Pony Shop), and Christando Lombardo (Verdigris Custom Homes), respectively.
Elite Women
Several powerhouses decided to stay on terra firma rather than get blown away by the strong winds this past weekend. A smallish nine women field started the race and Holly Klug (Killjoy) took the hole shot into the first barrier followed closely by June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes). Immediately after the remount Klug continued her assault on the hill. She went nowhere, however, having fallen victim to a bottom bracket mechanical.
Upshaw easily took over the lead. With her toughest competitor down with a mechanical, Upshaw needed only to battle the high winds over the course to take the solo win.
Leah Sanda (Flatlandia), Jessica Hill (Trails End Cycling), Debbie Pielet (Albertos), and Beth Christiansen (xXx Racing - AthletiCo) rounded out the five deep podium.
Upcoming Events
Racing continues with the Chicago Cyclocross Cup Race #6 on Sunday, November 2 in St Charles, Illinois. Further information about the series can be found by visiting www.chicrosscup.com
Costume 'cross. That could be fun all season!
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