By Imelda March
The 8th installment of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup traveled to the southern suburb of the Village of Lansing for the Lan-Oak Cyclocross Race. The course was flat as a pancake. But what the course lacked in elevation, it more than made up for it with multiple twisty sections and a loose sand pit. The trickiest part of the course was the run up to the sand pit. A well placed barrier just before the sand pit forced riders to dismount and quickly remount just before, and sometimes in the sand pit.
This section was promptly renamed “Hecklers Lane” because it was lined with enthusiastic spectators who got more and more “creative” in their support as the race wore on. The group decided to provide the riders with the unofficial “dip for dollars” prime. The “hecklers” placed half-sunk dollar bills into the sand which tempted each passing rider to get creative in their grab for cash.
The course itself was bone dry with no mud in sight since no precipitation had fallen the day before. The weather was partly cloudy with periods of sun through out the race. Temperatures stayed steady in the low 30 degree Fahrenheit; however, as the day progressed things did not get any better because as the wind picked up the thermometer dipped south. By late afternoon a few flurries started falling and embrocating was highly recommended.
Twenty one collegiate riders represented the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC) in which they earned points in their respected categories.
Elite Women
In the Elite Women's race, it was Killjoy vs. Verdigris Custom Homes. The women kept a close watch on each other, but it was a familiar Chicago Cyclocross Cup podium name who took the initiative. Holly Klug (Killjoy) took on the vaunted duo from Verdigris Custom Homes and kept the gas on all the way into the finish. Verdigris Custom Homes teammates, Debbie Dust and June Upshaw rounded out the three-deep podium.
Results - Elite Women
1 Holly Klug (Killjoy)
2 Debbie Dust (Verdigris Custom Homes)
3 June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes)
4 Leah Sanda (Flatlandia)
5 Jessica Hill (Trails End Cycling)
6 Debbie Pielet (Albertos)
7 Lisa Distel
8 Beth Christiansen (xXx Racing - AthletiCo)
9 Sue Semanszczuk (ABD)
10 Gina Kenny (ABD)
Elite Men/Collegiate Men A
The 8th race of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup would be a tale of “two’s;” two fields and two races. A relatively large 25 man field, created by combining the Collegiate Men A with the Elite Men, contested the fast and flat course in the Village of Lansing. The race itself would end up being a story of two men, one who would make the race and the other who would win it.
In the first part of the race, Scott McLaughlin (SRAM) pushed hard to stay ahead of the both the Collegiate and Elite riders. Further back, the Lindsey Wilson College duo of Clayton Omer (below) and Daniel Estevez anxiously waited their turn. Working well together, Omer and Estevez would eventually catch up to McLaughlin.
With a lap and half to go McLaughlin would get dropped by Omer who rode the sandpit cleanly. Clayton Omer (Lindsey Wilson College) would not relinquish the lead and rode to victory in front of the hard working McLaughlin. Despite his second overall, McLaughlin would take the Elite Men’s division; his fourth win of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series. Kevin Klug (Killjoy) rolled in for third overall, 2nd in the Elite division, followed by Daniel Estevez (Lindsey Wilson College) who earned second in the collegiate segment. They were followed by Brian Conant (Pony Shop) in 5th (3rd in the Elite category) and Derek Lan (Purdue University) in 6th (3rd in the collegiate division).
Results - Elite Men
1 Scott McLaughlin (SRAM; inset)2 Kevin Klug (Killjoy)
3 Brian Conant (Pony Shop)
4 Tim Boundy (Verdigris Custom Homes)
5 Brad Zoller
6 Brian Dougherty (Verdigris Custom Homes)
7 Eric Sondag (Vision Quest)
8 Lou Kuhn (Pony Shop)
9 Teodoro Ramos (Verdigris Custom Homes)
10 Ara Oggoian (Bicycle Heaven Chicago)
Results - Collegiate Men A
1 Clayton Omer (Lindsey Wilson College)2 Daniel Estevez (Lindsey Wilson College)
3 Derek Laan (Purdue University; inset)
4 Jonathan Schutter (University of Missouri)
5 Kip Spaude (Lindsey Wilson College)
6 Matthew Dooley (Lindsey Wilson College)
7 Jake Zimmerman (Lindsey Wilson College)
8 Peter Smith (Lindsey Wilson College)
Collegiate Women
Not to be outdone by their men, the women of Lindsey Wilson College likewise came ready to ride. Ashley James (below) and Emily Benson would represent the mountain bike powerhouse located in Columbia, Kentucky. The teammates did more that show up to earn their points, they obliterated the field.
Like their male brethren, the collegiate women were combined with another category, in this case the Category 4 women, which made for a crowded 22 woman field. It quickly became apparent that the Cat 4 field was duly over matched by the three co-eds in the race. Ashley James (Lindsey Wilson College) took immediate command of the race and seemed to open up the throttle with each passing lap. With a lead that would swell to a gargantuan 60 seconds at times, Ashley earned the 80 points with very little difficulty. Ashley, who will be part of Team Kenda’s NRC Elite team for 2009, swept the collegiate weekend that began Saturday at Purdue University. Emily Benson (inset) took 2nd while Rebecca Chan (University of Illinois) took 3rd.Results - Collegiate Women
1 Ashley James (Lindsey Wilson College)
2 Emily Benson (Lindsey Wilson College)
3 Rebecca Chan (University of Illinois)
Upcoming Events
The next stop for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup is the Ed Brophy Memorial Cross #9 scheduled for Sunday, November 23 in Woodstock, Illinois. This cause event will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Additional information about his race and the series can be found by visiting http://www.chicrosscup.com
Photos: Amy Dykema (first through third, fifth, seventh, eighth); Luke Seemann (fourth); Joe Gaspar (sixth); Paul Forsythe (ninth & tenth)
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