*** If you won a State Championship last season and would like to purchase a State Championship jersey please email ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com for a link to the Pactimo store. That store will close soon.
The following are a list of the open positions on the board for the 2025 and 2026 years. Statements from each candidate will follow. Voting begins today and will end Tuesday Jan 21 at midnight. Each USA Cycling Registered Club can vote once in the election. A vote is a whole ballot. A reminder that this is done to help prevent any single large club with many members making all of the decisions for the whole state. Please submit votes in writing to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com
President
Rage Thomas – Okay Cycle Club
Kai Luan – Indigo Cycling
At Large
Robby Kanyur – Okay Cycle Club
Mark Wilson – Half Acre Cycling
Secretary
Tyler Bartley – Indigo Cycling
—-
President
Rage Thomas – Okay Cycle Club – “As a passionate cyclist and advocate for the entire Illinois cycling community, I am excited to run for President of the Illinois Cycling Association.
I grew up in Saint Charles, Illinois, and now call Chicago home, but I know Illinois cycling extends far beyond the Chicagoland area. I am committed to representing and supporting riders, clubs, and races from every corner of the state.
As an active member of Okay Cycle Club, I have served as Race Director, managing logistics and organizing our team and friends at racing events. My personal racing experience reflects my dedication to the sport: In 2024, I participated in 18 cyclocross races across 11 venues, 30 criterium races, and many Thursday night track events at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of what riders and organizers need to succeed and thrive.
Outside of cycling, I am proud to be an Eagle Scout, a distinction that instilled in me the values of leadership, service, and perseverance—qualities I bring to every challenge. Professionally, I serve as the Director of Alliances & Partnerships at Nopal Cyber, a cybersecurity startup.
As President, I aim to foster a more inclusive and connected cycling culture in Illinois, encourage increased participation in races, and provide greater support for clubs and event organizers statewide. I also envision a more active ICA website, an enhanced social media presence, and improved collaboration across teams to create a better cycling experience for everyone in Illinois.
Let’s work together to continue building a vibrant, dynamic, and accessible bicycle racing community across Illinois. Thank you for your consideration.”
Kai Luan – Indigo Cycling – “In 2024, I served as the Secretary of the Illinois Cycling Association (ICA), a position I am stepping down from in order to pursue the Presidency. My vision as President is to grow cycling both as a competitive and recreational sport, expand the demographic of riders across the state, increase the organization’s transparency and communication, and ensure that clubs and individual cyclists have greater access to resources and support that they need.
During my time as Secretary, I took proactive steps to enhance the recognition, accessibility, and transparency of the ICA. I regularly circulated meeting summaries from our monthly board meetings to local club leaders to keep them informed. I also launched the ICA’s Instagram account to connect with a broader network of cyclists both within Illinois and nationwide. By attending the national Local Association meetings, I connected with leaders from other state cycling associations, learning from their experiences to help improve the ICA’s operations.
As an active cyclist, I’ve been deeply involved in the local cycling community. My cycling journey began in an Illinois collegiate cycling program, where I recognized the importance of mentorship. This led me to help organize my first race, Monsters of the Midway. Since then, I have served as Race Director for numerous other events, including nationally recognized criteriums like the Intelligentsia Cup/Chicago Grit – Fulton Market race. I am still a passionate and competitive racer, currently holding the US Paracycling Road Race and Time Trial National Champion. I continue to race locally and nationally, and my experience at both levels have provided me with invaluable insights into what is needed to run successful events and grow strong, sustainable cycling clubs.
Additionally, I am a co-founder and the current President of Indigo Cycling. Despite completing only our first year, we have already made a significant impact on the local Chicago cycling scene. We’ve organized practice races, led group rides, and hosted fundraising events, including providing race grant funding to numerous cyclists. For 2025, we’ve partnered with Rough Road, Barry Roubaix, and Mid South to promote paracycling participation on the national level.
I believe the ICA has the potential to play a greater role in fostering a thriving and inclusive cycling community in Illinois. With my experience as a race director, active racer, and leader within the cycling community, I am confident that I can help guide the ICA towards new opportunities for growth, collaboration, and greater support for all cyclists. On your left and have a good day!”
—-
At Large
Robby Kanyur – Okay Cycle Club – “My name is Robby Kanyur, and I live on the northwest side of Chicago in a neighborhood called Humboldt Park. I started riding bikes as a teenager in the mountains of Arizona. Back then, I was seeking freedom and adventure. As an adult, I continued to bike as a form of exploration and recreation – and eventually, as a way to get from point A to point B.
My first bike race unlocked a whole new world for me. I loved feeling like a beginner again, trying different disciplines, and ultimately finding one I fell in love with. Racing bikes has brought me friendship, competition, fitness, and camaraderie.
But for me, the best part has been watching my partner and my friends discover their own reasons to love bikes. To watch them line up for their first cyclocross race, slide down the side of a muddy hill, and ride up to me after the race, grinning. Seeing them line up again the next week. And the week after that.
The more I race, the more I appreciate how much time and effort has been dedicated to competitive cycling in Illinois. I want to contribute to that however I can – preserving the work that has already been done, and finding new ways to welcome and support the next generation of racers.
I am excited and proud to accept this nomination and would be grateful for your vote.”
Mark Wilson – Half Acre Cycling – “Where I would add to the board as Officer at Large is through my strengths as an individual, listening to other’s points of view and building consensus. I welcome suggestions and would work with the board and ICA membership to look at ways to increase event participation. As with most projects, sustainable results do not usually come overnight or without effort. I’m willing to put in that effort to support the board and ICA membership knowing that we may see only incremental shifts in participation over the course of my term.
I am confident I can also faithfully execute the current duties of organization and administration for the Illinois Cup having been responsible for managing large projects as part of my career. Always looking to learn, I would seek guidance from the outgoing officer to transition the current responsibilities.
Should I be elected to serve on the board, my focus would be on how to best serve our membership. While I cannot promise every suggestion will be acted upon, I will hear out and consider suggestions made in good faith and be willing to explain why particular actions were or were not taken.”
—-
Secretary
Tyler Bartley – Indigo Cycling – “I’m running for Secretary of the Illinois Cycling Association because I believe in building a cycling community that reflects the full spirit of Chicago: diverse, resilient, and ever-evolving. I want to help amplify voices that haven’t been heard enough, support grassroots events that bring riders together, and ensure that cycling in Illinois grows in both participation and inclusion.
My journey in Chicago’s cycling community began in 2016 with a simple goal: to ride. I joined group rides with Spider Monkeys, Johnny Sprockets, and Rapha, and quickly realized that cycling in Chicago specifically was rarely just a solo pursuit — it was about connecting with others. After my first year riding with Rapha, I took on the role of ride leader, a position that gave me the privilege to meet riders of all skill levels and aspirations. It showed me firsthand how passionate Chicago’s cycling scene is — and how much potential we have to grow together.
In recent years, my focus has shifted toward building the kind of cycling community I want to see. Together with Kai and others, we’ve worked to foster a more inclusive, accessible, and diverse cycling culture in Chicago. That means more people on bikes, more representation at all levels of the sport, and more opportunities for riders to participate and thrive.
One initiative I’m especially proud of is the Steelworkers Park Crit Series, which brought racing to the South Side in 2024 — and we’re already working to bring it back in 2025. I’ve also
helped create a race grant aimed at increasing access for Chicago and Midwest riders, ensuring more athletes can show up, race, and succeed.
There’s more to be done — so let’s keep building the future of Illinois cycling, together.”
——