Fox River Omnium Race Preview!

The other morning I woke from a crazy dream, the tifosi were screaming and crowding the street as I slowly made my way up the climb. The road kept climbing, and the lactic acid filled my legs as I tried to turn the cranks over and over. As I saw the end of the climb, I awoke. Confused I tried to think of ways to make this dream a reality without crossing the Atlantic, but then I remembered: Fox River Grove is only days away!

Oh you say you aren’t a climber, you wilt like Cipo when the road tilts up hill?

Well this year the collective of Psimet, Enzo’s and Rhythm Racing have built an omnium for those who fly uphill like Panati and those who sprint with the panache of Petacchi. Then again; with the unique scoring system dreamed up by the evil mind of Rob “Psimet” Curtis, maybe an all-arounder like Bettini will rule the weekend.

The Fox River Omnium will take place on Saturday May 19th in Elgin’s Lords Park and on May 20th on the famed Fox River Grove ski hill. There will be lots of prize money both days, as the added bonus of a winner's jersey, awarded for the omnium in each category, featuring both the green of a sprinter's jersey and the polka dots of a king of the mountains jersey.

Racers will take to the Elgin course in hopes of lining up a sprint finish to take an early lead in the event. Not only will racers be rewarded for a strong finish but 2 sprint laps peppered throughout each race should add a level of excitement not always seen during other local crits. The city of Elgin is eager to welcome racing back to their streets, let’s give them a show.

After a day of railing corners and sprinting for series points, racers will take on the daunting Fox River Grove hill on Sunday. Local legend has it that the hill rises 20% in sections and the race has a reputation amongst locals as being a hard-man’s (or hard-woman’s) race. According to local masters racer Mark Swartzendruber (Scarletfire Racing) “It's a true tough guy (gal) course. You've got to be able to power up a hill and descend fearlessly. Not a course for Feckless Weenies.”

Every Chicago area racer would love to add a Fox River Grove win to their palmarès, its the type of win that add prestige to a racer’s career. In 2011 Mia Moore (Les Petites Victoires) took the top step of the podium, she shared the following “I wanted to win that race SO BADLY! I had been waiting all year for redemption after getting dropped from the podium group the year prior.”

While the racers will be suffering on the fox river grove hill, spectators will sure to be smiling. When asked what made Fox River Grove a special race, Tim Speciale (Enzo’s - Psimet) said “It's obviously The Hill.  In Illinois almost all of our races are flat so it’s unique and challenging from that perspective, but the course/neighborhood also provides an awesome venue for spectators. It has been the race I tell my non-cycling friends to come watch since I started racing.  Even if you get shelled, you’re bound to have a great time.”

With that being said please encourage your friends and family to come out and support a great event. In my mind there is no reason Lords Park and the Fox River Grove hill shouldn’t be covered with rowdy spectators just like the parcours of the Giro (oddly enough another May Race).

In bocca al lupo at The Fox River Omnium