Cobb Park Criterium

Photo Credit: Shane Feehery

COMMITTED TO COMPETITION

Photo Credit: Edmund White

Cobb Park Criterium

COMMITTED TO BICYCLE RACING IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

News

2024 Cyclocross State Championship Bidding Open

The ICA is now accepting bids for the 2024 Cyclocross State Championships. Any race wanting to be considered has until Wednesday June 26 to fill out the application.

Races will then be present in order for a vote to take place. As before all teams/clubs have a single vote each. The club system is responsible for all races that take place in the state. It was reaffirmed at the board meeting on 6/12/24 that by choosing not to participate in the club system, unattached riders are sacrificing their opportunity to participate in deciding what club’s race will be state championship. If you are currently unattached and want to be heard we encourage you to find and join a club. There is a tool at USA cycling that will help you find a club

Also the ICA is in fact also a club within the USA Cycling system and if nothing else will work then unattached riders do have the option of “joining” the ICA club within USA Cycling. They are then asked to send their “vote” for consideration in to the ICA email at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Questions can be sent to the same email address.

2024 State Championships Update

The votes have been tallied. The Elmhurst Cycling Classic on June 8, 2024 will be our State Criterium Championship.

We have added a State TT championship as there is now 1 TT scheduled under USA Cycling for the year under the Autobahn Omnium. The following are our current State Championships for 2024

TT: Autobahn Omnium hosted by South Chicago Wheelman March 30/31

Criterium: Elmhurst Cycling Classic June 8th

Gravel: Little Apple, August 4, Manhattan, IL

A note on voting: when we have voting for State Championships we allow 1 vote per team. We do this to help balance out the state. The overwhelming majority (at times upwards of over 80%) of licensed racers in the state live in the greater Chicagoland area. At times some of the teams in that area have been so large (some of the largest in the country) that if we allowed individual votes we might as well simply ask those teams what they want as their numbers would decide the outcome on their own. By making the vote 1 vote per team we are effectively reducing the large teams into a single and equal vote.

If as an individual you feel that your voice isn’t being heard then we highly encourage you to join a club/team so that you may help that team to vote when it comes time.

Participation in this year’s vote was low enough that the board refrained from voting.

Speaking of the board we have a new Secretary: Kaiwen (Kai) Luan (Indigo Cycling)

Also here’s a reminder regarding State Championship Jerseys. USA Cycling took steps about 3 years ago to massively change the funding each Local Association receives. The old model used to include getting a portion of each license payment. Under the new system a small portion of each rider day is sent to the LA. This has effectively cut the funding of the ICA to a small fraction of what used to be received. It no longer allows for us to pay for a free jersey for every single State Championship winner and still be able to maintain the LA resources such as the reg computer, 2 way radios used at each event, finish Lynx camera system, lap counter, etc. As such we are slowly working through the remainder of the jerseys we have in inventory. When they are gone they are gone. Working with Pactimo we will occasionally have an open “store” where a jersey in the needed size can be ordered by any winner who wishes to purchase one on their own.

If you ever win and want to purchase a jersey on your own then please let us know so that we can include you on an email when that store is opened the 1 or 2 times a year it will open. You can email us at ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com

Final Illinois Cup schedule is near completion so please look for it here when it is available.

ICA Race Directors Meeting 2024

Illinois Cycling Association is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: ICA Public Monthly Board Meetings
Time: Feb 11, 2024 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

The 2024 ICA Race Director’s meeting will be held at 12pm on February 11 on the 2nd floor of the site of the Chicago Bike Swap in the Kane County Fairgrounds (525 S Randall Rd, St. Charles, IL 60174).

All are welcome. We cover information that race directors will find useful for the upcoming season. New or perspective race directors or even club members looking to learn information to take back to their club are welcome.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84802395579?pwd=SUpQcGU4U2srYXo4N1k2VUcwcitBQT09

Meeting ID: 848 0239 5579
Passcode: 312847

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kn3dd1PQu

2024 Criterium Voting and Board News

There have officially been 2 races that have submitted applications to be the 2024 Illinois State Criterium Championship. As of now all voting is open. Each Race’s statement will be at the end of this post. Each registered club with USA Cycling will be allowed 1 vote as a club. The board of the ICA will be allowed to vote as a “club” with a total of 2 votes (discussed and confirmed during the last open board meeting). Clubs may officially submit their vote via email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com. Voting has been extended to Feb 13 so that we may decide/announce at our next board meeting on the 14th.

The Annual Race Director’s meeting is being held at the Chicago Winter Bike Swap THIS Sunday Feb 11 from 1-3. Please use the following link to RSVP for the event so we are prepared. http://tinyurl.com/ICA-RD-Meeting At these meetings we usually cover upcoming changes in store for race directors in 2024, answer questions and generally share ideas and contacts, etc. All are welcome to attend in person or virtually. In person will be held at the bike swap venue in a meeting room on the second floor.

This year we had one individual nominated to run for the role of Secretary of the ICA. This individual will be replacing Kevin Pietka and we will formally welcome them at our next board meeting.

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Candidate 1 – Elmhurst Cycling Classic – The following is their submission in their own words:

We respectfully submit the June 8, 2024 Elmhurst Cycling Classic for Criterium State Championship venue.

We believe the State Championship designation is important as we relaunch our event post-Covid and post-Intelligentsia, and we feel we have created a schedule, arena and reputation worthy of the designation.  Our all-volunteer team is working hard to make this a fan-packed, exciting day of racing and family fun.  Some highlights:

  1. Payouts – We have attractive payouts that make Elmhurst an exciting, competitive venue.  Please note, as of early January, we are already at a $250 crowd prime for P 123 men and women each.  We expect that to grow significantly.
  2. Schedule – We generally mirrored past State Championship schedule for cycling, and have added the Elmhurst Twilight Mile so competitors can bring family or friends who want to compete on a 1 mile course in front of the same crowds.  It is a FULL DAY of activity.  We end the day with a Family Fun Ride in front of the crowds.
  3. IL Cup – We have been accepted by Chad Briggs in to the Illinois Cup and adjusted our schedule to reflect necessary categories.
  4. Venue – The race circles scenic Elmhurst University and is next to Wilder Park.  Families will have plenty to do, including park attractions and a Beer Garden at Wilder Mansion (Beer, and yes, an actual garden).
  5. Spectators – The return of the Elmhurst Cycling Classic has been met very positively by the City and residents, and there will be thousands of fans throughout the day watching the races.  For teams with a corporate sponsor, this is a fantastic opportunity to highlight their sponsor’s brand in front of spectators.
  6. Residents – The residents on the course want the race back and hope for a great turn out.  We have identified some homes that want the racers to stop by their party after they race.  We may print signs (or the residents will) for teams that send multiple racers, especially in the latter events.  Personal cheering sections!
  7. Logistics – We are easily accessible off 294/290, and have a ton of parking on the course (Elmhurst University).  There will be food, neutral support, hotel blocks at a discount, and we are working on a hospitality tent for athletes.  We anticipate this being a draw from all of Chicagoland, but also WI, MI, IN, IA and more.

Our mission – The Elmhurst Cycling Classic is the premier event of DuPage Cycling Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.  We seek to:

  1. Offer a healthy lifestyle event for the area, whether bike racing, running, or fun ride
  2. We want to bring the community together, and that includes the cycling community and the residents
  3. And ultimately, we do this for charity.  If we are able to have any surplus funds after hosting the event, we drive that back in to the community through charities that help those in need.  Nobody on EMC2 nor DuPage Cycling Foundation takes any compensation.  We are doing all this to give back.

They also included the following Preliminary Flyer

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Candidate 2 – Edwardsville Rotary Criterium Festival – The following is their submission in their own words:

Our Criterium is late season, always the 3rd Saturday of August, this year August 17.   This is our fourteenth event.

The attached flyer, while not 100% final nor permitted, will allow you to visualize our event and races.

Our Criterium has a great history of an event that is safe for racers/spectator, and a very lively/large crowd.  Our course is challenging.  There’s something for most any racer.

We were pleased to host our first IL Cup in 2023 and will host another this year.  We learned a few things from last years event and have made adjustments.  We are always willing to adjust.

One change is we’ve gone from 5 minutes between races to now 10 minutes.

We are adding an award stand with a backdrop near the S/F line.  This will allow for awards, that due to time constraints, aren’t possible to be podiumed between races.

We will continue to use our mobile platform to recognize the top finishers between races, under the S/F line banner.

Edwardsville is a vibrant, growing community.  Edwardsville has ample hotel accommodations and great dining options.  Edwardsville is also surrounded by an amazing network of bike trails.

Checkout this great video of the 2023 Criterium:  https://youtu.be/sdqD9VuQTXw

Our website is in the final stages of being update/freshened.  Please don’t get the wrong impression due to last years information still being present.    https://edwardsvillecriterium.page/

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Again each registered club is allowed 1 vote. Each club may submit their vote via email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com until midnight on Feb 13.

2024 Early News

With the 2024 season quickly approaching we have quite a few things to go over.

Applications for the 2024 State Championships are now open. Races can put their name in the hat for selection by sending an email to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com and including their race name, date of event, a flyer if available, and a couple of paragraphs that will be sent to all voting teams for consideration. The following championships are now open for application through Jan 27, 2024:

  • Criterium
  • Road Race
  • Mtb
  • Gravel
  • Time Trial

Voting will then take place from Jan 28 through Feb 9th. Each registered club with USA Cycling will be allowed 1 vote as a club. The board of the ICA will be allowed to vote as a “club” with a total of 2 votes (discussed and confirmed during the last open board meeting). Due to the ongoing low number of races applying we will once again forego having a State Championship Committee for 2024.

Track championships will once again be a part of the programs at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome. Refer to https://www.northbrookcyclecommittee.org/ for any pertinent information as it develops throughout the season.

We will open applications for the 2024 Cyclocross State Championship in June 2024.

Speaking of the board we have 3 board positions that are currently up for vote:

  • Treasurer: Currently held by Brenda Feehrey (South Chicago Wheelmen) who will run for the position again.
  • Vice President: Currently held by Michael Kelly (South Chicago Wheelmen) who will run for the position again.
  • Secretary: Currently held by Kevin Pietka who has stated he will continue to fill the role if no one steps up but would like to see someone new step up to take it over.

To nominate someone please send your nomination in to ilcyclingassociation@gmail.com through Jan 27, 2024. Do us all a favor and please discuss your nomination with the individual you are nominating before submitting it and save everyone some time and refrain from submitting it if that individual has no intention of filling the role. Voting will take place at the same time as the Championships voting.

All Clubs must be in currently good standing with USA Cycling and a member of the Illinois Cycling Association as their Local Association designator in order to place a vote.

Our annual Race Director Meeting will once again be held during the 2024 Chicago Winter Bike Swap. Interested parties may attend in person or virtually. Please use the following link to RSVP for the event so we are prepared. http://tinyurl.com/ICA-RD-Meeting At these meetings we usually cover upcoming changes in store for race directors in 2024, answer questions and generally share ideas and contacts, etc.

Speaking of race directing a new web series is being hosted by USA Cycling for all who are interested. Topics and dates are as follows:

  • Tuesday, January 23: CHAMPIONING USA CYCLING’S SAFE SPORT PROTOCOL AT SANCTIONED EVENTS
  • Tuesday, February 20: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 101
  • Tuesday, March 19: EVENT INSURANCE
  • Tuesday, April 16: STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE YOUR EVENT
  • Tuesday, September 17: STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING YOUR EVENT
  • Tuesday, October 15: STAFFING YOUR EVENT FOR SUCCESS
  • Tuesday, November 19: BUILDING ROBUST CLUB AND COLLEGIATE CYCLING PROGRAMS

More information about the series as well as registering is available at https://usacycling.org/2024-event-organizer-webinar-series

Illinois Cup is being finalized but may see as many as 7 events take part in this years series so keep your eyes open for announcements.