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McLaughlin and Klug power to the podium

By Imelda March

The unofficial "dip for dollars" preme.
Photo ©: Luke Seeman

The eighth installment of the Chicago Cyclo-cross Cup travelled to the southern Chicago suburb of Lansing. The course was flat as a pancake but filled with multiple twisty sections and a loose sand pit. The tricky part of this course was a barrier just before the sand pit which forced a dismount followed by a quick mount straight into the sandpit. This section was renamed "hecklers lane" because it was lined with enthusiastic spectators who got creative as the race went on. The group decided to provide the riders with the unofficial "dip for dollars" preme. The hecklers placed half-sunk dollar bills into the sand which forced the passing riders to dismount and grab the dollar bills as they passed through.

The weather was partly cloudy with periods of sun throughout the race. Temperatures stayed at approximately 30 degrees Fahrenheit and by late afternoon a few flurries started falling..

Elite Women

In the Elite Women's race, it was Killjoy vs. Verdigris Custom Homes. The Elite Women kept a close watch on each other; however, Holly Klug (Killjoy) took the opportunity to take on the duo from Verdigris Custom Homes. Klug (Killjoy) kept on the gas and gained a slight lead. She kept her lead all the day to the finish. She was followed by Debbie Dust (Verdigris Custom Homes) in 2nd with June Upshaw (Verdigris Custom Homes) rounding out the podium.

Elite Men and Collegiate Men A

Clayton Omer (Lindsay Wilson College)
Photo ©: Joe Gaspar

The Collegiate Men A race was combined with the Elite Men. This combination represented a 25 man field. In the first part of the race, Scott McLaughlin (Sram) was concerned with staying ahead of the both the collegiate and the other Elite riders. He pushed the pace hard. Further back, two Lindsay Wilson College men were keen on catching McLaughlin. Clayton Omer (Lindsay Wilson College) and Daniel Estevez (Lindsay Wilson College) caught up with McLaughlin (SRAM) and began playing tag. Fast forward to 1.5 laps to go and McLaughlin gets dropped by Omer who rode the sandpit cleanly. Omer kept the effort hard and McLaughlin was not able to gain on him. Clayton Omer (Lindsay Wilson College) was the eventual race winner followed by Scott McLaughlin (SRAM). The win for McLaughlin (SRAM) in the Elite Men division represented his fourth win within the series. Kevin Klug (Killjoy) rolled in after McLaughlin earning 2nd in the Elite division followed by Daniel Estevez (Lindsay Wilson College) who earned second in the collegiate segment. He was followed by Brian Conant (Pony Shop) who earned 3rd in the Elite category while Derek Lan (Purdue University) pick up 3rd in the collegiate division.

Collegiate Women

Lindsay Wilson College did not want to leave anything to chance, as a result, two women from this mountain bike powerhouse showed up to earn the top points. The collegiate women were combined with the category 4 women and this made for a crowded 22 women field; however, only three represented the collegiate segment. Ashley James (Lindsay Wilson College) took immediate command of the race and pushed hard with each lap. Her lead reached a gargantuan 60 seconds. She earned the 80 points with little difficulty. James swept the collegiate weekend that began Saturday at Purdue University. Ashley James will be part of Team Kenda NRC Elite team for 2009. Emily Benson (Lindsay Wilson College), her teammate took 2nd while Rebecca Chan (University of Illinois) took 3rd.

Results

Elite men
 
1 Scott McLaughlin (SRAM)                       
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)        
 
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)                             
11 Imelda March (Team Kenda)                    
 
Collegiate men
 
1 Clayton Omer (Lindsay Wilson College)         
2 Daniel Estevez (Lindsay Wilson College)       
3 Derek Laan (Purdue University)                
4 Jonathan Schutter (University of Missouri)    
5 Kip Spaude (Lindsay Wilson College)           
6 Matthew Dooley (Lindsay Wilson College)       
7 Jake Zimmerman (Lindsay Wilson College)       
8 Peter Smith (Lindsay Wilson College)          
 
Collegiate women
 
1 Ashley James (Lindsay Wilson College)         
2 Emily Benson (Lindsay Wilson College)         
3 Rebecca Chan (University of Illinois)