For the most, top-level American criterium racing takes the less beaten path in its locations around the United States. College towns, up-and-coming cities, and suburban environments are staples of the scene as race promoters look for communities receptive to American cycling’s particular brand of “rock and roll.”
Along the American Criterium Cup, we’ve seen many of these environments, ranging from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Indianapolis, Indiana, the calendar has found temporary homes across countless cities each with its quirks and intrigue. Yet, this week, things take on yet another feeling as it takes on the third biggest city of the country with its stop on the Chicago Grit series.
Chicago Grit, formerly the Intelligentsia Cup, is Illinois’ premier bike racing series with 10 days of racing across Chicagoland. Like the Tour of America’s Dairyland, Grit brings in riders from across the country and around the world to put on some of the very biggest criterium fields all year as racers enjoy the proximity between races, the extracurriculars around the Chicago area, and reliably fast racing.
The ACC day in Chicago is the ninth day of racing around Chicago and ventures as far outside of the city’s core as any of the events in the far northern suburb of Lake Bluff. While the venue might be outside the true hustle and bustle of the heart of Chicago – which it will take on Sunday at the Fulton Market crit in the heart of the city – Lake Bluff is a vibrant Chicago suburb that energizes its local community and brings tons of folks to the corners and chicanes of the Lake Bluff course.
Those who do come out are treated to a show as Lake Bluff is one of the most intriguing courses of the whole ACC series. At first glance, the map shows its colors with constant changes in direction over the course of 0.78 miles.
Nevertheless, as the old cycling proverb goes – the racers are who make the race, not the course. With five stops done and dusted and three races to go, the American Crit Cup will certainly supply the racers capable of making the race a thrill. Points are to play for, money is on the line, and the intensity keeps growing as the road season begins its twilight.
The course
Lake Bluff is making its third consecutive appearance on the American Crit Cup and will once again serve as the crown jewel of the ten days of racing in and around the Windy City.
More than anything, Lake Bluff is the consummate Grit course, with ten days of racing filled with unique courses filled with unconventional twists, turns, and small changes in elevation. Lake Bluff might not have the elevation, but it certainly has the changes in direction. In total, there are six turns and two additional slight chicanes as the course takes on the tight neighborhood streets of Lake Bluff.
Like the race’s spiritual sibling up the shore of Lake Michigan at Downer Avenue and the Tour of America’s Dairyland, the Lake Bluff crit is split between residential-facing streets and a small downtown area to host the start-finish area. In particular, turn one is where the party is concentrated as spectators can see the whole of the long finishing straight that flows into two back-to-back sharp corners that send the riders towards the residential side of the course where front yard gatherings and barbeques await the riders.
From a racing perspective, the race is well-suited for a breakaway as the tight quarters and quick sequence of turns on the backside of the course can lead to big separations quickly. Because of this, attrition will also be high. Expect the big fields of the men’s and women’s elite races to dwindle quickly as any rider who starts near the back will be at risk of a quick end to their evening.
The Contenders
By this point in the summer, the pecking order in criterium racing is fairly set in stone as a few teams and riders have shown themselves to be the big contenders for the top spots at the ACC events across the five stops thus far.
On the men’s side, it all stops with REIGN Storm Racing. The team in orange has been the dominating force this year in the big crits. From March on, it has been a big win after big win for the team as Jordan Parra, Alfredo Rodriguez, and Danny Summerhill sit 1-2-3 in the ACC standings. They have not been unbeatable, with Luke Lamperti taking the win in Tulsa and Ulises Castillo taking Salt Lake, however, when they hit they hit big with 1-2 finishes in Boise and Indy and a brilliant tactical win in Milwaukee.
Behind the REIGN Storm juggernaut, Clever Martinez has been the next-best rider in the ACC and he has been doing it all on his own without teammates at most of the races this season. In Chicago, Martinez has had a small contingent of teammates as a part of the Rockland Development team, including Marcos Mendez who sits high up in the Chicago Grit Omnium standings. Mendez will be a vital ally for Martinez as he will hope to make up the mere 15-point distance between himself and the top individual prize for the season-long ACC championship.
The Williams Development teams will be another group to watch for as L39ion of Los Angeles, the Miami Blazers, and the Austin Outlaws all have strong teams lining up at Lake Bluff. Out of the three teams, the Austin Outlaws have had the most success in the ACC thanks to the sprinting exploits of Lucas Bourgyone who sits in the top five of the overall standing. The Miami Blazers will be hoping that Noah Granigan makes a comeback after a hard crash at Boise sidelined him for a couple of weeks, while L39ion of Los Angeles will hope to manufacture a breakaway so the likes of Robin Carpenter have a shot at the win on a course that suits their breakaway skillset.
The last big team to watch for is the Mitoq New Zealand Cycling Project. The crew from New Zealand had been knocking on the door of a big win. Finally, the team broke through on Thursday in Chicago Grit with an impressive attacking performance as they went one-two from a breakaway that finished ahead of the charging peloton.
On the women’s side, Lake Bluff is set to be another class between the top two sprinters in the North American peloton: Kendall Ryan of L39ion of Los Angeles and Skylar Schnieder of the Miami Blazers. Ryan has been the quicker rider thus far this season, with two wins to Schneider’s one, but Schneider does control the red ACC leaders jersey and will be looking to get back on top in Chicago.
While those two riders will be backed by not only the strongest kicks but also the strongest teams, it is far from a two-horse race with several other top-level teams bringing big teams to Chicago Grit. DNA Pro Cycling will be leading the charge and will look to get into breakaways as Riley McMullen and Mackayla Macpherson sit second and third in the overall standings of the ACC.
Behind those teams, there are two other squads to reckon with as both LA Sweat and Goldman Sachs ETF’s Racing bring full teams of six riders to the race. LA Sweat doesn’t have any true standout racers this season, however, the team as a collective has consistently scored points throughout the ACC calendar and will look to continue their way up the rankings before the season wraps up in St. Louis on Labor Day. They will certainly be on the hunt for any breakaways to try and play the numbers game.
Goldman Sachs, on the other hand, does have a fast finisher in Paola Muñoz. While Muñoz hasn’t quite shown the form from last year when she won the overall ACC individual standings, the sprinter is still capable of a big win and Lake Bluff could be where she can get the elusive win.
Read more about what is left to play for in the overall standings here!
