Cross the Domes and Dan Ryan Woods

The ChiCrossCup and Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross schedules sync up very nicely this year for Chicagoans, with several opportunities to race in Milwaukee on Saturday and Chicagoland on Sunday. Milwaukee is an easy 90 minute drive from the city of Chicago, much the same as several of our Chicago series races out in the 'burbs.

Cross the Domes is put on by My Wife Inc, which I'll say again has the coolest kits in Cycling.  They are also very talented course designers. I've already said it half a dozen times, but if you still need convincing Paul Mumford and Mike Hemme, both of whom drove up to Milwaukee with me this year, agreed that if you didn't make the trip you missed out! A fair number of Chicagoans were in the Cat 1/2 race and even on a course I love, I was thoroughly trounced by most of them as well as most of the other racers out there. Good job, guys. 

Sunday was Dan Ryan Woods in Chicago put on by Beverly Bike-Vee Pak. The big story here is teammate Mike Hemme's first CX win! 

Big improvement over your typical 'race face' Mike! Photo: Kyle Mistry

Mike can lay down the power like few others and that was a huge advantage on Sunday. We were a group of five or so at the front of the race but no one was really pushing the pace until Mike started attacking. I was the first rider to get shelled, unfortunately, and lost the leader's jersey to eventual 2nd place finisher Brian Conant. SRAM employee David Reyes, who won here last year, took third. While he is not on the SRAM Factory team this year, I am of course happy to see him marching his way up the results list - from 10th to 4th to 3rd.

David, Scott, Mike and Paul in the bunny hop section. Photo: Kyle Mistry

The SRAM Factory team was also solidly represented by J.P. McCarthy in the Masters 40+ race, Mulubwa Munkanta in Cat 4B, and my wife Ellen in the Women's 4 race where she finished 10th.

Thanks to BBVP for putting on another great race, and once again - congratulations Mike!

Mike gets his first CX win! Photo: Mumford using Mike's iPhone (I think).