***Registration has been re-opened.***

September 4, 2010
HELD UNDER USA CYCLING PERMIT
RACE HELD RAIN OR SHINE
MILKY WAY PARK, HARVARD, IL

Only the above listed race is permitted and sanctioned by USA Cycling. No other races or activities at the event are sanctioned by USA Cycling.

Registration

Register on-line at www.bikereg.com.
Adults On line Pre Reg on or before Aug 31 $35.00 Day of Reg: $45.00
Masters 60+ and Juniors Pre Reg on or before Aug 31 $20.00 Day of Reg: $30.00
On line Registration closes August 31th at midnight

Only On-Line and Day of Event Registration is available.
A second race is $15

Race Day Registration opens at 7:30 A.M. and closes at 10:00 AM. First rider off at 9:00 AM
Start order based on pre-registered entries. Specific start time requests accommodated.
Start times will be sent by e-mail to pre-registered riders.

Course

30 km on the well known Harvard out and back big dipper course (20km for Juniors and Seniors).

Location

Register at Milky Way Park near the corner of Lawrence and Brink St. (Rt. 173) Starting gate is just south of 173 on Flat Iron Rd.

Rules

All USA Cycling rules apply. Helmets are required at all times while riding your bike at the race site. 20K event distance applies to all juniors and age classes for Women age 60+, and Men ages 60+.

Prizes

Categories and Age Groups listed below with three or more entries will compete for State Championship Jerseys and/or Medals. You must hold an annual USAC license to be eligible for a championship jersey. The Promoter and IL Cycling Association reserve the right to modify categories based on participation.

Cash Prizes for Overall Fastest Riders Male and Female: 1st: $100, 2nd $75, 3rd $50.

Longmarker awards for riders posting faster times than in 2009 at the North Branch Time Trial.

Come one, come all to North Branch's bike handling clinic conducted by me, Ed H. The scope of the clinic is to cover everything from road bike basics (shifting, pack riding tactics) to advanced road bike techniques (counter-steering, bumping, and overlapped wheels). We will start off with theory, then work specific drills to reinforce proper techniques. Specific components of this clinic are:

1) Crash prevention: theory followed by overlapping wheels, bumping (make sure to slap on older tires for the overlapping wheel drills)
2) Cornering: theory followed by proper lines and counter steering
3) Pacelines: theory followed by practicing pulls at actual speed

We will meet up at the Panera in Deer Park (starting point for P-McH-P ride) at 8am sharp, then roll to a near-by location for the clinic. Clinic will last ~1hr, then we'll continue on an abbreviated training ride. Clinic is open to team members who have paid due for 2010.

Please sign up via the website calendar.

Ed

The 18 race series known as the Mid-America Time Trial Series (MATTS) has been posted to the North Branch calendar.

Beginning in January with the traditional indoor series hosted by ABD Cycling and ending with the Verdigris Finale on September 18th.

The MATTS is a long race series and just completing enough races to qualify is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Riders who do well in the MATTS series often find themselves highly placed in the Rider of the Year competition as well. Track your results in both series and make sure you participate in the minimum number of crits and road races to quailify for ROTY.

More information can be found at American Bicycle Racing.

The start of the 2010 season may seem like a long time from now (okay, it actually IS a long way off) but there is work to be done, fellow North Branchers. This period is the perfect time to look back on last season and start setting the strategy for success in 2010. One of the best places to begin with is your training plan.

Were you happy with results of your training plan?
What did and did not work this past season?
Were the workouts sufficient to develop power and endurance?
Will you continue or begin spending $$$ on a coach?
Did you even train according to a training plan?

If the answer to that last question was NO, then you may not be stacking the odds in your favor as much as possible. Several team members subscribe to different coaching methods and training plans. Tap into teammate experiences to figure out what training plan may work for you. I happen to be a follower of the Joe Friel self coaching method, but several others have turned to other approaches.

The following links contains a series of training plan articles from Joe Friel. These articles provide solid perspective on the general benefits of a training methodology regardless if you decide to go with another program or bail on a program altogether. Lay the foundation for that podium spot right now, fellow North Brancher...

Training and Transition Period

2010 Planning: Part 1

2010 Planning: Part 2

2010 Planning: Part 3

2010 Planning: Part 4

2010 Planning: Part 5

Ed H.

The full calendar of 2009 crits, road races, and time trials has been posted on the team calendar. For the most part, anything north of Kankakee and south of Fond du Lac has been posted on the calendar with any pertinent links to additional information. Please use these calendar entries to indicate your interest in the event, race tactics, hotel accomodations, etc. Let me know if you guys have any questions on the events. I've done a look of them or know how to get some intel.

Ed