Team Wheaton pulled off a successful day of racing at the Whitnall Park Spring Classic on 
Saturday, April 26th. With a crew of volunteers and some assistance from Wheaton 
Franciscan Healthcare Medical Services (Michael Carter and crew), the Whitnall Race continues to improve and maintain its status as one of the premier spring classics in the Illinois / Wisconsin race scene.
Mother Nature wasn’t being very cooperative, offering early morning temperatures just above freezing and forecasted highs only into the mid 40’s with winds of 20 – 30 mph. There was initial concern regarding turnout, but the weather didn’t deter the riders from coming out
in force. In typical weather person fashion, they were predictably “off” and by afternoon, the sun shined and temperatures reached the low 50’s. In total, 405 racers participated in 10 categories (some of those doubling up), with 105 pre-registering through the team website association with Sports Base Online. Those pre-registering found check-in to be quick and painless with forms and numbers set up ahead of time. In comparison, last year we had temperatures in the upper 70’s with a total turnout of 407 riders.
It was apparent early on that the field sizes were going to be large – the Junior racers combined for 33 riders, both the Master 4/5 and Master 3/4 were in excess of 50 riders, and the largest field went to the Elite 4/5 riders, as they maxed out the field. The day ended with 53 riders in the Pro 1/2/3 race.
Race Director Andy Reiland felt the only thing that could have been better would have been inclusion of separate women events and quicker payouts of the KOH primes. Both will be addressed for 2009. “They are simple fixes for next year, and we promise the riders we will continue to promote this race as a riders race and maximize their experience.” The KOH primes were well received by the racers. It contributed a special ‘electricity’ to the races as riders sprinted off to gain those valuable points. A special thanks to Ben’s Cycle & Fitness and Clif Bar for providing the prizes for the top three point racers in the senior events.
With the large field sizes, it did offer some big challenges to the officiating. This was again top notch as they kept track of lapped riders and mass sprint finishes so that accurate results were posted quickly. Wheaton’s very own Pete Crowe took 1st place in the Master 1/2/3 event. He was lead out by unselfish teammates, Dave Eckel, then Gene Macken, and finally Kevin Pomasl. Pete crossed the line by more than a bike length in front of the 2nd place rider.
Some great pictures were taken by Team Photographer Bob Gregory and can be viewed in the team gallery. Enjoy!