The 2018 WCA season kicked off last Saturday at the Whitnall Spring Classic criterium hosted by Team
Wisconsin. After multiple weekend race cancellations due to lingering winter weather, racers from
around the region descended on beautiful Whitnall Park to shake off some cobwebs and stretch their
legs. Our friends at Milwaukee County did their best to get the course in shape after a tough winter, and
we had plenty of volunteers on hand in the morning to sweep (and shovel!) the corners and mark any
sketchy areas.
With a temperature of 35 degrees to start the day, our expectations were a bit muted. However, huge
thanks to all of you who ignored the less than ideal conditions and showed up to support our race. By
midday, temperatures reached a comfortable level for racing and the sun even popped out for a couple
of the afternoon events. We finished the day with over 200 riders pinning on a number for over 280
individual races! A couple of the fields were close to 50 riders strong, and the juniors showed up in force
as well. The day wrapped with a big pro field showing the rest of us mere mortals how to do it, and the
final race of the day was a fixed gear battle between two brave souls that was quite entertaining.
The race doesn’t happen without a lot of help from our great volunteers and sponsors, so thanks to all
who lent a hand to make the day a success. Our title sponsor, Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital,
was on hand all day with their awesome medical trailer and carts to provide medical support for the
racers and fans. We’d also like to thank Clif Bar and Anodyne Coffee for contributing the tasty podium
prizes. Last but not least, a giant THANK YOU to Andrew Rossa for putting it all together. His
organizational skills are second to none, and the day went off without a hitch.