With Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, rough road riding was in this weekend in the cycling world. On Saturday, riders from Illinois and the Midwest headed to their own Spring Classic at the 2018 Rough Road 100 in Morris, which is located south of Chicago along the Illinois River.
The Rough Road 100 is a 100km USA Cycling-sanctioned mixed-surface event that is about 25 percent gravel and 75 percent pavement. Riders who made the trip to Central Illinois on Saturday were treated to weather that was 100 percent cyclocrossian. The average high temperature for Morris in early April is 58 degrees, but on Saturday, the high peaked at 38 degrees and when the race started, temperatures were in the 20s.
One need look no further than the eleventy billion gravel events with names that pay homage to Roubaix to appreciate the influence of the Paris-Roubaix Monument on mixed-surface cycling in the U.S. Although the Rough Road 100 is not the “Rough Road Roubaix,” it does reference the 29 pavé sectors of the famed race with nine sectors of gravel, limestone and other terrain that give the race its name.
Rough Road 100 sectors. photo: Rough Road 100 website
Like most gravel events, participants can either race the Rough Road 100 or ride it for the experience. The event has USAC-sanctioned 100km, 100km open and 64km options. Ashley Moore of Bloomington, IL took the win in the Women’s 100km Open race and Chris Young won the Men’s race. Young also races cyclocross for xXx Racing of Chicago, so one can only assume he felt at home in the Smarchy weather conditions.
Full Women’s results and the Men’s top 50 for the 100km USAC race are below. Full results of all races are also available.
Women's Results: 2018 Rough Road 100
| Rank | Name | Time | Age | Team | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ASHLEY MOORE | 3:29:54 | 31 | BLOOMINGTON CYCLE RACING | 28.59 kph |
| 2 | LAUREN WISCOMB | 3:32:16 | 31 | BONKERS CYCLING | 28.27 kph |
| 3 | LINDSAY KNIGHT | 3:34:03 | 34 | TEN SPEED HERO | 28.03 kph |
| 4 | SYDNEY GUAGLIARDO | 3:35:26 | 37 | 27.85 kph | |
| 5 | MARIA LARKIN | 3:39:10 | 31 | THE METEOR P/B ALLIED | 27.38 kph |
| 6 | OLIVIA BEATY | 3:50:46 | 27 | UNION CYCLING | 26.00 kph |
| 7 | KELSEY CAMPBELL-DOLLAGHAN | 4:04:23 | 33 | BFF BIKES RACING | 24.55 kph |
| 8 | MEESA MAENG | 4:04:23 | 32 | UNION CYCLING TEAM | 24.55 kph |
| 9 | KRISTINA CAUDLE | 4:06:41 | 34 | BFF RACING | 24.32 kph |
| 10 | BETH CHRISTIANSEN | 4:42:08 | 51 | UNION CYCLING | 21.27 kph |
| 11 | ELIZABETH BOSCU | 5:19:27 | 47 | 18.78 kph |
Men's Top 50: 2018 Rough Road 100
| Rank | Name | Time | Age | Team | Average Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHRIS YOUNG | 2:53:41 | 35 | XXX RACING | 34.55 kph |
| 2 | JAKE BUESCHER | 2:54:35 | 27 | XXX RACING ATHLETICO | 34.37 kph |
| 3 | KYLE SELPH | 2:56:01 | 32 | WOLF PACK RACING | 34.09 kph |
| 4 | DAVID REYES | 2:56:02 | 34 | TENSPEED HERO | 34.08 kph |
| 5 | TOM KELLER | 2:56:03 | 43 | BLOOMINGTON CYCLE RACE TE | 34.08 kph |
| 6 | ANDERSON BORTOLETTO | 2:56:07 | 45 | LAKES AREA PHYSICAL THERA | 34.07 kph |
| 7 | SPENCER POWLISON | 2:56:08 | 35 | TEAM SINGLE BARREL | 34.07 kph |
| 8 | MICHAEL NAUGHCAY | 2:56:08 | 47 | 34.07 kph | |
| 9 | PAUL SWINAND | 2:56:10 | 51 | WEATHER CHANNEL | 34.06 kph |
| 10 | AARON FADER | 2:58:27 | 45 | BLOOMINGTON CYCLE AND FIT | 33.62 kph |
| 11 | MATT SILVIA | 3:01:37 | 45 | 33.04 kph | |
| 12 | CHRIS DANIELS | 3:02:06 | 52 | BLOOMINGTON CYCLE RACE TE | 32.95 kph |
| 13 | RORY JACK | 3:02:18 | 27 | 32.91 kph | |
| 14 | JIM MADDOCK | 3:02:25 | 27 | XXX RACING | 32.89 kph |
| 15 | MIKE WOLFORD | 3:02:28 | 51 | BLOOMINGTON CYCLE RACE TE | 32.88 kph |
| 16 | AARON BAKER | 3:02:30 | 47 | XXX-RACING ATHLETICO | 32.88 kph |
| 17 | ARRON HAMPTON | 3:02:36 | 45 | WOLFPACK BIKE RACING #GRA | 32.86 kph |
| 18 | JOE FARRIS | 3:02:36 | 35 | WOLF PACK BIKE RACING | 32.86 kph |
| 19 | TIM DOELMAN | 3:03:36 | 46 | THE WEATHER CHANNEL | 32.68 kph |
| 20 | THOMAS KEHRER | 3:06:58 | 28 | BONKERS CYCLING | 32.09 kph |
| 21 | BRIAN KULALZ | 3:06:58 | 41 | 32.09 kph | |
| 22 | BRIANT KELLY | 3:07:01 | 45 | PSIMET | 32.08 kph |
| 23 | MARC ROYSTER | 3:07:01 | 36 | UNION CYCLING TEAM | 32.08 kph |
| 24 | KEVIN KRAKOVSKY | 3:07:05 | 46 | XXXRACING-ATHLETICO | 32.07 kph |
| 25 | MATTHEW GROSSPIETSCH | 3:09:14 | 46 | XXX RACING-ATHLETICO | 31.71 kph |
| 26 | COREY HORNING | 3:11:22 | 29 | TREK MIDWEST | 31.35 kph |
| 27 | BRAD DASH | 3:11:26 | 45 | 31.34 kph | |
| 28 | MARC MOELLER | 3:11:30 | 48 | TEAM BICYCLE HEAVEN | 31.33 kph |
| 29 | JACOB PETERSON | 3:12:42 | 24 | 31.14 kph | |
| 30 | DANNY WARNER | 3:12:53 | 57 | F3 CYCLING P/B 7 MILE CYC | 31.11 kph |
| 31 | JIMMY PANTHER | 3:13:20 | 29 | MOMO RIDERS CLUB | 31.03 kph |
| 32 | NATHAN TROIA | 3:13:29 | 42 | BICYCLE HEAVEN | 31.01 kph |
| 33 | JON KING | 3:13:42 | 38 | 30.98 kph | |
| 34 | MARK KITRAL | 3:13:46 | 53 | F3 CYCLING P/B 7 MILE CYC | 30.97 kph |
| 35 | SCOTT BOWDE | 3:13:51 | 53 | 30.95 kph | |
| 36 | JAMES LINN | 3:13:52 | 56 | TEN27 CYCLING CLUB | 30.95 kph |
| 37 | THOMAS DOUGHTY | 3:14:46 | 66 | WOLFPACK | 30.81 kph |
| 38 | DEREK MORAN | 3:15:04 | 44 | GRYPHON VELO RACING | 30.76 kph |
| 39 | RODNEY HILL | 3:18:26 | 48 | 30.24 kph | |
| 40 | PATRICK COWLIN | 3:19:32 | 31 | THE CHAINLINK | 30.07 kph |
| 41 | CRAIG MCKENZIE | 3:19:33 | 64 | INTENT | 30.07 kph |
| 42 | TONY RIENKS | 3:19:38 | 46 | BEVERLY BIKE | 30.06 kph |
| 43 | RYAN SCHMELING | 3:20:30 | 31 | ELIEL FACTORY TEAM | 29.93 kph |
| 44 | MATT HOLT | 3:21:21 | 36 | 29.80 kph | |
| 45 | JUAN ESTEBAN TAPIERO BERNAL | 3:21:56 | 30 | BELGIANWERKX | 29.71 kph |
| 46 | MICHAEL KIRBY | 3:22:01 | 43 | XXX RACING - ATHLETICO | 29.70 kph |
| 47 | JOHN WALBAUM | 3:22:41 | 53 | SOUTH CHICAGO WHEELMEN | 29.60 kph |
| 48 | ZACHARY BRYAN | 3:25:51 | 28 | REGION RACING | 29.15 kph |
| 49 | BEN ROTHSCHILD | 3:26:07 | 22 | 29.11 kph | |
| 50 | JAMES OBRIEN | 3:27:45 | 53 | VELOSMITH | 28.88 kph |
