| Midwest oldest bike series? WISport By Greg Marr OK there you have it; a new photo. Now quit bugging me. A
little older, a little more gray, shorter hair and beard, some 30 pounds lighter, but no wisdom with age thing going on that I can tell. At Cancoecopia, someone flipped through the mag, glanced at the old photo, and then asked me if  Greg was going to be there. I ran into Bill Hauda over the weekend and even he didn't recognize me. Even
my wife has been bugging me to update the photo, so I guess it was time. Now we just have to get Mitch Mode updated. On to more significant matters then, and that would be bicycling. While the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) draws more participants, many people aren't aware that WORS is not the oldest bike race series in the Midwest. That honor
goes to WISport, a bicycling road race series entering its 15th year. Founded by Jim Menzel of Stevens Point, Wis., who dubbed it a "cycling series for the normally obsessed," WISport is not just the biggest road series in the Midwest it's the only road series. Menzel's vision was for a road series for the citizen racer. He looked
around and saw a lot of activity for USCF riders and he wondered: Why can't citizen racers have their own series? and with that, WISport was born. While its numbers don't rival the nearly 900 average for the mountain bike series, WISport is growing steadily, reflecting what seems to be a renewed interest in road riding. Last year membership neared 400, up 35
from the previous year and a whopping 203 from 1994.
The races in the WISport series are all open events; that is, you don't have to be a registered WISport rider to enter. Each race typically offers awards based on age and gender, most have drawings and food/refreshments, and usually include event memorabilia a T-shirts, caps, etc. Members of WISport who register for a race receive all those benefits but are also eligible for post-race WISport drawings, WISport
age/category points, and the WISport newsletters with race information and points totals.
Since most events are usually a fund raiser of some sort, so it makes sense for organizers to associate with WISport, as riders chase WISport points from event to event, thus upping the attendance numbers. This year, WISport is affiliated with 16 road races, seven time trials, two criteriums, one "Friendly Century or Less" and seven tours. WISport's
first event this year is the Friendly Century or Less, with an accompanying Cycling Clinic. Sponsored by WISport, the "or less" means a rider can select distances of 100, 50, 40, 30 or less than 30 miles near Willard, Wis. on April 19.
Although dubbed "friendly," don't expect this to be a slow roll through the countryside. The WISport handbook says to expect "a maximum 20 mph average" that will be "encouraged" until the last 20 miles of the 100
miler, when an all-out race will break out in a "race format with no restriction to speed." To force a break, there will be mandatory 10-minute food/liquids stops every 25 miles. The finish time is expected to be about two-and-a-half hours.
If you're not up for that sort of "friendly" century or if you are inexperienced but curious about bike racing take part in the clinic. Experienced racers will be assigned to small groups of riders in each of
the 30, 40 or 50 mile rides, with longer or shorter distances possible. The clinics will cover nearly all aspects of racing, depending on the abilities and experience of the riders. Among the topics are pack riding courtesy, drafting techniques, pace line, cornering, sprinting, recovery techniques, aerodynamics, time trial technique, nutrtion, hydration, training suggestions and bicycle and equipment maintenance.
The first WISport affiliated race of the season is the Pedal for Proceeds
in Whitewater, a 24-mile race from the UW-Whitewater campus into the surrounding countryside. The season ends with the Chaseburg Challenge Sept. 28, a 48-mile race in the La Crosse area.
WISport is both a fun, competitive series and a great way to travel around the state riding in new places as participants chase series points. Of course, few of us will ever be on the podium so why bother joining a race series? For WISport members, the answer is more than fun and
camaraderie: It's the weekly drawings for WISport members. As the handbook says, "You don't have to win the race to take home some of the $20,000 in merchandise, products and services." Then there's the handboook, newsletters, mid-season celebration and year-end celebration. WISport returns 100% of its entry fees through cash prizes, merchandise and services.
In WISport, members can ride as individuals or teams and WISport is
trying to assure the future by getting youngsters involved in racing. This year, at races that do not have a kid's event, WISport will try to set up a WISport Little Racers event with a safe course, free entry, race number and awards.
WISport is run by Dar Vollrath and family and co-directors Butch Dushack and Gwen Torkelson, with a six-member board of directors. To find out more or to take part in the April 19 clinic, visit
www.wisport.org, or contact Dar Vollrath at WISport Cycling series, 403 E. Begley St., Greenwood, WI 54437; 715/267-6266; WISport@tds.net.
As was once said about WORS, there a lot happening in bicycling behind the Cheese Curtain, and the action is not limited to off-road.
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