The Illinois Cup showcases the best criterium races throughout Illinois. Throughout the spring, summer and fall riders from our member racing clubs will have the opportunity to compete in a season-long series to crown the best overall cyclist. Can a few top wins earn the title, or will a solid mid pack rider who makes every race walk away the champion? In the Illinois Cup determination and effort has as good of a chance as raw ability.

Each Illinois Cup race awards points for the top 12 finishers. In addition races some races carry more weight than others according to their importance. State Championship races earn riders double points (2.0) and other select races will earn riders 1.5 times the points. Check each race’s flyer to see what the point multiplier will be. Races doling out extra points have the potential to turn the standing upside-down.

The Illinois Cup Team Competition rewards the most successful program by tallying the points of the top 5 finishers in any race from a given team throughout the cup in all categories to crown the one best overall team in Illinois.

Please note new changes here for the 2013 race season:

The 2013 IL Cup will be focused as a Category 3 and higher series.  With updates being made to category  upgrades and points no longer expiring after a 12 month period, we have chosen to highlight the more  elite categories.  The updated category offerings also opens up additional time slots for race directors to  continue to make their race day more their own.

The 2013 IL Cup will again consist of criteriums and cover just the first few months of the road season to  put more focus on the series leading into the summer when many riders have or are heavily pursuing  upgrades.As always, races outside of the Illinois Cup are encouraged to mix up their categories and offer riders  variety but for the Illinois Cup the following categories will be used:

• Junior 10‐14/Junior 15‐18 (each with boys and girls scoring for Cup points)
• Women 3; run as a 3/4 race (only Cat 3 riders will earn Cup points)
• Women 1/2; run as an Open category race (only Cat 1/2 riders will earn Cup points)
• Masters 35+/45+ Cat 1/2/3 (separate scoring for each age group)
• Cat 3
• Cat 1/2, with option to make it a 1/2/3 (3’s would not earn Cup points)

We again will be encouraging all of our Junior riders by offering separate series scoring for both the boys  and girls of the two age categories. It will be up to each race director if they want to offer separate  podiums at the races.  There will be two Masters race options. We will be offering a 35+ 1/2/3 and a 45+  1/2/3 race.  Both of these will be run together but scored separately.   To continue to encourage our women riders, we are offering a Women 3/4 race to encourage field size  and less intimidation for the Women category 4’s on the verge of upgrading. When they upgrade, they  will still be racing with similar riders without having to move directly into racing against our stronger  category 1/2’s.  Note: Only the category 3 women in the race will earn IL Cup points. For those women  who like to race and especially those category 3’s and 4’s on the verge of upgrading, the second  Women’s race will be run as an Open race to encourage doubling up.  Note:  Only the category 1/2’s will  earn points towards the IL Cup. In both races, all prizes are open to the field.  The ICA continues to receive positive feedback with recognizing the top 3 from each category and not  just the winners.  We continue to recognize the hard work and efforts put forth in the competition and  we will again recognize the overall podium.  This includes the top three teams as well.  Thanks to  encouragement from our promoters, the winner of each category/age group (excluding the team competition) will again receive one free race entry into each Illinois Cup race next year.