Cyclists of all abilities are invited to Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Ill., on Saturday, April 5, to compete in the 7^th Annual Spring Super Criterium, hosted by Burnham Racing and Spidermonkey Cycling.  Sanctioned by USA Cycling and located less than two hours from Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, Wis., the Spring Super Criterium traditionally draws racers from throughout the Midwest who are looking for an early test of fitness , or simply ready to stretch their legs.  The criterium will be comprised of 10 events, with junior competitors racing for free when they pre-register. All competitors are encouraged to register online at BikeReg.com, which will accept entries until Thursday, April 3 at 11:45 PM Central Time.

“We are thrilled to bring the Super Crit back for the seventh edition,” said Race Director Eric Goodwin. “Working with Blackhawk Farms and the Spidermonkeys allows us to host a safe and high-quality event. The highlight for me, though, is getting all of these competitors, veterans and rookies alike, together in such a fun venue. The track really does cater to new racers while still providing a challenge to the elite fields.”

The Super Criterium will once again kick off the Illinois Cup points series. The Illinois Cup consists of some of the state’s premier road and criterium races, where participants will compile individual points across 13 categories. New for 2014, the Illinois Cup will award points in Women’s Masters categories, joining the men with 35+, 45+ and 55+ age-based divisions.  Please visit IllinoisCycling.org for details.

In a twist for 2014, the Spring Super Criterium is proud to serve as the inaugural event of Pave Liga, a new “Road League” that pits regional teams against each in other in a season-long team points competition and in head-to-head team duels. Pave Liga teams and venues will be located in both Illinois and Wisconsin, with race sites and team lineups listed at paveliga.com.

“The addition of Pave Liga is a real enhancement for this race,” said Goodwin. “It speaks to the quality of the venue and the fields that have lined up here in the past. There is also the symmetry of Blackhawk Farms sitting nearly on the border of the two states. We’re looking forward to lining up with more Wisconsin programs on the start line.”

Blackhawk Farms Raceway is located at 15538 Prairie Road, South Beloit, IL 61080. More details of the Super Criterium will be posted at burnhamracing.org or facebook.com/burnhamracing. Race day updates will be posted on twitter @burnhamracing. Questions can be forwarded to SuperCrit@burnhamracing.org.