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Train with the Best

PLUS Cycling Team has a proven track record of producing highly successful cyclists who compete at various levels, from professional to amateur categories.

Our training approach serves as the foundation for our athletes' achievements in races, as well as individual and organized ultra endurance events, marathons, and triathlons.

We take great pride in our ability to foster the growth and development of these strong athletes each season.

[Announcement] As we wind down the 2024 season with the last couple rides and races, we are already looking ahead to the 2025 season! We held our annual club meeting last week where we celebrated the fantastic results and milestones. Tremendous thanks to all the members who pitch in, in any and all ways possible to make this club what it is today!

One of the major items on the agenda was the redesign of our kit where in addition to Eco-Board and Customized Solutions, we have Mega Auto joining us as an exclusive sponsor! Thank you all for your continued support in making the club into what it is today!

Watch out for us rocking this @pactimo_official @pactimo_midwest kit in the spring!!!

[Announcement] Another year another Polish Cycling Clubs Picnic!! This was our 5th annnual ride and BBQ Picnic after. Every year it attacts hundreds of cyclists from all over the Chicagoland area.

Thanks to all for attending and all the hard work to make it happen as well as special thanks to our wonderful grill masters, Stanley and Lucas. Without their effort and dedication this picnic would be much harder to pull off 👌🫶

Thanks to Tlen Cycling as well as Hardcore Cycling for co-organizing the event every year!

See you next year!

[Racing] Gravel. Marcin Cz. was our only representative:

"Big River Gravel puts out very fun gravel races locally in Northern Illinois. This was my 2nd time at the 1904 so I knew what to expect and how to pace more effectively to leave a bit of energy for the 2 brutally steep climbs in the last 20km of the course.
The race was fairly set at the first long uphill 5km from the start. The separations started and a solid front group formed. I was distanced by the front group and we formed a small group of 4 that managed to pick up another 3 people in the next fast rolling section of the course. Although we saw the group 1 in the distance for the next 30 minutes, we didn’t manage to bridge and just settled in to keep a decent pace and ride our own race. In the 2nd half of the race we picked up 2 more guys from the front group that had mechanicals along the way and we were set for the 2 big hills towards the end. The group attacked the first hill and lighter guys were able to filter to the front relatively quickly while rest grinded the 700 meters of 20% uphill in the lowest gear we had. Fortunately after the top of the hill there was a good portion of a flat section and we were all able to come back together for the next 5km to the final hill including a fast and sketchy descent twisty loose gravel road.
The last hill hit us as expected with the nasty 25% gradients. The cadence came down to below 50 relatively quickly with my wimpy 1x gearing and we caught up to the tail end of the 50km race with people walking the hill left and right. I managed to grind my way to the top without cramping which happened the previous year, but I was out of breath with screaming legs and unable to bridge back to the group that rode away into the distance. I stayed with one more left over rider from our group and we rode together for another 5km seeing our group in the distance. In the next town my partner had a mechanical and I finished the last 6km to the finish on my own."
Marcin was able to improve his time by 20min compared to the year before. The front 4 seemed to have decimated the group even further by the finish line. Marcin finished a respectable 12th.
Good job racers!

[Racing] At this year's #Hammerfest organized by @christiancyclistclub we had 12 of our guys racing in the elite wave.

CCC was quick to attack the peloton and an early break was formed. Darek put in a big effort to catch up to the break away and eventually brought them back. From that point PLUS controlled the front of the race and quickly dismissed any attacks. With about 8 miles to go Damian and Paul went into a break away with one CCC and Indigo cyclist. With a nice gap forming, other teams were forced to do some heavy lifting and eventually the break away was caught with about a mile to go. By that time Darek, Adrian and a few other PLUS cyclists were in great position to fight for the finish line. In a bunch sprint Darek finished in first place, Adrian took third, and a handful of other PLUS cyclists finished in the top ten.

Overall it was a great team effort with everyone contributing to the final result.

Go PLUS!!! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

Good job racers!!!

[Racing] The guys went up to Wisconsin to race in the New Glarus Road Race which also seeves as the WI State Championships. This hilly 30mile, 2,000ft of elevation gain course was definitely a challenge. The club was represented by: Lukasz, Slawek, Darek, Rafael, Damian, Paul, Adrian!

Fantastic 4th place for Lukasz and 11th for Slawek!

Good job racers!

[Racing] Little Apple Gravel Illinois State Championships in Manhattan, IL did not disappoint! Endless cornfields, fantastic gravel and a tremendous atmosphere! We would like to thank Rick Baisa and @regionracing racing for organizing the event and keeping it alive and well. Great turnout, raceday goodies, delicious 🍻, taco truck, race day photos and drone footage, are just some of the perks! We had 5 team members representing PL+US: Lukasz S., Marcin Cz., Dan D. Tom K. and Raf K. The hot weather and an even hotter pace made the race a battle of attraction! A great day in the saddle nonetheless. Results as follows:

USAC 1-5 (100k)
Lukasz S.-11th

Open Category (100k)
Tom K-6th
Raf K-7th
Dan D.-10th

Good job racers!

[Racing] This year, the prestigious Intelligentsia Cup has become Chicago Grit, with new sponsors, same exciting atmosphere, and some upgraded courses such as the series closing Fulton Market course which takes the racers under the "L" and next to some iconic Chicago murals. Last year, 47 states and 17 different countries were represented in the 10 race series around Chicagoland. This year these statistics were most likely broken. With about 33% racers being from Illinois, we are proud to contribute to that statistic as we had 4 racers participate in men's cat 4: Adrian, Paul, Grzegorz and Damian. Adrian raced in 3 races but his series was cut short in Lombard due to a crash caused by a rider in front. Paul raced in 4 races and Grzegorz raced in 1. Just pinning a race number to see how you stack up against the best racers in your category in the domestic scene is worthy of admirations, that is why we are extremely proud of Damian who raced in all 10 races, took 5 podiums and a 1st place in the omnium classification. Damian continues a long tradition of being the 4th PL+US rider to win a podium in the omnium. Here are Damian's results:

🥈 - Lake Ellyn
🥈 - Brookfield
🥉 - Northbrook
🥉 - Lake Bluff
🥈- Fulton Market

🥇- Omnium Overall Classification

Here is what Damian had go say: "Big thanks to my teammates Paul and Adrian for helping me out. Andrzej, for coaching advice and for preparations to Grit as my main event. I appreciate the support from all the team members and everyone who had a chance to come out and watch us racing. Let's GO PLUS!"

Check out Tom's video from Burnin Quad race. @bigrivergravel

[Racing] Gravel. Big River Gravel @bigrivergravel organized yet another fantastic gravel race in Erie, IL. Łukasz, Tom, Marcin, Stanley, Dan and Sławek made the trek to Western Illinois to brave the sweltering heat and the challenging course. The course featured some fun motocross sections that everyone loved and some gnarly, varied gravel sections. Cold beer and water, along with pizza and ❄️ towels were waiting at the finish line for the spent racers. Congratulations guys on a fantastic effort. Let's make this a regular feature on our racing calendar.

#burningquad #burningquad2024 #bigrivergravel #illinoisgravel

[Racing] Triathlon. On Saturday, Zygmunt K. raced at the Olympic Triathlon Wisconsin Triterium in Verona. It was a very difficult race, compounded by the weather conditions and a very hilly course! The bike portion had nearly 2,000ft of elevation gain! Zygmunt braved the rain on both bike and run portions and finished a superb 11th of 182 overall! 9th bike time! Congratulations Zygmunt!

[Racing] Over the weekend we had 5 of our teammates compete in 3 races at the @elmhurstcyclingclassic which also doubled up as the Illinois Criterium State Championship! The guys lucked out with the weather because the latter races were wet and slippery, especially into that famous left, right chicane. We are extremely happy that Elmhurst is yet again a venue for criterium racing after it has been such a staple on the Intelligentsia circuit. The club was represented by: Paul S., Damian F., and Adrian P. who rode in the Category 4/5 race which also doubles as the 35+ Masters race. Paul and Damian were attacking and being active, which made the race fast and ended up with a sprint. Adrian took 5th in the race but was classified as the new IL 35+ Masters Champion! Adrian wanted to thank gus teammates for their efforts and for making the race fast!

All 3 also raced in the 3/4 race right after!!! What legends!!!

The club was also represented by Marcin Cz. and Guy. O who raced in the Masters 1/2/3/4 race against some very heavy hitters and former National Champions!!!

Fantastic effort guys! Thanks to everyone setting up the tent, the flags and supporting our racing crew!!!

[Training] Over the weekend we organized a coffee ride to Lake Geneva. We organize it about once a month, leaving from Darek's house, heading north to Lake Geneva, WI. The ride endes up being a bit over a 100 miles at around 20mph pace. A fantastic opportunity to build up endurance, practice riding a tight paceline, enjoy the views, the hills, coffe and most importantly the camaraderie after the ride. Join us next time!!!

[Racing] We are extremely happy to see the return of the Lincoln Park Criterium on the calendar. That race has always been an integral part of the Chicagoland spring criteriums circuit. The beatiful weather has attracted the heaviest of hitters and 3 of our very own PL+US Teammates: Damian F., Paul S., and Adrian P. The boys have been very active marking and initiating breakaways but the race eventually ended with a sprint where Adrian P. took 4th, just outside the podium.

We would like to thank all the volunteers and organizers for bringing back this iconic race and we hope that it only gets better when it comes to attendance, safety and clout!

Special thanks for @mreschkephotos and @awarren_photo for the fabulous 📷 shots!

[Announcement] Last weekend we held our annual season opener picnic. One of the tenants of PL+US Cycling Team are frequent get togethers where we appreciate each other's company and the food/drinks. Thank you very much Darek for being able to host us! Stay tuned for our next get together!!!

[Training] Now that the weather has chosen to finally cooperate, it's official time to kick of the season with regular training group rides, ☕ rides, intervals and of course some BBQ and 🍻!!! Join us!!

[Racing] First race of the season and we got a podium! Courtesy of Super Mario Z.! On Easter Sunday, Mario took 🥈in the 40+ Masters category, at the Autobahn Raceway Criterium in Joliet, IL, organized by South Chicago Wheelmen!

Congratulations Mario! Racing season is officially on!

[Training]Plus Cycling Team's Annual Spring Training Camp!!! This year in Greenville, SC!! Watch video here: https://youtu.be/nsd0QR-nfvQ

The Plus Cycling Team recently concluded its highly anticipated annual spring training camp in Greenville, South Carolina, where cyclists experienced a challenging yet exhilarating journey through the diverse terrain of the region. With a record-breaking attendance of eleven dedicated cyclists, the camp proved to be an exceptional opportunity for team bonding, skill enhancement, and physical endurance.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Greenville's natural beauty, the training camp presented cyclists with a myriad of terrain options, ranging from rolling hills to steep inclines, providing the perfect environment for honing their cycling abilities. The challenging topography of the area offered a rigorous test of endurance and strength, pushing each cyclist to their limits while simultaneously fostering a sense of camaraderie among the team members.

Throughout the camp, cyclists tackled grueling climbs, swift descents, and winding roads, all while soaking in the stunning vistas that Greenville had to offer. The diverse terrain not only challenged the cyclists physically but also encouraged them to refine their cycling techniques and strategize their approach to each route.

Despite the demanding nature of the terrain, the spring training camp was filled with moments of joy, laughter, and triumph as cyclists pushed themselves to new heights and celebrated each milestone together. Whether conquering a daunting climb or sharing stories over post-ride meals, the team's spirit remained unwavering, fostering a strong sense of community and teamwork.

As the camp came to a close, cyclists departed Greenville with a renewed sense of purpose and determination, armed with newfound skills and cherished memories that would undoubtedly propel them forward in their cycling endeavors. The annual spring training camp in Greenville, SC, had not only been a test of physical endurance but also a testament to the unwavering dedication and passion of the Plus Cycling Team.

[Announcement] We are extremely excited to announce our ongoing partnership with our sponsor: MEGA Auto Collision and Care in Lake in the Hills, IL who graciously agreed to sponsor our helmets this year! Please support the guys with all of your automotive repairs and improvements! You will not be disappointed with highest quality workmanship and superb, 5 star customer care!

We are also excited to have @birdworxinc in charge of customizing our helmet skins on the Specialized Evade 3 and Specialized Prevail 3. We are eagerly anticipating the rollout of our new helmets during our annual spring camp, this year in Greenville, South Carolina! Stay tunned for updates and photos from the camp in all dripped out helmets, kits and socks!!!

#birdworxinc #specializedhelmet #specializedhelmets #evade3 #prevail3 #specializedevade3 #specializedprevail3

[Announcement] We started preparing for the new cycling season with our annual meeting this past Friday. We celebrated the successes of 2023, of which there were many, but we also identified room for improvement and new goals for 2024. We raced at the world championship level in England and France and at the national championship level. We traveled all over the country, from California to Massachusetts!!! We were also present at many of the local races in the Midwest as well!

Our elected 2024 board:

President-Marcin C.
Secretary-Tom K.
Social Media Director-Raf K.
Treasurer-Paul S.
Ride Coordinators-Dariusz S and Lukasz S.
Race Division Director-vacant.

Stay tuned for updates on our redesigned website, information about our spring training camp and racing plans for the new season!

Come ride with us!!!

-PL+US Cycling Team

[Racing] Over the weekend, Raffaele Berardi raced at the Iron Bull Gravel Grinder in Wausau, Wisconsin. This 85mile option featured over 5k feet of elevation gain, fantastic Wisconsin vistas, forests, farms, gravel uphills and descents.

Raffaele won his age group!!!

#ironbullgravel
#wausauwisconsin

[Racing] Track. For a second year in a row, we had Marcin R. representing us and the United States at the Masters World Championships in Track Cycling, in Manchester, England. Marcin traveled to the UK in order to race in Scratch as well as Point Race. Marcin did especially well in the points race where he was poised throughout all of the 20k race, collecting points and went vabanque on the last sprint. Even though he won the last sprint, gaining 10 points, it was not enough to jump on the podium, which he missed by 2 points, to a racer from Poland.

Marcin does well on long distance races, so the Scratch race, which ended up being 7.5km, did not go as well as he hoped.

We are proud of Marcin and his efforts that keep on placing him at the top of the sport in the entire world, at the 40-44 group age.

Congratulations!

You can watch the races on youtube under Day 8 Masters 2023.
https://www.youtube.com/live/g1bQnQrDpY0?si=HcFZKAczNfmWNbX2

#trackworldchampionships #manchester #manchestervelodrome #masterstrackcyclingworldchampionship #masterstrackcyclingworldchampionship2023

[Announcement] This past weekend we participated at the 4th annual Polish Cycling Clubs Picnic! This ride and picnic attracts hundreds of local riders, eager to hang out but also show our strength in numbers as the cycling community in the Chicagoland area keeps on growing! Ride on!

#polishcyclingclubusa #illinoiscycling #illinoiscyclingclub #illinoiscyclingpicnic

[Racing] MTB. Toan represented us at the Lifetime Fitness Chequamegon 40 MTB race in Wisconsin. The Chequamegon 40 travels from downtown Hayward, WI over the famed American Birkebeiner Ski Trail and along picturesque trails of varying terrain finishing at the Great Hall in Cable, WI. This area is heritage to the American skiiing scene, starting with the American Birkebeiner ski race, continuously running since 1973! It is North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon. Skiers from 49 States, the District of Columbia, and 20 countries participated in 2023! The CheqMTB race garners similar prestige and acclaim, with over 2000 racers descending on the town to celebrate the 40th reiteration of the Cheq40! This brutal, hilly, and mostly wide, filled with grassy trails route was to be reconed with! Also, combined with the length of 40 miles it tested the most dogged of MTB racers. According to Toan it was was "a pure test of your fitness due to rolling, punchy, grassy hills." Toan has been prepering his endurance by riding Paul Dougles 5 loops for a total of 100 miles, spending long hours at Kickapoo and treating anyone insane to go along to ride with him, by preparing his famous smoked pork shoulders!

Toan finished the race in 3:40 to cover the brutal 40 miles! Good job Toan!!! You can finish his NSFW GoPro videos of him suffering up the brutal climbs on youtube! Congratulations buddy!

#chequamegon #cheq40 #haywardwi #chequamegon40 #wimtb

[Racing] Ironman Triathlon. We are excited to bring you yet another story of resilience and perseverance from our very own Rafael A. at the Ironman World Championships that took place in Nice, France on September 10th.

"Rafael Araujo: There was only 1% chance that the race would be non wetsuit legal but the day got extremely hot and we just got the msg in the morning saying it wasn’t allowed. Then during the 1st transition I lost my socks as they fell from the cycling shoes when I was running out of the transition. I had to bike the whole 112 miles/180km barefoot. After finishing the 1st tough climb (Col-de-lEcre) I started feeling the blisters underneath my feet. During the 2nd one (Cote-de-Coursegoules) just got worse with my aero helmet feeling like an oven over my head. After the bike leg, I dismounted my bike, put my feet on the ground and realized the real damage on my feet as I head to run barefoot till T2 to get my running shoes. Glad that I packed an extra pair of socks for the running leg. After I put them on, the cushion of the shoes helped to offset the pain a bit and I managed to start at an ok pace for the initial miles, however after sometime the fight against the heat began. I used all the ice and water showers available on the course. Along the 4x 10km laps course, I lost count of how many athletes I saw throwing up or passing out (just found out that some pros didn’t even started the run leg) just prayed that if was to happen to me that it could be after crossing the finishing line. I was glad that my wife and daughter were on the course cheering me up and giving me extra motivation. I was also glad that I have all the virtual support from all of you my friends and clubmates!! The race was tough and not pretty but it’s DONE!!"

Rafael also narrowly avoided a bike crash on one of the descents as a fellow competitor crashed just in front of him. Combined with the fact that the airlines lost his bike for a couple days on his trip back home... this was one epic adventure and another story about the importance of never giving up to chase your dreams!!! We are extremely proud of you Rafael! Congratulations!!!

#ironmanworldchampionship #ironman

Highlight reel from 1904 Big River Gravel race!

[Racing] Gravel. We had 3 of our clubmates represent us at the 1904 Big River Gravel race on the Iowa border. This grueling yet superbly scenic race featured two distances: 50km and 100km. Both distances had to tackle extreme climbs. To put it in perspective, the steepest climb was a half a mile long avg 9% and peaking at close to 27% gradient. The gravel was plentiful and of varying grade, ranging from sand gravel to river rock. Fantastic vistas, farms, woods and your standard corn!

We are impressed with Gaby's performance who took 🥈 in overal women's and 🥈in her age group in the 50km distance. It is all the more impressive that she was able to bounce back after giving birth to her first child in January and this was Gaby's first ever cycling race! Hopefully, Gaby's performance will inspire other women in our club to also race!

Raf and Marcin had to fight on to catch up to the leading group. Unfortunately due to wrong garmin directions, their chase was unsuccessful.

Congratulations racers!!!

#bigrivergravel #gravelracing #gravelillinois #gravel

[Training] Toan and Raf went to the annual "Dust at Dusk" gravel event in Oregon, IL. We lucked out with perfect weather and a cloudless sky, resulting in a stunning sunset and a beautiful starry night. Sample some fantastic gravel in the middle of nowhere before all the gravel roads get paved over! This event featured a huge crowd of gravel enthusiasts, an after party, feed station and a superb adventure! Organized by @whitepelicaninc and @freeportbicycleco come out to support initiatives like this one!

#dustatdusk #dustatdusk2023

[Racing] Triathlon. Monika was our only representative at the annual Chicago Triathlon, racing in the sprint distance! Despite the cancelled swim, which seems to be a common occurrence for Chicago tri, Monika was able to secure a 7th place finish in her age group!

Congratulations Monika!!!

[Racing] Track. Recently Marcin took a step on the podium of the Illinois State Championships in Track Cycling in the 4k Individual Pursuit event. Marcing brushed against the IL State Champion's jersey by 3.3 seconds.

Congratulations Marcin!

Along the podium picture, you will find some pictures from recent Northbrook Velodrome Thursday racing!!!
📸 Greg Metzler.

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Our Sponsors

Thank You!

We are extremely grateful to our sponsors Eco-Board and Mega Auto Collision & Care for their generous support in helping us achieve our mission. Your investment not only helps our team succeed, but also inspires others to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

Thank you for believing in us and being a part of our journey!

If you or your company would like to join our movement to promote the sport of cycling and an overall healthy lifestyle by sponsoring the local talent of our cycling team, please reach out to us. Your brand will not only gain exposure, but also make a positive impact in the lives of aspiring cyclists and the community as a whole.

PLUS Cycling Team Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization.

Who We Are

Founded in 2010, we are a group of passionate and dedicated amateur cyclists, serving the Chicagoland area with the goal of setting a new standard of excellence in the cycling community. Our aim is to create a dynamic and supportive atmosphere where teamwork and unity are at the forefront, and where our members can thrive and grow together.

We are dedicated to promoting the sport of cycling in all its forms, and we achieve this through participation in exciting racing programs, engaging club rides, and community events that bring our members together. In addition, we place a strong emphasis on fostering healthy living and wellness, recognizing that this is a key component of success and growth as a cyclist.

Whether you're an experienced racer or just looking to join a supportive community of cycling enthusiasts, we welcome you to come ride with us and be a part of our mission to make a positive impact on the local cycling scene. With a commitment to excellence, teamwork, and a healthy lifestyle, PLUS Cycling Team offers an unrivaled experience for cyclists of all levels and backgrounds.

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