Intelligentsia Cup Chicago: Now Chicago Grit, With 2027 Dates

The Intelligentsia Cup no longer exists under that name. The race you are looking for is Chicago Grit, a criterium series that races across Chicagoland for 10 days each summer¹. This page covers the rename, the dates, the schedule and how to watch or enter. It belongs to the events section.

What changed

The series operated as the Intelligentsia Cup for 11 years, with Intelligentsia Coffee as its long-time title sponsor⁵. The organizer changed the name so that the series would better identify with the communities in which it races and with its riders⁵. Only the name changed, and the venues stayed those of 2023². USA Cycling’s 2025 American Criterium Cup preview calls it “formerly the Intelligentsia Cup”⁶.

2027 dates

Chicago Grit 2027 runs July 23 to August 1, 2027¹. The format holds: 10 days of racing in 10 communities, ending in the heart of Fulton Market¹. The 2027 flyer appears after registration opens, typically in mid-April¹.

The 2026 schedule

The 2026 edition ran July 17 to 26³.

Day	Date	Race
1	Friday, July 17	West Dundee River Challenge3
2	Saturday, July 18	Tour of Lake Ellyn, Glen Ellyn3
3	Sunday, July 19	Winfield Criterium and Summerfest3
4	Monday, July 20	Mundelein Grand Prix3
5	Tuesday, July 21	Lombard Cycling Classic3
6	Wednesday, July 22	Cycle Brookfield Criterium3
7	Thursday, July 23	Northbrook Grand Prix3
8	Friday, July 24	Elgin Classic3
9	Saturday, July 25	Lake Bluff Criterium3
10	Sunday, July 26	Fulton Market Grand Prix3

Course notes

Each stop has its own character:

• West Dundee opens the week on the toughest course, called Leg Breaker Hill¹.
• Winfield is fast, and the pros routinely average over 30 mph¹.
• Lombard is the final day of the Triple Crown, where winners earn the Triple Crown jersey and a photo in the Lombard throne¹.
• Brookfield joined in 2023 and became a rider favorite, with near 180-degree turns and a long straightaway to the finish¹.
• Northbrook is home to the second oldest velodrome in the country¹.
• Lake Bluff is the original Grit course, and draws the biggest crowds¹.
• Fulton Market closes the series with a beer garden, on a course whose back stretch runs beneath the elevated L^1,6.

Watching a Grit day

Races begin as early as 10 or 11 a.m. and conclude around 8:30 p.m.⁵. The early races are for amateurs, and each consecutive race is faster and more intense⁵. Stand near the stage for the best view of the finish line and the announcers’ explanations⁵. Riders reach speeds up to 35 mph⁵.

Every stop pairs racing with a community event: block parties, carnivals, kids rides and bike giveaways⁴. The Fulton Market day adds a 5K run at 8 a.m. and a full day of category races⁷. The day is also home to the Cat 5 World Championships, a beginner race the organizer calls a full-blown spectacle, and the women now have their own Cat 5 championship for the first time⁸.

Racing it

Beginners are welcome. USA Cycling novice categories exist for new racers, and Category 5 is the most novice⁵. Riders can enter as many days as their schedule and body allow⁵. In 2025 Chicago Grit recorded 4,272 entries from 38 states and 5 nations, one third of them Illinois riders, with an average age of 33⁴.

Chicago Grit is presented by SRAM for the 2025 and 2026 seasons¹.

American Criterium Cup at Fulton Market

In 2025 the Fulton Market Grand Prix was stop five of the American Criterium Cup, which Lake Bluff had hosted for the previous three seasons⁶. The women’s 75-minute race started at 3:30 p.m. Central and the men’s 75-minute race at 4:55 p.m. on Sunday, July 27⁶. The course is a flat 0.77-mile rectangle with two sets of tight back-to-back corners⁶. Kendall Ryan and Ben Oliver won the 2024 race⁶.

Plan your own week around the events calendar, and see the bike clubs guide if you want training partners before July.