– Two more weeks to go until Jackson Park and the official start to the CCC series!

– Online PreReg is now open for Melas Park. We’ll have a few special announcements coming soon about Montrose Harbor (IL State Championship) but until then pre-reg will remain closed. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to reg before December. Online pre-reg for all other races is open.

– Already some great results by Chicagoland racers up North behind the Cheddar Curtain at Lake Geneva CX. VVCX came home with 4 wins, including 2 by (another) up and coming junior Maxx Hall.

– The CCC series has a few rules. Please read all about them here. Cyclocross racing also has rules set by USA Cycling. Read them here.

– Overall series standing will be posted here starting after the first race, or bookmark the GoogleDoc here.

– Good luck to everyone racing this coming weekend at the Trek CX Cup!

– And finally… for all the metalheads out there, chocolate cake indeed! HT Jim Brady.

– Its 90 and humid outside… so of course you’re thinking about CX season, right?

– Staging: The CCC is considering applying the State Championship staging procedure to all races. Essentially, if you’ve never raced in a category you would be bumped up ahead of the first rider who has lower CrossResults.com points than you. The idea is to give riders a chance to try other categories and not be staged at the back of the field if you’re fast enough to start closer to the front. Or if you are out of town for the first few races, but we know that would never happen. However, the bump up would only be granted once. After that each rider is staged by his/her CCC series points, then by her/his CrossResult.com points, then by order of registration. We want to know what you think. Please leave your comments down below.

– Feel like traveling? Minnesota is hosting a CX clinic with current USA National Champ Jonathan Page.

– Want to stay closer to home? Spidermonkey Cycling presents – Cracking the Code: Tim Johnson’s Cyclocross Secrets.
Date: Saturday, August 24
Location: Chicago (exact location TBD)

– Village-Verdigris CX is also planning a Junior focused clinic for mid August. Stay tuned for details.

– The 2013 CCC Series Sponsorship proposal is finally ready.

– And finally… Now is a great time to update your BikeReg.com rider profile with your USAC license number. Also, make sure your USAC license has your correct team information. Did you know you can race for different road, mountain, and CX teams?

– Thanks to everyone who braved the cold, the wind, the Saturday snow, and finally the (gasp!) Sunday sun this past weekend and came out to race, spectate, and heckle at the final Chicagoland CX races of the season at the New Year’s Resolution. We had a great time putting on the event and loved seeing all the locals battle on course with plenty of out-of-towners. We hope you all had fun too and felt it was a great way to end the local racing season. Many local racers maintained or improved their fitness from Afterglow with some great results. We had several locals hit the podium and grab kisses from our podium presenter Kelly Riordan… with a few taking the top step. Congratulations to you all!

– Speaking of putting on a race… the NYR would never happen without the tireless and dedicated work of our numerous volunteers. We are always amazed at how many people step up and help us out at the races and we are simply humbled at the fact that so many of you take time out of your day to lend us a hand. Course set up took longer than it should have because we had to pre-drill holes in the ground for nearly every stake lining the course (seriously, we were out there with hand drills), but our volunteers got it done. Its not a lot of fun to stand around for several hours in the cold at a course crossing or waiting for riders to finish so they can pee in a cup, but our volunteers got it done. Indian Lakes is notoriously windy and can tear a course (or pop-up tent(s)) to pieces, but our volunteers kept the course tape in perfect condition. And at the end of the day, when we’re all exhausted and just want to sit down and put our feet up, our volunteers tore the entire course down and we were closing the doors to the equipment trailer exactly 2 hours after the last UCI Men’s racer crossed the line (true story). Absolutely amazing! So again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to our volunteers for helping to make the NYR happen again.

– Speaking of again… this was the second and last year of the CCCNYR. We always intended for the race to serve as a tuneup race for Nationals in Madison. So with Nationals moving away from the Midwest next year we doubt anyone will want to come to Chicago first and then to Boulder. It looks like these guys already have the ball rolling though, so let’s see what you’ve got Colorado! We’ll send a riders your way!

– Speaking of Nationals… racing action in the midwest continues this week at USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13. Based on the results we saw this past weekend at NYR the CCC will be well represented in nearly every category from Juniors to the really old guy Masters. Good luck to everyone!

– We know of a few people looking to share rooms and rides at Nationals so if you have any room at all please let us know and we will connect you. Thanks!

– After a 2 week break the US CX season heats up again with Cincinnati Kings and then ends at Masters World Championships and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 Louisville,KY. We know of several Masters riders heading down to these events and wish them luck as well. Then, we hang out with the Belgians and watch the best of the best of the best race for the rainbow stripes. Bring your heckles and we’ll see you in Louvul.

– And finally… Machinery Row Bicycles is having a party this Friday night before Nationals where you can rub elbows with a few pros. Check out the details here.

– And finally, finally… CX Magazine just put up a video showing news coverage of 1985 Nationals with a young Tom Stevens.

Photo: Luke Seemann

– One more to go! Ten27 Cycles once again hosts the last stop in the 2012 Chicago Cyclocross Cup… which just happens to also be the Illinois State CX Championships at Montrose Harbor. You all have been racing all season long with plenty of ups, downs, highs, lows, podiums, crashes, and heckles and we’ve finally made it to the finalé. We at the CCC and Ten27 again ask everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells and cameras, and make a day out of Montrose… which means the Cat 4’s should show up early and heckle the 40+ field, and the Masters should stick around and cheer on the Cat 4’s. Lots to review below, so buckle up…

– Registration: We’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 40+ racers to reg first since they have to get ready first. Several fields are already full but we’ll run wait lists starting Sunday morning. Combined categories have a combined field limit of 100 so once No-Shows are removed its first come, first served until we hit the 100 rider limit. As of this morning there are >625 of you pre-reg’d (we AND Ten27 thank you!), which is already more than last year. Online pre-reg closes tonight at midnight… so if you’re not yet reg’d, do everyone (yourself included) a favor and reg now!

– Staging: Since we know down and mid-state IL riders can’t make it up to Chicago every weekend but may still be racing CX outside of Chicagoland, staging at Montrose will incorporate CrossResults.com points for those riders (especially from downstate, but even out of state) without CCC series points. Riders with OUT CCC series points in a category but better (lower) CrossResults.com points will be staged ahead of riders WITH CCC series points in that category and worse (high) CrossResults.com points. Riders in the CCC overall who have better CrossResults.com standings than other riders in the CCC overall will NOT move up in position… you keep your overall CCC position. Also if you have raced in a category but not earned CCC series points (yes, we’ve been keeping track) you will NOT be moved up if your CXR points are better. See the procedure here.

– Preliminary staging will be posted here tomorrow (after pre-reg closes).

– State Champion Requirements: The CCC along with Ten27 and the ICA will be presenting 13 14 CX State Champion Jerseys (on the podiums) to the first IL rider to cross the finish line in every category (excluding the 4B’s). This means Juniors 15-18 AND Juniors 10-14… boys AND girls. Remember that in order to win the state championship you must be a permanent Illinois resident (we’ll be checking ID’s), a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a valid and unsuspended 2012 USAC annual license before the start of the race (yes, we’re looking at you Cat 4’s). There must also be a full podium of IL riders (that means 3) to win the state jersey. This should not be a problem in any category.

– Speaking of… as of Saturday (12/1/12) you can start renewing your annual USAC license. Annual licenses purchased on or after 12/1/12 are good until 12/31/2013. We highly suggest renewing/purchasing your license online at USACycling.org as this is the easiest (for everyone) and most efficient method, especially if you plan to race with us at the New Year’s Resolution race.

– Podiums presentations for each race (top 3 overall in the race) AND and for the IL state championship (top 3 IL riders in the race) will occur immediately after each race finish… so pay attention after your race, we may be calling your name! The two exceptions will be for the W123/Master50+/60+/Single Speeds podiums at 12:15 pm and the Women 4 and Juniors races when the podiums will be awarded at 2 pm.

– Ten27 Cycles has secured several additional prizes beyond championship jerseys and the 2012 CCC minimum payouts thanks to their generous sponsors:

• EJ’s Place: the North Shore’s premiere supper club since 1997 with a menu of prime aged steaks and chops, pristine seafood, and traditional Italian specialties, presented by a mature and experienced wait staff.  E.J.’s Place is located on Skokie Blvd., just north of the Old Orchard shopping mall.
• Chicago Chiropractic and Sports Medicine: where they specialize in helping athletes and active individuals achieve optimal performance in sports, as well as body balance for every day activities through chiropractic care, Active Release Techniques® (ART), Rolfing, education, and exercises.
• Team Kenda presented by RACC (Racers Against Childhood Cancer): supports a strong US Domestic Elite Team with a mission to build the sport of women’s cycling by developing Junior, U-23 and Collegiate riders through their regional programs in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Western United States.
• Ten27 Cycles: located in on Davis Street in downtown Evanston, is conducting a going-out-of-business sale with really good deals now on the bikes, tires, shoes, and parts you’ll need for the 2013 season.
• Wheel and Sprocket: a nationally recognized bicycle shop from the Milwaukee, WI area, has announced they’ll be opening a new shop inEvanston early next year.  They look forward to supporting cycling clubs, events, and activities in the Chicago metro area in the years to come, starting with this year’s Illinois State Cyclocross Championships at Montrose Harbor.
• The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure bicycle ride is held every June to raise money to fight diabetes, through research and patient support.  This event now includes a wide variety of rides, ranging from 15 to 100 miles, so there is something for all levels of cyclists.

– Thanks to these sponsor’s generous support, Ten27 Cycles has upgraded the prize list to $2,660, their largest ever and almost double what it was last year.

• Category 3: $275
• Category 1/2/3: $580
• Women 1/2/3: $580
• Category 4A: $200
• Women 4: $200
• Junior Boys 10-14: $30 (3 places)
• Junior Girls 10-14: $30 (3 places)
• Junior Boys 15-18: $30 (3 places)
• Junior Girls 15-18: $30 (3 places)
• Category 4B: $30 (3 places)
• Cash prizes for the other races will be as usual
• The winner of each of the 13 races will receive a Body Shape Kit from the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure.
• Furthermore, the Illinois State Champion in each of the Masters 30+, Masters 40+, Masters 50+, Men 1/2/3, and Women 1/2/3 categories will receive a $200 dining card from EJ’s Place restaurant, ensuring they can celebrate their hard-earned victory in style.

– The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding extra prizes and trophies for Junior categories. The (other) CCC will be giving out junior girls awards as usual (5 deep, medals and ribbons) for the race as well as trophies (3 deep) for final CCC overall standings in Boys 15-18, Girls 15-18, Boys 10-14, and Girls 10-14.

 – Ten27 will be selling Jay Ryan designed posters (at left) for this year’s Cyclocross Championships.  Those of you who have been collecting these posters every year will want to add to your collection.

– While a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are quite a few very, very, very close categories still to be decided on Sunday. Overall titles will be  announced Sunday, but all official overall series awards will be presented at the CCC Awards Party on Sunday December 16th at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.

– Neutral race support will be provided by Ten27 Cycles, in the heated tent next to registration. This year’s equipment/wheel pit should also be plenty big enough for everyone, but please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too.

– Food: Thanks to Ten27 the Big Star truck will again be serving Champurrado Hot Mexican Chocolate, Tacos al Pastor, Tacos de Pescado, and the Tacos de Papas con Rajas from 11am – 3pm. Hand-ups encouraged!

– Series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation will once again have physical therapists (and CCC participants) at Montrose providing free injury screens and stretching. We’re getting to the end of the season, so take care of yourself and bring your beat up body over to the green NovaCare tent between 10am – 1:30pm to get checked out. Also see us for a free energy bar or for information on our bike fit services and physical therapy services.

– More than any other factor, the weather usually makes Montrose the legend it is. However right now the forecast is rather benign). In any event the weather can always change on a dime, especially next to the lake, so bundle up, dress appropriately, and come prepared with extra warm (& dry) gear.

– Todd Busteed will be announcing the race.

– We will have all pre-ordered CCC merchandise (t-shirts, socks, & embro) at the race and available for pick-up. Socks are sold out but we will have t-shirts ($15), Mad Alchemy embro ($20), and Contigo coffee mugs for sale (cash only). You can still pre-order your merch here.

– Parking: Like the last 2 years, the parking lot at the east end of the park is closed (now boat storage). Parking will be on the street only along Simonds Dr. Several parking spaces near the restrooms and registration will be roped/coned off (for officials, CCC staff, BigStarTruck, etc) so please do NOT move the cones. We also need this area clear for pedestrian and bike traffic.

– The Course: Course designer Chuck Judy brings back several of Montrose’s classic features course while incorporating a few new twists and turns. The course goes anti-clockwise, beginning at the staging grid which will be just East of the finish line due to a few new trees planted over the summer. The finish line, wheel/bike pit, and registration will be in nearly the same location as years past, just off the road and near the main sand pit. Note the equipment pit is backwards (unless you get off your bike on the wrong side) but its the best place to put it given the layout of the course. Please be careful when pitting and have your mechanics stay out of the way of other riders entering/exiting the pit. Feel free to set up your tents near registration and the sand pit, but given the potential for strong winds, bring weights and stakes. Yes the main sand pit will be back, where spectators are all but guaranteed a great view of all the action. The 2nd sand section close to the bath house will likely not be in play. As always the final course route will be determined Sunday morning and may be altered from the map below.

Photo: Tim Homola

– Thanks again to Chris Henning and the entire Northbrook Bicycle Club for hosting stop 11 of the CCC at the new venue at Melas Park. Reports coming in so far are that everyone loved the new course and we would have to agree. The absolutely fantastic weather helped too!

– Here’s a link to photog Josh Dreyfus’ portraits. 100% of all purchases go to World Bicycle Relief and the Arlington Heights Fire Fighters Charitable Campaign.

– The CCC series takes a break this coming weekend to eat turkey, but one guy who never passes up the stuffing and cranberry is Rob Curtis who with his crew from PSIMET host the 2nd annual installment of the NORGE Ski Jump CX race. Online pre-reg on BikeReg closes Wednesday (tomorrow) night at midnight. Look for the course preview tomorrow morning.

– After we all wake up from our tryptophan induced turkey and mashed potato comas the CCC finishes up with the 12th and final stop at Montrose Harbor which just also happens to be the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships, hosted again by Ten27 Cycles. Since many of you have been asking, yes the shop is closing but the club is separate and is full steam ahead for hosting the race. More details to come next week but in the meantime please reviewing the staging procedure.

– In case you didn’t hear Verdigris-Village CX‘s youngster David Lombardo (pictured above leading the Melas CX Cat 1/2/3 race) was recently selected to be one of six <18 year old juniors to represent the US at Euro Cross Camp over the Christmas holiday. David will go head to head with Europe’s top rising talent on some of the toughest courses of the season. Many of the United States’ top riders are alumni including names like Trebon, Wicks, Summerhill, Matter, Selander, Townsend, Anthony, Wells, Driscoll, Eckmann, Lindine, etc as well as current U23 and Elite national champions Zach MacDonald and Jeremy Powers. This is great not only for David and VVCX but the entire CCC series which has encouraged and helped our juniors develop their talents. We can’t wait to see the next wave of CCC juniors head to Europe.

– Speaking of juniors racing CX, Tim Johnson has started a Mud Fund to help fund juniors racing CX.

– CCC Merchandise is still on sale.

– Tickets (registration) for this season’s End of Season Awards Party at EJ’s Place are now on sale.

– Online pre-registration is open for the CCC’s UCI New Year’s Resolution race. All details are on the NYR page here.

– And finally… Let’s have a quick chat about spectating shall we? We’ve had more than a few comments here on the site (and direct emails from concerned adults) recently that spectators during the Cat 4 races have been getting a little too… shall we say… aggressive. Everyone loves a good heckle or Twinkie handup, but we all need to know where to draw the line. Our USAC officials have been very lenient in the past to allow for this fun, but they can just as easily take it away and then the CCC would be boring with just a bunch of fast guys riding around in circles like they do in New England. So if you don’t want to lose it, here are five simple rules that no spectators should never, ever, ever, evar do…

1. Never change the course after the promoter has set it up unless you’re helping to fix broken stakes or course tape, etc. Do NOT take it upon yourself to decide where the course should be routed so people will crash. This also includes adding elements like water, tacks, snakes, dog hair, or dirty baby diapers,
2. Never enter the course during a race. Sure we all lean in a little bit to get closer to see the snot running out of the oxygen deprived racers’ faces, but the course if for the racers… not the spectators. If a racer isn’t looking for a hand up, there’s a pretty good chance they don’t want one in the first place. Racers should never be impeded because you are on the wrong side of the tape and blocking the course,
3. Never throw things… like sand, boiling oil, flames, lawn darts (you laugh but it happened one year in Madison at the Planet Bike USGP at UCI3 in Cincy) at riders or anyone else for that matter, racing or otherwise. You are spectating, if you want to be a part of the race that bad, pay an entry fee and pin on a number,
4. Never introduce glass to the race. Sure an aluminum beer can might mess up a rear derailleur, but it won’t cut a 3″ gash into someone’s face that will last a lifetime. No one wants that on their conscience. Dog poo probably falls into this category as well,
5. Never yell out a truly mean spirited heckle you wouldn’t want to receive yourself or would be embarrassed having your grandmother hear coming out of your mouth. As professional heckler Rob Curtis said… “Heckling cross….any d bag can yell ” You SUCK”. Intelligent people heckle gently. It’s an art. If you don’t get it drop the mic.” Follow @TheRealPSIMET and search for #HeckleClinic on Twitter for more info. Can’t think of anything better to say? See our Heckle Hall of Fame for inspiration. Or here’s an idea… just use enthusiastic words of encouragement (but please leave the F-bombs at home).

These general principles go for riders in the race as well. Sure we all want to grab that dollar bill, piece of bacon, or the European Twizzlers, but if you’re stopping in the middle of the course to do a Malort shot you are most.certainly.doing.it.wrong. Handups are fun, but part of that fun is trying to grab them while still racing. We all want to have fun, but the Cat 4 races are still USAC sanctioned races where rules apply and hopefully common sense prevails. So let’s all keep it under control and have fun without endangering our fellow racers and making a the CCC look like a frat party gone horribly wrong. K? Thanks, now let’s ride!

Photo: The Roderick

– Thanks to the South Chicago Wheelmen for hosting yet another double race weekend at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. The two days couldn’t have been much more different with sun and then rain on Saturday (including this season’s 2nd weather related delay) which created very sloppy conditions in the afternoon, followed by sun and loads of wind on Sunday that dried out the course and made for a very fast (at least with a tailwind) and tacky course. The CCC returns to Indian Lakes in less than 2 months for our UCI New Year’s Resolution races.

– This coming weekend the CCC heads to its 11th and penultimate stop in Mt. Prospect at Melas CX – Basin Racin’. Promoter Chris Henning and the Northbrook Garner Bicycle Club change venues from last year’s YMCA camp for a race a little closer to the city. Look for the usual preview on Thursday. Volunteers are still needed and you can sign up here.

– Congratulations to Village Verdigris-CX riders Mike Scalise (40+), Danny Warner (50+), Maxx Hall (Jr Men 15-18), and Gina Johnson (Women 15-18) for already sewing up the overall series titles in their respective categories. VVCX is also currently leading the Team Overall competition.

– Speaking of Verdigris Village-CX, youngster David Lombardo traveled to Louisville this past weekend to race against the best 17-18 year old CX racers in the country. David finished 7th on Saturday and 14th on Sunday. Nice racing David! Team Mack’s Jacob Schilling also lined up against the big boys. Nice racing Jacob!

– Speaking of UCI level racing, did you hear the CCC is again hosting our UCI C2 New Year’s Resolution races on January 5th & 6th 2013? See all the details on the NYR page here including how to sign up to volunteer and race for super cheap!

– Save the date, Sunday December 16th… we’re finalizing details for the CCC End of Season Awards Party at EJ’s Place in Skokie.

– And finally… GO KARL!

– You high fived and raced at the CX Relay (also hosted by xXx Racing)… you road tripped and raced at Patriot CX… now its time for the big leagues. This SATURDAY starts off the 9th season of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, once again in Jackson Park and hosted by xXx Racing. Please show up on Saturday and NOT Sunday.

– Remember the parking lot next to the course is OFF LIMITS and you’ll need to park across the street in the metered lot (it only costs about $9-10 for all day). We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. If that lot fills up, there is parking to the west of the course on Hayes Drive and to the East of Lake Shore Drive.

– Please note that the CARA 20-mile run will again be taking place along the Lakefront Path on Sunday morning. xXx and the CCC urge all CX’ers riding down to Jackson Park for the race to exercise due caution and courtesy when traveling along that route. False alarm, the CARA run is on Sunday. Please still be careful on the bike path.

– The CCC is trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. Mother earth thanks you!

– Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com (say it with us… Bik Rej… like REGistration) closed last night at midnight. Entry fees increase $5 on race day. Huge thanks to the 662 of you (most # of CCC pre-reg’s ever, beating last year’s JP number of 628) that have already pre-reg’d. If you show up early in the morning, please let the 40+ racers pick up their bib numbers first since they start promptly at 8:45am. Also thanks to the 7 of your that donated to WBR when registering. If you’d like to donate your race winnings to our WBR drive, please see us after your race.

– Don’t forget Activator Cycle Club will be hosting a kiddie fun ride around 1:40pm for the under 10 crowd.

– Series sponsor CarboRocket will be out on Saturday with big coolers of CarboRocket mix and coffee (in the morning). Swing by and fill up your bottle, mug, or canteen. Temps are forecast to be in the lower 70’s with an 100% chance of awesome, but we all need to stay hydrated.

– Food. There are NOT a lot of food options in the immediate vicinity of the park, so please bring your own… or better yet ask a food truck to stop by.

– Again year we are running 100 rider field limits in all categories. In combined fields (Women 1/2/3, Masters 50+/60+, Single Speed and Women 4 & Juniors) that means only 100 riders are allowed on course at one time. We will likely hitting 100 riders in both of these fields, and xXx will be maintaining waitlists for all fields. Both Cat 4 fields are already filled, the Cat 3’s are nearly 90, and 40+ & 30+ are in the lower 70’s. That’s a lot of people to keep track of so please help us in every way possible (i.e. don’t lose your bib #, show up on time, etc)!

– Concerning waitlists… we’ll start waitlists for each filled category (SS, Juniors, Cat 4A, Cat 4B) when registration opens at 7:30am. First come first served. 30 minutes before each race is scheduled to start (yes, even if we’re running a little behind we will still close reg at the scheduled time) we’ll close out the race and reassign bib numbers to those on the waiting list. If you are pre-reg’d and show up after this time your bib will already have been reassigned and you will NOT be allowed to race. Period. If you are racing more than once and would like to give your number up to someone else so they have a chance to enjoy the thrill of heckles and whatever else goes on, thank you, and we certainly can accommodate that. Just make your way to registration as soon as possible and the reg staff will switch you in start list (just don’t give your number to the other guy/gal… you both can be DQ’d by USAC and no one wants that!).

– Please remember to register for the correct category/age group. We cannot allow you to race outside your cat/age group and the reg staff will be checking licenses thoroughly all day long. If you have a question, please ask us or a USAC official.

– Concerning call-ups… as mentioned previously we will be staging by straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. See our thorough discussion of the topic in our post here and our standard staging procedure here. Remember CCC staging grids are 8 lanes wide. Preliminary staging info will be posted here as soon as we wrangle all the data and make sure everyone reg’d for the correct category.

– Concerning reg’ing for the correct category… no, you may not race Cat 3 if you are a Cat 4… and vice versa. Also, your CX age for the 2012 season is your age on 12/31/2013. Juniors (and their parents) please take note of this rule. Juniors 10-14 riders may race up in age with the Junior 15-18’s… but not the other way around.

– Concerning the 80% rule… we ask the USAC officials to leave as many riders in the race for as long as possible. However, pulling riders is still at their discretion in line with USAC rules. If you are told you are being pulled (always near the start/finish)… please exit the course immediately. You will still be scored and given a laps down designation.

– If you decided not to finish the race on your own volition, please let a USAC official know so you can be marked as DNF. This makes scoring the entire race a lot easier. Note that DNF’s count against your CrossResults.com score, so hang in there and finish your race!

– Full results will be posted on the CCC Results Board at the race (somewhere near registration) and online at usacycling.org/results later Sunday evening. Series standings will be posted here (please bookmark it) following each race. Remember we’re presenting podiums to the top 3 in each race immediately before the next race. So if you are in the top 3, head to the podiums right after you’re done ripping legs off. The Spidermonkeys will be presenting awards to both Juniors categories.

– We are also awarding Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys to ALL CATEGORIES. Determining the series leader at the first race is easy (the winner of the race, duh) and we’ll present the jersey on the podium. So if you won, please be present. You may even get a kiss from a podium girl.

– Juniors, remember the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also have extras for you.

– In addition to all of that we once again have Mad Alchemy First Lap Hot Leg primes for the Women Cat 4’s and Cat 4A’s. First rider across the line at a pre-determined spot on the first lap wins a tub of Mad Alchemy embrocation.

– The CCC will of course be on Twitter all day… so feel free to follow us for up-to-the-minute updates.

– The CCC is supported by many, many, many generous series sponsors (34 in all so far!), many of whom will personally be attending and racing at Jackson Park. If you see one, please make sure to stop and say thank you for their continued support. Our little series would NOT be possible without them.

– We will have all CCC merchandise pre-orders available for pick up on Saturday. T-shirts, Socks, embro, coffee mugs. We will also have a limited supply of merch for purchase

– Below is the tentative 2012 Jackson Park course brought to you by the great minds of xXx Racing. The course is essentially the same as the CX Relay race but will obviously have a different start and staging grid. The staging grid will be next to the parking lot. Please remember the map below is only an approximation as we may need to make adjustments on race day. The course runs clockwise. The wheel/bike pit is dual sided and currently SW of finish line.

– And finally… thanks to everyone for coming out and racing the Chicago Cyclocross Cup… again! 2009 was a banner year… 2010 was enormous and great, 2011 was even more nuts… and we’re guessing 2012 will definitely be our biggest, best, and fastest #YearOfSpeed yet. So let’s race, cheer, heckle, and have a great time! See you SATURDAY!

– We hope you all had a great time at the xXx Racing CX Relay race this past Sunday. For those of you who wimped out because of the rain, it really wasn’t that bad at all, and kept the temperatures to a very comfortable 78 degrees. Please post links to your pictures, videos, and race reports in the comments of the post below. We’ll have posts like this for every race going forward so you don’t have to go hunting all over the Intertubes on Monday morning looking for pictures of yourself.

– Attention all Potential Series Sponsors. We want to get things wrapped up this week, so if you’d like to help sponsor the series please email us now!

– Speaking of series sponsors, we’re happy to officially announce that Iron Cycles returns again as the 2012 Chicago Cyclocross Cup Series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the guys at Iron Cycles do a great job both on and off the bike sponsoring and promoting the series and we’re very, very, very happy and grateful to have them back for another year. We’ll have more to say about Iron Cycles (their fancy new website and even fancier new kits!) and all of our series sponsors in the coming weeks.

– Quick plug for one of our multi-year series sponsors. Check out Well-Fit’s training plan here.

– Speaking of the CCC Series, before we get under way please take 10 minutes to read the Series Rules & FAQ page. We know the rules and didn’t write this page for ourselves, so before you ask if its still okay to still ride 35mm tyres, or what your CX racing age is, check out the page and you’ll likely find the answer there. If not, shoot us an email and we’d be happy to answer your question.

– Speaking of website pages, did you know we also have a store page where you can pick up all kinds of trick CCC branded goodies, including Sock Guy CCC socks, CCC Contigo coffee mugs, Mad Alchemy custom CCC blend embrocation, and this year’s 2012 CCC series t-shirt. We decided not to hold a t-shirt design contest this year and instead had our super-awesome graphic designer Becky Welbes design a shirt that goes with another project we’ve been working on (see below). Ordering and payment instructions are all on the Store page.

– Speaking of new designs, Becky Welbes also designed this year’s Pactimo Series Leaders Jerseys. This season’s jersey will be awarded, every week, to all categories (well, except the 4B’s). We’ll show you what the Pactimo leaders jersey look like in a few weeks as soon as we get them from Pactimo. Overall standings will be posted after each race here which you can get to from here based on points listed here.

– But before you finish the race and earn points you have to start the race. All CCC series races are staged according to a combination of CCC Series Overall Standings, CrossResults.com points, and order of registration. The obvious exception will be the first race of the series (Jackson Park) where no one will have yet accumulated any points. The last race of the series at Montrose Harbor (which is also the State Championship) will also be staged a little differently so as NOT to disadvantage mid and down state IL riders, but we’ll get to that later in the season.

– Jackson Park staging. While we considered the idea of employing a random component to staging at Jackson Park, given the sheer number of riders and possibility of wet weather (again) we decided to use straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. There are several nuances of using this system.

1. While CCC series points do NOT carry over from the previous season, CrossResults.com points do. So riders in higher (faster) categories and guys/gals that have been around for a few seasons should have a good idea of where they will be staged.
2. If you’ve never raced CX, sorry, but you’ll be towards the back (since you don’t yet have any CrossResults.com points). Fear not! You’ll automatically start earning CrossResults.com points with your first CCC race, as long as you have an annual USAC license. Sorry, but One Day’s do NOT earn CrossResults.com points (but you can earn CCC series points). Confused yet? If not, read Colin’s explanation here.
3. The caveat here is that riders without CrossResults.com points will be staged by order of registration. This means Cat 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s don’t need to rush to register (because they already have high CrossResults.com points). But Cat 4’s, you should pre-reg sooner rather than later.
4. However, we can’t carry the entire CrossResult.com database around with us to every race (we get the data from BikeReg.com, also see Colin’s comments) so in order to be staged properly by CrossResults.com points you MUST preregister on BikeReg.com with your correct USAC license number. We do our best to clean up license #’s, etc ahead of time, but if you want to be staged correctly, please help us out and get that license number in your profile.
5. If you don’t pre-reg for Jackson Park, even if you have CrossResults.com points you will be staged by order of registration. Likely not a big deal for a first timer in the 4B’s just out there having fun, but you guys and gals at the front end of the Cat 1/2/3’s and 3’s field won’t want to be staged at the back. Sorry, after pre-reg closes there’s nothing we can do.
6. After Jackson Park, CCC series points come first, but you need to finish in the top 30 to score points. CrossResults.com points come next, then order of registration.

– Speaking of BikeReg.com (which btw owns CrossResults.com), have we mentioned you need to have your correct USAC number in your rider profile? No, “PENDING” is not a valid license number. This simple, little 8 digit number makes all the difference in the world to us. We want to continue to provide you with great races and specifically in this case results, so please help us out!

– Speaking of pre-registration. Online pre-reg for most CCC series races opens this Saturday 9/1/12 at 12 noon Central (all BikeReg times are Eastern because they’re in Massachusetts, duh). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

– Speaking of results, for those of you that pre-reg’d at the CX Relay, did you like getting your results in your email inbox shortly after you raced? That’s a little project we’ve been working on recently. It takes a little bit of extra work on our end, so please don’t expect it at ever race, or within minutes of crossing the finish line, but we’ll do our best. All that being said, in order for us to do so you need to have your correct email address in your BikeReg.com rider profile. Full results will obviously still be posted at the race on the CCC results board (somewhere near registration) and usually that night on USACycling.org/results. Overall standings should also be posted that night before we go to bed.

– Speaking of USA Cycling, if you’re racing anything higher than Cat 4 you need an annual license. period. Sorry, we don’t make up the rules, but we do have to enforce them. Purchase or renew you annual license on USAC’s website for the fastest turnaround time possible. You’ll also need an annual license to win the state championship in December at Montrose Harbor. #YearOfSpeed.

– And finally… for all you fellow metal heads out there, may we present…

– The heat came back in a big way this past week but we’ve seen plenty of you out and riding hard in preparation for THE CX season. Funny how cyclocross used to be what riders did in the “off season” to stay in shape and now so many people skip road and mountain bike races to get ready for CX. Not that we’re complaining.

– CCC superstar and series volunteer Ellie Blick recently wrote a riveting review on Chicago Women’s Bike Racing about this year’s changes to the Women Category 3 races. Ladies, if you haven’t heard or even if you have, please read Ellie’s summary.

– Don’t forget that before the official 2012 CCC #YearOfSpeed season takes off on Saturday September15th in Jackson Park there are two warm-up races in late August and early September. xXx Racing starts things off in a fun way with their Relay Cross race on Sunday August 26th, and Wildcard Cycling hosts Patriot Cross for the 2nd year on Saturday September 8th in Rantoul, IL. More info will be available as soon as the promoters have their race flyers approved by USACycling.

– Speaking of, Patriot CX promoter Karl C. has boulders (see at left) for sale. Please contact him directly if you’d like to purchase one (or more).

– A number of Series Sponsors have already signed up for the 2012 season. If you’d like to be involved see our proposal document first and then shoot us an email.

– Email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you’d like to stock up on SockGuy socks, Contigo coffee mugs, and/or Mad Alchemy embrocation. See the store page for details. 2012 series t-shirts will be available before the season starts.

– And finally…  We’ll repeat this before and during the season, but the CCC would like to remind everyone that we’re all just out there to have fun and ride our bikes with our friends. Sure we’re all competitive, but at the end of the day we’re all just amateurs (at least until CCCNYR) who have to get up and go to work or school on Monday morning, so there’s absolutely no reason to get yourself all in a tizzy about something silly. Keep it fun, keep it positive, and keep it realistic. If you have a problem with the series or a race, email us at [email protected] (we’ll get back to you within 24 hours, we promise) or better yet talk to one of us, the promoter, an event volunteer, or a USAC official at the race. Please don’t get all passive-aggressive on the Facebook, Twitter, some other social media site, or the comments section here on the site. That doesn’t help anyone and only makes you look immature. K, thanks… now let’s go have some fun!!!

– Well the weather held out, the crowds showed up, there were thrills, spills, chills (literally), Flannel Mike, heroes, winners, a little sand… but absolutely no losers. Big thanks to Turin Bicycle for hosting yet another great event at Montrose Harbor and the IL State CX Championships. Congratulation not only to the 13 state champions who won jerseys, but also the 13 individual Chicago Cyclocross Cup Overall Series Winners and to Verdigris-Village CX for winning the Team Competition.

– State Champions received their jerseys on Sunday but we’ll hand out the CCC cowbells in just less than 2 weeks at the CCC End of Season Awards Party on Sunday December 18th just after high noon at EJ’s Place in Skokie. We’ll have full use of the bar and a buffet dinner will be served between 3pm and 4pm. In addition to the CCC cowbells our fantastic series sponsors have stepped up in a big way and we’ll not only have awards for the series winners but plenty of great door prizes. Tickets are on sale now, so please pre-reg so the kitchen at EJ’s can plan accordingly.

– Speaking of parties, our friends at My Wife Inc. have invited all Chicago area racers heading up to Madison this weekend to the Badger Cross Party Saturday night. Although it’s technically the WCA season ending series awards, it’s really just a good party with food, music, and drinks. What better way to end a day of racing, cheering, heckling and cowbell ringing than with good food, some tasty beverages, music, fun and great company! December 10, 2011, 6-9 pm (Hor d’Oeuvres 6:30-8:30) at the West Side Club of Madison. Cost: $20.

– The Burnham Racing & Spidermonkey Cycling WBR holiday “bake sale” charity fundraiser was a smashing success. The Spidermonkeys baked their faces off and the group ‘sold through’ their ornaments (twice), raising well over $700 for World Bicycle Relief. Because of the WBR matching campaign going on now through the end of the year, the Montrose fundraiser along with Burnham’s Apple Donut ride and their work as the lead pace bikes for the Chicago Marathon… monies will end up as a net donation of over $2,400 to WBR!

– Races coming up…

– Badger Cross on 12/10 and 12/11 near Madison.
– Afterglow is hosted by Robots Powered by Love and the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew on Saturday 12/17 in Humboldt Park.
– Highland Park High School Training CX Rumble. A new high school ONLY CX race.
– The CCC’s New Year’s Resolution on 12/31 AND 1/1 at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. Reg is here. ILR’s sister hotel (Holiday Inn Elk Grove, 10-15 minutes away) has opened up rooms for $79 per night (including NYE) and will transport guests to and from ILR.
– CX Nationals take place in Madison between January 4-8.
– Masters World Championships are in Louisville January 12-15.

– For those of you continuing to race for another month, you can start renewing your annual USAC now on USACycling.org. UCI license holders you should know what to do. Licenses renewed now will be good until the end of next year… 12/31/2012. You’ll need a 2012 license in order to race on the 2nd day of the New Year’s Resolution, CX Nationals in Madison, and CX Masters World Championships in Louisville.

– And finally… Mr. Cyclocross Newt Cole is bringing his Engine Building 101 session back for another season starting in January 2012. Newt tells us the graduating class of 2011 earned 39 Podiums during this season… which isn’t even over yet!

Engine Building 101 by Newt Cole
An 8 week series designed for cyclists to build explosive strength, develop better mobility and flexibility while learning proper technique and recovery habits

Sundays, starting Jan 22nd
http://chicagonorthcenter.orangeshoe.com/enginebuilding101
Saturdays, starting Jan 21st
http://pwppedalingwithapurpose.blogspot.com/2011/11/pedaling-with-purpose-is-here.html
Prevent the repetitive-motion and overuse injuries associated with cycling.
Head off to your spring camps with a higher level of base fitness and prepare for a healthy 2012 campaign.