Hi all,

We here at the Chicago Cyclocross Cup hope everyone is safe, healthy, and doing fine. Cyclo-cross racers are no strangers to health issues, struggling, and adversity, but even by our standards 2020 has been a rough year and we’re not even half way through yet.

By now all of you are hopefully aware of the ‘Restore Illinois’ plan developed by the state government and Illinois Department of Public Health. The state of Illinois is currently in Phase 3 and under this plan groups of 50 people or more (i.e. CCC events) are not allowed until the state/region is in Phase 5.

“Phase 5 – Illinois Restored: With a vaccine or highly effective treatment widely available or the elimination of any new cases over a sustained period, the economy fully reopens with safety precautions continuing. Conventions, festivals and large events are permitted, and all businesses, schools and places of recreation can open with new safety guidance and procedures in place reflecting the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

We obviously cannot predict the future and we have no way of ensuring when we’ll get to Phase 5. But you know we love numbers and stats and we’ve been paying close attention since early March and find it hard to believe we’ll have a vaccine or Illinois will be COVID-19 free by late September.

So with all that in mind, as of today we are cancelling the 2020 Chicago Cyclocross Cup series. Without a vaccine or widely available highly effective treatment there’s just no way we could guarantee everyone’s safety. And we would need to be putting the finishing touches on lots of details right now in order to ensure the series is kept up to the standards you all have come to know, expect, and deserve. So postponing any longer would not allow us enough time to effectively organize the series.

We know this news will be sad news for everyone, and we never thought we’d have to write these words. But like several times in the past, we’d much rather write them now than an apology letter to someone’s loved ones later after they get sick or worse. Its a sucky decision but actually an easy one.

Most of you are probably unaware that the CCC doesn’t actually run any of the events in the series. Instead each event is hosted and run by separate race promoters/directors that agree to the same schedule, rules, scoring, etc. So with all that being said, there is a very, very outside chance some of the individual race promoters may still be able to host their events later in the Autumn if conditions and regulations allow. If that becomes the case we will of course post news here for everyone. But until that time the site will be mostly silent. Feel free to drop us a line at [email protected] if you have any questions or need additional info.

Until then, and most likely until 2021, take care of yourselves and each other. Stay safe, stay healthy, smile under your face mask even if other people can’t see it, and keeping riding your bike!!!