Chicago Cross Cup

Photo: Derek Lewis

- Big thanks again to the South Chicago Wheelmen and the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort for hosting not one, but two days of racing in a row. The winds were gale force but thankfully the temps were high and the rain stayed away.

- The winner of the Psimet custom Indian Lakes tublar wheelset was Jostein Alvestad of EMC^2. Congratulations to Jostein and thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets. All proceeds went directly to the SCW junior development program.

- While most of us were trying not to get blown away on the golf course… a few CCC’ers traveled SouthEast to Louisville for the 3rd stop of the USGP of CX. Congrats to everyone who raced, and especially to Verdigris-Village CX‘s David Lombardo to who won the Junior 15-16 race on Sunday.

- Speaking of promoters hosting more than one event, Rob Curtis and the Psimet crew are back again this Saturday with the NORGE Ski Jump Cyclocross. Reg closes Wednesday night at 10:45pm CST. This race is NOT part of the CCC series… but its CX… on the side of a nordic ski jump… how cool is that?

- On Sunday the CCC series continues with promoters Northbrook Cycling Club and Flatlandia at the Camp Duncan YMCA property in Ingleside. Dubbed “Ted’s Excellent Double Track Adventure” we’re sure to see some fun racing through the woods. Flatlandia’s Dave Pilotto ensures us the course will delight everyone with hills, a sandy beach, stair run ups, double track through the woods, and plenty of off camber turns. No word yet on the selection of pork & dairy products that will be available for consumption. One thing that will not be allowed however is alcohol. YMCA property rules prohibit the stuff. We’re sure there will be at least a few of you who won’t read this, so if you see someone blatantly displaying a Daisy Cutter can, please ask them to be more discreet. Check back on Thursday for the full course preview.

- Speaking of things that aren’t allowed. We’ve been asked by our USAC officials to remind everyone again that while CX is fun, and the Cat 4B carnival is even more fun, spectators are NOT allowed to change the course (yes, even in bacon alley). While we love to see people having a great time riding through a tunnel of cheering fans, bacon, Twinkies, and white tigers just as much as the next series organizer, for insurance liability purposes we need to keep things safe for everyone… especially the new and inexperienced guys and gals. You all have done a great job of following the rules so far this year so this will be the last we mention it.

- A few of our promoters have mentioned to us that not all of you have picked up your payouts. If you were in the money but didn’t pick it up, please contact the promoter directly.

- What? Only 2 CCC races left? Can you believe the series is 5/6th’s over? It seems like the relay race was just yesterday.

- Not to worry, Robots Powered by Love and the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will host the Afterglow on Saturday 12/17 in Humboldt Park.

- What to do after that? Party more of course! Tickets are now on sale for the CCC End of Season Awards Party on Sunday December 18th at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Please pre-reg so the kitchen at EJ’s can plan accordingly. We’ll be awarding the ever popular CCC series winner cowbells and plenty of schwag. And of course the bar will be open all afternoon.

- Still need more racing? Reg for the CCC New Year’s Resolution is open. Discounted room rates are also available but going quickly. Call or click today and use the Group Code (not the promo code) “CYC”. If you raced this past weekend you saw what the facilities are like and got a taste of a few elements of what the course will be like in 2 months. Of course by that time we’ll likely have a little snow on the ground and a few more pro’s. We’re really looking forward to hosting this national caliber event and we hope you all will help us show the rest of the country what they’re missing and how we do CX here in Chicago. We could still use a few more volunteers to help us with setup on Friday and course marshaling on race day, so if you’d like to help out please contact us at ChicagoCrossCup@gmail.com.

- And finally… its only 40 days until Christmas! In this tough economy many individuals and companies are struggling but we are all very fortunate to be a part of this crazy CCC family that continues to grow and prosper. Our sponsors support the series more than you can imagine and make it all possible and bigger and better every year… so if you are in the market for more cycling gear (and come on, who isn’t?) please support our series sponsors during this holiday shopping season. Thanks!

Photo: Chip Williams

- Back for their 3rd year at the golf course… Steve Feehery, Mike Kelly, and the rest of the South Chicago Wheelmen host this weekend’s double race weekend at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. Besides a great course and loverly surroundings, some of the other amenities ILR offers include an indoor heated pool (bring your suit), an indoor locker room (change in the warmth and/or take a shower after your race), a spa including steam room, jacuzzi, restaurant, and of course… the Cave Bar.

- As we mentioned on Tuesday, the SCW have secured discounted hotel room rates of $82 per night for up to 4 people. There are still rooms available for this weekend, so call now. For reservations call 630.529.0200 and for general  info visit IndianLakesResort.com. ILR will have a breakfast buffet from 6:30 am to 11 am and an all-you-can-eat lunch/dinner buffet from 11 am til 6:30 pm, both for just $13.95 per person Saturday & Sunday.

- The other CCC (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) will continue where they left off last year (and the year before that) and host the Cave Bash 2011 party in the ILR Cave Bar (in the middle of the hotel… you can’t miss it). The party starts Friday night and (for those who can hang) will continue Saturday night. New Belgium Brewery will also be at the race again selling $3 Fat Tire Ales.

- Being a double weekend you might want to make sure you save some for Sunday since the SCW have put up a $6,600 prize list over the two days, which is quite a bit more than the CCC minimum payout schedule. All categories payout deeper than the standard 5 places… so make sure you pick up your winnings!

- SCW will be raffling a set of Psimet Wheels to benefit their junior development program

- Unfortunately CarboRocket will NOT be on hand w/ free coffee and drink mix, but the Master’s Clubhouse bar/restaurant is steps from the course.

- Tipping Point Photography will be shooting all weekend and will also have Gift Certificates for all your holiday gift giving needs.

- Please see CCC staff to pick up your CCC custom 2011 t-shirts, socks, and embro. We’d love for you to take you stuff home!

- Due to the Saturday race online pre-reg has already closed (we told you on Tuesday). All fields are still open however and you can reg on Saturday and/or Sunday if you missed out.

- Dogs are allowed on ILR and even into the hotel rooms for a one time $50 fee.

- Remember to pick up your Sunday bib number on Sunday. You will have a different number both days for each race and you will NOT be scored on Sunday if you wear your number from Saturday.

- Numbers go on your left both days.

- Lost & Found will be in a bag near registration.

- Given current temps in the 30′s and 40′s Saturday’s sun and 50 degrees looks delightful. However, there’s a chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday. Given the amount of rain we’ve had already this season we wouldn’t be surprised if the heavens open up.

- Registration will be inside next to the pro-shop. We’ll have a bike rack outside (hint: use that instead of the golf bag racks or laying your bike on the ground).

- Podium presentations will take place immediately following each race except the Women 4 and Juniors races. In order to give our USAC officials enough time to correctly tabulate the results we will present the Women 4 and Junior podiums at 1:50pm.

- The ILR staff has asked us to stay off the putting greens. Please don’t make us have to remind you.

- The equipment pit will be staffed by SRAM Neutral Support all weekend long… and not far away from the Start/Finish line.

The Course: We’re racing on a golf course… what more could you ask for? That being said the SCW will include most if not all of the ILR classic sections including the main hill, sand traps, and more than a few fairways, roughs, 2nd roughs, twists, and turns. SCW may has even included some elements of the New Year’s Resolution course. Bacon Alley will surely be back as well. SCW should have the course set up by Friday afternoon if you’d like to pre-ride. The map below is tentative and the course will likely be a bit different by this weekend. Course runs clockwise.

View Larger Map

- Big thanks again to Rob Curtis, Dr. Kearns and the entire Enzo’s-Psimet team for hosting Sunday’s PSI-clocross For Life race in Woodstock. The sky’s threatened all day long, but the Cat 4B’s wound up finishing in the sun. We are now deep into the season and the leaders of the overall standings continue to change hands. We are very excited to see this level of competition and look forward to the next few weeks to see what happens.

- This coming weekend the CCC heads West to the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) as the South Chicago Wheelmen (SCW) host stops 9 and 10 of the series and the CCC’s 2nd of two double weekends. There’s lots going on at ILR and MsChiCrossCup will even be in attendance. See the SCW’s site for details and stop back here on Thursday for the usual course preview. But until then a few things:

• Discounted room rates for up to 4 people… $82/night (use group code CCC)
• All you can eat buffets for $13.95 at the Masters Clubhouse
• Pool AND hot tub
• Party at ‘The Cave’ bar w/ the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew… $3 Fat Tire Ales… see here
• Roll out of your bed and onto the course
• Psimet wheel raffle to benefit the SCW junior development program
• SRAM neutral support & bike wash
• Did we mention there is a pool and hot tub?

- Please note that due to the Saturday race online pre-reg for ILR closes Wednesday evening. Don’t miss out. Do it now.

- Speaking of ILR, registration is open for the CCC’s New Year’s Resolution which will take place at ILR. All the details you seek are here. We still need a few volunteers to help us put on the event. If you offered to help but didn’t receive an email from us this morning then somehow we lost your original email. Please get in touch with us as soon as possible.

- Speaking of pre-reg, online reg quietly opened last week for this year’s Afterglow hosted by <a title=”Robots Powered by Love and the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew. Details here.

- Reg is also open for the Norge Ski Hill CX here.

- OMG so many reg sites… tickets will be on sale soon for the CCC’s End of the Season Awards Dinner to be held again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. With so much racing going on from New Year’s to Nationals to Masters CX Worlds we moved the date up to Sunday December 18th (the day after Afterglow) so everyone can make it and not have to miss a race or training ride. Cowbells will be ringing so we hope to see you all there!!

- Just a reminder that you can NOT simply give or take someone else’s bib  number at any race in any category. Yes, the Cat 4B’s are fun, but if you want to race we need to know who YOU are… not who the bib number originally belonged to. We’d be happy to switch you at the reg desk, but our insurance coverage mandates that only the person issued the bib number and who signed the release form can be on the race course. We know that sounds like a bunch of suits talking mumbo-jumbo, but there are rules we all have to play by to stay safe. Thanks for understand… do you smell bacon?

- And finally… Its November and the temps will surely start falling, perhaps with some precipitation… Got Bogs?

- UDPATE: Our friends from Embrocation Cycling Journal were out at Woodstock and put together a great photo essay of the event. See it here.

Photo: Tipping Point

- Thanks to Rob Kelley and all the folks at Bicycle Heaven for hosting another great Campton Cross. The weather might have turned slightly ugly perfect for CX racing late in the day, and last minute softball games caused major course modifications, but we all adapted and had a great time. Rob Kelley tells us the Pink Panther won the best costume contest.

- Note the women’s races are UCI and Cat 3/4. If you are a Cat 2 woman you will either need a UCI license or race Masters or Cat 2/3.

- We could still use a few extra volunteers for course set up, marshaling, etc… so if you (or a spouse, significant other, teammate, etc) can help out for at least a 4 hour shift and you’d like to race for a deeply discount rate please contact us at ChicagoCrossCup@gmail.com.

- If you’d like to be involved with host housing for out of state pro’s (and non-pro’s alike) please get in touch with Nikki Cyp.

Photo: Tipping Point

- Thanks Jim Nowak and ABD for another great Sunrise Park race. Sunshine and 60 degrees always makes for a great day, as does lots of grass, 180′s, a six pack, and of course… the original Heckle Hill. We saw numerous breakout performances (again) as riders are obviously coming into CX form and fighting for every last series point. We can’t believe we’re “only”  half way through the CCC series but there’s still plenty of racing to do this year.

- Speaking of more racing, online pre-reg is now open on BikeReg.com for Ted’s Excellent Dbl Track Adventure. Hosted by the Northbrook Bicycle Club and Flatlandia Cycling this race takes the place of the old Northbrook course. TEDTA will be held at the YMCA Camp Duncan just up the road from the Psycho CX course.

- Speaking of end of the season, online pre-reg should be open not later than next week for the CCC’s New Year’s Resolution race. Watch for plenty of details soon!

- But back to more near term events, this Sunday the CCC heads just West of St. Charles/Geneva for round 7 at Campton Cross. Promoter Rob Kelley and Bicycle Heaven host their 7th annual event, which was one of the original CCC races way back in 2004. Being the day before Halloween costumes are of course optional mandatory, and from the playlist requests we’ve been getting, we can’t wait to see what you all have up your collective sleeves. Look for the course preview at the regular time on Thursday.

- Just a reminder that series sponsor MNO Sport Chiropractic is offering a CCC discount:

$50 account credit to any/all CCC riders who schedule and bring in their race number.  The account credit can be used toward chiropractic services regardless if the patient has insurance or not.  The credit is only redeemable once regardless of how many races you participate in. MNO is also offering a one-time $10 discount towards an hour massage for CCC racers and staff.  Mention this deal when calling to schedule your appointment.

- All CCC embro, shirts, & socks are in and available for pick up at races (either at the Spidermonkey 312 tent or from CCC staff). All items are pre-sale only. Shirts are sold out (except for XL) but we have plenty of Mad Alchemy Pome d’Émbre embro. Due to popular demand we put in another order with SockGuy for socks yesterday… so watch for details about when and where they will be available for purchase.

- Speaking of custom, we still need volunteers to help put on this year’s CCC New Year’s Resolution race. If you’d like to help out and race for an extremely discount rate please contact us at ChicagoCrossCup@gmail.com.

- And finally… Our apologies to all the women, masters, and juniors racers on the last minute scheduling changes over the last few weeks. The CCC has been growing what seems like exponentially over the last few years and we’re experiencing the inevitable and associated growing pains along the way. Thanks for your patience and for working with us to find the best solution for everyone involved. Your continued constructive criticism and comments are helpful more than you know.

- Thanks to Ted Schweitzer, Verdigris-Village CX, Jeff Provisor, and North Branch Cycling for hosting this past weekend’s race. Wind then rain… but all CX!

- Next up, ABD Sunrise Park hosted by who else but Athletes By Design (ABD). Promoter Jim Nowak has something new which is really something old for everyone this year. Payouts have  been increased courtesy of ABD. Look for the course update on Thursday at the regular time.

- If you are NOT racing the 40+ category (first race of the day) please let those 40+ racers work their way up to the reg desks first thing in the morning. The 40+ racers have a very limited amount of time to get set up, pinned up, and warmed up before their race, so please give them all the help possible. There should be plenty of time for everyone else to get their numbers. We and the 40+ racers thank you.

- More mud? That’s two races already and we’re not even half way through the season. Iron Cycles continues to run their CX bike cleaning and maintenance specials.

- If you upgrade from this point further your CCC points do NOT travel with you to the next category (only applies to Cat 4A, Cat 3, Women 4). Please review the Series Rules & FAQs (yes we know we need to update the staging procedure section).

- Sorry for the delay, CCC Overall Standings will be updated by Thursday.

- All CCC merchandise will be available this weekend at Sunrise Park.

- And finally… did anyone eat a Chubby Spud on Sunday?

- For the 4th year in a row the Carpenter’s Park race, hosted by Main St. Bicycles (owned by CCC director and all-rounder Jeff Provisor) & North Branch Cycling, will be held along side the Carpentersville Oktoberfest as stop #5 of the CCC. The festival will once again have a beer garden (which will of course be located right next to the course). Great food vendors, live music, raffles, kid rides (inflatables), and much more. Full details of the festival and a sample of some of the Oktoberfestivities are here.

- Remember the previous day the CCC is just up the road in Wauconda at Psycho Cross. See the preview for Saturday’s race here. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com is already closed for Pyscho CX but closes tonight (Thursday) at midnight for Carpentersville. All categories are still open.

- Registration should be in the NorthEast corner of the park not far away from the Staging/Start/Finish area.

- The weather forecast again looks fantastic.

- The Spidermonkeys will be back and distributing CCC 2011 series t-shirts and Mad Alchemy custom embro. Sock will be available next week at Sunrise Park.

- Jeff and the village of Carpentersville have asked that we please keep the beer drinking in the beer garden. It always seems there are a few people out there that can’t find access to the Interwebs, so if you see someone with a can or two of High Life on the other side of the course, please ask them to be respectful of the park, other spectators, and racers. Bacon and Twinkies are allowed and in fact encouraged to roam freely.

- Overflow parking will be East of the park – in the school lots off of Spring St (to the South), and at Cross Container off of Maple (to the North).

- The beer garden (did we mention there is beer) will be located on the NE side of the course. There will be many tasty food options as well… however Kenny’s famous Chubby Spud unfortunately will not be in attendance. Apparently Kenny moved to Arizona and no one has been able to convince him to return.

- Bring a canned food item for the local food pantry, and the $2.00 I.D. wrist band fee to purchase adult beverages in the Beer Garden will be waived. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest will be featured in the garden.

- For all you kids who aren’t yet old enough to race in the 10-14 category, the Oktoberfest will feature a Free Kids race for 5-10 year olds held at high noon near the bandshell. Just bring your bike and a helmet!  Also for the kiddies, a huge inflatable jumpy thing to keep ‘em busy & happy for .50 cents a ride.

- Bikes not your thing? There will also be a Classic Car Show in the Otto parking lot down the road.

- The Course: This year’s course will be nearly identical to last year with such class Carpentersville features as creek crossings, one of the CCC’s longer sand pits, and a little hill which is always great for spectating and taking photos. Returning in yet another variation from 2009 and 2010, the course will again shoot riders through dirt rollers (pump/rhythm section). Take notes from Sven Nys here (0:11). The new wrinkle this year is (unless the farmer decides to take down the corn this week) the addition of a corn maze to the roller section. The corn tunnel (sorry, not our words) is at least 8′ tall on either side and 10′ wide. Warning!!! You will break your teeth if you take a feed corn handup. Speaking of… Twinkies will be sold for a fundraiser by the Carpentersville local Rotary at their booth in the Oktoberfestival… not that you all need convincing but they are waaay tastier than the feed corn.

View Larger Map

- Back again for another year race promoter Ted Schweitzer returns with the rebranded Verdigris Village CX team to host stop #4 of the CCC with their Psycho Cross race in Wauconda at the Golf Farm. The race also has a website at: www.psychocrosschicago.com. Pre-reg closes tonight at midnight on BikeReg.com.

- Speaking of night time… Ted is also experimenting with a night race this year on Friday. The Friday Night Race is not part of the CCC series (so no points to gain or lose), but will surely be fun for those of you looking to get in a little more racing. The course will be at least partially lit, but please bring your own lights. Camping spaces are available for $12.00 per person including  a bonfire and a band. Online pre-reg is on BikeReg here and additional details can be found here on the PsychoCross website.

- Speaking of more CX racings… on Sunday the CCC travels just down the road to Carpentersville. See the preview for Sunday’s race tomorrow. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com closes for Carpentersville tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight.

- Travel Times: There is road construction and occasional major traffic backups in the vicinity of Route #12 (Rand Road) and Old McHenry road, as well as other construction in the area: Route #12 (Rand Road) south of Rt. #22 in Lake Zurich, Midlothian Road in Hawthorn Woods, and Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. Please plan accordingly as registration for each race closes 30 minutes prior to the start of each race.

- Per the owner of The Golf Farm, please leave your beer coolers and/or grills at home. This is private land and there is a restaurant/bar, so we have to play by the owner’s rules. The main parking will be on the South side of the course. Limited parking is available next to the restaurant/bar.

- Verdigris Custom Homes’ “Bridge of Sighs” will be riders’ main obstacle for the day. The flyover is 22’ tall, 51’ long, and 11’ wide with 13 steps that lead you to the top.

- And bobcat was also set  loose on the course and create some other fun features.

- The Gold Farm is a full service facility with a bar, restaurant, and of course bathrooms. Please use them all.

- The Course: There isn’t a terrible amount of terrain to speak of but Ted and the Verdigris Village CX crew have been very creative in designing a fast power course with all the trimmings including grass, dirt, gravel, mulch, twists, turns, straightaways, and of course the flyover.

View Larger Map

Photo:Ed White

- Thanks again to Beverly Bike-Vee Pak and Region Racing for another great race at Dan Ryan Woods. This year’s course may have been the best so far, so we can’t wait to see next year’s torture over the hill and through the woods. Thanks also to everyone who came out and raced, cheered, snapped photos, heckled, etc.

- This coming weekend is the first of the CCC’s two double weekends at Psycho Cross and Carpentersville. Online pre-reg closes on BikeReg.com on Wednesday and Thursday night at midnight respectively.  But before the weekend even gets started you have a chance to race in the dark at Psycho Cross After Dark. Additional details at PsychoCrossChicago.com.

- The new staging system worked better than we hoped and from your comments it seems you all liked it as well. Huge thanks to Jim Brady (The Pony Shop), Cliff Golz (The Pony Shop), Lew Chin (Rhythm Racing), and Nathan Schneeberger (Johnny Sprockets) and our USAC officials for helping to make it all happen so well on the first try. Thanks also to you the riders for helping us work out a few minor kinks. We will continue with the same procedure for the rest of the season. The only race that will be slightly different will be the State Championships at Montrose Harbor to accommodate down state riders who can’t make it up to Chicago every weekend (details to come). Please continue to submit your constructive criticism comments here on the site or directly through our email address because, you know, we’re committed to making the series better in every way possible and we need your suggestions to do so.

- Upgrades: If you upgrade please send us a note at ChicagoCrossCup@gmail.com so we can make sure to transfer your points for staging for you. Remember half of your points travel with you to the next category if you do so before Carpentersville. See the Series Rules/FAQ page for details.

- The Active Transportation Alliance is having their 25th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 13. Word has it that John & Christian Vande Velde and Robbie & Lori Ventura will be there. No reports yet of bacon or Twinkies.

- Friends of the series REKLAIM apparel have a Kickstarter associated with World Bicycle Relief... The Calling. Check it out here and donate if you can.

- - The Spidermonkeys will be back and distributing CCC 2011 series t-shirts and Mad Alchemy custom embro at Carpentersville. Socks will be available next week at Sunrise Park.

- An unidentified rider was spotted at DRW who we have never seen before.

- Two riders we do know were seen and we’re happy to see them together again.

- We saw a few crashes on Sunday. Here’s why you should always, always, always wear your helmet any time you are on your bike.

- The course preview for Saturday’s Psycho Cross race will be posted tomorrow (Wednesday). Sunday’s Carpentersville race will be posted at the regular time on Thursday.

- And finally… we here at the CCC don’t talk much about the really, really, really fast guys all that much, but this story from Sunday caught our attention as we think it exemplifies the spirit we see every weekend in CCC races. Whether its the fastest Cat 1 or a mid pack Cat 4B we all are out there having fun, achieving goals, and making memories. Fantastic ride Scott, and if you need a new derailleur, we know a local company who might be able to help you out.

Photo: Ed White

Photo: Ed White

- Big thanks again to North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love for hosting yet another great event at Hopkins Park. If you couldn’t make it out to Dekalb for a stupendously wonderful Autumn day to watch the races be sure to check out all of the pix and vids posted here.

- Congratulations to James Lalonde (Chicago.CX) and Christina Peck (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) who won this year’s installment of the Officially Unofficial IL State Singlespeed CX Championships. James and Christina won complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco as well as round-trip airfare. If you didn’t know, whomever wins SSWC’s gets to bring the event back to their home city the next year… so good luck and do us proud James & Christina (no pressure)!

- Next up Dan Ryan Woods (DRW). No theme this year… just some fast long straight-away CX racing with a little hill thrown in for good measure. Look for the standard course preview on Thursday.

- Just a heads up for this weekend… the Chicago Marathon is again being run (literally) the same day as DRW on Sunday. Please plan your travel times to the race accordingly.

- Hopkins Park was dry… but did you get your bike dirty somewhere else? Iron Cycles is still running their bike cleaning special.

- We have been asked by our promoters and officials to again remind everyone that registration closes for each race 30 minutes prior to its start time. This may seem like an arbitrary time cut off, but there’s a lot of stuff that needs to happen in that 30 minutes to get all races started on time (No shows pulled, waitlisted riders entered, start sheets printed, riders checked in at the starting grid, call ups prepped, donuts consumed, tires inflated, chains lubed… sorry, we got lost… where were we? Oh right, 30 minutes… Do yourself and everyone else a favor and just get yourself to reg on time. Arriving to pick up your bib number 5 minutes before your race start time and then asking someone to pin your number on is not acceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

- Speaking of registering… there are only a handful of spots left in the Cat 4A race. Get in there now if you want to race.

- CCC Series Director Jason Knauff was profiled on CX Magazine.

- Speaking of the New Years Resolution… Jason took a scouting trip to the East coast to visit the GP of Gloucester this past weekend. While very disappointed with New Englanders’ hand up and heckling skills, he did bring back quite a few best practices ideas… so look for them soon in the CCC as we prepare for our big show on New Years. Jason also had a chance to chat with a few pros and their handlers about racing in Chicago. Updates coming soon.

- Speaking of handling… thanks to Spidermonkey Cycling for handling our merchandise distribution at Hopkins Park. We only have a few tshirts left, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Socks are on the way and Embro is here now. All items are pre-order only.

- In case you missed it… our friends at CrossResults.com have introduced their Cross Clash. Check it out and challenge your friends or mortal enemies to a season long competition.

- There’s a new Blue Steel in town… but we always appreciate classics.

- And finally… we know there are quite a few carbonated hops flavored beverage enthusiasts racing (and lets be honest… heckling) in the CCC. If you happen to be out in Utah, maybe bring back some of this for everyone to enjoy?!?! HT Rhythm Racing‘s Michael Shea.