Photo: CXMagazine

- This is what it’s all about. What a great way to end the season. Congratulations to everyone who raced and supported Chicago Cyclocross this season!

- The US CX season continues in two weeks at Cincinnati Kings and then ends at Masters World Championships and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13. Buy your tickets now for the big party.

- And a party it will be… Verdigris-Village CX‘s David Lombardo was selected (just yesterday) to represent the USA in the Junior 17-18 race. Good luck David, we’ll all be cheering for you!

- And finally… the CCC website will be winding down over the next few weeks. We will still post updates here and there but don’t expect much until late spring or early summer. That being said we always want to hear your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, heckles, etc. So send us an email if you are so inclined.

- Good luck to everyone heading North this week/end to race

Photo: Eric Goodwin (Burnham Racing)

- 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.

Remember everyone gets a new bib number tomorrow. Do NOT wear your number from Saturday or you will NOT be scored properly. Thanks!

REIGNING NATIONAL CYCLOCROSS CHAMPION JEREMY POWERS,
THREE-TIME CHAMP JONATHAN PAGE ADDED TO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FIELD
Elite racers square off this weekend at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Ill.

Chicago, Ill. – New Year’s Resolution race organizers announced today that reigning American cyclocross champion Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) will compete in the first day of this weekend’s event, set for the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Ill. Powers recorded back-to-back second-place finishes in last year’s inaugural NYR weekend, before ascending to his first USA Cycling Elite National Cyclocross title a week later in Verona, Wis. With this year’s Elite National Championships again set in Verona, just outside of Madison, Wis., on January 13, Powers look to recreate his title-winning routine by lining up this weekend in Chicagoland.

Also added to the mix for Sunday’s race is Jonathan Page (Planet Bike), a three-time Elite National Champion (2003, ’04 and ’05) whose recent international success has him slated to make the United States’ roster for the 2013 World Cyclocross Championships. The upcoming Worlds, held for the first time on American soil, are slated for February 2-3 in Louisville, Ky. and the US roster will officially be announced on January 14. The European-based Page took third at the 2012 National Championships and was recently the top American finisher in a World Cup event in Namur, Belgium.

The men’s elite field, which includes the previously-announced six-time National Champion Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com), will also feature Chris Jones (Rapha-Focus), Troy Wells (Team Clif Bar) and a top U23 challenger in Yannick Eckmann (California Giant/Specialized).  The women’s field includes elite standout Amanda Miller (Optum p/b Kelly Benefits).

New Year’s Resolution is open for amateur and elite competitors and free to spectators. The event is hosted by the Chicago Cyclocross Cup and governed by USA Cycling. Valid 2013 licenses are required for all races. Competitors and the general public can visit ChiCrossCup.com/NYR for details. Rooms at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort are available by calling (630) 529-0200 or visiting indianlakesresort.com.

Full schedule and results at: http://chicrosscup.com/nyr.  Media inquiries can be directed to the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, contact Eric Goodwin, at ChicagoCrossCup@gmail.com .

- Tech Guide: Pretty much everything you need to know is here. We didn’t write this thing for ourselves, so please review it. More info is also on our NYR page here.

- Registration: Online pre-reg closes tonight at midnight. For the locals or if you raced with us last year, we’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 40+ & 50+ racers to reg first since they have to get ready and race first thing in the morning. If you’re coming to race in Chicagoland for the first time we’re glad you’re here! Just bring your USAC and/or Intl license to the registration room (yes we accept the USAC phone app). If you pre-reg’d we’ll have your USAC release form pre-filled for you in a big blue binder. Sign your release, grab your number and go. Day-Of registrants will need to be entered into the computer but it only takes a second.

- Please bring your own pins. Also, you’ll get a different bib number each day, so make sure to come back Sunday morning for your new number.

- Speaking of the USAC phone app, PLEASE renew your annual USAC license online at USACycling.org before arriving at the venue. Annual licenses purchased on or after 12/1/12 are good until 12/31/2013 and you must have a 2013 license to race either day this weekend.

- Waitlists:  We have a strict 100 rider field limit on course at one time. All fields are open and there are no waitlists at this time. If reg fills up today or on race day please see the ‘Registration’ section in the tech guide for a full explanation of the Day-Of waitlist procedure.

- UCI Staging: Staging for the UCI Women and Men races is by UCI rank/points and then drawing random lots for riders without UCI points. If you do NOT have UCI points you need to make sure you draw your random lot, otherwise you will be staged at the back of the field.

- Amateur Staging: The NYR is NOT a CCC series race and we will be using CrossResults.com points to stage all amateur categories. While we will post full results to USAC Saturday evening those results will NOT update CrossResults.com points for Sunday.

- Preliminary staging for all categories for both days (except random staging for UCI racers w/out UCI points and obviously day-of registrants) will be posted here no later than Friday morning (1/4/13). Please note there are two worksheets (one for Saturday, one for Sunday). Also, since we do not have onsite access to the CrossResults.com points database, all non-UCI day-of registrants will be staged at the back of their fields based on order of registration.

- Podiums presentations for each race will occur immediately after each race finish on the CCC podiums near the finish line (look for the 4 CCC razor flags… you can’t miss them), so pay attention during and after your race, we may be calling your name! There will also be a warming / interview tent located close to the podiums for rider/media use. The full payout schedule for both days is posted here.

- Sponsors: The CCC NYR is made possible by generous support from the following sponsors:

- Results: Results will be posted to USACycling.org here the evening after each race. Results are NOT just about your placing though. As with all other CCC series and Chicagoland races we’ll have posts up here on the CCC site each afternoon where we encourage you to post links in the comment section to your Flickr/Picasa/FB/etc pictures & videos and race reports/blogs.

- Anti-doping: The UCI will be conducting random anti-doping tests at the event. Riders are responsible for reporting to anti-doping control if they are selected to be tested.

- Weather: The forecast for the weekend has temps in the low 30′s with partly sunny skies. There is a small chance of precipitation earlier in the week but then dry… and windy through Sunday. Please bring plenty of warm clothes for after your race so you can stick around and heckle.

- Speaking of… you will be heckled… period. You might not even be racing when it happens. If you’re coming in from out of town and haven’t experienced Chicago’s style of  CX heckling, at best you may be taken aback, and at worst quite offended. But don’t worry, its all just for fun… but we’ll let Chicago’s head heckler and the Don Rickles of CX… Mr. Rob Curtis of PSIMET explain.

- For the more professional wordsmiths… Richard Fries and Todd Busteed will be announcing the race, and Kelly Minx Riordan will be hostessing the awards and podiums.

- Everyone’s favorite mechanic Jose Alcala will be manning the equipment pits both days with SRAM Neutral support. We don’t expect too much mud (if any), but if it appears we’ll need pressure washers we’ll have them in the pits.

- Merchandise: If you ordered CCC merchandise you can pick it up in the registration room. We will also have CCC Contigo coffee mugs only for sale. Cash, check, or credit!

- The Hotel: There’s a big reason we’re hosting a cyclocross race on a golf course in suburban Illinois the weekend before USA Cycling CX National Championships… the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. ILR has many amenities including hotel rooms mere steps away from the course, indoor bathrooms, showers, two restaurants, a spa, pool, a hot tub, plenty of parking, and last but certainly not least… The Cave. There is WiFi in the hotel but the signal isn’t great in the guest rooms outside of the main lobby. We suggest bringing an Ethernet cable. ILR will be running an all day buffet special at the Master’s Clubhouse adjacent to the registration room and finish line. There’s also a bar in case you want to, you know, ring in the new year a little late.

- Speaking of, the CCC will be hosting an informal party and meet & greet with several pro (and non-pro) riders at the The Cave bar (in the hotel atrium) Saturday evening. Stop by to have a drink, say hello to old and new friends, and ring in the New Year (okay, a few days late) in the best way we know how… with a CX party.

- Course Crossings: There are four official pedestrian course crossings. Please use them to cross the course safely. We still need a few course marshals as well. Please either sign up here or contact us if you have some time to spare on race day.

- Bathrooms: Spot-a-pots, Port-o-lets, Lepri-cans… call them what you will but they are cold with the temps dip down low. Indoor bathrooms (and showers) are just inside the clubhouse doors to the right, close to registration but not necessarily near the start line… so please plan accordingly.

- Club Row: No charges this year for Club Row along the start/finish pavement section, but space is limited on a first come, first served basis. If you have questions about where to set up please email us ahead of time or see a race director at the venue. Indian Lakes is notoriously windy, so if you do set up a pop-up tent please bring stakes, weights, kettle bells, large babies, etc to help weigh down your tent. Many unsecured tents have been damaged in the past due to strong winds. You may leave your tent overnight, but please break it down all the way. The CCC is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.

- The Course: The CCC series race at ILR in November is a perennial favorite. Sand traps, fairways, roughs, a little mud, dodging flying golf balls… ILR has it all. The NYR course is slightly different (thankfully no one will be golfing, we made sure this year) and goes the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) but uses many of the same course features including, yes, the sand traps. Staging is on the asphalt cart path at the Northern edge of the course. The entrance to the staging grid is on the North section of crowd barriers, adjacent to Pro-Row. The course will be ready for pre-riding Friday afternoon.

- The NYR course runs anti-clockwise and can be broken into 4 sections… 1 path/grass power section followed by 1 grass power section, 1 technical section, and then a final power section. We intend to alter the course slightly from Saturday to Sunday but the majority of the course will be the same both days.

1. The start takes the course on a quick trip through Club Row and then heads up a small incline and past the Finish Line. A sweeping dog-leg left takes the course around a set of t-boxes to the first grass section. Winding around to the left the course passes to the opposite side of the finish line and heads South out onto the course proper. After a tricky off-camber turn the first real obstacle is the hill located at the far South West corner of the course.
2. The course then straightens out in a fast grass power section heading towards the Eastern edge of ILR’s property. A long straight stretch and a few quick turns and then the course winds back to the first entrance to the equipment pits.
3. After exiting the pits the course doubles back on itself to the inside and heads South again. In this section riders will be greeted by UCI regulation maximum height barriers. Making full use of all of the terrain and possibly a sand pit or three the course twist and turns its way back to the main incline at the South Western edge of the course. Any wet weather (unlikely) or residual snow (more likely) will cause this section on the driving range to become muddy.
4. After negotiating the hill for the 2nd and last time the course straightens out into the final long, par 4, power section heading straight towards the finish and Club Row. After a quick trip through several real sand pits the course turns 180 degrees to the right for a final pass through the equipment pits. A large, sweeping 180 to the left on the cart path turns the course back to the West, past the staging grid and Club Row, and up the small incline to the finish line.

Saturday

Sunday

- If its the new year that means our UCI C2 New Year’s Resolution race is right around the corner… four days to be exact. Find the full schedule (including who is pre-reg’d to race), flyer, tech guide, course maps, payout schedule and more on the NYR page here. The Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) has discounted rooms for $84 per night using GROUP code ‘CYC’… which includes use of the hot tub!

- The CCC still needs volunteers to make the race happen and host housing for our out of town riders. If you can help please contact us via the NYR page here.

- The full course preview will be up at the regular time tomorrow (Wednesday). Online pre-reg on BikeReg closes at Midnight Central time tomorrow (Wednesday 1/2/13).

- After the NYR don’t forget USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13, Masters World Championships, and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 Louisville,KY. Follow the links for more info.

- Machinery Row Bicycles is having a party the Friday before Nationals. Check out the details here.

- And finally… This is from last week, but David Lombardo checks in from Euro Cross Camp.

Here’s an excerpt:

About 55,000 tourists visit Liechtenstein every year. This blog was viewed about 320,000 times in 2012. If it were Liechtenstein, it would take about 6 years for that many people to see it. Your blog had more visits than a small country in Europe!

Click here to see the complete report.