2014 Montrose Harbor Preview
– Ten27 Cycles and Spidermonkey Cycling host the last stop of the 2014 CCC… the Illinois State CX Championships at Montrose Harbor. We ask everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells, cameras, drones, noise makers (leave the vuvuzelas at home please) and make a day out of Montrose…
– This year’s party will be bigger and better than ever. Ten27 is bringing in a large heated tent with clear sidewalls in which you can gather to watch racers struggle as they plow through the sand. Goose Island will be pouring 312 Urban Wheat Ale inside. The Big Star food truck will be serving their famous tacos and other food at the curb. Sponsor tents will be gathered into an Expo Area between registration, the finish area, and the podiums where the state champion jerseys will be awarded throughout the day of racing.
– Registration: We’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 35+ racers to pick up their numbers first since they have to get ready first. Several fields are either already full or very close. Online waitlists are on BikeReg. All categories have a field limit of 100 riders. After No-Shows are removed we put in the online waitlisted riders, then its first come, first served until we hit the 100 rider limit. Online pre-reg closes tonight… so if you’re not yet reg’d, do everyone (yourself included) a favor and reg now!
– Montrose would not be possible without the generous support of the race sponsors below. Please find a way to thank them at the events this weekend:
- Goose Island’s 312 Beer
- EJ’s Place in Skokie
- Autobarn VW will have a Fiat 500 on display at the race. This car is eye-catching and a lot of fun.
- Chicago Chiropractic and Sports Medicine will have Dr. Frank Bucki on hand offering free assessments and answering your questions from 9:00 until 1:00.
- Wheel & Sprocket
– Staging: Staging will follow the same protocol we’ve been using all season long in the series. See the procedure here.
– Preliminary staging will be posted here on Friday. Email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you have problems.
– State Champion Requirements: Ten27 Cycling, Spidermonkey Cycling, and the ICA will be presenting 19 Illinois State CX Champion Jerseys (on the podiums) to the first IL rider to cross the finish line in every category (excluding the 4/5’s). This means Juniors 17-18, 15-16, 13-14, AND Juniors 9-12… boys AND girls, Women Cat 3, and yes even the 65+! Remember that in order to win the state championship you must be a permanent Illinois resident (we’ll be checking state/federal ID’s), a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a valid and unsuspended 2014 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.
– The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding trophies for the top 3 women in the Single Speed category on Saturday. A few rules apply.
– All races are championships except the Cat 4/5’s.
– 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, Chris Zigmont may be calling your name!
– Payouts: 5 deep per the 2014 CCC minimum payouts.
– The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew and Pony Shop will also have their usual extra prizes for Junior categories.
– While a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are still 9 very, very, very close categories still to be decided on Sunday. Overall titles will be posted Sunday, but all official overall series awards will be presented at the CCC Awards Party on Sunday December 21st at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.
– Jay Ryan has once again created an event poster, the sixth in the series he’s done for this race. Wheel & Sprocket will have these on sale at their tent next to registration and at their store in Evanston after the event. W&S will also have a few left over copies of the last poster Jay did for those looking to complete their collection.
– More than any other factor, the weather usually makes Montrose the legend it is. Right now the forecast is cold with sun. 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.
– Chris Zigmont will be announcing the race.
– Parking: Parking will be on the street only along Simonds Dr. Simonds Drive will be closed to through traffic between the staging grid and finish line. You may approach the race course on Simonds Drive from either Wilson Avenue or from Montrose Avenue, but you will have to turn around and leave the same way you came in. Please do not park adjacent to the Type III “road closure” barricades, as Ten27 is required to leave enough room for all cars to turn around at the barricades. Only authorized vehicles (i.e. officials, CCC staff, One2Go Event Services trailer, BigStarTruck, etc) will be allowed within the road closures.
– Bib Numbers: On your LEFT SIDE as always… just like this:
– One2Go Event Services will be back again and providing camera timing and lap times. However, if your bib number is on the wrong side, you will NOT be scored nor will you receive lap times. So pin those numbers correctly.
– Speaking of scoring… Montrose being the State Championship and the last race of the CCC series, the USAC officials will be pulling out-of-contention riders so the race leaders have a clear course. However, everyone will be placed, even if you are several laps down. The only way riders will be listed DNF (did not finish) is if they stop voluntarily. So keep racing until the chief referee tells you to stop. Riders will only be asked to exit the course just past the finish line.
– The equipment pit is just before the last few chicanes before the finish line. Please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too. Wheel & Sprocket will have two mechanics at the event on Sunday, one stationed near registration and one stationed in the Pit Area all day. Near registration, they will also have merchandise for sale. So, no matter whether you find something wrong with your bike or missing when you first arrive or have a mechanical during your race, Wheel & Sprocket will be on hand to help get you back in the game.
– Tents: Given the ever present potential for strong winds, bring weights and stakes. Also, Ten27 will have an expo area near registration with designated tent spots for race sponsors, so please do not set up your tents in these spots or you will be asked to move.
– The Course: Ten27 Cycling’s course designer Chuck Judy has tweaked last year’s course while retaining all of Montrose’s classic features. The course runs anti-clockwise, beginning at the staging grid which will again be on the South side Simonds Dr. The start will be long, and wide, and without sharp turns. The finish line and registration tent will be in the same location as years past, just off the road to the North and near the main sand pit, however the finish line will now be on the paved path. Riders will again have the full width of the tunnel heading southbound under Simonds Drive. The course will then cross back over the tunnel on Simonds Dr to complete the loop, resulting in essentially a paved flyover. Yes the main sand pit will be back, where spectators are all but guaranteed a great view of all the action. As always the final course track will be determined Saturday afternoon and may be altered from the map below.