• The Half Acre Cycling and Chicago United clubs are excited to bring you Montrose Beach CX — the CCC series finale AND the Illinois State Championship. Please read all of the info below for some important notes (yeah, we know, it’s a lot). Also more here.
  • Preliminary Staging will be posted here Saturday morning. Please email us if there are issues.
  • Since this is both the Illinois State Championship AND CCC series finale, podiums are a little complicated. Please help the best announcer a race series could ask for — if you are top three in the race or the series overall, report to the podium ASAP following your race. See here for how state champs will be awarded.
  • The weather looks to be … not terrible? But as always, the wind coming off the lake can be strong; please make sure to secure your tents.
  • Here’s your friendly reminder that Montrose Beach is a large city park where people who have no idea what us weirdos are doing WILL be wandering through on their usual Sunday strolls (the lakefront path cuts through the course). Yes, we’ll be celebrating the local finale of cyclocross with drinks** and food and more dranks**, but please be on your best behavior and show the city what a classy bunch we are, and always race with your head up.
  • ** And now let us pause for the annual message from the fun police … this is Chicago Park District property and alcohol is not permitted.
  • Big thanks to our generous sponsors for helping make the 46 Ward Ald. Angela Clay Illinois State CX Championship presented by SRAM & Specialized Chicago possible:
  • Speaking of Specialized Chicago, pre-reg riders can head to the Fulton Street location on Saturday, December 2 from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. to get your bib number early. Pin your number from the comfort of your own home! While there, you can pick-up the limited edition poster you already ordered on BikeReg when you registered early. If you didn’t, there might still be some available for purchase.
  • Speaking of numbers, it goes on your left side and you’ll use the same number for as many races as you do all day!
  • Spoke & Bird Cafe is sponsoring a special designated HAND-UP ZONE on the course, as an alternative line to the wood planks. Skip the bunny hops and see what yummy treats are on offer. And if you have hand-ups to give out, bring ‘em here and make it a party!
  • Thanks to Ellie Thompson + Co. the women’s categories will also be racing a sweet custom belt buckle!
  • We have FOUR food truck options this year with Firecake Donuts arriving bright and early with coffee/donuts; and for lunch Gilty Pig is returning, along with the Tacomotora Tacos truck you may have tasted at Quarry Cross, as well as Soul & Smoke BBQ.
  • Simonds Drive is closed to thru-traffic and parking within the barricades is restricted to officials, food trucks, sponsors, porta-potties and the like. Regular parking is along Simonds Drive and Montrose Drive either to the north or south, entering and exiting the way you came in. Per the Chicago Park District, NO DRIVING ON THE GRASS OR PAVED PATHS, ANYWHERE! We cannot emphasize this point enough and yet still had vehicles break this rule. Please adhere to marshals regarding your vehicle parking and movements.
  • Speaking of parking, if you are a big team with a lot of everything (or just want to ensure you are close to the action) a few parking spots within the barricades are available with a donation on BikeReg to help defray the overall event costs. Entry for this is from the NORTH END of Simonds drive — check in with the nice volunteers and show your receipt. (If you have a trailer please count that as a second space).
  • On Sunday, teams may drop off tents/equipment at the turn-around on the south-end of Simonds Drive near the staging grid. The driver must remain with the vehicle to expedite unloading and keep traffic flowing, just like at the airport. It’s usually a high-volume operation with everyone coming at the same time, so help your teammates.
  • Speaking of team tent placement, please see the map with areas designated for tent placement. We have reasons for this, some of which are specific Park District requests. Please help us in keeping this venue and stay within designated team tent areas.
  • All are welcome, nay encouraged, to drop/place tents and other large items on Saturday afternoon! There is hired security for overnight watch (though of course HAC, CU, USAC, CPD, et al. cannot take responsibility for what the weather/acts of gods could do to items left overnight, so make sure it’s secured/laid down/tied down). And hey, stick around to lend a helping hand with course setup.
  • Speaking of helping hands, every race could use a few more hands, especially for course marshaling spots required of the lakefront path crossings. Volunteers get free coffee & lunch! Check the sign-up sheet.
  • Onto the course: We are returning to the tradition of alternating between Cricket Hill and sand first, with the hill having the honors this year. Once again we have a UCI-style pavement start and finish, with those who are heading to Nationals the following week in mind. Note the right-to-left shimmy onto a ramp transition after the first turn. We have made the angle here less severe than in the past which will allow for higher speeds, but please stay friendly on the starts; remembering that you can’t win the race there, but you can lose it. (First aid is located next to the start grid.)
  • A full-size pit with race and change lanes, and neutral service provided by Ben and Steven from Tailwind Cycles. Bring cash for tips if they help/save your race!
  • While there is a double planks alternate line, there is also a railroad tie located on the final uphill before the finish that you gotta do!