• A few updates to get you going now that road season is over.
• One larger change we’re making this year is something we’ve been thinking about for a while and also following a trend we’ve seen around the country in cyclo-cross and road events. This year the series will not have cash payouts for any categories except for both men and women Cat 1/2‘s. We’re still working out the final details, but the Men and Women Cat 1/2 fields will pay deeper than last year’s 5 deep (probably 10) and we’ll of course maintain parity. Given that probably half of payouts are never picked up anyway or are donated back to the series’ charities, we’re 99.9% sure no one is financing their kids’ college tuition or their next full suspension gravel bike with CCC payouts. Final details to come but let us know if you have any questions.
• Trek Bicycle in Wicker Park is having a Ladies’ Night Out party on Thursday 8/9/18 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm geared towards women cyclists of any level and discipline. There’ll be food, drinks, giveaways, and speakers during the event. You can find more details on their facebook event page.
• Remember the UPB Juniors CX Clinic on August 19th.
• The Svens are coming, again, this time in a Sven-nado. Saturday, Sept 15th, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm OR Sunday, Sept 16th, 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm (riders may only attend one day). Check out xXx Racing’s site for more details.
• Half Acre is again hosting their CX Eliminator race on Saturday 9/29/18 at Big Marsh. We’ll publish details when we receive them.
• Blackstone Bicycle Works is hiring a Full-time Program Manager. Strong candidates will be people-focused and strategic thinkers. Deadline to apply is August 8th. More information is here or contact Matthew Searle (773.241.6044, [email protected])
• And finally… our friends at the Rapha Clubhouse Chicago are again hosting our 2018 CCC Kick Off party, on Thursday evening 9/6/2018. We’ll have dranks, maybe some food, a raffle to benefit West Town and Blackstone, and all the normal cheer to help start the season off right on the right foot (or left if you’re a goofy foot like Kevin Powels). We hope you’ll join us for an hour or two in casual street clothes (or dress up if that’s your thing) before we start racing!

Hey gang! Its been a while but THE CX season is less than 8 weeks away and we here at the CCC have been away at summer camp and getting ready. Just a few quick updates this week about some small changes we’re putting into production to make the series the best it can be. Be on the look out over the next few weeks for a few more updates as well.

• Or friends at SRAM are returning once again as the series title sponsor.
• We’ll also have One2Go on timing, the new in-house SRAM NRS in the pits, and as always Kenny on the mic.
• Online pre-registration for all races will again be hosted on BikeReg.com. Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything, we’ll have the reg pages online sometime in mid-August.
• Today we’ll official kick off our annual volunteer and sponsor drive. If you’d like to be involved with the series in a consistent way and/or sponsor the series please email us at [email protected] and let us know.
• This year the Single Speed Women will have their own start time immediately following the Men but before the Junior 15-18’s. This will put all the SS ladies on equal footing at the start of each race for series points, make it easier to score, and probably make it more fun for everyone too. As with any men’s USAC field the ladies can still race with the guys if they want to.
• Although last year we originally planned to convert the Women Cat 3/4 field into just Women Cat 4 for 2018 we’ve had several requests to keep the Women Cat 3/4 field as is, so that’s what we’re going to do for 2018.
• A few scheduling changes. Hopkins Park will start the series this year followed by Caldwell Woods. We’ll then have a 2 week break for the nearby World Cup races (see below). Wheeling Heritage and Pheasant Run are also swapping dates later in the season. These changes are already reflected over on the schedule page.
• Speaking of schedules, the dates of the two UCI World Cup races here in the states, Jingle Cross and the Trek CXC Cup, as well as several other larger races are on the schedule page. We’ll have the HICX and Wisconsin series dates updated on our site soon.
• Remember also that USA Cycling National Championships are [back] in December this year and being held in Louisville, KY.
• Juniors, pencil in Sunday 8/19/18 for local clinic. Details TBD but coming soon.
• And finally… reports that #RoadIsDead are completely false. Our good friends and fantastic coffee roasters & baristas over at the Intelligentsia Cup kick off their series this Friday. If you’re not already racing it as prep for the CX season, definitely try to catch one or more of the races. The production is top notch and the racing is fast and hot. We might be even swing by to see what all the fuss concerning this young series is about.

• The Afterglow hosted by the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew was rad as it always is. Lots of good racing and all for the great cause of supporting Blackstone Bicycle Works and West Town Bikes. This race is all about fun, but it was scored and results will be posted soon.
• Speaking of results, we hosted the 2017 Series Awards Party on Sunday. Lots of good cheer and conversation. Congratulations to all the series winners.
• And finally… our Series Title Sponsor SRAM hooked us up with a set of ZIPP Firecrest wheels to benefit the entire Chicagoland cycling community. We want to share the love as far as possible so we’re holding a raffle to benefit our 3 series charity organizations Big Marsh, Blackstone Bicycle Works, & West Town Bikes. Between now and New Years Eve on BikeReg buy as many $5 raffle tickets as you like. All proceeds will go directly to and be split evenly between these three great organizations. Seriously, buy as many as you like, all the money is going to great causes. Have too many wheels already? You can purchase raffle tickets in someone else’s name. Don’t live anywhere near Chicago? No problem, we’ll ship to anywhere that’s legal for us to do so (sorry DPRK). Not bad for a $5 raffle ticket. The only thing we ask is that you use these wheels yourself or give them to a friend, family member, or someone who will appreciate them. In the spirit of the holidays and doing the right thing, please do NOT resell these wheels for more money than you paid for them. Thanks. The winner will be drawn at random on New Year’s Day as soon as we shake off our malort hangover get back from our first great ride of the new year. The winner will receive: One (1) shiny brand new set of Zipp Firecrest Wheels (front & rear), Model 202, 303, 404, 808 (sorry NO NSW), Rim brake or disc, SRAM or Campy. Learn more about Zipp’s Firecrest technology at  http://www.zipp.com.
• Happy Holidays from the entire Chicago Cyclocross Cup community!!!

• Lots of CX events coming up. But if you haven’t checked out this site in a while, please have a look at our 5/30/17 post outlining the changes we’re making to this year’s series.
• Thursday 8/24 CCC Kickoff Party at the Rapha Clubhouse
• Saturday 8/26 Half Acre CX Eliminator at Big Marsh
• Sunday 8/27 xXx Relay Cross in Jackson Park
• Also remember the Trek CXC Cup (WI) and Jingle Cross (IA) are both in September and both are UCI World Cup events this year. We purposely do not have CCC events on these weekends so you can go and see these big shows.
• Want to be involved with the CCC as either a series sponsor or a series volunteer? We have plenty of room for anyone and everyone in both. Contact us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail so we can discuss details.
• And finally… today we are officially and sadly saying goodbye to the green machine, the Village-Verdigris CX team after 11 years of being a part of the CCC. From Juniors to Women to Masters, VVCX has produced some of the best riders in the CCC both on and off the bike. But fear not as Tim, Vince, and the guys have recast the mold, in eye searing orange, as Team F3 p/b 7 Miles Cycles. You may already know F3 Cycling as the group that brought us FormMount (and more to come) and 7 Mile Cycles is the rebranded Village CycleSport in Elk Grove (Note the Arlington Heights and Barrington VCS locations are still there and separate owners). Look for this team to pick up right where they left off last season.

Quick update for a hot and humid still-Summer but #cxiscoming update.

• Half Acre hosts the CX Eliminator on Saturday 7/26 at Big Marsh and registration is open.
• xXx Racing hosts Relay Cross on Sunday 7/27 in Jackson Park and registration is open. High Fives!

• Join the Chicago Cyclocross Community for a season kick off party at the Rapha Chicago Clubhouse in Wicker Park on Thursday 8/24/2017 at 7pm!

1. The party starts at 7pm, and everyone is invited, but please RSVP here.
2. Mingle with and hear from series and race directors about the series and upcoming season while raising a pint.
3. Meet and chat with sponsors such as SRAM, ABUS, PSIMET, Pony Shop, SnowyMountainPhotography, Illinois Bicycle Law, Clif Bar and more.
4. Raffle of $5 per ticket with 100% of all proceeds going to West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works!

• We hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. The weather is finally getting better and road racing is in full swing, so… time to talk CX, right?
• First up, no changes to the event schedule. The CCC series is again (tentatively) 11 events. All tentative dates are updated here on the CCC schedule page.
  • Caldwell Woods hosted by xXx Racing is back as the first race, hopefully no floods this year.
  • The Carpentersville event will again be at the Woodland Elementary School.
  • The Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) shut down last year, but the South Chicago Wheelmen (SCW) have secured a 2 day venue at Pheasant Run Resort (#PRR?) not far from ILR.

MORE

• Holy cow its September, all the Labor Day sales have passed, Road is Officially Dead, its still hot as 7 inches from the midday sun, and CX IS.FINALLY.HERE.!!!
• Reminder that the first race in the CCC series is THIS SUNDAY 9/11/2016 in LaBagh Woods hosted by xXx Racing-Athletico. Online pre-reg is open on BikeReg and there is still room in all categories, but please, please, please don’t wait until the last minute to reg. The weather looks great for Sunday and pre-reg is so much easier on everyone than reg’ing at the venue. Look for the course preview on Thursday.
• Speaking of online pre-reg… all CCC races are now open on BikeReg if you’d like to part with your hard earned cash dollars now.
• If you didn’t see the announcement on their website, due to a scheduling conflict xXx Racing-Athletico had to reschedule the cyclocross clinic with the Svens from Tuesday 9/13 to Sunday 9/11 (the Monday 9/12 clinic will proceed as scheduled). Immediately following the last race of the day on Sunday at LaBagh Woods, the Svens will host a skills clinic right on the race course, focusing on mounting and dismounting, cornering, picking fast lines, barriers, shouldering, equipment setup, and other techniques. All funds from the clinic go directly to the Pieter Ombregt Scholarship Fund at Columbia College with the Svens volunteering their time as a favor to the Ombregt family. The Sunday clinic will be 2.5 hours long (4:30-7:00 pm) and is $125. Limited spots are still available! Also, Sven and Sven will may be hanging out starting around noon, so if you want autographs or the Svens to be on the podium with you, this may be your chance. Still no word on whether they will racing the Single Speed category.
• CCC Alumnus and all around cycling enthusiast Christopher Jensen sends us this note from Michigan… Great fun coming up on October 1, at the Beer City Growler Cyclocross and 5K Steeplechase. $2500 in cash prizes (equal payout between the Open Men and Open Women), a beer garden, The (original CCC) Flyover, One2Go Timing and Results, and a 5km run in the morning Also a special prize for the fastest combined run and “open” category CX finish time for the men and women. October 1, Wilcox Park in Grand Rapids, MI  –  http://www.usacycling.org/register/2016-2085
• The CCC would like to welcome 2 new series sponsors partners to the CCC family:

Achieve Orthopedic Rehab Institute Sports Medicine – We pride ourselves in personal attention, through each step of the process. You literally feel the difference, every day.

Stio – Designed and tested in Jackson Hole, Stio clothing blends modern mountain style with technical performance. The Stio Mountain Studio™ at 1719 N. Damen Ave is bringing mountain soul to Chicago.

• And finally… before we get started with the season a quick PSA; its cyclocross, we’re all excited, we’re all competitive, there’s plenty of #hype… but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little lot of fun. Let’s keep the egos, attitude, foul language, and any behavior unfit for public display in check and enjoy the season with each other. We only have a little bit of time so we should use it the best we can. Now let’s race CX!

• Looks like everyone had a good time at Relay CX. Results are on xXx Racing’s site here. Remember your Relay CX results do NOT count towards your CrossResults.com points.
• Only 2 more weeks until the Chicago Cyclocross Cup series begins on 9/11/16 at LaBagh Woods, also hosted by xXx Racing. The website still says Caldwell Woods, but the event is definitely at LaBagh Woods. Online pre-reg is up on BikeReg here: bikereg.com/labaghcx
• Online pre-reg for all other series races will open next Monday (9/5/16) at 10am on BikeReg here to give you plenty of time to make a coffee or get a Rocket Sauce, house a doughnut,  and settle in.
• Looking to tear it up this season? Consider a training plan by series sponsor Training Bible Cycling. Check it out on Training Peaks here.
• Lots of series sponsors from years past are back again this year, with a few new partners joining the “CCC Family”. Looks for updates over the next few days/weeks as we welcome a few new friends into the fold.
• Where’s everyone on social media these days? Snapchat? Twitter? Instagram? Facebook? MySpace? We want to know so we can keep see all of the photos and stories you are sharing. Let us know in the comments below.
• And finally… Jon Gatto is back at the drone controls and bringing us recaps of races. Check out his view of Relay CX here: vimeo.com/180671066

• Online reg for Labagh Woods opened over on BikeReg yesterday morning. All other CCC events will open on BikeReg on Monday September 5th at 10am.
• Interested in being a CCC series sponsor? Read our sponsorship proposal and email us at [email protected].
• Rad lady and all around CX badass Maria Larkin sent us some info about the Trek CxC Cup Junior Girls Cyclocross Clinic…
  • Where: Trek CxC Cup @ Trek Factory Headquarters, Waterloo, Wisconsin. Registration and meet up will take place at the chalet near the back parking lot on McKay Way. Please allow plenty of time to navigate traffic leaving Chicago on Friday evening.
  • When: 5.30pm, 9/16/16. The clinic will last 1 hour with some time for questions for Kaitie after we’re done.
  • Cost: FREE
  • You must be:
    • – A junior girl aged 9-18 Cat 2/3/4
    • – EXCITED ABOUT CYCLOCROSS!
  • You must bring:
    • A cyclocross bike (preferred) or Mountain Bike.
    • A helmet.
    • A USAC license (if you don’t have a license you can purchase a one day license online when registering or day of)
  • We will supply:
    • The Trek CxC Cup Course. You will be doing drills and skills on the challenging UCI course set up for the weekend’s racing.
    • Multiple time (junior and U23) National Champion, and 2015 World Cup podium finisher Kaitie Antonneau (Cannondale Cyclocrossworld)
    • PIZZA. We know you’ll be leaving after (during) school on Friday so we will provide water and snacks for the riders after the clinic. If you have any dietary restrictions please email us; [email protected]
  • Registration Link: https://www.usacycling.org/register/2016-2699
  • Other Info:Trek has gone to great effort to provide a learning and racing environment for girls at the CxC Cup. We encourage you to make the most of the weekend and get yourself and your daughters signed up to race. The skills that Kaitie will be teaching are best put straight into practice!
• And finally… want to help out with the series or maybe just have a comment or idea? Email us directly at [email protected].

• Aaaaaand… we’re back!
• We’ve had a bunch of updates to the event calendar, see everything on the Schedule page.
• Pre-reg for all CCC series events will again be hosted on BikeReg.com. Pre-reg for most events will open at 10am on Monday 9/5/16 with LaBagh Woods opening up Monday 8/22/16.
• xXx Racing is back with their Relay CX on Sunday 8/28/16 in Jackson Park. This year there will be yet another category, the Relay Roulette, which will serve as a fundraiser for a local area cycling charity/cause of the winners’ choice. Find more details here.
• Half Acre’s CX Eliminator will be on Saturday 9/10.
• The CCC’s first race of the series will again be hosted by xXx Racing and held in LaBagh Woods on Sunday 9/11/16. Due to Jingle Cross and the Trek CXC Cup changing dates, xXx Racing moved LaBagh Woods earlier on calendar so more Chicagoland racers could experience those larger races.
• A quick note from our neighbors across Lake Michigan… Looking to get your ‘cx season started off a bit early with a quick road trip to Michigan? Check out the Snap Fitness Alma Grand Prix of Cyclocross & 5k in Alma, Michigan (about a 4-ish hour drive from Chicago) for some good early season fun. The race website is AlmaGP.blogspot.com and pre-registration is available through USA Cycling. Camping on site Friday night, as well as an early number pick up option at Snap Fitness in town. Swag coming out of your ears!
• And as if that was enough CX in September for you… xXx Racing is Bringing the Sven’s to Chicago for a CX clinic. Check out all the details here.
• Interested in being a 2016 Series Sponsor? Please review our 2016 Series Sponsorship Proposal here and get back to us ASAP.
• And finally… did you notice we spruced up the place? Thanks to the guys at Bark Design for freshening up our website and logo.