Photo: Luke Seemann

– Back for the 5th year, PSI-clocross For Life hosted by Rob Curtis and the crew from PSIMET is the 8th stop in the CCC at Emricson Park in Woodstock, IL. 

– Please pay attention when you are racing and entering the park in your car. There are 4 (four) road crossings on the course and while there will be course marshals at each crossing, please look both ways before crossing. Better safe than sorry.

– Speaking of cars, no parking on the grass – anywhere.  There is plenty of parking available throughout Emricson Park, please use it.

– Registration this year will again be in a tent next to the Start/Finish. Preliminary staging order will be posted here.

– Activator Cycle Club will again be doing the Kiddie Cross. Start time is 1:45.

– Remember if you pre-ordered CCC merchandise please see us BEFORE the Cat 1/2/3 race at 1:30pm.

– There will be 3 porta potties near the start/finish.  There may also be access to the warming hut restrooms, but due to low usage last year and the “overflowing” reception that racers gave the 2 by the start/finish we decided to up the number at the start finish instead.

– PSIMET has the same pizza vendor as last year coming to the race. They will also have water and Gatorade starting at 10:30am. No word yet if the pizza selection will be sausage and pepperoni only.

– Not that any of you actually drink the stuff, but alcohol is prohibited in Woodstock parks, so if you’re going to sneak it in, keep it under wraps. No one wants the CCC to lose a venue because of a silly thing like a can of Old Style. So please be on your best behavior… which also means do NOT leave evidence like a mini keg on the ground next to the trash can… take it home and recycle it!

– The weather forecast looks exceptional… again!

– Remember to change your clocks Saturday night before you go to bed. Going off of day light savings the sun will set in a real hurry after the 4B’s race… so we ask that if you’re just hanging around after the race, please help us tear down the course so we’re not cleaning up in the dark.

– Last year there was construction on Rt 47 through Huntley, so please plan your travel times accordingly. Best bet directions are to exit I90 on Randall Road (North), left (West) on Algonquin Rd, right (North) on Route 47 into the town of Woodstock. A left on Lake Ave and another left on South St should lead you right to Emricson Park (on your right). If you have a better route please post it in the comments below. There is still construction at the exit from 90 on to 47 north.  Plan for extra time, but most of the rest of the 47 corridor is not as congested as it has been in previous years.

– There are some sections on the far West side of the course that are very far away from everything else but CX rules still apply. If you suffer a mechanical you must go forward on the course and you cannot cut across the park. The wheel/bike pit will be at the top of the hill near the road crossing.

– The Course: The Woodstock course is very spread out, tracing parts of the outline of Emricson Park. For 2012 PSIMET brings back a few classic sections (going close to the sand again but not in it).  However, with so much delicious terrain (read: hills) it will still be a suffer-fest. The course is run clock-wise (and as always in CX numbers go on the left). The last 1/2 mile or so should again provide the most excitement for spectators, Heckle Hill, barriers, lots off-camber sections, twists, and turns, and yes… HILLS!  You are encouraged to stay and heckle – otherwise PSIMET’s Rob Curtis has threatened to put on that Gould’s Luna skinsuit again. As always, the course map below is subject to change on race day.

Photo: Snowy Mountain

– Aaaaand we’re back… a little catching up to do, so here we go.

– Sorry we missed last week’s Tuesday update, but thanks to Jim Nowak and the entire ABD crew for a great event at Sunrise Park!

– Thanks also to this past weekend’s race promoter Rob Kelley and the guys and gals from Bicycle Heaven. Plenty of great costumes and pics of them down below. Tony Reinks from BBVP won the costume contest for his “A Christmas Story” Leg Lamp costume. Full results including Women 4’s and Juniors are now posted on USAC here. Overall standings are updated and posted here.

– Next up the CCC travels NorthWest to Woodstock for stop 8 of the series, PSI-clocross for Life hosted by PSIMET (say it with us… SIGH-MET). Course preview at the regular time on Thursday.

– For everyone who seems to get a little confused by individual race results vs. overall standings on race day we have added a little color to the overall standings print-outs. Just look for the RED page headings and overall points on the series standings sheets.

– Thanks to everyone who has donated online and/or their race winnings to World Bicycle Relief. We’re slowly but surely raising funds for a truly great cause.

– Remember last seasons UCI New Year’s Resolution race? We’re doing it again this season on 1/5/13 and 1/6/13 so you will have plenty of time to recover from your NYE hangover. Look for more details soon!

– Before NYR the CCC visits the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) for our 2nd double weekend 11/10/2012-11/11/2012. So make a weekend of it, book your room now at Indian Lakes Resort. Call 630.529.0200.  Code word “ccc” for room discounts and up to 4 people per room!

– This coming Monday Beverly Bike-VeePack (hosts of the Dan Ryan Woods race) is having an open house for new riders. Find details on the Internet.

– A little sponsor time, Real Estate, PT, and physical wellness edition…

 Building wheels is a craft that requires knowledge and patience. PSIMET’s Rob Curtis knows what he’s doing (he has a heckling megaphone stand for crying out loud), even if it doesn’t seem like it on the CX course (see above left). Learn more about PSIMET custom wheels at PSIMET.com.  

Verdigris Custom Homes –  Are you in the market for a custom home? Sure aren’t we all? Talk to the green team. “Old World Excellence, Modern Technology, Mindfully Green”

Existing house more your thing? Then talk to Michael Heagney of Koenig & Strey. As a self starter with an ability to wear many hats, his experience in overcoming the hurdles in a challenging market place are second to none. Attributes you want on your side when serving on your behalf as a trusted advisor, skilled negotiator and expert facilitator. Mike also knows a thing or two about racing his bicycle, especially on the CX course.  

Does your body need fixing? HPI is a fully-equipped health and wellness facility. Licensed healthcare professionals are there to help keep you active, healthy and pain-free located within a 24/7 access fitness center. Itʼs your life, donʼt just live, Live Well.   

Suburbs more your location? MNO Sport Chiropractic has Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician Alan Stoughton who offers the best in diagnosis and natural treatment of sports injuries in Kane and McHenry Counties.  Insurance accepted, affordable cash plans, evening hours until 7:00 pm.  Call today with any questions–consultations are always free.  Life is a sport, stay in the game with MNO!

Kettle bells, yoga, and metal is your MO? Mr. Cyclocross himself Newt Cole opened Morning Bird Studio this past summer as a private personal training boutique and cycling-specific coaching service, empowering clients with the tools and knowledge to transform into the best version of themselves in an inspiring atmosphere that encourages physical creativity and forward-thinking. Couple that with a few laughs, great music and videos, and you get a typical Morning Bird session.   

Need coaching? TZCoaching based out of Oak Park offers affordable personal training plans for endurance athletes across the country!!! Using strength and conditioning as a foundation, and endurance racing as measurable goals, TZCoaching creates personalized training plans addressing strengths and weaknesses while working with athletes towards their desired goals.  

 Closer to the city Well-Fit Triathlon and Training is the premier coaching company creating world champions and everyday heroes. The foundation of every successful training program is the athlete. The best coaches are experienced guides who begin with the hopes, dreams and desires of the athlete and then tailor a training plan based on the athlete’s current fitness, race schedule and lifestyle.

– And finally… so you think cyclocross is a niche sport?

Photo: Snowy Mountain

Photo: Gene Cassella

– Wow what an exciting weekend… and the weather was crazy too! Thanks to promoters Ted Schweitzer and Jeff Provisor, Verdigris-Villiage Cyclesport, Main St. Bicycles, North Branch Cycling and all the volunteers who made Psycho Cross and Carpentersville a success. Saturday was mostly rain but warm(ish) temperatures with some wood chips and slick mud thrown in for good measure. Oh yeah, the flyover too. If you weren’t there on Sunday we had rain, then clouds, then lots of rain, then some farm animals (including llamas), then sun, then a tornado warning (that cut the Cat 1/2/3 race to just 2 laps after 20 minutes), then rain & wind, then clouds, then a whole lot of rain. So yes, it was an exciting weekend. The Carpentersville race even got some press in the Daily Herald.

– Next Sunday the CCC travels to Barlet, IL for stop 6 of the series at ABD Sunrise Park

– As if the weather wasn’t enough we saw multiple Overall Series Standings lead changes this weekend. The 40+ lead went from Newt Cole to Mike Scalise to Michael Heagney. Eric Drummer just barely held on to the 30+  lead. Liz So and Katie Tomarelli extended their leads in the Women 1/2/3 and Women 3 respectively while Danny Warner and John Craychee put vice grips on their 50+ and 60+ leads. Peter Chrapkowski padded his Single Speed lead and Mike Conroy won on Saturday to take the Cat 3 lead and held on to it on Sunday. Katie Mann took over the lead in the Women 4 with a win on Sunday. Maxx Hall continues his domination of the Junior 15-18 category while teammate Gina Johnson leads the Girls 15-18. In Junior 10-14‘s even after a tough Sunday in the mud Juan Gonzalez continues to lead while Danielle Krebs leads the Girls 10-14 category. In the Cat 1/2/3‘s Scott McLaughlin took back the lead from Brian Conant with a win on Saturday only to lose it back to Conant in Sunday’s abbreviated Carpentersville race. And finally, in the Cat 4A‘s Verdigris-Village CX’s teammates Ken Krebs and BBVP’s Michael Bucholtz continue to battle for the overall lead with Krebs holding on to a slim lead. It should go without saying that while the riders mentioned above are leading the standings we know each of you are pouring your heart and souls into every race, sprinting for your placing whether it is 1st or 91st… and for that we congratulate everyone!

– Haven’t picked up a CCC 2012 series t-shirt yet? Hurry they’re going quick. Unfortunately we’re all out of socks but still have Mad Alchemy embrocation and Contigo coffee mugs.

– After a weekend of atrocious weather that will surely gunk up your gears and seize up your cables we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention our fantastic Series Sponsor bicycle shops who can and will keep your bikes rolling for the rest of the series…

Iron Cycles – It goes without saying that the 2012 title sponsor Iron Cycles knows a thing or two about cyclocross bikes. Stop by, bring in your bike for some TLC, and check out the bike wash room.  

Main Street Bicycles – We wouldn’t be surprised if a few of you just left your mud caked bikes on the front door of Main Street Bicycles on the way home from Carpentersville on Sunday. Jeff and guys are just a pedal stroke away from the Fox River Trail system connecting the entire Fox Valley trail system.  

The Pony Shop – Widely regarded as one of the best CX bike shops in the country, Lou and the guys at The Pony Shop have been a part of the Chicago cycling community since 1969. The Pony Shop believes in, rides, wins on, and uses the same products they sell to you.  

 PSIMET – Not a bicycle shop per se, but Rob Curtis builds wheels with the best of them and does not make compromises.

Spin Doctor Cyclewerks – Since 1996 Spin Doctor Cyclewerks has been offering fine bicycles, quality accessories, and expert repairs to the greater Bartlett cycling community. Owner Greg Anderson also knows how to shred the gnar in the 50+ race.  

 Higher Gear – Higher Gear is a full-service bike shop with two locations just north of Chicago. Ride into higher gear with us!    

 Velosmith Bicycle Studio – Also on the North Shore, Velosmith works with cyclists of all types who seek comfort, power, speed, and performance from their bike. Their clients love them because they help them raise the bar on their cycling experience by achieving optimal riding comfort and performance. Fancy carbon helps too!  

 Beverly Bike and Ski – Located on Chicago’s South side, Beverly Bike and Ski offers bike (and ski) sales and services since 1921.

– And finally… Congratulations Felix.

Photo: Edmund White

– Thanks again to Beverly Bike-Vee Pak for another great race at Dan Ryan Woods. From the comments section this year’s course may have been BBVP’s best so far. Thanks also to everyone who came out and raced, cheered, biffed the small barriers, snapped photos, heckled, etc.

– We saw several new riders take wins for the first time as well as several old hats taking the top step for another time. We also had several overall series leads change hands. Find full results here and Overall Series Scoring here.

– 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.

– Upgrades: If you upgrade please send us a note at [email protected] 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 more details.

– 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.

 A new sponsor for 2012 Keating Law Offices (IllinoisBicycleLaw.com) is a firm of trial attorneys focused on and successfully handling cases involving bicycle collisions and accidents.  The best offense is a great defense, so please ride smart and safe. But if you are involved in an accident initial consultations are free!

 Bloomington Cycle & Fitness – Bloomington Cycle & Fitness is a family owned and operated bicycle shop in (you guessed it) Bloomington, IL. With a friendly and knowledgeable staff who LOVE to ride bikes the BCF staff would love to help you whether you are looking for a first bike or you ride like a pro. Its still a ways away, but Bloomington Cycle & Fitness is also hosting a CX race on Sunday December 9th. Check out Miller Chill Cyclocross – www.millerchillcx.com

 To Foundry Cycles, a bike is a tool. It’s a tool for carving and smoothing terrain. It’s a tool for honing your body and sharpening your mind.  It’s a tool designed to grind away doubt and reveal the strength underneath. Foundry designs and produces high performance carbon fiber bikes, each built to deliver no less than everything you ask of it.  To find your next Foundry, visit Curt at BikeFix in Oak Park, he will gladly take care of your needs.

 Spidermonkey Cycling is an all-inclusive cycling club based right here in Chicago, Illinois. The Spidermonkeys emphasize completion as much as competition which is another of saying the Monkeys are always having the most fun not matter where they place in a race.  

 – Got Merchandise? Pick up your CCC gear now before we run out.

– And finally… did you see Tipping Point’s billboard?

– Stop two of the 2012 CCC takes us to Hopkins Park hosted by North Central Cyclery, Axletree, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love. Driving out to beautiful Dekalb is well worth it for the flyover alone.

– Since the CCC now has a Single Speed category there will be no OUILSSSCXC (Officially Unofficial IL State Single Speed CX Championships).

– The World Famous Half Acre Cycling Bake Sale returns for another year. Both veg and non-veg options will be available for purchase.

– Did we mention the flyover? Yep, its back and the weather looks delightful for CX.

– Driving can sometimes be tricky due to construction along Interstate 88 and this year looks the same, so give yourselves plenty of time to get out to Dekalb.

– AXLETREE and North Central Cyclery will be sponsoring a kid’s race at 1:45PM, during the Cat 1/2/3 race. Short course with short barriers for short legs, and everyone is a winner!

-Lots of additional payouts! Hopkins Park is matching the Women 1/2/3 to the Cat 1/2/3 race and also awarding a separate payout for the Women 3 AND having a separate Women 3 podium. So get your cameras ready there will be plenty podium time. The fine print: In the event a Women Cat 3  finishes in the top five of the W1/2/3 race, she will be awarded the larger the two payouts, but not double payout.

– Speaking of podiums, Women 4 & Juniors podiums  will be held at 2pm to allow the officials enough time to sort out the 3 different categories. Women 1/2/3, Women 3, 50+, 60+, & Single Speed podium will be at 12:15pm. So go get cleaned up, get out of your chamois, pick up some food at the bake sale, and come back for your podiums at the correct times.

– Look for the Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys in EVERY race. It will take slightly longer to calculate the overall standings after each race so unless the current jersey holder wins their race we’ll announce and award the leaders jersey after final results are posted (i.e. not at the same time as the podiums).

– Remember the Women Cat 4 and the Cat 4A fields are both racing for the Mad Alchemy First Lap Hot Legs Sprints. You will receive instructions on the start line for where the sprint line will be, but we’re told it may be at the bottom of the other side of the flyover… so you have to get up and over the wooden monster first!

– Staging will follow CCC series protocol in the following order: CCC series points, CrossResults.com points, then order of registration. Remember CrossResults.com points are only applied if you pre-reg (and use your correct USAC license #) so get on it. Online pre-reg on BikeReg closes tonight at midnight.

– Waitlists are only on-site on Sunday. Get there early if your want a spot!

– If you pre-order your CCC Merchandise; tshirts, socks. coffee mugs, and embro… sorry but the CCC will NOT have merch at Hopkins Park, however we will be back and distributing all the goods at Dan Ryan Woods.

– The course will follow the same basic route as last year, in a figure-8 pattern afforded by the flyover. Hopkins Park will be making some changes to the “flow” of the course to make a better balance between power and skill. Expect some sections that will be fast if you have the fitness to put down the power through them. The equipment pit will be right-hand entry so as not to require you to cross the course to get to it.

– Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend in Madison, WI at the the Planet Bike Cup stop of the Trek US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Full results are here and here.

– Next up the CCC is back in action this SUNDAY 9/30 when North Central Cyclery, Axletree, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots <3 host stop 2 of the CCC at Hopkins Park in Dekalb, IL. The Hopkins Park promoters are bumping up the Women Cat 1/2/3 payouts as well as special payouts and a podium for the Women Cat 3’s. There will also be a kid’s race (hosted North Central Cyclery), the annual bake sale, and much more. Look for more details on Thursday morning in the full course preview or on Robots Powered by Love’s blog.

– For Hopkins Park and going forward in the series if we get to Wednesday morning (Tuesday for Saturday races) and the Women 1/2/3 and/or Masters 50+ fields have NOT filled up on BikeReg we will open up a few additional pre-reg spots for the Single Speed category (and take away a few from the other fields). As a reminder Women 1/2/3 have 30 spots, Masters 50+ 40, 60+ 10, and Single Speed 20 reserved on BikeReg… but the total number of riders allowed on course for the 10:45 start wave is still 100. One race day we will fill any unfilled pre-reg spots up to the 100 rider maximum.

– Not sure how we forgot about this from last season, but we will hold the Women 4 & Juniors podiums at 2pm to allow the officials enough time to sort out the 3 different categories. We’ll also hold the Women 1/2/3, 50+, 60+, & Single Speed podium at 12:15pm for the same reason. So go get cleaned up, get out of your chamois and come back half way through the next race for your podiums.

– Now a few quick words about three more of our series sponsors…

 Back for their 2nd season UVEX Cycling is helping protect the riders of the CCC with helmets and sun glasses. For over 80 years people around the world have relied on UVEX products to protect them – every day and across a broad range of applications. Most of us aren’t quite that old, but its great to know UVEX has been around that long to keep people safe.

Several season ago in mid August we received an email from a guy named Brad from Utah saying he just moved to Chicago and wanted to be a part of the CCC. We told him to show up at Jackson Park and we’d talk, thinking we’d probably never hear from him again. Fast forward 3 years and Brad from Carbo Rocket is still showing up at every CCC race, caffenating the masters and hydrating everyone else, and racing quite well himself… on a steel single speed no less in the 40+ category. We’re glad to have Brad and Carbo Rocket back again for another season because the CCC just wouldn’t be the same without him.

 Since before the beginning of time Sheila Moon has sponsored the CCC with her great women specific cycling clothing. Yes there is actually a Sheila Moon and she’s one of the nicest, most passionate women around… not just in the cycling industry. For the 2012 season Sheila Moon returns to be the exclusive supplier of overall series awards and prizes for all the CCC Women’s categories. Sheila Moon Athletic Apparel is woman-owned and every item is created in artisan sewing factories in San Francisco Oakland California.

– Speaking of clothing… pre-order your CCC Merchandise; tshirts, socks. coffee mugs, and embro. The CCC will NOT have merch at Hopkins Park however, but will be back and distributing all the goods at Dan Ryan Woods.

– This coming Saturday the 29th is Wisconsin’s first ever night CX Race. ET Twilight Cross is a fully lit, full length cross race in East Troy, WI just an hours drive north. No need to bring your own lights, just remember your clear lenses! Prereg on BikeReg, flyer is here.

– You high fived and raced at the CX Relay (also hosted by xXx Racing)… you road tripped and raced at Patriot CX… now its time for the big leagues. This SATURDAY starts off the 9th season of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, once again in Jackson Park and hosted by xXx Racing. Please show up on Saturday and NOT Sunday.

– Remember the parking lot next to the course is OFF LIMITS and you’ll need to park across the street in the metered lot (it only costs about $9-10 for all day). We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. If that lot fills up, there is parking to the west of the course on Hayes Drive and to the East of Lake Shore Drive.

– Please note that the CARA 20-mile run will again be taking place along the Lakefront Path on Sunday morning. xXx and the CCC urge all CX’ers riding down to Jackson Park for the race to exercise due caution and courtesy when traveling along that route. False alarm, the CARA run is on Sunday. Please still be careful on the bike path.

– The CCC is trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. Mother earth thanks you!

– Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com (say it with us… Bik Rej… like REGistration) closed last night at midnight. Entry fees increase $5 on race day. Huge thanks to the 662 of you (most # of CCC pre-reg’s ever, beating last year’s JP number of 628) that have already pre-reg’d. If you show up early in the morning, please let the 40+ racers pick up their bib numbers first since they start promptly at 8:45am. Also thanks to the 7 of your that donated to WBR when registering. If you’d like to donate your race winnings to our WBR drive, please see us after your race.

– Don’t forget Activator Cycle Club will be hosting a kiddie fun ride around 1:40pm for the under 10 crowd.

– Series sponsor CarboRocket will be out on Saturday with big coolers of CarboRocket mix and coffee (in the morning). Swing by and fill up your bottle, mug, or canteen. Temps are forecast to be in the lower 70’s with an 100% chance of awesome, but we all need to stay hydrated.

– Food. There are NOT a lot of food options in the immediate vicinity of the park, so please bring your own… or better yet ask a food truck to stop by.

– Again year we are running 100 rider field limits in all categories. In combined fields (Women 1/2/3, Masters 50+/60+, Single Speed and Women 4 & Juniors) that means only 100 riders are allowed on course at one time. We will likely hitting 100 riders in both of these fields, and xXx will be maintaining waitlists for all fields. Both Cat 4 fields are already filled, the Cat 3’s are nearly 90, and 40+ & 30+ are in the lower 70’s. That’s a lot of people to keep track of so please help us in every way possible (i.e. don’t lose your bib #, show up on time, etc)!

– Concerning waitlists… we’ll start waitlists for each filled category (SS, Juniors, Cat 4A, Cat 4B) when registration opens at 7:30am. First come first served. 30 minutes before each race is scheduled to start (yes, even if we’re running a little behind we will still close reg at the scheduled time) we’ll close out the race and reassign bib numbers to those on the waiting list. If you are pre-reg’d and show up after this time your bib will already have been reassigned and you will NOT be allowed to race. Period. If you are racing more than once and would like to give your number up to someone else so they have a chance to enjoy the thrill of heckles and whatever else goes on, thank you, and we certainly can accommodate that. Just make your way to registration as soon as possible and the reg staff will switch you in start list (just don’t give your number to the other guy/gal… you both can be DQ’d by USAC and no one wants that!).

– Please remember to register for the correct category/age group. We cannot allow you to race outside your cat/age group and the reg staff will be checking licenses thoroughly all day long. If you have a question, please ask us or a USAC official.

– Concerning call-ups… as mentioned previously we will be staging by straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. See our thorough discussion of the topic in our post here and our standard staging procedure here. Remember CCC staging grids are 8 lanes wide. Preliminary staging info will be posted here as soon as we wrangle all the data and make sure everyone reg’d for the correct category.

– Concerning reg’ing for the correct category… no, you may not race Cat 3 if you are a Cat 4… and vice versa. Also, your CX age for the 2012 season is your age on 12/31/2013. Juniors (and their parents) please take note of this rule. Juniors 10-14 riders may race up in age with the Junior 15-18’s… but not the other way around.

– Concerning the 80% rule… we ask the USAC officials to leave as many riders in the race for as long as possible. However, pulling riders is still at their discretion in line with USAC rules. If you are told you are being pulled (always near the start/finish)… please exit the course immediately. You will still be scored and given a laps down designation.

– If you decided not to finish the race on your own volition, please let a USAC official know so you can be marked as DNF. This makes scoring the entire race a lot easier. Note that DNF’s count against your CrossResults.com score, so hang in there and finish your race!

– Full results will be posted on the CCC Results Board at the race (somewhere near registration) and online at usacycling.org/results later Sunday evening. Series standings will be posted here (please bookmark it) following each race. Remember we’re presenting podiums to the top 3 in each race immediately before the next race. So if you are in the top 3, head to the podiums right after you’re done ripping legs off. The Spidermonkeys will be presenting awards to both Juniors categories.

– We are also awarding Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys to ALL CATEGORIES. Determining the series leader at the first race is easy (the winner of the race, duh) and we’ll present the jersey on the podium. So if you won, please be present. You may even get a kiss from a podium girl.

– Juniors, remember the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also have extras for you.

– In addition to all of that we once again have Mad Alchemy First Lap Hot Leg primes for the Women Cat 4’s and Cat 4A’s. First rider across the line at a pre-determined spot on the first lap wins a tub of Mad Alchemy embrocation.

– The CCC will of course be on Twitter all day… so feel free to follow us for up-to-the-minute updates.

– The CCC is supported by many, many, many generous series sponsors (34 in all so far!), many of whom will personally be attending and racing at Jackson Park. If you see one, please make sure to stop and say thank you for their continued support. Our little series would NOT be possible without them.

– We will have all CCC merchandise pre-orders available for pick up on Saturday. T-shirts, Socks, embro, coffee mugs. We will also have a limited supply of merch for purchase

– Below is the tentative 2012 Jackson Park course brought to you by the great minds of xXx Racing. The course is essentially the same as the CX Relay race but will obviously have a different start and staging grid. The staging grid will be next to the parking lot. Please remember the map below is only an approximation as we may need to make adjustments on race day. The course runs clockwise. The wheel/bike pit is dual sided and currently SW of finish line.

– And finally… thanks to everyone for coming out and racing the Chicago Cyclocross Cup… again! 2009 was a banner year… 2010 was enormous and great, 2011 was even more nuts… and we’re guessing 2012 will definitely be our biggest, best, and fastest #YearOfSpeed yet. So let’s race, cheer, heckle, and have a great time! See you SATURDAY!

– Well, well, well… the week we’ve been waiting for all summer is finally here. Cyclocross season officially kicked off this past weekend across the country and here in IL down in Rantoul at Patriot CX. We also saw a handful of CCC’ers also went North to race in WI. The CCC series starts this coming SATURDAY in Jackson Park with our hosts xXx Racing. More on that later and in Thursday’s course preview.

– Remember online pre-reg closes tomorrow (1am Eastern on Thursday = midnight Wednesday Central time) evening for Jackson Park. Super early preliminary staging info is here, but since there are NO CCC points used in staging for the first race of the series all Day-Of entrants will be staged by order of registration… meaning at the back. So pre-reg now if you have CrossResults.com points and want a better starting position than the last row.

– Kiddie Rides!!! A bunch of parents have asked for them and Activator Bicycle Club has stepped up to the plate to make them a reality. At 6 select events (Jackson Park, Carpentersville, Campton, Psi-clocross, ILR Day 2, & AHFD Supercross) at 1:40pm (after the Cat 1/2/3’s have started) Activator Bicycle Club will put on FREE kiddie CX ride. No entry fees,  no paperwork, no staging grid… just all fun. Based on the number of kids that show up Activator will run rides for kids 4 and under, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10. If your child is <=10 years old (in CX years) and can’t, or doesn’t want to, race in the CCC  Junior races earlier in the day just make sure they have a bike and a properly fitting helmet and swing by the side kiddie course which should be somewhere near the registration desk, start line or finish line. We’ll make announcements throughout the day with more info. Thanks to Activator Cycles and the Activator Bicycle Club for putting on these events for the U10 kids.

While the CCC officially only has Junior 10-14 and Junior 15-18 mixed gender age groups, the infamous Chicago Cuttin’ Crew is stepping up this year to supply awards to a wider range of junior category. As with anything from the Cuttin’ Crew details are still somewhat sketchy, but just like they always do we’re sure they’ll deliver with flying colors… even if that color is only pink. What does that mean? If you’re racing in the junior races, even if you don’t win or podium you’ll want to be around the podiums after your race.

– The big kid races of the CCC would never happen if it wasn’t for our great promoters, USAC officials, and of course series sponsors. Over the next few weeks we’ll be highlighting all of our sponsors to let you know how great they are.

 Iron Cycles – Back for their third year as Series Title Sponsor, Brandon and the guys at Iron Cycles are all about bikes, and specifically CX bikes. They also walk the walk (or is it ride the ride?) too. From the Cat 1/2/3’s to the Women 4’s you will see someone racing in an Iron Cycles kit in nearly every CCC category. Iron Cycles recently updated their website to add lots of great tidbits on the blog, services, bike porn, and to let us all know about their great sales… like the CX sale going on right now. So over the next few weeks, look for the extra large black tent at every race, usually in a primo viewing spot, swing by and say hello to Brandon and the folks at Iron Cycles. Thank them for keeping the CCC going every year as well!

 – Also back again for 2012 and supplying the leaders’ jerseys is series sponsor Pactimo. Last year we experimented with awarding leaders jerseys to the Women Cat 4, Cat 4A, and Juniors and for the 2012 we’re going even bigger. For 2012 all categories will be awarded series leader jerseys (except the 4B’s) each and every week. After the officials get everyone sorted out and the results protest period ends we’ll calculate overall series standings and get the series leader for each category up on the podium. In cases where the series leader may be racing again we’ll wait until s/he is done pedaling and/or puking to get them to the podium. We’ll wait until the 40+ awards on Saturday to show you what they actually look like, but this year’s leaders jersey was designed by Chicago’s very own design empress Becky Welbes.

 It seems like a no brainer since their corporate HQ’s is right in our own back yard and this year SRAM comes on as a CCC series sponsor. You’ll put your spare bikes and wheels in the SRAM Equipment Pit and you’ll be want to stay within the lines made of SRAM course tape. SRAM makes some of, if not the best cycling components on the planet and have been ridden to multiple world, national, and (lest we forget) Illinois state CX championships. What’s even better for us here in Chicagoland is we have SRAM employees and engineers riding right along side us in races… okay, maybe well in front of us, but you get the idea.

Series sponsor Velosmith Bicycle Studio has a Cyclocross Trainer Fit Special – With the cyclocross season upon us, correct bike fit is paramount. As a sponsor of the 2012 Chicago Cross Cup, Velosmith is offering cyclists participating in any of the Chicago Cross Cup races a special $100 Cyclocross trainer fit. Just have proof of registration to any of this-years races and Velosmith will provide you a one hour fit session to help you perform with greater comfort and performance. Fittings are by appointment only. Please call Velosmith at 847-920-9360 to book an appointment.

– Well spotlight a few more sponsors next week, but in the meantime check them all out here on the sponsor page.

– Before we get started with the season, please take 10 minutes to read through our Series Rules and FAQ page. There really isn’t that much there, and its all there… staging, points, category descriptions… so don’t say we didn’t tell you.

 – And finally… did you know the CCC has merchandise? 2012 Series t-shirts will be available at Jackson Park this weekend, along with Mad Alchemy embrocation, Sock Guy socks, and Contigo coffee mugs. Order yours today on BikeReg right here!

– We hope you all had a great time at the xXx Racing CX Relay race this past Sunday. For those of you who wimped out because of the rain, it really wasn’t that bad at all, and kept the temperatures to a very comfortable 78 degrees. Please post links to your pictures, videos, and race reports in the comments of the post below. We’ll have posts like this for every race going forward so you don’t have to go hunting all over the Intertubes on Monday morning looking for pictures of yourself.

– Attention all Potential Series Sponsors. We want to get things wrapped up this week, so if you’d like to help sponsor the series please email us now!

– Speaking of series sponsors, we’re happy to officially announce that Iron Cycles returns again as the 2012 Chicago Cyclocross Cup Series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the guys at Iron Cycles do a great job both on and off the bike sponsoring and promoting the series and we’re very, very, very happy and grateful to have them back for another year. We’ll have more to say about Iron Cycles (their fancy new website and even fancier new kits!) and all of our series sponsors in the coming weeks.

– Quick plug for one of our multi-year series sponsors. Check out Well-Fit’s training plan here.

– Speaking of the CCC Series, before we get under way please take 10 minutes to read the Series Rules & FAQ page. We know the rules and didn’t write this page for ourselves, so before you ask if its still okay to still ride 35mm tyres, or what your CX racing age is, check out the page and you’ll likely find the answer there. If not, shoot us an email and we’d be happy to answer your question.

– Speaking of website pages, did you know we also have a store page where you can pick up all kinds of trick CCC branded goodies, including Sock Guy CCC socks, CCC Contigo coffee mugs, Mad Alchemy custom CCC blend embrocation, and this year’s 2012 CCC series t-shirt. We decided not to hold a t-shirt design contest this year and instead had our super-awesome graphic designer Becky Welbes design a shirt that goes with another project we’ve been working on (see below). Ordering and payment instructions are all on the Store page.

– Speaking of new designs, Becky Welbes also designed this year’s Pactimo Series Leaders Jerseys. This season’s jersey will be awarded, every week, to all categories (well, except the 4B’s). We’ll show you what the Pactimo leaders jersey look like in a few weeks as soon as we get them from Pactimo. Overall standings will be posted after each race here which you can get to from here based on points listed here.

– But before you finish the race and earn points you have to start the race. All CCC series races are staged according to a combination of CCC Series Overall Standings, CrossResults.com points, and order of registration. The obvious exception will be the first race of the series (Jackson Park) where no one will have yet accumulated any points. The last race of the series at Montrose Harbor (which is also the State Championship) will also be staged a little differently so as NOT to disadvantage mid and down state IL riders, but we’ll get to that later in the season.

– Jackson Park staging. While we considered the idea of employing a random component to staging at Jackson Park, given the sheer number of riders and possibility of wet weather (again) we decided to use straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. There are several nuances of using this system.

1. While CCC series points do NOT carry over from the previous season, CrossResults.com points do. So riders in higher (faster) categories and guys/gals that have been around for a few seasons should have a good idea of where they will be staged.
2. If you’ve never raced CX, sorry, but you’ll be towards the back (since you don’t yet have any CrossResults.com points). Fear not! You’ll automatically start earning CrossResults.com points with your first CCC race, as long as you have an annual USAC license. Sorry, but One Day’s do NOT earn CrossResults.com points (but you can earn CCC series points). Confused yet? If not, read Colin’s explanation here.
3. The caveat here is that riders without CrossResults.com points will be staged by order of registration. This means Cat 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s don’t need to rush to register (because they already have high CrossResults.com points). But Cat 4’s, you should pre-reg sooner rather than later.
4. However, we can’t carry the entire CrossResult.com database around with us to every race (we get the data from BikeReg.com, also see Colin’s comments) so in order to be staged properly by CrossResults.com points you MUST preregister on BikeReg.com with your correct USAC license number. We do our best to clean up license #’s, etc ahead of time, but if you want to be staged correctly, please help us out and get that license number in your profile.
5. If you don’t pre-reg for Jackson Park, even if you have CrossResults.com points you will be staged by order of registration. Likely not a big deal for a first timer in the 4B’s just out there having fun, but you guys and gals at the front end of the Cat 1/2/3’s and 3’s field won’t want to be staged at the back. Sorry, after pre-reg closes there’s nothing we can do.
6. After Jackson Park, CCC series points come first, but you need to finish in the top 30 to score points. CrossResults.com points come next, then order of registration.

– Speaking of BikeReg.com (which btw owns CrossResults.com), have we mentioned you need to have your correct USAC number in your rider profile? No, “PENDING” is not a valid license number. This simple, little 8 digit number makes all the difference in the world to us. We want to continue to provide you with great races and specifically in this case results, so please help us out!

– Speaking of pre-registration. Online pre-reg for most CCC series races opens this Saturday 9/1/12 at 12 noon Central (all BikeReg times are Eastern because they’re in Massachusetts, duh). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

– Speaking of results, for those of you that pre-reg’d at the CX Relay, did you like getting your results in your email inbox shortly after you raced? That’s a little project we’ve been working on recently. It takes a little bit of extra work on our end, so please don’t expect it at ever race, or within minutes of crossing the finish line, but we’ll do our best. All that being said, in order for us to do so you need to have your correct email address in your BikeReg.com rider profile. Full results will obviously still be posted at the race on the CCC results board (somewhere near registration) and usually that night on USACycling.org/results. Overall standings should also be posted that night before we go to bed.

– Speaking of USA Cycling, if you’re racing anything higher than Cat 4 you need an annual license. period. Sorry, we don’t make up the rules, but we do have to enforce them. Purchase or renew you annual license on USAC’s website for the fastest turnaround time possible. You’ll also need an annual license to win the state championship in December at Montrose Harbor. #YearOfSpeed.

– And finally… for all you fellow metal heads out there, may we present…

– Just a quick update today as we’re super busy just like the rest of your getting ready for the season.

– Last call for Sponsors!!! We want to get our series sponsors lined up for the season so we can get the series t-shirts printed up before Jackson Park. If you’d like to be a series sponsor, please contact us ASAP. We can still accept sponsor after 8/31/12, but your logo(s) will not make it on the t-shirts and flyers.

– This weekend Chicago CX season unofficially kicks off at xXx Racing‘s CX Relay. This is a great event to ease into the CX season, or just CX in general if you’ve never raced or experienced a CX event before. Look for fast racing, lots of friendly smiles from people you haven’t seen since December, likely a little shenanigans, and loads of fun. Pre-reg closes Wednesday night (that means pre-reg now before you forget/miss it) and check back on Thursday for a full Course Preview.

– And finally… we’d like to remind everyone (one last time) that as unsanctioned, uninsured, unofficial CX practices start up around the city and suburbs, please be kind and courteous to any and all park users you may encounter (come to think of it that’s a good rule to always live by). All it takes is one angry non-CX, non-cycling friendly person to complain to a high ranking government official and all of the CCC races in the area could lose their park permits… thereby shutting down the entire series… and no one wants that. So keep it safe and fun… for everyone.