• This Saturday the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew hosts Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race… now with #INSANEDEOMNIUM2015!!!
• Then on Sunday its the 2015 CCC Awards Party, we’re not going to make up some silly story that tickets are selling fast, there’s plenty of room, but please help us and EJ’s Place plan for how much food to make. Winners get their cowbells… and everyone gets something. Come join the fun.
• With the winding down of the CX season here in Chicago the CCC will crawl into its den evile lair and updates here on the site will be few and far between until summer 2016. Have great winter and ride safely as much as you can. Given the trend in competition over the last few years we expect 2016 to be another fast CX season.
• Want to keep in shape over the holiday and race your CX bike in January??? Well luckily for you USA Cycling is having CX National Championships in Asheville, NC January 5-10. Good luck to everyone traveling and racing!
• And finally… thanks again to everyone who made a series donation this year. With donated entry fees from Melas CX the CCC will make just North of a $2,100 donation to each of our three causes… West Town Bikes, Blackstone Bicycle Works, and Big Marsh. THANK YOU AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Photo: Eric Goodwin

• #MontroseCX
• Ten27 Cycles and Spidermonkey Cycling host the last stop of the 2015 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…
• 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. After No-Shows are removed we put in the online waitlisted riders, then its first come, first served until we hit the field limits. Online pre-reg closes tonight… so if you’re not yet reg’d, do everyone (yourself included) a favor and reg now!
• Montrose is once again sponsored by Goose Island’s 312 Beer which will be awarded on the podiums to everyone of age (or their parents).
• 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. 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 2015 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 medals and matching cash dollars +$1 for the top 3 women in the Single Speed category in the same way they have been doing since 2013.
• 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, Kenny Labbe may be calling your name!
• Payouts: 5 deep per the 2015 CCC minimum payout schedule.
• The Pony Shop and Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also have their usual extra prizes for Junior categories.
• While 5 riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are still 10 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 20st at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.
• The weather usually makes Montrose the special event it is. Right now the forecast is for sun and highs in the upper 40’s! In any event, the weather and wind can always change on a dime, especially next to the lake, so bundle up, dress appropriately, and come prepared with extra warm & dry gear.
• The Big Star food truck will be serving their famous tacos and other food at the curb between 11am and 3:30pm.
• A few series and race sponsor tents will be gathered into an Town Square/Expo Area between registration, the finish area, and the podiums where the state champion jerseys will be awarded throughout the day of racing.
• Team 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.
• 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 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, event organizers, BigStarTruck, etc) will be allowed within the road closures. Please do not give the traffic marshals a hard time about this, they are just doing their job. No Parking at all on the grass, anywhere, period (except for the SRAM NRS car).
• Team trailers: Plan to arrive early between 6:00-6:30am to park your trailer. The streets will be closed at 6:30am. Please drop your trailer and move the tow vehicle to the general parking area. We are trying to keep the barricade area as car free. It is possible to park your trailer Saturday evening by 5:00pm. Security watching the area overnight. Please contact the race directors through BikeReg to make any other special arrangements.
• Alcohol is prohibited in the park without permit, so please act appropriately and responsibly.
• Pack out what you pack in. A large trash dumpster will be provided in the street for any refuse.
• Bib Numbers: On your LEFT SIDE as always. All riders with longer hair are reminded that their hair MUST be pulled up and can not obstruct your bib # while racing. Riders are reminded to not sit up while coming across the finish line, this is especially noted for Juniors – wait to post up until AFTER you’ve safely finished and have been properly scored by officials. Numbers must also be clearly visible to the officials checking you in at staging. Failing to have numbers visible slows down and delays starting fields on time.
• One2Go Event Services will again be providing camera timing and lap times. However if your bib number is on the wrong side, you will NOT be scored. 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 near the finish line.
• Speaking of the finish line, SRAM Neutral Service will be in the equipment pits helping you get there in the case of a mechanical.
• The equipment pit is on the other side of the road from the start and finish lines. Please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too.
• The Course: Ten27 Cycling’s course designer Chuck Judy has tweaked last year’s course again while retaining all of Montrose’s classic features. The course runs clockwise this year, which is the opposite from year’s past, beginning at the staging grid which will now be on the North side Simonds Dr. The start will be long, and wide, and without sharp turns. The finish line and registration tent will be in nearly same location as years past, just off the road to the North and near the sand, 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 but backwards, 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.
• Also, with yesterday’s snow showers the ground is a little wet, so please NO GROUP PRACTICES on the course. We want to leave the grass in as good of shape as we can after Sunday so we can come back and race next year. Thanks!

• We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend with their family, friends, pets, bikes, trails, etc.
• Speaking of being thankful, thank you to everyone who donated their race entry fees for the cancelled Melas CX event to the series donation causes; Big Marsh, West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works. We’ll have a final total cash dollar amount number to announce hopefully next week.
• Its now the first week of December, so that means its sweeps states week. The final race of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup powered by SRAM series and the Illinois State Cyclo-cross Championships are this coming Sunday at Montrose Harbor in downtown Chicago. Looks for the course preview on Thursday at the normal time, but in the meantime check out the info on the static preview page, especially the section concerning IL State Champion requirements.
• But CX racing is not over here in Chicagoland. The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew helps us finish out the year and helps Chicago area youth cycling programs West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works with Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race on Saturday 12/19/15. And as if you needed another reason to race your CX bike again, this year the (other) CCC introduces Grudge Match.
• A few riders have already clinched their CCC overall titles, and we’ll calculate the final standings for all categories on Sunday at Montrose, but awards for all categories will be distributed on Sunday 12/20/15 at the CCC awards party at EJ’s Place.
• And finally… the #PutaRingonIt challenge by Spidermonkey Cycling is down to the final week of fundraising before Montrose!  Half Acre and PSIMET have stepped up to the plate .. will your team?  Go to http://bigmarsh.causevox.com/ and get started now!  For more information, contact [email protected].

Melas Frozen Basin – Photo: Kenny Labbe

• Wow, this turned out to be a long post for a weekend without racing…
• Well, that was a major bummer Melas CX Basin Racin’ was cancelled. This has been one crazy weather season between flooding rivers, record snow fall, etc. And despite what some people may believe, we know neither a larger group of volunteers, fatbikes, woolly mammoths, tauntauns, nor abominable snow men could have made the track ride-able much less race-able. With 10+ inches of wet, heavy snow and the timing of the storm ending just hours before nightfall we don’t see how any team could have made the race happen. Not to mention the parking lots were still being cleared Sunday morning at 10am, the park district did not clear the walking path at all, cars were getting stuck, and roads were slippery. Obviously a bit more extreme, but if Louisville had more people setting up the course could they have stopped the river from rising and flooding the CX Worlds course 3 years ago? Nope. As we mentioned on Saturday, safety for everyone involved is always our first consideration. The way we see it a race should be held if safe and feasible, not “the show must go on at all costs”.
• Concerning “real” cross racing and what Belgians might have done… the only people in our series who can actually say what “real Belgian” CX racing is like are Brian Matter, David Lombardo, and Scott McLaughlin (once. a long time ago. he got pulled when lapped by Adri Van Der Poel). Everyone else only has an idea of what its like. Furthermore, in our opinion “real” CX racing isn’t about the weather but the course and competitors racing on it. We like watching the Namur race on our computer screens just as much as everyone else, but we’re not so sure we’d want to race that course in cold mud, and we certainly wouldn’t want a bunch of Cat 4/5’s and Juniors on such a course. At its heart the CCC is an amateur series and we have to do what’s right for the greatest number of riders, from the fastest Cat 1 down to the most novice Cat 4/5, from the 9 year old Junior to the 65+ FOG*.
• Regarding Melas CX race entry and One Day license fee refunds… for those of you who don’t know, each race in the CCC is organized and promoted by a separate group, not the series… so we can’t just transfer your entry fees to another race (i.e. Montrose). That also means each race promoter has some very real sunk costs (think not-inexpensive park permits, USAC fees, porta-poties, tent rental, supplies, Grateful Dead cover bands, etc) to pay regardless if a freak case of bad luck means the event gets cancelled. That being said, we realize some of you may have spent every last penny on that pair of sweet carbon rims and are now on a budget and need a refund. So if you need/want a refund (less BikeReg service fees) please let us know by filling out this Google Form by Monday 11/30 at 6pm CT. Otherwise if we don’t hear from you all money collected through BikeReg, minus the race promoter’s sunk costs, will be given to the series donation causes of Big Marsh, West Town Bikes, & Blackstone Bicycle Works. Please email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you have any questions.
• Now for the good stuff… Next up… TURKEY… and stuffing… and cranberry… and pumpkin pie! The CCC wishes everyone a great Thanksgiving holiday.
• Then the weekend after that we’ll see everyone at the Illinois State Cyclo-cross Championships at Montrose Harbor hosted by Ten27 Cycles and Spidermonkey Cycling. As of right now all fields are open so register now if you want to race and not be on a waitlist.
• After that, don’t forget about Afterglow and the CCC Awards Party.
• Speaking of Overall Series Awards… due to only one race remaining in the series and only so many series points available, a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall categories. There is still plenty of racing to be had and some categories are separated by only 1 point. In any event, an early congratulations to the follow riders and we’ll see you at the CCC Awards Party:
  • Masters 35+ – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
  • Single Speed – Christopher Pike (The Pony Shop)
  • Women Junior 9-14 – Brianna Urban (ABD Cycling Club)
  • Cat 3 – Kevin Hathaway (Unattached)
  • Women Cat 1/2/3 – Maria Larkin (Chicago Cuttin Crew)
• Need a new bike or just looking for another to fill out the quiver? The Pony Shop is having a close out sale on four different Cannondale models. Call or email with questions: ponyshop.com
• #PutARingOnIt to win at Big Marsh – Spidermonkey Cycling is challenging ALL Chicago Cyclocross teams to put your money where your heart is to build Big Marsh! Spidermonkey Cycling invites all teams to compete for donor rings and bragging rights – and an exclusive party at SRAM HQ – by raising the most money as a team by December 6‘s IL State Championships to build the park at Big Marsh. The contest starts TODAY. To enter, go to bigmarsh.causevox.com and register your CX team. Add your team members, then use your personalized fundraising page and e-mail tools to ask your fellow crossers, your friends, and your training partners to support the park with a donation. You can watch your progress and check in on other teams. Raise $500, and your team gets its own permanent donor chain ring installed on the donor wall at Big Marsh. Raise $1500, and your team receives a larger donor ring for display. Raise the most money of any team, and enjoy an exclusive team party at SRAM’s new headquarters! Rings are also available for individuals giving $500 or more. For more information, contact [email protected]. Get the hole shot – sign your team up at bigmarsh.causevox.com today!
• And finally… Because we all need to remind ourselves from time to time that if we can’t laugh at ourselves than who can we laugh at? Thanks Greg! #SecretHandShake

*Fast Old Guys

Photo: SnowyMountain Photography

• Holy cow was ABD Sunrise Park hard and a blast and also really hard. Its subtle, but we think ABDcx is the hardest race in the entire series. Sure there are no hills, no sand, no flyover, no wind (this year) but there is just no place to recover along the entire track. When we mentioned this to race director Jim Nowak on Sunday his reply was “Good. I want riders to finish and have absolutely nothing left in the tank.” It was the perfect race for all our newly upgraded Cat 2’s, Cat 3’s, and Cat ‘4s to test their mettle… so well done to all of you! Results links are here.
• This Saturday “Higher Gear is getting the band back together – for the third year in a row! The Rhythm and Blues Revue Cyclocross Race is back – bigger and even better! Ghouls and goblins will fill the field at the third annual Rhythm and Blues Revue, hosted by Higher Gear. Join them on Halloween, Saturday October 31 for one of the most fun CX races in Chicagoland.” More details here.
• Next up, the CCC travels just a little bit farther West to Campton (NOT Compton) CX, hosted by Bicycle Heaven and series sponsor Training Bible Cycling. Its the day after Halloween, so please dress appropriately. Campton CX is also increasing payouts for both the Men & Women Cat 1/2/3 to $700 for each field paying 8 deep.
• Speaking of payouts, please pick up your payouts at the venue! The CCC standard minimum payout schedule is here, but most race promoters will only hold on to unclaimed winnings for a few weeks before donating the money to charity.
• Speaking of charity, remember the CCC is accepting donations through each race’s BikeReg page for our end of the year lump sum donation. You can also donate your winnings back at the race or send us an email if you want to go big. This year we are directing all funds towards Big Marsh, West Town Bikes, and Blackstone Bicycle Works. Donations have been very lite this year, so we can only assume you all must be paying off all those GoPros and fancy carbon wheels you keep breaking.
  

  Photo: SnowyMountain Photography

• And finally… since we can’t seem to get through a single week without unnecessary drama about something, just a few bunch of words about heckling. Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t care, heckling is a part of cyclocross. Full stop. What makes our niche sport so great for spectating and taking photos, i.e. the slower speeds of the racers (vs. road, track, etc), close proximity to the race track, riding our bikes in the park, hanging out with all our friends, being able to read racer names on their helmets, etc… also allows for the heckling. For better or worse, we can’t have one without the other. Its part of the culture and if done correctly is a beautiful, wonderfully funny thing that helps riders make it through the race. So to the 98% of you doing it correctly, thank you. But, for the rest of you, and as we have said over and over and over and over… there should always be more cheer than jeer. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother or wouldn’t want it on the front page of the Monday morning NY Times… don’t say it in a public space where a.) there are impressionable kids, b.) everyone has a camera and is recording you, and c.) other people who have no idea what CX is will hear you and think everyone else at the event is also a jerk. All that being said, if some dude (and lets face it, its always a dude) is truly being rude, unruly, stoopid, or otherwise making a fool of himself, kindly ask him to stop… in person, right there, at the venue. Put a little skin in the game and don’t wait until the next morning to vent here in the comment section or on the Facebook, or Twitter, or your MySpace page. The CCC has not been made great or horrible by any one person. We all have a responsibility to make the CCC the best CX race series it can be, so please do your part, on both sides of the tape. Okay? This will be the last time we discuss heckling here this season. So let’s all just be cool and race our bikes, and let other people race their bikes too.
  

  Photo: SnowyMountain Photography

• The Illinois Cycling Association is holding Board Elections, developing a new ICA Website, and making a call for officials! Amateur cycling races in Illinois don’t just happen by themselves and the ICA and USAC need help to make them happen. Please seriously consider getting involved if you want to see cycling races continue to flourish and grow here in Illinois.
• This coming weekend is the last weekend before CCC series racing starts up, so make all those last minute adjustments, dial in your nutrition, and get ready for another great season.
• If you’re looking to get started early and in for a road trip, this coming weekend, former Chicago resident Brian Parker checks in to let us know… “The KISS Cross series opener is this Saturday 9/12/15 at Lakeside Park in Caledonia, MI.  Sponsored by Gap30 Cycles and Founders Racing. $20 old school Cyclocross racing, no license required, $10 second race if you want to double up. A, B, and, C categories, with Masters and kids races. Races start at 11:00am (10:00 CST) so you don’t even have to wake up super early to make it. A keg of Founders (beer) will be on hand for thirsty racers, and the grill will be cooking up some brats and dogs for after the race. Course design by former Jackson Park race director and The Bonebell rider, now full time Michigander, Brian Parker.”
• A little closer to Chicago, race promoter and ICA Member at Large Karl Crapse tells us… “There is a great Cx race this Sunday (9/13/15), only 1.5 hours south of Chicago at Patriot CX. The course is nothing like you might expect in the downstate corn fields. The course goes around a good size pond in Heritage Lake Park, Rantoul. We have steep hill repeats on the dam, a lot of off camber turns, a long straight with logs to bunny hop, barriers, sand pit, a DJ and more. Also beer is allowed. Grab a friend or 2, car pool down, gas is cheaper than it has been for a long time. We also have enough categories that most should be able to do 2 or more races. All profits go to a local Rails to Trails project.” https://www.bikereg.com/patriot-cx
• CX racing also begins this weekend in Wisconsin. Note the WCA has split their schedule into 2 categories; Super Cup and BRO (Bragging Rights Only).
• And finally… Just in under the wire the CCC has another new series sponsor in Mark Niemiec – State Farm Agent – Mark shares a similar view in that he wants to be there for his customers not only NOW but into the FUTURE. He goes the extra mile to make his customers’ experience with State Farm an exceptional one and one that can last a lifetime.

– Some people already got their season off to a start at Half Acre’s CX Eliminator.

– Next up, the always fun, always hard, always inclusive, always nutty, always almost tossing cookies… xXx Racing CX Relay. The Junior and Coed fields are already filled and there are a few spots left in all other fields. The team names are some of the best we’ve ever seen.

– If you haven’t heard (are you under a rock?) Chicago is getting its own bike park… Big Marsh. But, since there is no such thing as a free lunch… “An anonymous donor has offered up to $1,000,000 toward building Chicago’s first urban bike park in a 2- for-1 challenge grant, says Chicago-based non-profit Friends of Big Marsh. Friends of Big Marsh has launched a crowdfunding campaign at bigmarsh.org/build to leverage the grant that could provide much of the funding needed to open the first phase of the park in Spring 2016.” So contribute if you can.

– And since the CX is nothing without its riders and courses, the CCC has decided to switch gears this season and keep our focus local. So instead of collecting money for World Bicycle Relief (still a very worthy cause) we will forward all donations to Big Marsh AND West Town  Bikes & Blackstone Bikes at the end of the season.

– And finally… The nice folks on the other side of the pond are getting ready for the season as well… “On Saturday, September 12, the Michigan ‘cx season once again kicks off with the Alma Grand Prix of Cyclocross p/b Velocity USA, which is the first race in the new Michigan Bicycle Racing Association Cyclocross Series of events. There are a handful of hotel options in the area and this year there is also camping available at the race venue for Friday night. Also, please join us for the early number pick up and “meet the pros” at the Alma Brewing Company on Friday night (September 11). Pros, you ask? Yes! This year we’re excited to have four professionals from Australia in attendance. Joining us from the Focus Australia ‘CX Team are Chris Aitken, Tom Chapman, and Jack Hogan. On the women’s side, Josie Simpson from the Flanders Nemesis race team will be leading the charge. More information, including the race tech guide and spy photos of the course, is available on the website: www.AlmaGP.blogspot.com. The race Facebook page is:www.Facebook.com/AlmaGrandPrixOfCyclocross, and on Twitter @TheAlmaGP. If you have ANY questions please don’t hesitate to e-mail Brian Hancock (race promoter /at/ gmail.com) or find him on Facebook on the race page.”

– A day late, but hey… its the Holidays!

– We know everyone had a great time last Saturday at Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race, hosted by the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew. This event is more about fun than race results, but more than a few riders are still racing strong in preparation for CX Nationals in Austin, TX in just 2 weeks! In any event, full results are here and here.

– More importantly than fun or results, Afterglow helps raise funds for West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bikes, two fantastic youth cycling programs based here in Chicago. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the individuals who donated, all the parents who donated their CCC junior entry fee reimbursements ($1,000 total which the Chicago Cyclocross Cup matched), and the Pony Shop and ROBOTS <3 who both donated >$1,000 to the event. At the end of the day the Chicagoland CX community raised >5,000 total for West Town and Blackstone. This is fantastic and great way to end the Chicago CX season.

– Speaking of donations, the Chicago Cyclocross Cup has been collecting money for World Bicycle Relief throughout the season and on Monday wrote a check for $350 to WBR. In the month of December all WBR donations are matched by a wealthy member of the Chicago cycling community, so that is $700 going to WBR, enough for 5+ bikes. Again, well done everyone!

– After all the racing and donating on Saturday we weren’t done yet and the CCC (Chicago Cyclocross Cup not the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) gave away even more awards, prizes, and gear on Sunday at the CCC Awards Party at EJ’s Place. Some tasty food, a few bottles of cheer, and pretty much everyone went home with something, not just the series winners. Thanks again to The Pony Shop, SRAM, ABUS Mobile Secuirty, Sheila Moon, Yojimbo’s Garage, Spy Sunglasses, Smart Bike Parts, Spin Doctor Cyclewerks & Red Writing for supplying the gear.

– CX racing around the country, and the world, still isn’t done yet for this season. Good luck and safe travels to everyone heading to Austin, TX for USAC CX Nationals January 7-11. And Cyclocross continues in Europe until the end of January, culminating with CX World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic Jan 31/Feb 1. We haven’t heard of any Chicagoland riders going, but CX Masters World Championships are January 3rd and 4th in Gossau, Switzerland.

– And finally… we here at the CCC are very thankful and feel grateful to have shared another CX season with everyone. Sure its a bit of work to put the series together every year, but the memories and friends we gain every year, and the ones we keep from year to year to year to year to year are more than worth it. So whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Diwali, or nothing at all over the next few days, remember this time of year is all about friends and families. And as Newt Cole said way back in 2009 (at 9:25, but seriously, rewatch the entire video), the CCC is all about the people, and we couldn’t agree more. Happy Holidays!

Photo: The Bonebell

– It looks and sounds like everyone had a good time at MWRCXC and a few Chicagoland CCC’ers even hit the podium (of course) before hitting the beer garden (of course). Congratulations to everyone who traveled and raced. Results are not yet online.

– We’re not done racing here in Chicago though… Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race is this Saturday in Douglas Park hosted by the cool kids at the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew. Prepare yourselves for the INSANEDEMONIUM 2014! Online pre-reg closes Thursday night on BikeReg.com.

– Then on Sunday we wrap it all up (quite literally) at the 2014 CCC Awards Party at EJ’s place in Skokie. Everyone is invited to attend but please purchase your tickets ahead of time so we know how many people to expect. And given the prize donations that have been coming in from The Pony Shop, SRAM, Sheila Moon, ABUS, Yojimbo’s, SmartBikeParts, Spin Doctors, Spy, Main Street Bikes, and Red Writing we’re pretty sure everyone will go home with something.

– And finally… Waaay back in August we announced Junior racers would have to pay entry fees but (if they qualified) could request an entry fee reimbursement at the end of the season. We will obviously still honor those requests but a very generous and forward thinking “cutting” edge parent asked if they could donate their child’s reimbursement to the West Town and Blackstone youth programs, which we are more than happy to do. Then the Pony Shop caught wind of the idea and their entire junior team donated their reimbursements to West Town and Blackstone… even before winning the Afterglow awesomeness award. So juniors and your parents, please contact us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail this week to let us know how you would like your reimbursement handled. Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Photo: Luke Seemann

– #MontroseCX

– 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.