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.

Photo: Snowy Mountain Photography

– With a couple minutes taken off the lap times from last year, the PSI-clocross for Life course was still able to throw a bit of everything at racers.  It was the first time we’d seen sand in the series, and it showed as there was a lot of reshuffling there.  Heckle Hill was another place that a lot of movement took place, some ran, some rode, and others tried to ride, gave up and figured maybe it was best to run.  Either way if you were doing something wrong you were sure to hear about it from the bullhorn in the PSIMET tent.

In a showing of the talent being drawn to the races, we saw both elite podiums represented by 3 different states.  We had a fresh name in front the men’s 1/2/3 field with Kevin McConnell (Mercy Specialized) from Iowa taking the victory ahead of David Lombardo (Verdigris-Village CX) and Ian Haupt (Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing).

In the womens field Samantha Schneider (TIBCO/To the Top) is batting 1000 as she grabbed her 2^nd win, Brittany McConnell (Mercy Specialized) moved up a step from last week to 2^nd this time, while Sydney Guagliardo (Verdigris-Village CX) rounded out the elite podium. Full results are here and here and updated series standings are here.

– Next up the CCC heads to the Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, IL for the series’ one and only double weekend hosted by South Chicago Wheelmen. Remember online pre-reg on BikeReg closes Wednesday night for both races, so don’t come crying to us on Thursday saying you missed pre-reg. But even if you do you will still be staged by your CCC series points if you reg Day Of.

– Indian Lakes Resort has all the amenities you could ask for but more importantly there is a hotel. There are still rooms available and you can get the CCC discount using code (not the group code) “CYC” or “cyclocross”.

– Chris Henning and his crew are looking for volunteers to help run the Melas CX Basin Racin’ event. Sign up here and race for free and get lunch.

– Let’s have a quick chat about Internet trolls. We are well aware of everyone’s First Amendment rights to free speech, and we have never censored any comments here on the CCC site, nor do we ever want to do so. But just as you may not want to input your actual email address into the comments for fear of some sort of malicious spam bot somehow finding it and filling your inbox with junk, we’re pretty sure no one visiting this website wants to read your anonymous junk comments. So… if you’re going to post a ridiculously rude comment here on the CCC site, be man or woman enough to leave your actual name and email address so others can reply back to you directly. Otherwise head over to YouTube where the comment sections are priceless and your contributions will have a more appropriate audience. Thanks!

– For those of you already getting into the giving spirits of the holidays… check out the new World Bicycle Relief video: www.worldbicyclerelief.org/power. Just as in years past all donations made between now and 12/31/2014 are matched, up to $1million. The CCC will be donating all of the donations you the riders have donated through BikeReg in a lump sum shortly after the Montrose Harbor Illinois State CX Championships.

– And finally… The West Town Bikes (WTB) CX program has been providing sponsorship, mentorship and coaching to juniors and young adults that would otherwise not have the opportunity to participate in cyclocross events for 6 seasons.  Here are some photos from our last 4 seasons.  The fitness and commitment that cyclocross requires teaches perseverance and provides a healthy energy output while skills, knowledge and friendships gained help form a socially intelligent, responsible and physically fit community member all while growing the sport.  Half Acre Cycling, Half Acre Brewery, The Bonebell, Chicago Cuttin Crew and Seth Gable have all been key in getting us through the end of last year and this season.  We have a Pactimo team store open, password is westtownbikes, as one way we are outfitting our team and raising awareness for the program.  Jerseys purchased through the store can go to the purchaser or be gifted to the program.  We need smalls and mediums of all types.  Many of the adults you see wearing the WTB jersey are volunteers or youth instructors in the organization.

Photo: Snowy Mountain Photography

– Thanks again to Jeff Provisor and the entire Main St Bikes/Sasquatch Squadron for hosting yet another great addition of Carpenter Park CX this past weekend. Barriers, creeks, moguls even a petting zoo, Carpenter Park had it all. It was another sunny Sunday, a little crisp in the morning but warmed up nicely to the mid 50’s by the elite races.  Kelli Richter (PSIMET Racing) won the women’s elite race over Emma Swartz who won in week 2.  This gives Kelli her 2nd win in 4 races, widening her overall series lead over Sarah Szefi, also of PSIMET racing.  In the men’s race Joseph Maloney (KS Energy Services/Team Wisconsin) continues to make the most of his appearances in the CCC by winning his 2nd race in as many appearances.  David Reyes (Heritage) hangs onto the overall lead with another consistent podium finish. Results were uploaded to USAC & CrossResults and Overall standings were updated Sunday night.

– Next Sunday the CCC series heads slightly South to Sunrise Park in Bartlett, hosted by Athletes By Design and uber CX racer/fan Jim Nowak. Look for the course preview at the regular time on Thursday.

– Speaking of Sunrise Park… remember if you want to take half your CCC series points with you to the next category you must upgrade before Sunday’s race. And by before we don’t mean Saturday night. So get your upgrade requests into USAC now through the USAC website since there is absolutely no glory in sandbagging (looking at you Cat 3’s and Cat 4’s). Also note that we do review each week’s results and will be alerting the USAC upgrade coordinator concerning mandatory upgrades.

– The weather was a little less ideal, but a good size contingent of Chicagoland dirtbags were down at Big Marsh having a time this past Saturday. Read all about it on The Bonebell.

– Here’s some exciting news for Junior racers at the State Championships at Montrose Harbor. Thanks to some behind-the-scenes work by The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew, the Pony Shop, Ten27 Cycling Club, Spidermonkey Cycling, and the Illinois Cycling Association the event will award expanded age group champion jerseys. All the same rules apply (riders must hold an annual license, be an Illinois resident, and US citizen… races must have a 3 person IL podium, etc) and riders will be staged the same as other CCC races (i.e. Jr 15-18 and Jr 9-14)…. but jerseys will be awarded to both boys and girls in age groups 9-12, 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. So giddy up and get ready to race in December!

– Speaking of Championships… Pro Bike Express is offering their “Pro Not Bro Service” at Cyclocross Nationals in Austin. This year PBE has limited the number of riders they will support, so space is limited. Register Early and “Travel Like You Train…” For more information please contact Wesley Smith/Pro Bike Express: [email protected] Registration is up on the website: www.probikeexpress.com

– A quick note on Waitlists. If you reg for a waitlist on BikeReg your credit card is NOT charged right away. You may see an authorization transaction on your credit card statement, but you are NOT actually being charged. If a spot opens up in the race before race day (i.e. a kind soul emails the race promoter and tells them they won’t be able to make it) riders will be transferred into the race based on their reg day/time. At this point only will your credit card be charged. So if you show up to the race and haven’t received an email through BikeReg stating you made it into the race… you are not yet in the race and your credit card has not be charged.

– And finally… remember all of this CX pedal biking stuff is just for fun, so tell your family, friends, mechanic, photographer, cat, race course designer, dog, pet turtle, GoPro drone pilot, etc, etc, etc… that you love them every day before its too late.

Photo: C. Norris

– Thanks to Robots <3 and the Cuttin’ Crew for another wonderfully muddy Afterglow. Results are on USAC.org here. Special congratulations to Mike Kelley for winning our hearts and minds, and taking Sweet Justice home again for another year.

– If you missed the CCC Awards Party at EJ’s Place on Sunday, well then you missed a good one. Cowbells, schwag, and good cheer. Thanks to everyone who attended and thanks again to everyone for making 2014 yet another memorable year of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup.

– One last thank you to all of the CCC’s 2013 Series Sponsors and in particular our Title Sponsor Iron Cycles for another great season. For those that don’t know, Iron Cycles has recently teamed up with Embrocation Cycling Journal to bring you not only great content but also great products. Check out their website and stay tuned for how ECJ is helping to bring you even more great CX coverage.

– And finally… a letter from Lindsay Knight who not only races fast but is also the Youth Program Coordinator for Blackstone Bicycle Works:

– #AfterglowCX Preliminary staging will be posted here on Thursday.

– The Afterglow team has once again partnered with the Chicago Park District to bring the ‘Glow Douglas Park Golf Course! When registering to race, please consider donating those extra dollars you’re saving on the cheaper reg to the wonderful and very important programs at Blackstone Bicycle Works and West Town Bikes right from the registration page. Look for all the Blackstone and WTB kids in the Juniors and 4’s, and cheer them on! We will also have a donation jar at registration for you to throw in your change.

– If you’re coming in from somewhere that doesn’t have easy public transportation (hint),  be sure to check the map for available spaces. There will be parking along S Thompson Drive (leading toward the fieldhouse). Please leave the fieldhouse parking lot for volunteers and park patrons, as we aren’t the only ones at the park on Saturday. There’s also parking along Inner Ogden Drive.

– The fieldhouse will be open from 9am-5pm, but since it’s not officially part of the event, we ask that you respect the other park users who may be using the facility. Leave no trace!

– RpbL & the Cuttin’ Crew WILL be accepting credit cards for on-site registration and one-day licenses. They’ll be using Square, which charges 2.75% for every transaction. That will be added to the charge and rounded up to the next cent (so $10 becomes $10.28).

– There may be food on-site, but maybe not enough for 250 people. Douglas Park is in a bit of a food desert. Learn about food deserts and what’s being done to help solve this problem here.

– The weather forecast is 30′s with some snow. While some of us have been reminiscing and training after last year’s mud, be sure you bring appropriate clothing!

– Please avoid warming up on the fairways and greens! There’s plenty of park around.

– Podiums will be presented shortly after each race, and Blackstone Bikes and West Town Bikes have hand crafted prizes for our winners! You’ll definitely want to vie for these metals!

– As for the course, note the location of parking, the staging grid, and the equipment pit. Give yourself plenty of time to get your bib number, put your gear in the pit, and get to staging on time. The course runs ANTI-CLOCKWISE and numbers will be going on the RIGHT.

Photo: Luke Seemann

– #MontroseCX

– One more to go! Ten27 Cycles once again and now with Spidermonkey Cycling host the last stop in the 2013 Chicago Cyclocross Cup… which is also the Illinois State CX Championships at Montrose Harbor. Yes, its going to be cold, but we here at the CCC, Ten27, and Spidermonkeys ask everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells and cameras, and make a day out of Montrose… which means BOTH DAYS. Lots to review below, so buckle up…

– Registration: We’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 40+ 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. The only combined categories are the Juniors, but 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 for both days of racing… 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
• Wheel & Sprocket
• Autobarn VW
• Chicago Chiropractic and Sports Medicine
• The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure
• The Multiple Sclerosis Society

– 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.

– State Champion Requirements: Ten27 Cycling, Spidermonkey Cycling, and the ICA will be presenting 15 CX IL State 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 15-18 AND Juniors 10-14… boys AND girls, Women Cat 3, and yet even the 60+! Remember that in order to win the state championship you must be a permanent Illinois resident (we’ll be checking ID’s), a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a valid and unsuspended 2013 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.

– All races are championship races except the Cat 4/5 on Sunday and the Cat 2/3/4 on Saturday. The Saturday race is an opportunity for Category 2 riders to win some good cash prizes without the usual competition from the Category 1’s.  It also affords the Category 3 riders a unique opportunity to race against the next level up, without taking on a bunch of Category 1 riders.  For those who’ve been resting this week to “taper” for the State Championships on Sunday, it is a good opportunity to test themselves in a shorter race, to make sure all systems are firing, before the big one on Sunday.

– 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, we may be calling your name! The one exception will be the Juniors races when the podiums will be awarded at 2 pm.

– Ted Burger hosts the “Kid CX State Championships” at 1pm (not 2pm) on Sunday. Note the quotes, we’re having fun here and there is no such thing as a kids state championship jersey. But we do have cool #1 bib numbers for everyone!

– Payouts: 5 deep per the 2013 CCC minimum payouts.

– The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding extra prizes and trophies for Junior categories. The (other) CCC will be giving out junior girls awards as usual (5 deep, medals and ribbons) for the race as well as trophies (3 deep) for final CCC overall standings in Boys 15-18, Girls 15-18, Boys 10-14, and Girls 10-14.

– The Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding trophies for the top 3 women in the Single Speed category on Saturday. A few rules apply.

– While a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are quite a few very, very, very close categories still to be decided on Saturday AND Sunday. Overall titles will be  posted Saturday and Sunday, but all official overall series awards will be presented at the CCC Awards Party on Sunday December 22nd at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.

– Speaking of parties… Saturday evening all Montrose racers and spectators are invited to a Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration at 4:30 pm at Holiday Club Chicago, on the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Irving Park Road, a half mile south of the race venue.  Everyone attending will get a free Goose Island beer.   Sign up to attend on the Facebook; search for Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration.

– Food: The Big Star truck will again be serving tacos both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Nom nom nom.

– For the last day of CCC racing, series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation will have physical therapists on hand providing complimentary injury screens. Anyone (racers or spectators) can stop by to get any injury (cycling related or not, new or old) checked out (for free!) for advice on how best to manage it. Look for the green NovaCare tent on Sunday 10:30 – 12:30. Or stop by for a complimentary granola bar for snacking or to ask us about our bike fitting services and physical therapy services. Can’t make it then? Injury screens are available at no charge at any of our clinics. Go to www.novacare.com/chicagoland.htm for the clinic nearest you.

– More than any other factor, the weather usually makes Montrose the legend it is. Right now the forecast is cold with sun on Saturday with a 50% chance of snowy awesomeness on Sunday. 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 on both Saturday and Sunday 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 results trailer, BigStarTruck, etc) will be allowed within the road closures.

– Bib Numbers: On your LEFT SIDE as always.

– One2Go Results (the same as DRW & ILR) will be back and providing camera timing and results. 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.

– The equipment pit is in the best place to put it given the layout of the course. Please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too. Neutral race support will be provided by Wheel and Sprocket near registration.

– Tents: Feel free to set up your tents to the West of registration and the sand pit. 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. If you’re setting up on Saturday, there will be a security guard watching the venue Saturday night, but teams are responsible for their belongs… meaning you should pack up your tents and not leave them at the venue overnight.

– The Course: Ten27 Cycling’s course designer Chuck Judy brings back several of Montrose’s classic features while reinventing other parts of the course yet again. The course runs anti-clockwise, beginning at the staging grid which will now be on the South side Simonds Dr. The finish line and registration tent will be in nearly 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 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 the first paved flyover ever in the CCC. 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 morning and may be altered from the map below.

– Thanks again to Rob Curtis and his PSIMET crew for another great NORGE Ski Jump CX. We hope you all enjoyed the race and had a great Thanksgiving beforehand.

– Up next, the last race of the series at Montrose Harbor in downtown Chicago hosted by Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling. Course preview at the normal time on Thursday, but a bunch of info is already over here on the preview page. Also, on Sunday leave your beers at home… Goose Island will be on site to sell 312 beer and E.J.’s Place will be selling Italian sausages. All beer must be consumed inside the Beer Garden, which will be set up between the finish and the sand pits in a large heated tent, so you can see all the action.

– A few other events on the horizon…

– The Bonebell crew is hosting the CCC 10th Anniversary Party this Friday night. Buy tickets now over here and RSVP via FB.

– The Midwest Regional CX Champs p/b Intelligentsia (@MWRCXC) will be held Sunday 12/15/13 at Dan Ryan Woods.

– And lastly the Afterglow is Saturday 12/21/13 at Douglas Park, as is Sweet Justice.

– The CCC Awards Party is Sunday 12/22/13 again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are for sale on BikeReg. Overall series cowbells, food, fun, beer, & door prizes.

– USAC CX Nationals are 1/7/14 – 1/12/14 in Boulder, CO. Check out Snyder Cycling Services and Pro Bike Express to get your gear there and back again.

Tipping Point Photo

– Looking to deck your walls with the perfect gift? Consider purchasing a print from long time CCC series sponsor Tipping Point Photography! Tipping Point’s travel and art photography–including a few cyclocross landscapes–will be on sale at the Peterson Garden Project Holiday Market beginning this Friday, Dec. 6 and running through Saturday, Dec. 14. The market is being held at the PGP Learning Center, 4642 N. Francisco, just off the Francisco Brown Line stop in Ravenswood Manor–not far from Montrose Harbor, which means you can stop in before or after your race! 15% of all market proceeds go to support PGP’s educational community gardening programs. More info, including a full market schedule: http://tinyurl.com/PGPHolidayMarket.

– There are still a few 2013 CCC Series t-shirt available. We’ll call it PlainOleInternetTuesday.

– As of this past Sunday (12/1/13) you can start renewing your annual USAC license. Annual licenses purchased on or after 12/1/13 are good until 12/31/2014. We highly suggest renewing/purchasing your license online at USACycling.org as this is the easiest (for everyone) and most efficient method.

– And finally… This Saturday evening, all Montrose racers and spectators are invited to a Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration at 4:30 pm at Holiday Club Chicago, on the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Irving Park Road, a half mile south of the race venue.  Everyone attending will get a free Goose Island beer.   Sign up to attend on the Facebook; search for Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration.

– Thanks to Chris Henning and his crew for another great Melas CX Basin Racin’.

– This coming weekend the CCC stays at home to eat Pumpkin’ Pie, but Rob Curtis and the PSIMET crew host NORGE Ski Jump CX on SATURDAY 11/30/13. We usually don’t like to claim the first or the one and only, but as far as we know there isn’t another CX race anywhere held at a ski jump. If you’re in town for the holidays don’t miss out on all of the fun.

– The weekend after the CCC returns for the final race of the series held over two days at Montrose Harbor. Lots of great details are in the work so stay tuned.

– Need more Championship racing? The Midwest Regional CX Champs p/b Intelligentsia will be held Sunday 12/15/13 at Dan Ryan Woods. Follow @MWRCXC for more.

– And to finish off the Chicagoland CX season in style, don’t forget Afterglow, back for another year at Douglas Park. You can expect some Sweet Justice!

– The CCC end of year Awards Party will be held Sunday 12/22/13 again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are now on sale on BikeReg. We’ll award the overall series cowbells and prizes but, you can expect a few new additions to the event.

– Going or even thinking about going to USAC CX Nationals in Boulder? You have two options to get your gear there. Snyder Cycling Services and Pro Bike Express are one option. Hear about it here from Chandler himself. Also Verdigris-Village CX is sending a trailer to CX Nats. Contact Ken Johnson for details.

– Looking for a holiday gift for that special CX someone? How about a stylish 2013 CCC Series t-shirt? Quantities are limited.

– Thanks to all of those riders who donated their ILR prize payouts back to charity. The SCW, CCC, and certainly the recipients of that money very much appreciate your generosity.

– And finally… this weekend as we all give thanks for family, friends, turkey, cranberry, quinoa, gluten free biscuits, pie, and everything else around the table… we at the CCC want to thank all of YOU… the riders, mechanics, supporters, sponsors, fans, and yes even the hecklers for making the Chicago Cyclocross Cup the great community that it is. Have a great extended holiday weekend and we’ll see all of you at Montrose Harbor!

– Evening edition!

– Looks like a bunch of people learned a bunch of great stuff on Saturday with Tim Johnson, Pete Webber, and the Spidermonkeys.

Photo: Edmund White

– Looks like even more people had a great time at the unofficial kickoff to the Chicagoland CX season at xXx Racing’s Relay Cross. Thanks again to Tim Johnson for having some fun with us and to everyone who donated cash dollars to the Junior Mud Fund. See photos here, here, and here. Please post links to your photos in the comments below.

– Next up CX season takes a little break so everyone can work on their remounting skills, turning skills, hand up skills, you know… skills. But get back into the action on Saturday 9/7 in Rantoul at Patriot CX. See the full schedule for the rest of the season over on our Schedule Page.

– Speaking of schedules, a few really great people are working behind the scenes to bring the Mid-West Regional CX Championships to Chicagoland this December. Stay tuned for details!

– The CX Sitters are available again this season to watch your kiddies while you race. The sitter(s) won’t be at every race, but will play it by request… so please contact them ahead of time.

– Speaking of ladies, BBVP Racing Team is looking for dedicated, hard working women, predominantly from the south side of Chicago or surrounding area who are riding at any level to form a Elite Women’s Team. More details on the BBVP site here.

– Speaking of women, check out the recently formed Women’s Cycling Association.

– Last call for Series Sponsors and Series Volunteers!!! We can always add you in mid-season, but we have to send some soft goods to print very soon. Let us know ASAP if you want to be involved.

– Just for fun.

– And finally… like coffee? Okay, do you love really great coffee? Starting Friday (August 30th), Intelligentsia is giving all cyclists 15% off drinks at any of their 6 Chicago stores. To be eligible for this discount, one must be an identifiable cyclist, wearing at least one of the following:  Helmet, Cycling jersey, Cycling shorts, or Cycling shoes. Follow @intelliCHI

Photo: Snowy Mountain Photography

– Thanks again to everyone who raced in the mud last Saturday at Afterglow and for donating a ton (literally) of food. This enormous show of generosity is a perfect example of how great our Chicagoland CX community has become. The weather was the worst (or best depending on your point of view) of the year but  ROBOTS <3 and the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew handled it all in style. The coffee was great too.

– Well, if you like racing on a 3 hole golf course with astroturf, you’ll love racing on a 36 hole golf course complete with a pro shop, bar, restaurant, pool, bar, hotel, spa, did we mention a bar?, and of course… a hot tub. The CCC’s New Years Resolution is back at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort 1/5/13 and 1/6/13. A certain former national champion and current energy drink drinker will be there, as well as a rad dude with lots of tatoos, plus a lot of other really fast guys and gals. Come test your pre-Nationals legs and have some fun too. See the NYR page for more details. We still need volunteers though so please help out and race for free.

– Andden (finally) USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13, Masters World Championships, and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 Louisville,KY.

– This past Sunday the CCC was at EJ’s Place in Skokie and handed out a few overall series winner cowbells (as well as a bunch of schwag). We also presented our season long donation to World Bicycle Relief to the tune of $2,200. We think that’s pretty awesome, so thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who donated throughout the season! Also, since the ‘send David Lombardo to Euro Cross Camp‘ fund reached its goal of $5k and went well over, Verdigris-Village CX team captain Tim Boundy made a $900 donation back to the CCC for a future CCC junior development fund. Stay tuned for details! David leaves for ECC tomorrow (Wednesday) and we all wish him the best of luck racing in Belgium! 

– Series Sponsor Update from the desk of Morning Bird Studio: We’re fired up for the New Year, Hope you are too! The Bird has a ton going on in January with new workshops and the continuation of the Engine Building “off bike” throwdown series. It’s truly time to start thinking about your 2013 goals and the best way to get faster on the bike is to be the best version of yourself off the bike. This year, the class size is smaller for a better experience with an improved student teacher ratio. You will develop solid technique with more personal attention, With the goal of getting really strong, becoming more mobile and most importantly, to stay healthy all year round’. EB101 2011/12 Alumni have claimed multiple state championships, a hoard of victories and even more podiums. Lets get after it 2013!! Engine Building 201 will start Saturday January 26 and run for 8 consecutive weeks, at a cost of 240.00. Space is limited, so please register soon! Link to reg.

– If we don’t see you this week… and we likely won’t since there is no CX racing in Chicagoland for 2 weeks (gasp!?!?), have a great holiday season! If you’re riding (and you likely will since the weather is balmy) be safe and make sure to thank your family for allowing you to play bikes with us all during this past CX season. We’ll see you all at NYR!

– And finally… we can’t  believe we’re linking to this.