– Thanks again to Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling for yet another fantastic event at Montrose Harbor and such a great way to close out the CCC series. Temps were cold but the racing was again hot with a day and a half of action. Laps times from One2Go Results are here.

– Congratulations to the 15 new IL State Cyclocross Champions. We hope to see you all wearing your new jerseys over the next two weeks and next season, unless of course you upgraded… kudos to all of you who already have.

– Also a hearty congratulation to the 16 Overall Series Winners. We’ve got cowbells with your names on them (literally) and we look forward to seeing you all at EJ’s Place on Sunday 12/22. Please get your tickets on BikeReg here!

– Chicagoland CX action is not over though… not by a long shot. The Midwest Regional CX Championships (MWRCXC) are this weekend in Dan Ryan Woods. There’s still time to register over on BikeReg, Intelligentsia Coffee will be serving up a full espresso bar starting at 8am, Eastman Egg Company will be there with their food truck, timing and scoring by One2Go services, and Neutral Support by SRAM NRS. There will be a fully paved start/finish straight, lots of power sections, tricky technical sections, the downhill singletrack and a really wicked runup some people might remember from a few years ago. Look for the full course preview on Thursday.

– 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!

Photo: Tipping Point Photography

– Well, that was another electrifyingly, weather-filled fun weekend at the Indian Lakes Resort. Thanks to the entire South Chicago Wheelmen crew for another great weekend. While no race promoter ever wants to cancel their race, safety is always the first priority. So cancelling racing from the Cat 3’s onward due to Sunday’s dangerous weather was a no brainer. It was the first time any of us can remember we actually had to cancel a CCC race ever… much less due to inclement weather. But, as a wise man once told us, “You can’t win if you don’t finish,” and the SCW, USAC Officials, and CCC would always rather play it safe than sorry. We hope everyone enjoyed the racing that did take place Saturday and Sunday morning and we thank you for their understanding in the matter.

– Next up, the CCC heads to the 11th and penultimate race in the series at Melas CX Basin’ Racin’. Course preview on Thursday at the usual time or see here.

– After that the CCC takes a well deserved weekend off to eat toferky. But fear not, Rob Curtis and his PSIMET crew will be hosting NORGE CX at the ski jump with all the trimmings!

– Then its back to the city for the 12th and final race of the series spread out over 2 days at Montrose Harbor.  Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling will also be handing out a few Illinois State CX Championship jerseys.

– Before the Montrose racing starts the The Bonebell crew is throwing a CCC 10th Anniversary Party. That’s right, the CCC turned 10 this year and a few of the founding members are getting together to relive the magic, or at least drink a few beers together. Buy tickets now over here.

– Speaking of Montrose, the Chicago Women’s CX Fund will cover Sunday registration fees at the 2013 Illinois State Championships for any Women Category 4 who races Saturday, upgrades, and then races Women Category 1/2/3 on Sunday. Details on how to double-up are here.

– Main Street Bicycles is celebrating their 10th anniversary too by giving an additional 10% off on all in stock bicycles, parts, accessories and service. This discount can be taken on top of already discounted year end bikes in stock, a savings of 20-40%! Sale is good through February, but take advantage of a good selection now!

– Getting ready for the holiday season? Why not support some of the great CCC series sponsors that support our little weekend parties all season long? Nearly all of our 2013 series sponsors are local businesses where you can stop in, drop a few duckets, and say high to the people who care enough about CX and the CCC to help make it happen.

– And finally… for those of you wondering about refunds of your entry fees from Sunday’s cancelled races, a message from Steve Feehery from the South Chicago Wheelmen; “On behalf of the South Chicago Wheelmen, we would like to thank everyone who supported our race weekend. Unfortunately due to the weather we had to cancel some of Sunday’s races. We still incurred costs. Therefore all unpaid prize money and some entry fee money will be donated to West Town Bikes, St. Jude Children’s Cancer Research Hospital, World Bike Relief and the Red Cross (to help the Washington, IL victims of Sunday’s tornadoes). Thanks for your understanding and we’ll see you next year at ILR.”

Photo: NIkki Nation

Photo: Rob Whittier

– Thanks to Rob Curtis and his entire PSIMET crew for another hilly and fun PSI-clocross for Life event.

– Up next, the CCC heads to the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen for the 2nd of two double weekends in the series. Online pre-reg is split between two events on BikeReg and closes tomorrow night (Wednesday) for both events, so do it now. Details are forthcoming concerning any festivities at the Cave Bar Saturday night.

– Just a reminder for everyone (looking at you Cat 4’s & 5’s) that if your bib # is high up on your back the officials can’t see it from the scoring tent. The officials want to score you in the race just as much as you want to see your result, so please help them out and pin your bib # to the side panel of your jersey/skinsuit.

– Chris Henning and Melas CX are looking for a few volunteers to help out with their race on 11/24/13. Volunteers race for free & lunch is provided. If you are interested please sign-up on this page: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B45ACA6292-melas2

– Online pre-reg is now open for the two days of Montrose Harbor. Looking to make a weekend out of the State Championship event? Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling have secured some hotel deals for everyone:

1. City Suites Hotel at 933 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, 60657. Call 773.404.3400 and mention the group code “CYCLO” for a rate of $109 per night, plus tax, for a room with a queen size bed. A room with two double beds or a king bed will be $139. The City Suites hotel offers complimentary continental breakfast, wireless internet, and many other amenities. Nearby parking is $22 per night with 24-hour in and out privileges. Check-in at 3:00, check-out at 11:00, early check-in or late check-out can be arranged for an additional $30. 48 hour cancellation. More at chicagocitysuites.com. Hotel is 2.5 miles south of the race venue.
2. Heart O’ Chicago Motel at 5990 N. Ridge Avenue, Chicago, 60660. Call 773.271.9181, please mention that you’re attending the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships at Montrose Harbor. Rates are $79 per night, plus tax, for a double bed, $87 per night for two double beds or a king bed. This motel is a more basic alternative for the more budget minded, but still includes complimentary continental breakfast, wireless internet, and parking. More at heartochicago.com. Motel is 3 miles north of the race venue.

– 2013 Series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation is a physical therapy provider with clinics throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Our therapists specialize in treating sports injuries and orthopedic conditions. In addition to our physical therapy services, our Andersonville clinic offers bike fits by a physical therapist (and CCC participant.) All of our clinics offer complimentary injury screens to help you figure out what to do about your aches and pains. Look for us at an upcoming race offering complimentary injury screens on site. Visit www.novacare.com/chicagoland to find the clinic nearest you.

– And finally… another request from our USAC officials… most CX courses are 1.5 to 2 miles in length. There’s plenty of room for you out on course to spit, blow snot-rockets, etc. Please don’t do it right in front of the officials tent where high winds can blow your spray… or better yet, save it for later.

– Thanks to Rob Kelley and the Bicycle Heaven crew for another great Campton CX. The weather was outrageous and so were the costumes. Make sure to see the links below for a huge number of great photos from our CCC photogs.

– Next up stop #8 of the CCC heads NW to Woodstock for Rob Curtis and PSIMET’s PSI-clocross For Life. Find directions here.

– There are a few other races happening in Peoria and Evanston on Saturday. Find them on BikeReg here.

– Series sponsor Moorhead Law Group, LLC is offering a special 20% discount on legal fees for any client engagement from now until January 31, 2014. The firm handles commercial real estate, sports law, and conservation matters. Prospective clients must mention the CCC to receive the discount and are subject to the firm’s engagement policy.

– Because series sponsor TZCoaching believes athletes should train during the winter to see the biggest gains in their next season, they are offering a great deal during the month of November. Purchase a Wahoo Kickr at retail price ($1099) and a 4 month winter coaching package and only pay for 2 of those months!!! That’s right, get ready for your 2014 season right, by purchasing a great trainer and combine that with personalized coaching at half the price!!! So for $350 you’ll get 4 months of coaching, and to make it a little easier on you TZCoaching can make those monthly recurring payments for you rather then paying up front. TZCoaching‘s goal is to help you get the most out of this winter, so they are doing what they can to make this investment easier for you! Contact TZCoaching for details and to purchase the Kickr. You must purchase the trainer through TZCoaching in order to get the coaching deal, so contact them today!

– You’ve trained like a pro, now get treated like one. Snyder Cycling Services has some great services, especially for those of you heading to Boulder this season for CX Nationals. Also, monthly wine and snacks at the shop. See all the details here or stop by the Velosmith Bicycle Studio tent at the races and say hello to Chandler himself.

– And finally… we know you’ve all been waiting very patiently, and we can now finally take the big red bow off the surprise. Ten27 Cycling Club has teamed up with Spidermonkey Cycling to bring us 2 DAYS of championship racing at Montrose Harbor for race 12 of the CCC and the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships. Check out the Day 1 and Day 2 schedules on BikeReg.com. Online pre-reg opens NEXT MONDAY 11/11/13 at 9am.  Since fields have been filling up all season long the only combined fields will be the Juniors and Ten27 Cycles has added another non-championship event on Saturday afternoon for Cat 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s wanting to get in some last minute prep… and earning a little extra scratch. Let’s make this another great Montrose event and make a weekend out of it.

– Thanks again to Jim Nowak and the entire ABD crew for another great ABD Sunrise Park race. The weather was delightful and the winds were much lower than in years past, but the racing action was still red hot.

– The 2013 CCC season is now half over, or the other half is still left to be determined… can you believe it? Next up, stop #7 takes us to Campton CX where Rob Kelley and the Bicycle Heaven crew takes us up hills, through woods, and over dale. Thursday preview at the regular time and place, but get started with the static preview here.

– Another reminder, if you have pre-reg’d and for whatever reason (we won’t judge) don’t plan to race, especially in a filled & closed and/or combined category, please get in touch with the race promoter via the “Contact Event” link in BikeReg to let them know. We still have lots of riders wanting to race and it makes it easier on everyone if we can get those waitlisted riders into the event before race day.

– Concerning lapped riders, we are now in the 2nd half of the season and the guys and gals at the front of each race are really duking it out for every last series point. Accordingly we would like to give those riders challenging each other for the overall series title every opportunity to earn those points of their own, er, accord. What this means is those of you out of contention for a top placing and either being lapped or about to be lapped on the final lap, can expect to be pulled (and placed) early. The chief USAC referee will make the final decision (based on the application of the 80% rule, see page 115) during each race about who gets pulled. We are not trying to penalize anyone here, but simply give the lead riders a clear track to race on.

– Similarly, never, ever, ever, evar, enter the race track to preview it before the USAC officials say it is okay. Furthermore, never, ever, ever enter the race track in front the finish line. You could seriously impede racers finishing (as happened this past Sunday) or worse cause a crash and injury. No one wants that. So, very simply… you are only allowed to enter the race track past the finish line and once given the okay by the USAC officials. To facilitate this and make it clear as mud, we are going to borrow an idea from our CX friends in Colorado. Look for the green flag at the finish line. When it is raised you may enter the race track AFTER the finish line. When the red flag is raised no one is allowed on the race track except those riders in the current race. No exceptions. Ever. Violators can and will be disqualified.

– And finally… just because the Euro Pros do it and don’t get penalized doesn’t mean we are allowed to.

Photo: Kate Gresock

– Another double weekend in the books. 2 vastly different course, but still cyclocross all the way. Thanks again to Ted Schweitzer, Verdigris-Village CX, Jeff Provisor, Northbranch Cycling, and Main St. Bicycles for another great weekend for racing.

– Up next the CCC heads to Barlett for ABD Sunrise Park hosted by ABD and CX Superstar Jim Nowak. Thursday preview at the regular time but lots of details already here. #ABDCX

– Remember when reclaiming your gear from the equipment pits to make sure you are taking what belongs to you and NOT someone else. Check the tyres, check the hubs, etc, etc. We’re sure no one is stealing wheels or bikes, but there have been a few mistaken items recently. Check here and here for who’s missing what.

– The 2014 Masters World Championships will be held in 1/4/14 and 1/5/14 in Gossau, Switzerland.

– We’ve  had quite a few Pactimo Series Leaders Jerseys changing hands at recent races. Please double check the series standings and if you’re due a jersey please let us know at [email protected] and we’ll get it to you at Sunrise Park. Congrats also to everyone putting on their big boy and big girl pants and upgrading to the next category. Chapeau!

– Just a reminder, If you have pre-reg’d or especially if you are a parent pre-registering your junior and won’t be able to make it to race, please let the race promoter know, not us here at the series. You can contact each individual race promoter through BikeReg using the ‘Contact Event’ link. Thanks!

– Now in its 7th year, VeloCX on 11/2 and 11/3 hosted by Little Guy Racing takes Minnesota cyclocross to a higher level by jumping on the 2013 USAC National CX calendar. This year payout are larger than ever ($2,000 for the elite men both days and $1,000 for the Women) . $6000 over the two days in the Elite races, same awesome racing in all other categories, great course, (unofficial) SS Midwest championship, bouncy castle and an all around fantastic event. 2013 promises to be the best year yet! This year’s sponsors include Behind Bars Bicycle Shop, Portland Design Works, Nice Ride MN, Peace Coffee, race fuel by Hammer Nutrition, and beer by Dangerous Man Brewing. If you’re in the area come out, race, and stick around for what’s sure to be some of the best racing in Minnesota. Free beer and food of course. Check out the race flyer and promo video!

– And finally… did you know Chicagoland is the birthplace of cyclocross? Well perhaps not, but it was the host to the first USA National CX Championships in Palos Park way back on 10/20/1963. This past Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of the USA’s first national championship, won by none other than Tyger Johnson from Rockford. Please, if you do nothing else today, take 20 minutes before watching BtBTV and read through this great archive about our great sport.

Photo: Eric Heuser

– Thanks to the Bevery Bike VeePak crew for anther great race at Dan Ryan Woods. Hills, bunny hops, food, hills, great weather, hills… oh and did we mention hills?

– For those of you that pre-reg’d and have an email address in your BikeReg rider profile, you should have received Results and Lap Time Reports shortly after your race from One2Go Event Services. Nikki Cyp of the BBVP crew brought in One2Go specifically for this race as an added bonus with no incremental costs to any racer. Its amazing what these guys can do with just a camera and without the hassles of chip timing. Lap Time Reports were emailed per category, but if you want to see how fast or slow you are vs. racers in other categories we’ve posted all of the reports below.

• Masters 40+
• Masters 30+
• Single Speed
• Women Cat 1/2/3
• Masters 50+
• Cat 3
• Women Cat 4
• Junior 15-18
• Junior 10-14
• Cat 1/2/3
• Cat 4
• Cat 4/5

– And if that isn’t enough data for you, One2Go was kind enough to share all the data with us and allowed us to repost it here in one big table. Feel free to copy the data and slice and dice as you wish to see how you stack up to your friends and CX Clash foes.

– Next up, the CCC heads NorthWest to Psycho Cross and Carpenter Park for the first of two double race weekends. Look for the course previews on Wednesday and Thursday.

– We regret to inform those of you looking for even more racing that Friday night’s race at the Golf Farm has been cancelled. However, the Saturday CCC series race will take place as scheduled.

– Remember 2013 CCC Series tshirts are on sale here.

– And finally… remember if you want to take 1/2 your CCC points with you to the next higher category you MUST upgrade before Sunday’s race at Carpenter Park. We here at the CCC want everyone to enjoy themselves and move up to the next level when you feel you are ready, but that being said many of you have had a very fast start to the season and we will be mentioning those of you in “mandatory upgrade territory” to the USAC upgrade coordinator this week (looking at you Men and Women Cat 3’s and 4’s).

Photo: Ten Speed Hero

– Just a short one this Tuesday.

– Thanks again to Robots <3 and Axeltree for hosting yet another great event at Hopkins Park in Dekalb. The weather was darn near CX perfect, the slow food was delicious… and the racing was great too!

– Just a reminder the CCC has a standard payout schedule. Please remember to pick up your winnings if you earned them BEFORE leaving the race.

– Starting this coming weekend at DRW we plan to present the Women Cat 1/2/3, Women Cat 3, Masters 50+, and Masters 60+ podiums at high noon to give the officials enough time to sort out the results and let everyone get cleaned up and back to the podiums. Please watch the clock and get back to the podiums if you’re due up on a step. Thanks to our CCC Series Volunteers for organizing and presenting our podiums.

– Speaking of Dan Ryan Woods, look for the Thursday preview at the regular time, but check out the standard stuff over on the preview page. Also, the official hashtag is #DRWcx,looking at you Tipping Point ; ) .

– Juniors! Paul Swinand host a free USA cycling insured kids cross practice at the Northbrook Velodrome (east fields) on Friday nights. Meet at 5:45pm, be ready at 6pm, lights from soccer fields, open to all and free! Any age, just bring a helmet, bike, and a good attitude. Sponsored by the Northbrook parks association, Northbrook bike club, and Paul Swinand.

– And finally… the CCC’s collective heart goes out to the friends and family of Amy Dombroski who passed away last week in Belgium. Amy may have been pint sized but she was living the dream, racing her bike, and literally brimming with life. So the next time you start to get worried about what tire pressure to run, or realize you left your lucky socks at home, or you’re concerned your CrossResults.com points should really be 303.67 instead of 303.75, remember we’re all still here, having fun, and racing our bikes together.