Wow, its already November… that went fast! Thanks to everyone who has come out to race safely.

– Here’s a friendly PSA that as the weather turns colder and nastier, the officials need to see your bib number when being staged into the starting grid and One2Go absolutely must be able to see your bib number at the finish line in order to properly score you. So if you’re wearing a jacket at staging, make sure you pull it up so the officials can see your number, and if you’re wearing a jacket during the race make sure your bib number is pinned on the outside so One2Go can see who you are. Thanks!

– Unfortunately, Spidermonkey Cycling will not be running this year’s cyclocross race at Montrose. The team debated this decision for a while, and the reasons for canceling are multiple. Ultimately, the direct and indirect effects of COVID, plus the National CX Championships happening at the same time, all contributed to the decision to cancel. The Spidermonkeys hope the CCC community understands this decision and encourage everyone to pitch in and help out with the USA Cycling National Cyclo-cross Championships at Cantigny Park in Wheaton!

– That leaves 2 more local amateur races on the calendar, the first being Groundhog Psi-clocross hosted by Psimet in Woodstock this coming weekend and The George Garner Sr. Memorial CX Race host by the Northbrook Bicycle Club in Wheeling the weekend after.

– Speaking of, it takes a community to host a National Championship caliber event. The local organizing committee and the Dupage Sports Commission need some help. Plenty of volunteer spots available here, as well as info on hotels (ok locals will just in their own beds), sponsorship opportunities, admissions, and race info are here –> https://www.discoverdupage.com/sports/events/cyclocross-2021/

There are many updates about the 2021 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships out today! 

First, on the DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau event site, admission wristbands for the entire week of the event are now available for purchase. If you are going to race in the event, your admission will be included in your registration fee and is good all week. This is for additional wristbands for spectators, family, friends, hecklers …  Also, for those coming in from father away, discounted area hotel info is posted. Additionally, spaces in the Pro and Amateur team areas, as well as vendor expo space, can be purchased. All of this goes toward the cost of hosting the event.

Over on the USA Cycling event page, race schedule and registration info is posted. 

Once again, this event will not be possible without support from the Chicago CX community. From helping with the course build the week before, to course marshals during the races, to staying warm and toasty in the registration room helping check racers in, the event will need all kinds of people. Let them know you are interested here. Volunteering will score you free entry for the week and some sweet swag!

The Cantigny Park course design is in the final stages and will feature something for everyone, especially spectators. Guaranteed there will be tanks involved, and we hear a sand wedge might be needed.

We didn’t cancel cyclo-cross, we’re just not holding the series.

Just a quick update to clear up any confusion about the CCC “series” vs. “races“. As most of you know, the CCC is a collection of CX events, each hosted by a separate and fantastic team/club/shop/promoter. The “series” does not actually run any of the individual events but sets minimum standards, coordinates race-day schedules/categories, maintains overall scoring, owns a very large quantity of plastic step in stakes, updates this website, awards series leaders jerseys & cowbells, hosts the after season party, etc. Think of the “series” as the NFL and each race as one of the teams in the league. You don’t really go to an NFL game, you go to a Bears game that’s part of the NFL. As Montrose Harbor race director Mark Zalewski notes, “It helps to think of the ‘series’ as not a race itself (bc it isn’t), but a collection of independent races (bc it is).”

Glenwood Academy (new SCW venue) and Groundhog Psi-clocross (PSIMET) plan to hold their events. Hopkins Park (Comrades Cycles) has already decided not to hold their event. The rest of the venues are tentative and TBD depending on how the Autumn progresses. We will keep the Schedule page updated throughout the season and have news updates here as we receive them.

In cancelling the “series” last week we did not cancel all Chicagoland CX races, just the overall aspect. If you were planning your big comeback this year to win an overall series title, then unfortunately you’re out of luck. If you’ve never really paid attention to the overall scoring and have never been on the front row of the staging grid, you probably won’t notice any difference if you choose to race this year.

If you have any questions at all please email us directly at [email protected]. Our inbox is always open. Enjoy the summer heat while its still here and keep riding your bikes!

There’s a saying in jazz that sometimes, the best note is the one not played.

Due to the continuing and developing pandemic situation, the precedent of rising cases in the Autumn/Winter set last year, and to err on the side of caution, the CCC series is again cancelled this year.

Please note that while we will not have overall series scoring, staging, & awards, some race directors have already confirmed they are still planning to host their individual races as long as local regulations allow and it appears safe to do so. See the tentative Schedule page for specifics. Those situations may change so pay attention to the individual race BikeReg.com registration pages and we’ll post updates here on the site as we receive them. Update – The HICX made the same decision earlier this week.

Our first concern every season and for every race is safety, and it just doesn’t feel safe to host the entire series from September to December. As this COVID case counter shows, Illinois is already at the same case counts as October last year, which hospitalizations follow shortly after.

Besides people congregating in tents as temps drop and the weather turns foul, one our main concern is Juniors who are not yet old enough for a vaccination, compounded by the start of the school year. We know we can’t please everyone all of the time, but we’d much rather get a few disgruntled emails now than even one later telling us someone’s kid is in the hospital due to something completely preventable.

This obviously totally sucks, but we don’t think anyone paying attention to the pandemic was expecting a “normal” season this year anyway. We are fully aware that many of you (at least those with bikes) were eagerly awaiting the return of CX season and some sort of normality… we definitely were too! But we will be very happy if in January we’re saying to ourselves, “Yeah, we could have held the series” but currently the benefits do not outweigh the risks.

To reiterate, we will not be organizing the series, but some individual races are still planning to be held. Email us at [email protected] if you have questions.

So mask up, get vaccinated, stay safe, and 100% keep riding your bikes… and we’ll hopefully see you all next year for the 2022 Chicago Cyclocross Cup series!

If you’d like to help out at Cyclo-Cross Nationals this December at Cantigny (Can-Tee-Nee) Park, please fill out this online form.

xXx Racing-Athletico has opened up Registration for Relay CX over on BikeReg.com. Looks like Haley Engle and Jessica Steed in the Women Open category nabbed the hole shot in the team naming competition… but with 2 weeks to go until race day, its still anyone’s race and Emily Heavey and Monte Martin in the Coed Open appear to be gaining ground.

Expect more updates about the CCC series next week. As we mentioned back in June, with COVID cases increasing in Illinois around the country due to the Delta variant we may need to make some adjustments.

• We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend full of family, food, fun, and maybe even some bike riding!
• For anyone who raced at Region Riot CX or care to know, results are here and our very own Kenny Labbe did a bit of tweeting with pic/vids during the event.
• Next up, the finale, the big chimichanga, the extra hot double trente soy non-foam latte with extra foam on the side and three pumps of almond syrup… Montrose Beach CX – Midwest CX Champs. Not only is Montrose the last race of the CCC series, but this year it also doubles as the USAC Midwest Cyclocross Championships. See the BikeReg page for notes and “make a donation” for VIP parking. Full course preview notes will be posted Thursday at 9am.
• PSA for those of you living under a mud-soaked rock for the past 12 months, Montrose is NOT the Illinois State CX Champs… those took place a month ago in Woodstock the day before Groundhog PSI-clocross.
• And finally… if you’re already done all of your Christmas shopping or maybe not and you’re just feeling generous on this #GivingTuesday, please consider an extra donation to our series causes Blackstone Bicycle Works and West Town Bikes. Both of these organizations do amazing work getting and keeping kids and young adults on bikes and having fund. If you’ve ever seen these young shredders at the races you know how awesome it is to see them competing and enjoying the power of bicycles. Thanks!

• Another Sunday, another great Wheeling Heritage Park CX. Thanks again to the Northbrook Bicycle Club for hosting a chilly if fun event and to the Wheeling Parks District for allowing us to use their park.
• Links to all series results, lap times, and CrossResults.com are over here.
• Next up, the CCC travels to Saint Charles for its one and only official double race weekend at the Pheasant Run Resort hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen. This weekend has a SATURDAY and a SUNDAY BikeReg page, and one page does not reg you for both days. So please make sure to register for the correct (read: both) day or days. Online Reg on BikeReg closes on WEDNESDAY Thursday so the SCW can get ready for Saturday… So get on it! Look for the regular course preview on Thursday at 9am.
• PRR has discounted room rates of $92 per night for this weekend. Call Pheasant Run at 630-584-6330 and use code “cyclocross” for the discount.
• Looking ahead to Montrose Beach… Have a large team with a lot of stuff? Or just want a VIP experience? On the BikeReg registration page for the Montrose Beach event you can make a donation to access VIP parking within the Simonds Drive road closure. One vehicle per space suggested @ $50. Multiple spaces may be combined for trailers, etc … This donation helps offset the expenses associated with the race venue.
• And finally… Our series sponsor ABUS Locks‘ sweepstakes to raffle off 3 of their Bordo locks, hand painted by the rad folks out in California at Squid Bikes, ends this Friday. Proceeds will benefit our friends at Blackstone Bicycle Works and West Town Bikes. All the details over here: https://go.rallyup.com/abus-lock-raffle

• Wow! What a weekend. A double weekend of State Championships and Groundhogs.
• Wow! What a weekend. A double weekend of State Championships and Groundhogs.
• Thanks to Keating Law Offices (also a series sponsor) for being the presenting sponsor of the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships in Woodstock, IL hosted by PSIMET Racing. The Illinois Cycling Association along with our amazing MC Kenny Labbe presented 23 state champ jerseys on a cold and windy buy sunny day. All results are posted on USA Cycling‘s website and IL State Champions are here on the CCC site.
• Then we did it all again, but in reverse, on Sunday at the 7th round of the CCC at Groundhog PSI-clocross, also hosted by PSIMET Racing. For those following along at home this was the 3rd CX race hosted by PSIMET this year. Links to all series results, lap times, and CrossResults.com are over here.
• Mike Nauman was out again but is still recovering from the double weekend CX hangover. Mike has some photos from Sunday up here, but look for more from Saturday later in the week. Snowymountain was busy hosting racers state champions and catching up on sleep.
• Next up, the CCC travels East to Wheeling for Wheeling Heritage Park CX hosted by the Northbrook Bicycle Club. Though this event has changed locations many times over the years, it was more or less the original CCC event way back when. Look for the normal course preview on Thursday morning.
• Here’s another friendly reminder/PSA that you can train and workout all your want, but you’re not going to have a good race if you don’t take care of your bike(s)! Get them into your local bike shop for a clean and tune so you can race the best you can. We have many, many great local shops in the area, many of which are series sponsors, who are ready, willing, and able to keep your bike(s) in tip-top running shape.
• And finally… we don’t really need to tell you its cold outside. But it is. Winter has come early to Chicagoland this year. Please, do what you have to do to stay warm and safe. Stay inside. Ride Zwift if you have to (GASP!!!), but be safe. We want to see all of you at the races, preferably without frostbite. See you all on Sunday!