– For the 4th year in a row the Carpenter’s Park race, hosted by Main St. Bicycles (owned by CCC director and all-rounder Jeff Provisor) & North Branch Cycling, will be held along side the Carpentersville Oktoberfest as stop #5 of the CCC. The festival will once again have a beer garden (which will of course be located right next to the course). Great food vendors, live music, raffles, kid rides (inflatables), and much more. Full details of the festival and a sample of some of the Oktoberfestivities are here.

– Remember the previous day the CCC is just up the road in Wauconda at Psycho Cross. See the preview for Saturday’s race here. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com is already closed for Pyscho CX but closes tonight (Thursday) at midnight for Carpentersville. All categories are still open.

– Registration should be in the NorthEast corner of the park not far away from the Staging/Start/Finish area.

– The weather forecast again looks fantastic.

– The Spidermonkeys will be back and distributing CCC 2011 series t-shirts and Mad Alchemy custom embro. Sock will be available next week at Sunrise Park.

– Jeff and the village of Carpentersville have asked that we please keep the beer drinking in the beer garden. It always seems there are a few people out there that can’t find access to the Interwebs, so if you see someone with a can or two of High Life on the other side of the course, please ask them to be respectful of the park, other spectators, and racers. Bacon and Twinkies are allowed and in fact encouraged to roam freely.

– Overflow parking will be East of the park – in the school lots off of Spring St (to the South), and at Cross Container off of Maple (to the North).

– The beer garden (did we mention there is beer) will be located on the NE side of the course. There will be many tasty food options as well… however Kenny’s famous Chubby Spud unfortunately will not be in attendance. Apparently Kenny moved to Arizona and no one has been able to convince him to return.

– Bring a canned food item for the local food pantry, and the $2.00 I.D. wrist band fee to purchase adult beverages in the Beer Garden will be waived. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest will be featured in the garden.

– For all you kids who aren’t yet old enough to race in the 10-14 category, the Oktoberfest will feature a Free Kids race for 5-10 year olds held at high noon near the bandshell. Just bring your bike and a helmet!  Also for the kiddies, a huge inflatable jumpy thing to keep ’em busy & happy for .50 cents a ride.

– Bikes not your thing? There will also be a Classic Car Show in the Otto parking lot down the road.

– The Course: This year’s course will be nearly identical to last year with such class Carpentersville features as creek crossings, one of the CCC’s longer sand pits, and a little hill which is always great for spectating and taking photos. Returning in yet another variation from 2009 and 2010, the course will again shoot riders through dirt rollers (pump/rhythm section). Take notes from Sven Nys here (0:11). The new wrinkle this year is (unless the farmer decides to take down the corn this week) the addition of a corn maze to the roller section. The corn tunnel (sorry, not our words) is at least 8′ tall on either side and 10′ wide. Warning!!! You will break your teeth if you take a feed corn handup. Speaking of… Twinkies will be sold for a fundraiser by the Carpentersville local Rotary at their booth in the Oktoberfestival… not that you all need convincing but they are waaay tastier than the feed corn.

– Back again for another year race promoter Ted Schweitzer returns with the rebranded Verdigris Village CX team to host stop #4 of the CCC with their Psycho Cross race in Wauconda at the Golf Farm. The race also has a website at: www.psychocrosschicago.com. Pre-reg closes tonight at midnight on BikeReg.com.

– Speaking of night time… Ted is also experimenting with a night race this year on Friday. The Friday Night Race is not part of the CCC series (so no points to gain or lose), but will surely be fun for those of you looking to get in a little more racing. The course will be at least partially lit, but please bring your own lights. Camping spaces are available for $12.00 per person including  a bonfire and a band. Online pre-reg is on BikeReg here and additional details can be found here on the PsychoCross website.

– Speaking of more CX racings… on Sunday the CCC travels just down the road to Carpentersville. See the preview for Sunday’s race tomorrow. Online pre-reg on BikeReg.com closes for Carpentersville tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight.

– Travel Times: There is road construction and occasional major traffic backups in the vicinity of Route #12 (Rand Road) and Old McHenry road, as well as other construction in the area: Route #12 (Rand Road) south of Rt. #22 in Lake Zurich, Midlothian Road in Hawthorn Woods, and Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. Please plan accordingly as registration for each race closes 30 minutes prior to the start of each race.

– Per the owner of The Golf Farm, please leave your beer coolers and/or grills at home. This is private land and there is a restaurant/bar, so we have to play by the owner’s rules. The main parking will be on the South side of the course. Limited parking is available next to the restaurant/bar.

– Verdigris Custom Homes’ “Bridge of Sighs” will be riders’ main obstacle for the day. The flyover is 22’ tall, 51’ long, and 11’ wide with 13 steps that lead you to the top.

– And bobcat was also set  loose on the course and create some other fun features.

– The Gold Farm is a full service facility with a bar, restaurant, and of course bathrooms. Please use them all.

– The Course: There isn’t a terrible amount of terrain to speak of but Ted and the Verdigris Village CX crew have been very creative in designing a fast power course with all the trimmings including grass, dirt, gravel, mulch, twists, turns, straightaways, and of course the flyover.

Photo: Ed White

– Big thanks again to North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love for hosting yet another great event at Hopkins Park. If you couldn’t make it out to Dekalb for a stupendously wonderful Autumn day to watch the races be sure to check out all of the pix and vids posted here.

– Congratulations to James Lalonde (Chicago.CX) and Christina Peck (Chicago Cuttin’ Crew) who won this year’s installment of the Officially Unofficial IL State Singlespeed CX Championships. James and Christina won complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco as well as round-trip airfare. If you didn’t know, whomever wins SSWC’s gets to bring the event back to their home city the next year… so good luck and do us proud James & Christina (no pressure)!

– Next up Dan Ryan Woods (DRW). No theme this year… just some fast long straight-away CX racing with a little hill thrown in for good measure. Look for the standard course preview on Thursday.

– Just a heads up for this weekend… the Chicago Marathon is again being run (literally) the same day as DRW on Sunday. Please plan your travel times to the race accordingly.

– Hopkins Park was dry… but did you get your bike dirty somewhere else? Iron Cycles is still running their bike cleaning special.

– We have been asked by our promoters and officials to again remind everyone that registration closes for each race 30 minutes prior to its start time. This may seem like an arbitrary time cut off, but there’s a lot of stuff that needs to happen in that 30 minutes to get all races started on time (No shows pulled, waitlisted riders entered, start sheets printed, riders checked in at the starting grid, call ups prepped, donuts consumed, tires inflated, chains lubed… sorry, we got lost… where were we? Oh right, 30 minutes… Do yourself and everyone else a favor and just get yourself to reg on time. Arriving to pick up your bib number 5 minutes before your race start time and then asking someone to pin your number on is not acceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

– Speaking of registering… there are only a handful of spots left in the Cat 4A race. Get in there now if you want to race.

– CCC Series Director Jason Knauff was profiled on CX Magazine.

– Speaking of the New Years Resolution… Jason took a scouting trip to the East coast to visit the GP of Gloucester this past weekend. While very disappointed with New Englanders’ hand up and heckling skills, he did bring back quite a few best practices ideas… so look for them soon in the CCC as we prepare for our big show on New Years. Jason also had a chance to chat with a few pros and their handlers about racing in Chicago. Updates coming soon.

– Speaking of handling… thanks to Spidermonkey Cycling for handling our merchandise distribution at Hopkins Park. We only have a few tshirts left, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Socks are on the way and Embro is here now. All items are pre-order only.

– In case you missed it… our friends at CrossResults.com have introduced their Cross Clash. Check it out and challenge your friends or mortal enemies to a season long competition.

– There’s a new Blue Steel in town… but we always appreciate classics.

– And finally… we know there are quite a few carbonated hops flavored beverage enthusiasts racing (and lets be honest… heckling) in the CCC. If you happen to be out in Utah, maybe bring back some of this for everyone to enjoy?!?! HT Rhythm Racing‘s Michael Shea.

– Stop #2 of the 2011 CCC takes us to Hopkins Park hosted by North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love. Driving out to beautiful Dekalb is well worth it for the flyover alone… even before Brian Conant tells you that such a trip is mandatory.

– In addition to the full CCC schedule of races Hopkins Park will again be the venue for the OUILSSSCXC (Officially Unofficial IL State Single Speed CX Championships) immediately after the Cat 4B race. This race is NOT USAC sanctioned but will be loads of fun. See details here. As an added bonus the men’s and women’s SS winners earn a complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco, CA. In addition to their entry, the OUILSSSCXC organizers are providing round-trip airfare to the winners, all inclusive! See more details here.

– The Hopkins Park promoters are also awarding a prize for top men and women Cat 3’s in the Cat 1/2/3 races:

– M123: Top Cat 3 that also raced the regular Cat 3 race gets a $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.
– W123: Top Cat 3 gets $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.

– If that wasn’t enough payout for the Cat 1/2/3 and Women 1/2/3 races will be doubled. See the CCC standard payout schedule before increases here.

– We look forward to seeing our Women Cat 4 (Kim Brokhof – Spidermonkeys), Junior 15-18 (Mitch Bogardus – Williamson Bikes), Junior 10-14 (Max Hall – Verdigris-Village CX) series leaders in their new Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys. Note, our Cat 4A leader from Jackson Park (David Bowers) has already upgraded to the Cat 3’s so no one will be wearing the leader’s jersey in the Cat 4A’s at the start. Who will grab the bacon this weekend? You’ll have to be in Dekalb on Sunday to find out.

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

– The World Famous Half Acre Cycling Bake Sale is going on in the morning, and HAC will be grilling food (both meat and veggie) for purchase in the afternoon.

– The Spidermonkeys will be in Dekalb not only cheering and heckling but will also have the 2011 CCC t-shirts and Mad Alchemy Pome d’Émbre for distribution. If you ordered either item on line you can pick it up on Sunday. Sorry but we cannot sell CCC merchandise on site… so don’t even bother asking… although you’re welcome to swing by to look at the shirts and smell the embro.

– The transition out of the flyover will be “softened up” for those who might hesitate. Promoter Chris Jensen reminds us all however that none of the 12-15yr girls hesitated last year. So man up!

– NCC, HAC, and R<3 want to very clearly note that bullying riders in mixed fields on course to get out of the way will not be tolerated. We have lots and lots of guys and gals coming out to race this year and each rider has a right to be on course while having a safe and enjoyable race. In CX racing it is up to the rider who is passing to communicate and pass SAFELY, even if it means moving off the racing line. The rider being passed does NOT hold the onus of moving out of the racing line, especially at the cost of their own positioning/split in the race. Note USAC rule 1Q6:

1Q6. Abuse.
(a) No rider or licensee may be disrespectful toward organizers, officials, riders or spectators [warning for minor offense; possible relegation of rider; and/or up to a $50 fine]. (b) No rider or licensee may use foul or abusive language or conduct during a race event [disqualification and 15 days suspension].

– Start Grid: NCC/HAC/RpbL will have 10 lanes in the staging area, long enough to handle 100 riders (10×10). Everyone needs to line up inside a lane and NO overlapping other riders.

– Callups: As with all other CCC races the top 10 riders in the overall standings get call ups.

– Course Opening: N/H/R will be opening the course for riding at 7:30am. Please no riding the course before that time.

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

– The great thing about CX and especially here in the CCC is that we have rivalries between our closest competitors. We can’t all be at the front winning, but we can certain try and beat those 2 or 3 guys or gals near us. Our friends at CrossResults.com have picked up on this and have introduced their Cross Clash. Check it out and challenge your friends or mortal enemies to a season long competition. There’s even prizes!

– Congrats to everyone who raced at the USGP of CX in Sun Prairie this past weekend. We saw some great results by CCC regulars and as we said back in August… its going to be a fast season. We also saw the pro races broadcast courtesy of CyclingDirt and VeloNews… so thanks for showing the rest of the country how to properly heckle and disseminate hand-ups.

– Next up the CCC heads to Dekalb, IL for Hopkins Park. The Cat 4A’s AND 4B’s are already full again (we’ll run wait-lists on race day)… but there is still room in all other categories. Look for the course preview on Thursday morning. UPDATE: Promoter Chris Jensen writes in to tell us the payout for the Cat 1/2/3 and Women 1/2/3 races will be doubled. More info on Thursday.

– Did your CX bike get dirty again at the USGP?  2011 CCC Series Title Sponsor Iron Cycles will be running their super duper cleaning special until the weather runs dry.

$45 CX-specific clean includes:
– Chain and cassette removed and cleaned (customer may need a new quick link depending on chain, slight upcharge)
– Bottom bracket and headset bearings cleaned whenever possible (sealed bottom brackets are limited somewhat)
– Clean/true wheels
– Clean frame
– 48-hour turnaround time or less

– Concerning team names, the CCC matches names, team names, etc on your USAC annual license. Please make sure your USAC license number is up to date in your BikeReg.com rider profile… and your team information is correct in the USAC database.

– For all the Juniors (and their parents) and Masters out there… your CX racing age is your age as of 12/31/2012 (the year of CX Worlds Championships). We can switch you to the correct category, but its much easier if you pre-reg for the correct category in the first place.

– If you enjoyed the live video coverage of the USGP in Sun Prairie over the weekend the CCC would like to do something similar. We have some ideas on how to do it but we need some help. If you’d like to help and have the CCC broadcast on the Interwebs please contact us.

– CCC merchandise is for sale on the store page. We have very limited quantities of all items and when they’re sold out… they’re sold out. The t-shirts will be available this weekend at Hopkins Park (and all subsequent races). Please see the Spidermonkeys for your shirt. Shirts will NOT be for sale at the race… you must pre-order here on the CCC site. If you’ve pre-ordered embro we’ll have it for you next weekend at Dan Ryan Woods. Socks will arrive in time for ABD Sunrise Park.

– Project 5 Racing and Chicago Winter Bike Swap invite all women racers and cycling enthusiasts to join them on October 8 for their 4th Annual Ladies Kit Up ‘n Chat Ride. See the flyer here. The ride will rollout at 9:00 am from Twin Lakes Park in Westmont (150 W. 59th St, a couple blocks west of Cass Ave on the north side of 59th St) and will ride 30 miles of trails and suburban roads at a conversational pace before returning to the park for some more chatting and a picnic. Project 5 Racing looks forward to seeing the powerful sight of so many women in a dual pace line rolling down the road! To help with the food count, please RSVP either via email to [email protected] or call 708-772-2087.

– Paul Swinand has CX practice for Juniors. Find more info on FB here.

– Its not quite cyclocross, but our friends at Burnham Racing are hosting their annual Apple Cider Donut World Championship Demilitarized Ride on Saturday October 22nd. Everyone loves a donut right? Please RSVP on their fb page here.

– In case you have been living under a muddy rock for the last few month, the CCC is hosting a UCI level race this year. We need some help with course set-up, crossing marshals, pro-rider translators, snow shovelers, etc, etc, etc. If you’d like to help out or better yet be our volunteer coordinator, please contact us. We will be forever grateful and will certainly make the weekend worth your while with race discounts.

– And finally… we’re experiencing record racer numbers again this year and that’s a lot of bodies to pass through registration. To help our promoters, reg desk volunteers, and officials deal with the volume we absolutely need to close registration for each race 30 minutes prior to its start time. We try not to ask much of all of you (besides racing hard, having a good time, and the occasional bacon hand-up) but if you pre-reg’d you must have your bib # in hand 30 minutes prior to each race so we can remove all no shows (DNS) and enter in any waitlisted riders. If you know you’re not going to make it to your race, please let us or the promoter know so the reg desk volunteers can get ahead of the ball. Thanks!

Photo: Bill Draper

– Well you’ve asked for it for years and this past weekend you finally got some real CX weather worthy of those long sleeve skinsuits. Thankfully it wasn’t too cold, but the rains came and went and came again… and then it rained some more. Even through all of muckity muck over 680 of you toed the line to start the CCC series. The CCC has never concentrated specifically on increasing CCC rider counts, but even we were amazed by how many of you came out to race, heckle, and have fun… especially in the rain.

– Thanks again to xXx Racing for hosting such a great event and specifically race promoters Brian Parker and Blayne Greiner and their right hand man and CX Relay promoter Alan Treuthart. Hosting such a big race is tough enough much less in the soaking rain, and all of xXx pulled together to make the first stop of the CCC a great success.

– Some of you loved her, most of you not so much… but we ‘d like to say a very special thank you to Victoria Seliger for helping us pick numbers for the top 10 call ups all day long in the rain.

– Next up in two weeks is CCC stop #2 Hopkins Park in beautiful Dekalb, IL. All categories are still open, but the Cat 4A’s and B’s are starting to fill up. See below for more exciting details about this year’s race that just can’t wait until next Thursday’s course preview.

– Is your CX bike durty after Jackson Park? Of course it is. Thankfully 2011 CCC Series Title Sponsor Iron Cycles comes to the rescue with a super duper cleaning special.

$45 CX-specific clean includes:
– Chain and cassette removed and cleaned (customer may need a new quick link depending on chain, slight upcharge)
– Bottom bracket and headset bearings cleaned whenever possible (sealed bottom brackets are limited somewhat)
– Clean/true wheels
– Clean frame
– 48-hour turnaround time or less

This is essentially Iron Cycles’ “Paceline” tuneup for 40% off with added removal of the chain and cassette for cleaning purposes. Rider must have raced a CCC race in the last week. Iron Cycles will take your bike in on Monday or Tuesday and get it primed for the next weekend’s racing, or your favorite CX practice on Wednesday.

– Speaking of series sponsors extending discounts to CCC racers. MNO Sport Chiropractic is offering a $50 account credit to any/all CCC riders who schedule and bring in their race number.  The account credit can be used toward chiropractic services regardless if the patient has insurance or not.  The credit is only redeemable once regardless of how many races you participate in. MNO is also offering a one-time $10 discount towards an hour massage for CCC racers and staff.  Mention this deal when calling to schedule your appointment.

– The next race in the CCC series is Hopkins Park  hosted by North Central Cyclery, Half Acre Cycling, and Robots Powered by Love. In addition to the full CCC schedule of races Hopkins Park will again be the venue for the OUILSSSCXC immediately after the Cat 4B race. This race is NOT USAC sanctioned but will be loads of fun. See details here. As an added bonus the men’s and women’s SS winners earn a complimentary entry into the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship weekend being held November 18-20 in San Francisco, CA. In addition to their entry, the OUILSSSCXC organizers are providing round-trip airfare to the winners, all inclusive! See more details here.

– The trio of Hopkins Park promoters are also upping the ante with payouts in a fun way. The prize for top men and women Cat 3’s in the Cat 1/2/3 races will sort out like this:

– M123: Top Cat 3 that also raced the regular Cat 3 race gets a $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.
– W123: Top Cat 3 gets $250 gift certificate courtesy Johnny Sprockets.

– Speaking of race announcements, late last week we received an email from our friends up North extending a welcome to this weekend’s USGP in Madison, WI. Apparently word of the CCC’s brand of fun is spreading far and wide. From the USGP Planet Bike Cup Regional Director Renee Callaway:

The USGP’s Planet Bike Cup would like to invite all the Chicago Cross Cup racers and fans to cross over the Cheddar Curtain and head to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to race, spectate, heckle and generally bring your brand of merriment to the event.  The USGP brings together many of the world’s top racers with US riders like Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, Georgia Gould, Kaitie Antonneau, and Jonathan Page racing against Europeans like Bart Wellens, Christian Huele and Caroline Mani.  Watching the best in the world duke it out here in the Midwest is a great way to get the season going as is racing on the same course as the pros!  The USGP Race Directors know Chicagoland racers bring their own style of fun to cyclocross and we think nothing could make the weekend better than having Wisconsin, Chicago, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota all together in Sun Priaire showing the rest of the country that the upper Midwest isn’t flyover country.  Instead this is where you’ll find great cycloross scenes with their own fun loving style of cross racing.  Bring your buses, your spam, pancake and bacon hand-ups and make this a USGP everyone will remember.  For more info check out http://www.usgpcyclocross.com/races/planet-bike-cup.html or www.madcross.org.

– Also up North… My Wife, Inc. and Crank Daddy’s Bicycle Works in Milwaukee are promoting the WCA Cyclocross Series kick-off race – Cross the Domes the day before Hopkins Park. MWI is again offering IL riders an $8.00 discount off of reg fees when they pre-reg. Use discount code “ITR” for: Illinois Toll Rebate.

– And finally… after this crazy past weekend we figured we could have told you about people falling off their bikes… or just leaving them behind… or movies about bikes… or how excited we were to see Flannel Mike back in action… or all the hand-ups we didn’t see… or how ecstatic we were to see 5 rows deep of Women Cat 4’s… and the same number of juniors… or record numbers of Cat 1/2/3 women… and Cat 3’s… and Masters… or that The Hemme revealed his newest Blue Steel.

But unless you were on the start line of the Cat 4 Women you probably didn’t hear that Vanessa Buccella (Iron Cycles) won the 2011 series T-Shirt design contest and Katie Mann (Tati) designed the series socks. Congratulations to both ladies! It now up to the rest of your to cheer heckle these ladies and all of their fellow Cat 4 women competitors as they race throughout the season. Both shirts and socks are currently on pre-sale on our Store Page. Shirts will be available at Hopkins Park and socks will be available at ABD Sunrise Park. Shirts will only be on pre-sale through next week and when they are sold out… they’re sold out. So if you want a shirt you need to order it now!

– You high fived and raced at the CX Relay (also hosted by xXx Racing)… you road tripped and raced at Patriot CX… now its time for the big leagues. This Sunday starts off the 8th season of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, once again in Jackson Park and hosted by xXx Racing.

– Remember the parking lot at Jackson Park is metered, but only costs about $9-10 for all day. We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. If the lot right next to the course fills up, there is parking to the west of the course on Hayes Drive.  However, the lot south of Hayes Drive south of the main parking lot is off limits.

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

– The CCC is trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. But how will you remember to bring pins each week? We suggest visiting one of your favorite local bike shops and purchasing a patch kit… we like the Genuine Innovations large patch kit in the green plastic boxes. Whether you use the patches is up to you, but we like to put a handful of safety pins in the plastic container and always keep it in our race bag. Mother earth thanks you!

– Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com (say it with us… Bik Rej… like REGistration) closes tonight at midnight. Entry fees increase $5 on race day. Huge thanks to the 567 of you (most # of CCC pre-reg’s ever) that have already pre-reg’d. If you show up early in the morning, please let the 40+ racers pick up their bib numbers first since they start promptly at 8:45am. Also thanks to the 14 of your that donated to WBR when registering. If you’d like to donate your race winnings to our WBR drive, please see us after your race.

– Series sponsor CarboRocket will be out on Sunday with big coolers of CarboRocket mix and coffee (in the morning). Swing by and fill up your bottle, mug, or canteen. Temps are forecast to be in the upper 60’s with an 70% chance of awesome, but we all need to stay hydrated.

– This year we are running 100 rider field limits in all categories. In combined fields (Women 1/2/3 & Masters 50+/60+ and Women 4 & Juniors) that means only 100 riders are allowed on course at one time. We don’t anticipate hitting 100 riders in these fields, but if we do please understand there are USAC rules we must follow. Both Cat 4 fields are filled and the Cat 3’s and 30+ are in the 80’s. So if you want a spot in a non Cat 4 field please pre-reg now!

– Concerning waitlists… we’ll start waitlists for each filled category (Cat 4A & Cat 4B) when registration opens at 7:45am. First come first served. 20 minutes before each race is scheduled to start (yes, even if we’re running a little behind we will still close reg at the scheduled time)(we will be running on time though) we’ll close out the race and reassign bib numbers to those on the waiting list. If you are pre-reg’d and show up after this time your bib will already have been reassigned and you will NOT be allowed to race. Period. If you are racing more than once and would like to give your number up to someone else so they have a chance to enjoy the thrill of heckles and whatever else goes on, thank you, and we certainly can accommodate that. Just make your way to registration as soon as possible and the reg staff will switch you in start list (just don’t give your number to the other guy/gal).

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

– Concerning call-ups… we will again randomly pull numbers out of a hat for the first 10 call ups and then after that you will be lined up like any other CCC race, 10 wide in the starting grid. We’ll have a nicely painted starting grid for you and both we and the officials will be making sure all fields are only 10 wide… so please do the right thing. However, if you want to be on the 2nd row, you’ll have to get there yourself. Last year’s placings have nothing to do with it. That being said, please do not fight over starting positions… after all this is just bike racing, its a long season, and karma can be a b!@tch.

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

– If you decided not to finish the race on your own volition, please let a USAC official know so you can be marked as DNF. This makes scoring the entire race a lot easier.

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

– We are also awarding Series Leader Jerseys by Pactimo to the Women 4’s, 15-18 and 10-14 Juniors, as well as the Cat 4A’s. Determining the series leader after the first race is easy and we’ll present the jersey on the podium. So if you won, please be present.

– The CCC will of course be on Twitter all day… so feel free to follow us for up-to-the-minute updates. We may even have a LIVE surprise.

– The CCC is supported by many, many, many generous series sponsors (29 in all so far!), many of whom will personally be attending and racing at Jackson Park. If you see one, please make sure to stop and say thank you for their continued support. Our little series would NOT be possible without them.

– The Mad Alchemy Pome d’Embre CCC custom embro is here and we’ll have all pre-orders available for pick up on Sunday. T-shirts and Socks will be available soon but you can pre-order both on the store page.

– Below is the tentative 2011 Jackson Park course brought to you by the twisted minds of xXx Racing and the Bonebell.com. Please remember the map below is only an approximation as we may need to make adjustments on race day. The course runs clockwise. The wheel/bike pit is dual sided and currently near the finish line but may be moved to be more in the middle of the entire course. Please see you friendly USAC officials (and say thank you) for the actual location on Sunday.

– And finally… thanks to everyone for coming out and racing the Chicago Cyclocross Cup… again! 2009 was a banner year… 2010 was enormous and great… so we’re not even going to guess what 2011 will bring. If the pre-reg numbers are any indication 2011 is going to be even more gihugimouser than 2010. So let’s race, cheer, heckle, and have a great time! See you Sunday!

– We are still accepting Series Sponsorships, but we have to send the tshirts to print, so any any further series sponsors will not show up on soft goods or flyers. We are however still working on sponsors for the New Years Resolution. Contact us if you’re interested.

– UVEX – Although CX season here in Chicagoland tends to be dry that, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect your eyes and melon. UVEX comes on board this year as a series sponsor to do both. UVEX, Protecting people.

 Higher Gear – Opened in 1993 Higher Gear has always reached out to both families and enthusiasts. They strive to make visiting Higher Gear an enjoyable experience. They don’t care what your cycling credentials are, they’re just interested in finding the right bike for you to meet your goals.

 Jewell Event Catering – ‘Cross racers are always hungry. A leader in Chicago Catering Jewell has proudly served top business leaders, royalty and every U.S. President for the last 30 years. No matter how small or large your event, know that it will be handled by the best. We wonder if Jewell ever served up a bacon wrapped Twizzler stuffed Twinkie to Bill Clinton.

 Micheal Heagney Professional Real Estate Services: Koenig & Stray – Got a house to sell… or looking for a nice one to purchase. Mike’s your guy (and a darn fast bike racer as well).

 Dan Wellisch: Hebalife Independent Distributor – Changing people’s lives by providing the best nutrition and weight-management products in the world.

– Now that we have all that out of the way (our series would not happen without all of our generous sponsors)… let’s get down to racing!

– Looks and sounds like everyone had a great time at Patriot CX. We hope the event grows over time and is a great addition to the Chicagoland cyclocross calendar.

– The Half Acre Cycling women’s and trans clinic sounds like it went well too. We can’t wait to see all of the ladies racing throughout the season.

– Jackson Park starts up the CCC series this coming Sunday in… you guessed it… Jackson Park, Chicago, IL. JP is one of the original CCC races (from way back in 2004), is hosted by xXx Racing, and is always a show. With >487 pre-reg’d riders, including sold out Cat 4A and 4B fields, not to mention one of the largest Cat 3 fields we’ve ever seen, this year looks to be no different. As always check back here on the CCC site Thursday morning for the usual course preview.

– Speaking of Jackson Park, West Town Bikes will be bringing several racers, and more than a few spectators/hecklers out for our first race. Aside from spreading the word of getting kids (and non-kids too) on bikes and looking for partnership opportunities, WTB will be accepting tax deductible donations on site. See cousin Mikey at the race for details.

 – The riders have spoken, and by the narrowest of margins we’ve ever seen the design to the left has won the 2011 CCC Series t-shirt design contest. We won’t reveal the winner’s name until the start line at Jackson Park… but if you want to know who it is you’ll need to be near the start line around 12:45pm when the designer will receive their call-up. The shirts are going to print as we write this, will be available for pre-order on the store page later this week, and should be ready at Hopkins Park in beautiful Dekalb, IL.

– Speaking of call-ups… if you were at the CX Relay Race way back in August (has it been that long?) at the start of the Cat 4 race xXx Racing announced a special prize. The winners of the Cat 4 relay race would receive call ups at the CCC Jackson Park race… but in the Cat 3 race. We are happy to announce that both of xXx Racing’s own Tracy Dangott and Chris MacFarland have accepted the “challenge” of upgrading to the Cat 3’s and will receive call ups at 11:45am in front of their 72 peers. Good luck guys!

– Embro & Tshirts & Socks… oh my! Pre-order all your CCC goodies (okay, except for the t-shirts) now on the Store Page. You’ll need a PayPal account or have a friend who does. The Pome d’Émbre is here and orders received before Saturday will be at each Sunday race. We have to work out colors, cotton blend, pricing, etc… so the shirts will be ready by Dan Ryan Woods and distributed by the Spidermonkeys. The socks are being stitched up right now and will be ready by ABD Sunrise Park. All items will be available for pick up at CCC races. We will ship by mail, but postage is extra and on you, and please contact us directly if you live in Illinois and need your goods delivered by mail.

– Not CX but cycling related, the League of Illinois Bicyclists needs our help to reach the required 1,500 reservations to make the IL “Share the Road” license plates a reality. See their reservation page here.

– For all you metal heads out there… Dream Theater‘s new album comes out today. Good stuff. That’s all.

– Interbike and Cross Vegas are both this week and many of the members of the CCC community will be in Nevada taking it all in. Please ‘cross responsibly and we’ll see you all on Sunday.

– And finally… just in case you juniors our there aren’t excited about the series leader jerseys (to be revealed on Sunday), the Spidermonkeys have whipped up some fantastic looking medals as well and will be distributing Goose Island soda to the podium.

– The last few series sponsors are coming. If you’d like to be a 2011 series sponsor (or at least have your logo on the t-shirts) we need to know this week.

 
 – MNO Chiropractic joins the CCC sponsorship family after doing a few races and grabbing a few hand ups in the Cat 4’s. Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician Alan Stoughton with his partners offer the best in diagnosis and natural treatment of sports injuries in Kane and McHenry Counties. Life is a sport, stay in the game with MNO!

– Online pre-reg for all 2011 CCC races are now live on BikeReg.com except for the as-yet-to-be-rename/relocated Northbrook race. We have good word from promoter Chris Henning that a location is just about locked in and we’ll let you know as soon as more details and pre-reg are available.

– Speaking of pre-reg, our friends to the West in Iowa have opened reg for Jingle Cross and our friends to the North have opened reg for Badger CX.

– Also in “other CX races in the area” Patriot CX promoter Karl C has an incentive for all of you on the fence about visiting Rantoul this weekend in the form of a “Bring a friend special“… sign up for Patriot CX on Bikereg.com and bring a friend… they race for $5. Email Karl your name and friend’s name and racing category. Pay the $5 at the race. Emil Karl at [email protected].

– In still other pre-reg news, registration closes at 11am on Friday for Half Acre’s Womens’ & Trans Cyclocross Clinic. The beginner session is filled but there is still room in the Intermediate/Advanced session. The CCC will likely stop by to say hi and we hope as many ladies as possible show up to sharpen their CX skills with American U23 CX champion Kaitlin Antonneau and French national CX champion Caroline Mani.

– Speaking of ladies, our buds at Thought You Knew (TyK) are working on their 2012 pin-up calendar and are on Kickstarter.com (with a kick arse video) to help fund their venture. Donate a few dollars (they’re half way already) and get yourself a calendar. Several CCC riders are again involved with the project. If you’ll be at Interbike next week TyK will be taking part in the Chrome/Momentum Fashion Show.

– A few of you have asked about when the CCC’s signature Mad Alchemy Embrocation blend… Pome d’Embre will be ready. We are happy to report (and if you’re on twitter you already know) that the stuff is done and en route to the midwest… and as soon as we figure out how to configure our PayPal account we’ll open up sales on the store page here.

– Speaking of CCC paraphernalia… don’t forget to vote for your favorite 2011 CCC Series T-shirt design. Voting ends this weekend and we are working with Spidermonkey Cycling and Think B!G Creations to have the shirts ready in time for distribution at Jackson Park. Like the embro we’ll open online sales soon on the store page here.

– Speaking of Jackson Park… there are less than 15 pre-reg spots still open in the Cat 4A race. All other categories are wide open… but please pre-reg to save us all time and hassle.

– In other CCC races news, a few updates from Psycho CX promoter Ted S for both the CCC series race on Saturday and his Friday night race. See the Psycho CX website here.  Ted also encourages all racers on Friday night to bring their own lighting system(s). In other news, Ted also plans to host a nighttime Time Trial next summer and a bikini pageant for the ladies this coming February at CX World Championships in Koksijde, Belgium.

– And finally… they won’t be ready until mid season… but the 2011 series SockGuy socks will be black wool with a 9″ cuff and look approximately like the image below. Online sales for <120 pairs will be on the store page here… but when they’re gone… they’re gone.

– At the beginning of the summer we were worried we might only have a few sponsors this season due to the weak economy. Not only have nearly all 2010 sponsors returned but we’ve added a few new members to the CCC family as well. Please see our series sponsorship proposal here or if you’d like to be a part of the big show, see our New Year’s Resolution proposal here.

 – Rob Curtis, founder & owner of CCC series sponsor Psimet Wheels was interviewed in CX Magazine. He discussed wheels, CX, racing, and how during his first ever CX race he “… wasn’t even a full lap in before I found myself feeling like a kid who just found out that girls smell nice.” We wonder what flavor of embro Rob was thinking of? In any event, big thanks to Rob and Psimet for supporting pedal bike racing in IL and giving the CCC a nice shout out.

 – The biggest name in bikes (get it?) Giant puts it name in the ring for the 2011 season. RIDE LIFE. RIDE GIANT.

  – Back again after spending a summer on the road ripping rider’s legs off at will, Enzo’s Buttonhole Chamois Cream returns to please everyone’s hinter regions. Look for Enzo and his Psimet masters crew to tear up the old guy fields this year as they prepare for CX Masters Worlds in Louisville in January.

 – New to sponsoring the CCC but no stranger at all to a hops fueled 5 o’clock Happy Hour, Smart Bike Parts officially joins the CCC sponsorship family.

– A few more races (Hopkins Park, Dan Ryan Woods, & Carpentersville) are now open for online pre-reg on BikeReg.com.

– Half Acre Cycling hosts their Ladies Cross Skills Clinic on Saturday 9/10/11 in Humboldt Park. In addition to Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld.com’s Kaitie Antonneau, French CX National Champ Caroline Mani will help lead the clinic. Reg is open on BikeReg here.

– We know many of you have been diligently practicing dis/remounts, riding endless circles in the grass, shining your shiny steads, and working on your heckling… so get ready for the first real CX race of the season. xXx Racing unofficially opens the CX season here in Chicago with their Cyclocross Relay Race in Jackson Park (just South of the city). The CoEd Open main event has filled up but there are still plenty of spots in other categories. We’ll have a full course preview at the regular time and place on Thursday morning, but make sure to read through xXx Racing’s official flyer for a few specifics about this unique race.

– Speaking of course previews… NCC, HAC, and Robots <3 checked in this week to tell us that at CCC #2 Hopkins Park in Dekalb they will once again have the NCC/HAC flyover with some improvements to help those that are not confident with the descent. Anyone that wants to come out Saturday night is welcome to join the setup crew in having a beer and riding a mechanical bull Saturday night.

In addition, NCC/HAC will again host the Official Unofficial Illinois State Single Speed Cyclocross Championship, which will go off AFTER the 4B race at 4:15pm. It will feature a 30-minute race on a shortened course with some *interesting* features. Note this is NOT a USAC-sanctioned race. Allowed bicycles must have at least two wheels, at least one rider, and no more than one usable gear. Registration is on-site only and $15… The “race” is open class, men and women of any age are eligible.

– And finally… this is absolutely the last call for 2011 Series t-shirt and sock designs. Remember the winner of each design gets a shirt/pair of socks with their winning design, free entry into one race of their choice, a much sought after call up, and most importantly… adoring admiration (read: heckles) from the entire CCC populous. We’ve received a handful of entries but will continue to accept designs until Midnight this coming Sunday (8/28/11).