Now that we have your attention…

Our friends over at TheBoneBell.com let us know about a great little fundraiser event this coming Monday evening for a fellow dirt baggin’ cyclist, Audrey Thibeau, from Half Acre Cycling.

Fundraiser for a Dirtbag
The Beer Bistro, Monday February 15th from 5:30PM-7:30PM
Helping Out a Teammate

While Audrey never raced CX (mountain biking is the next best thing), we’re pretty sure beer, Twizzlers, and bacon are right up her alley.
Check out more details here and here and we’ll see you Monday evening at the Beer Bistro.

All CCC’ers are hereby on notice… get ready for CX Worlds in the good ole’ USA in 2013 and Masters Worlds in 2012 and 2013!

USAC
VeloNews

CX season isn’t quite over yet!

Flatlandia presents:
2010 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships
Lively, delayed coverage starting at 3:00 pm at:

The Globe Pub
1934 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL  60613
Extensive beer list*

Post race entertainment:
Mud wrestling between Barry Wicks and Ben Popper**

*Confirmed by several beer snobs/enthusiasts.
**Unconfirmed as of this post.

Just a few updates for your post-humpday, snowy morning internets reading.

– Did we mention anything about the CCC awards banquet this Sunday at EJ’s Place? Tickets are on sale through midnight tonight, but we’ll still be letting people in at the door. However, please help us out and pre-purchase your tickets… look at all of the great people who already did!

– Schwag continues to come in for door prizes. New additions include Craft apparel, Look mtb CX pedeals, CX DVDs, saddles, tyres, cable sets, CX apparel, and more. Let’s put it this way… everyone will probably want to bring a shopping bag… and if you’re a woman and placed within the top five of either the 1/2/3’s or the 4’s… you’re pretty much guaranteed some sort of prize.

– We’ve seen some screen shots of the ChiCrossPhoto coffee table books and they’re coming together nicely. Our local CX paparazzi will be taking orders at the banquet and may have some page samples too.

– For those closet roadies out there the organizers of the Glencoe Grand Prix put together a nice picture book as well. Check it out and order yours on blurb.

– Here in the states CX season is pretty much done, but there are a few races still to be had. Team Mack hosts the Tour de Groundhog near St. Louis Springfield on February 21st. Across the pond however the Euros are still going strong. Local Flemish/Dutch interpreter Ted Berger points us to www.Sproza.be and NathanSpear.com to watch all the action. In a nutshell, “Laatste roonde… are last lap videos. Verslag… are video summaries of the race.”

– And finally… due to several requests, at this Sunday’s party we’ll be making call-ups to the buffet line… categories and call-up order TBD…

Since nearly all of us are hunkered down and inside watching the Internets due to the less than friendly cycling temperatures outside, here are a few weekend updates to get your new year started right!

– We at the CCC hope you all had a great holiday season and can’t wait to see you all at the annual awards banquet. The banquet will be held on Sunday January 10th from noon until 4pm at EJ’s place in Skokie. Please make sure to pre-purchase you tickets on BikeReg.com as this will help us make sure there is enough food and seats to go around.

– We’re still finalizing the schwag list, but as of right now we have the following items to hand out as awards and door prizes: CX Magazine subscriptions, Troy Lee Designs gear, Gore RideOn Cables, UberTunes from MOX Multisport, Trek apparel, Fizik Bar Tape, Courage Bicycles Apparel, CyclocrossWorld.com gift certificates, Craft apparel, Challenge Grifo tubular tyres, Mad Alchemy Embrocation, Sheila Moon apparel, Deuter hydration bags, Kenda tires, a SRAM Force grouppo, Blue NorCross framesets, and more. And as always… every series winner receives a custom Chicago Cyclocross Cup series cowbell so you can do more of this.

– We’ll also have the IL State CX Champion jerseys at the banquet. If you’ll be unable to attend please let us know and we’ll get your jersey out to you.

– Don’t forget to pre-order your copy of the 2009 CCC coffee table book to avoid shipping costs. All proceeds go to WBR. While they won’t be ready in time for the banquet we think its safe to say everyone is eagerly waiting to see what these books will look like.

– Need more CX sooner rather than later? Team Mack will be hosting their 23rd annual Tour de Groundhog on Sunday February 21st near St. Louis. This is a great event with a long history and all proceeds go to charity. Find a carpool ride on CBR.

– It might not be CX, but two cross heavy local Chicago shops are playing bikes insides. Check out Johnny Sprockets Gold Sprints on Thursdays and Iron Cycles Iron Training Center Grand Opening this Saturday.

– Snow may be on the ground here in Chicago, but that doesn’t mean lots of CCC’ers aren’t still riding offroad. Check out our friends over at TheBoneBell.com for updates on all the local dirtbagging action. And if you can’t wait to get back on the road (to of-course work on your fitness for the 2010 CCC), IllinoisCycling.org and ChicagoBikeRacing.com are your go-to sources.

– We still have a few CCC t-shirts that were ordered by not picked up. If you bought a t-shirt online and didn’t get it, please email us at [email protected] to arrange a hand-up. We’ll have the shirts at the banquet too and you can pick them up there. Please don’t make us store these shirts until next season.

– We also still have a bunch of clothing and gear that a few of you left at races over the season. If you’re missing a thermal jacket, jersey, gloves, sunglasses, etc we probably have them. Please contact us at [email protected] to arrange a time/place for us to return your stuff. All left overs will be brought to the banquet on the 10th and anything left over after that will be donated to the Salvation Army.

– Want to get rid of some 2009 gear or pickup some new/used gear on the cheap. Two bike swaps are happening soon. The Chicago Winter Bike Swap will be held at Harper College on Saturday January 16th, and for those a little further North, Brazen Dropouts will hold their swap in Madison, WI on Saturday January 9th.

– And finally… the CCC is looking for a little help in 2010. If you’d like to be part of the team in anyway (website, organization, announcing, etc) please email us at [email protected] to get involved!

We have a pretty good idea… http://chicrossphoto.com/

As promised 3 local photographers (Liz Farina Markel, Luke Seemann, & Chip Williams) have put together a fantastic coffee table book to celebrate the 2009 CCC.

The books will measure 10 x 8 inches with 120 full-color pages.  All profits from the project will go directly to World Bicycle Relief. Pre-order by 1/15/10 to skip the shipping charges!  After that, books will be available only through the Blurb print-on-demand service with a $7 shipping charge.

As noted on the site, pre-ordered books will NOT be shipped to you. Instead, The Pony Shop in Evanston has generously offered to hold the books for us. You can pick your book(s) up at the shop, and while you’re at it maybe strike up a conversation with a cross-crazy shop owner (and not a bad racer himself). Pre-ordered books will be available for pick-up at The Pony Shop by early February (we’ll post an update when they arrive). If you’d prefer not to or can’t travel all the way up to Evanston, wait for the books to be available directly through Blurb.

Happy Holiays!

Since we’re nearly at the end of the US CX season we’ll be updating the site a little less often. However, check back often or add the CCC to your favorite RSS reader since we’ll still be sending out updates every so often. Thanks again for a great 2009 season and Happy Holidays!!

– A few local CCC’ers traveled west for a chilly CX Nationals in Bend, OR. Congratulations to Holly, Scott, Ben, Mike, Steel, Kevin, and Bob for a great showing! Did we miss anyone? Full results are here. Congrats to Julie too. UPDATE: Amy Dykema was also out in Bend taking lots of great pix.

– A huge congratulations to SuperGirl for being named this year’s recipient of the 2009 OISCACA.

– A further congratulations to the winners of this year’s Yojimbo’s Fuji Frame Raffles… yes, those free raffles pay off in the end.
Juniors = Luke Arrigoni
Women = Brittany Barran-Stanley
Mens = Matt Bennett

– Please pre-purchase your tickets to the CCC Awards Banquet on BikeReg here. This will help us and EJ’s better plan for the event. Please remember that each “registration” is for one person… so if you’re bringing your significant other or kids you need to “sign up” more than once. Sorry, no dog or cats allowed. We’ll have more info about the event after the holidays, but we’ll generally follow the same format as last year; Overall series awards, Door prizes, Buffet dinner, Cash bar, and lots of socializing in a warm, cozy restaurant.

– Thanks again to everyone who made a donation this year to World Bicycle Relief. Through your direct donations and t-shirt purchases the CCC will be able to donate $3,400 to WBR! With WBR’s 1 for 1 matching of donations through January 31st that means you, the riders of the CCC, have contributed $6,800 to a great and noble cause. That’s enough for over 50 bikes!

– We still have a few T-shirts to get to their rightful owners. Please email us at [email protected] to arrange a hand-up (in either Wicker Park or the Loop).

– Word on the street is that 3 great local photographers are indeed assembling a 2009 CCC coffee table book. We’re sworn to secrecy, but let’s just say we may have seen a sample and if we actually did see that sample then… well… you will NOT be disappointed. We’ll post details as soon as we’re allowed.

– Itching to get racing in 2010? We haven’t heard any details yet, but we’re hoping Team MACK holds their annual Tour de Groundhog CX race in February. Did I hear “Road Trip”? If you’re done with CX (hopefully just for a while), then look for details on the ICA site soon about Half Acre’s Kevin’s Crits and Burnham Racing’s Spring Super Crit.

– Don’t forget this Saturday evening is the unofficial 2009 CCC End of Year party at the Elbo Room featuring Newt Cole’s band Los Borrachos. In addition to the great music we’re told there will be 1$ beer specials and CCC hand downs from stage. We’ll see you there!

– Standard dollar bills and cupcakes are sooo last season. Someone needs to show those New Englanders how its done… oh wait, you all already did this year!

– And finally, if you’re looking to get a head start on gear for the 2010 season then check out this crazy sale.

– That’s right… give yourselves a big pat on the back. Following the last race of the year at Montrose we’ve been getting lots of emails and posts on the site about this person did this, and that person did that to make the season so great. Well, there would be no CCC at all without all of you who show up week in and week out to race, heckle, give handups, give postups, be awesome, do whatever this guy’s doing, crash, get back up again, and ride your bikes like there’s no tomorrow. If you look back at our very first post ever on this new site we said “The ChiCrossCup is all about you, the racers…” Well you all ran with that idea and transformed our little Sunday party into something truly special. So for that, we at the CCC THANK YOU!

– The 10th and final race of the CCC at Montrose was amazing. We figure there were probably 300 people watching and heckling the 4B’s at the end of the day… just crazy. Big thanks again to Turin for putting on another great race and for wrapping up the IL CX season in style.

– While we’re all winners at the end of the day… congratulations again to those riders who earned a few more points than everyone else in their respective CCC overall categories. We have something special for each of you at the CCC Awards Banquet on January 10th at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are on sale now here!

– Congratulations also to the IL State CX Champions.
Masters 40+ – Christando Lombardo (Verdigris Cycling)
Masters 30+ – Eric Sondag (The Pony Shop)
Masters 50+ – Wayne Simon (Verdigris Cycling)
Women 1/2/3 – Debbie Dust (Roscoe Village Bikes)
Men 3 – Ron Bridal (Bloomington Cycle & Fitness Racing Team)
Women 4 – Gina Champion (Team Mack)
Junior Boy – Brandon Feehery (South Chicago Wheelmen)
Junior Girl – Jessica Prinner (ABD Cycling Team)
Men 1/2/3 – Scott McLaughlin (SRAM FACTORY)
Men 4 – Jason Rassi (Proctor Cycling Team)

– In case you still want more CX before the holidays, CX Nationals are being held this coming weekend in Bend Oregon. We know at least a few CCC’ers are heading out west… so good luck to you (Holly, Scott, Ben, Mike, Steel, Kevin, and Bob) and anyone else we don’t know about!

– If you didn’t pick up a t-shirt you ordered or left anything else at the race (or any other race), please contact us at [email protected] to arrangement a handup (in the Loop or Wicker Park) . We have a very small random assortment of extra t-shirts left over. If you can fit into a Men’s XL (Blue) or Women’s M (Blue or Orange) we have a shirt for you. Main St. Bikes, MOX Multisport, The Pony Shop, and Tati Cycles have a small inventory of shirts on sale as well.

– And finally… would you like to be part of the team that makes the CCC happen in 2010? Please email us at [email protected] to get involved.

We leave you for now with a few pix from Montrose…

SuperGirl and Jacob

Photo: Amy Dykema

Flannel Mike

Photo:Liz Novak

The 3 stages of CX… Riding, Running, Falling

Photo: Arnold Klein

Pretty

Photo: Luke Seemann

Mmmm Bacon (see what West Coasters have to say here).

Photo: Luke Seemann

Betcha didn’t know a chicken could lay a dollar bill did ya?

Photo: Amy Dykema

This is it!!! The 10th and final CCC race of the year… and it just happens to also be the Illinois State CX Championships. Turin Bicycles of Evanston with promoters Chuck Judy and Chris Mailing at the helm are aiming to make the Montrose Harbor race the best yet. The race will certainly be one of the largest with 391 of you pre-reg’d.

• Please review our previous post about State Champion Rules. IL Technical Director David Fowkes confirms that if you purchase an annual license now (after December 1st) it is good for all of 2010.
• Our USAC officials have again asked when pinning your number to your jersey this weekend to position them as in the photos below. The officials are NOT on a platform or stage and can’t read your number if its high up on your back (or on the wrong side). So please help the officials out so they can score everyone correctly. Thanks!
  
• Both 4’s fields have filled up, but there are usually a bunch of riders who are no-shows. We’ll start a wait-list Sunday morning and get those riders in on a first come, first served basis.
• Turin has brought in sponsors EJ’s Place, Lake Cycling, and Craft to create an enhanced prize list here. For the Men 1/2/3, Masters 30+, and Masters 40+ categories the Illinois State Champion will win a $200 dining card to EJ’s Place. The first rider who is not the Illinois State Champion will win a pair of Lake cycling shoes. The IL State Champs in the Masters 50+ and Women 1/2/3 will also win a $200 dining card to EJ’s Place.
• Turin is still selling Jay Ryan designed race posters here.
• Turin is collecting non-perishable goods as part of a food drive to benefit the Chicago Food Depository. Drop items off at the store by Tuesday, December 10th or bring your canned goods to the race on Sunday, December 6th.
• K-Bars will again be a the race with samples of their delicious energy bars. They’re also helping out with the prize list.
• We’ve heard of some people shopping at Costco for hand-ups this weekend… and we’re guessing there will also be some sort of pork product. Just remember to keep it safe and do NOT interfere with any riders who are ole’ scrooges and don’t want to partake in the hand-up fun.
• The weather forecast is calling for slightly chillier temps than we’ve been racing in recently… so make sure to dress warmly!
• Speaking of clothes… we’ll have all of the pre-ordered CCC t-shirts at the race. Please pick your shirts up from the series director near the start/finish area after the Masters 30+ race. And don’t forget to heckle Joe Kallo for designing the shirt this year!
• Remember, anyone dressed up like Santa (beard required), Mrs. Claus (beard optional), or a Christmas tree (or Chanukkah bush) will get a special call up after the top 10 in the overall standings.
• We at the CCC would again like to request that everyone plan on making a day of Montrose… meaning we want to see all of the 40+, 30+, 50+ Masters AND all of the 4A’s and 4B’s… and the Men 1/2/3’s, Women 1/2/3’s, Men 3’s, Women 4’s and Juniors lining the course all day long. 2009 has been such a great CX season here in Chicago and we’d like to see everyone together for the entire day. Heck, maybe someone will take a group photo?
• If you missed it earlier this week, TheBoneBell.com posted a great interview with one of the CCC’s celebrities “Flannel Mike“.
• Below is a estimate of what the course should look like… but as always, the course is subject to change due to weather and ground conditions. Cricket Heckle Hill should provide some good spectating, but last year most people seemed to congregate in the sand just opposite the start/finish line. Either way… it should be a fun day! Due to the proximity to the city Turin has asked that we do NOT pre-ride the course before Sunday. There’s a security deposit involved and Turin would like to hold the race at Montrose again next year. Thanks.

• And finally… the 2009 CCC Awards Banquet will be held at EJ’s Place in Skokie on Sunday January 10th 2010 from noon to 4pm. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for Juniors in advance and on sale now on BikeReg here.

– By looking at the  photos coming back from Iowa it looks like a bunch of CCC regulars had a great showing at this year’s Jingle Cross. Congratulations to everyone who braved the cold and mud and bikinis to get in 3 more days of CX racing! Full results are here.

– The 2009 CCC Awards Banquet will be held at EJ’s Place in Skokie on Sunday January 10th 2010, most likely from noon to 4pm (so we can have the entire restaurant). We’ll have a tasty buffet along with a cash bar and door prizes… and of course the Individual and Team Series Awards presentations. Please save the date now. Tickets will be $30 for adults and $15 for Juniors in advance (on BikeReg). More details coming soon.

– This Sunday is our 10th and last race of the 2009 season at Montrose Harbor. Host Turin Cycles is pulling out all the stops including some fantastic extra prizes for this year’s race. Come back Friday morning to find out all the juicy details! Remember online pre-reg closes this Thursday night at midnight (don’t get stuck waiting in the cold).

– Our USAC officials have asked when pinning your number to your jersey at Montrose this weekend that you position them as in the photos below. Since the officials are NOT on a platform or stage they can’t read your number if its high up on your back (or on the wrong side). So please help the officials out so they can score everyone correctly. Thanks!

– The CCC and more specifically the 4B’s recently got some press in CX Magazine here. We thought the 4B’s were called “The Carnival”… but “The Circus” works just as well. Big thanks to Julie Popper for writing the article.

– The CCC has officially reached its goal of raising $1,000 through direct donations on BikeReg.com… but that’s no reason to stop giving! If you haven’t yet registered for Montrose, please donate a buck, or two, or twenty when singing up.

– We’ve closed down the t-shirt sales on BikeReg. If you ordered a shirt online we’ll have it for you at Montrose somewhere around the start/finish/registration area. Please pick up you shirt(s) at the race as we will NOT be shipping the shirts. If you can not (or forget to) pick up your shirt(s) please email us at [email protected] to work out a hand up in Wicker Park. If you didn’t order a shirt online and still want one, limited quantities will be available at The Pony Shop, MOX Multisport, Main Street Bicycles, and Tati Cycles.

– Speaking of Tati… you still have a few days left to take advantage of their Cyclocross Season Pass Promotion.

– As promised, Liz Farina Markel of Tipping Point Photo has updated her website to include info about purchasing digital files and prints from the 2009 CCC. Here’s a link to the page: http://www.tippingpointphoto.com/TippingPointPhoto/chicrosscup09.html. However, it’s not accessible via the rest of her website navigation, so you’ll have to bookmark this link. If you haven’t been following the comment sections Liz is also working with Luke Seemann and Chip Williams (both of whole we’re sure would be happy to sell you their photos as well) on a 2009 CCC coffee table book. Look for more details soon.

– While we’re all racing here in Chicago this weekend, a big GOOD LUCK to all of you heading out to Portland to swim in mud. We know of at least two guys heading out that way. Have fun and show all those west coasters what they’re missing here in the mid-west.

– Even though the “Official” end of the CCC season is this Sunday at Montrose, there’s no reason we all can’t still get together and have a good time. CCC Cat 3 stud Newt Cole’s band Los Borrachos are playing  Dec 19th at Elbo Room in Lincoln Park. Imagine… Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and AC/DC all in Mambos and Sambas in Spanish… good times indeed. We’ll consider this event, the “Unofficial” end of the CCC season for 2009 (at least until the Awards Dinner in January 2010). Newt is trying to work out discounts at the door for racers and love ones… and a drink deal (oh my!).

– And finally… those Dane’s really know how to light up a tree! We wonder if Joachim Parbo will help out?