• CX racing everywhere over weekend… IL, WI, PA, etc, etc, etc…
• CCC series racing kicks off this coming weekend at Caldwell Woods. More info on Thursday in the course preview, but in the meantime, please review the #CaldwellCX preview page… and while you’re at it, take another look at the CCC series rules. Remember you are NOT allowed to race outside your USAC CX category, and yes we check… everyone, so please don’t make us have to write that email.
• But before our local racing starts up, top riders from around the world (okay, really just the US and Europe) descend on Fabulous Las Vegas for Cross Vegas on Wednesday night, which is the first ever CX World Cup event to take place on US soil.
• Back closer to home, and in a few weeks… The Cuttin’ Crew is at it again and organizing a Junior Girls and Women’s Cat 3/4 CX clinic at the Trek CX Cup just outside Madison, WI on Friday 10/9/2015. Details are here and registration is free, but limited to 20 riders.
• One more series sponsor (re)joined the circle of trust this week. The CCC is happy to welcome back Nuun (pronounced Noon) the first company to separate electrolyte replacement from carbohydrates. Before Nuun, if you wanted electrolytes, the result was a bottle full of sugar. With Nuun’s simple, self-dissolving, sugar-free electrolyte tab, sports drinks are revolutionized forever.
• Tomorrow!!! Looks for Rob Kelley and Training Bible Coaching back with another season of Coach’s Corner.
• And finally… it seems we have to remind at least a few of people every year at this time the difference between heckling and just being a jerk. Let’s be clear… don’t be a jerk. If you need a refresher, see the CCC’s guidelines, Psimet’s post, or Ryan Kelly’s words of wisdom. Its totally cool if you and your friends call each other POS’s in private, but when you’re out in public, where young kids and people not familiar with CX are present, doing so makes you look obnoxious at best and the rest of us like fools at worst. We’re not saying don’t heckle. But when the best you can do is “You suck!” or some variant, do us all a favor and just don’t say anything at all. Instead, ring your cowbell haarder and come back next week when you have something more creative, funny, supportive, funny, crowd pleasing, or yes… actually funny to say. So in short, more cheer and less jeer. K? great… let’s have a lot of fun and race our faces off this season!

– Hi everyone, we hope you are doing well and keeping warm during this 2nd blast of the polar vortex. We know you are all a hearty bunch, but if you are outside, especially on your bicycle, be safe and keep warm. If you’re inside on your turbo getting ready for next season, then good on you!

– Congratulations to everyone who raced at USAC CX Nationals a few weeks back. We counted 2 podiums for Chicago area riders and many more great rides and finishes. What a great way to round out the domestic season!

– But the pros are still racing! This coming weekend is the CX World Championships in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands. Our national champions Katie Compton and Jeremy Powers as well as a large contingent of other great riders will be competing for the Arc en Ciel. Watch the action here on the UCI’s YouTube channel or better yet, wake up really early and head to Heritage Bicycles to watch with your CCC friends.

– There’s also a #Sportsball  championship this weekend.

– And finally… the CCC site is going into hibernation for a few months, but mtb & road season is either on the horizon or already in full swing depending on how you look at it. Good luck, be safe, and most importantly have fun out there. We’ll start posting updates about the 2014 CCC season here sometime in late May or early June.

– Early edition… please read this post before pre-registering for races on BikeReg.com.

– Most races open for reg today at 9am on BikeReg with the exception of Campton, Melas Park Basin’ Racin, Indian Lakes, & Montrose. Our race directors still have to cross a few t’s and dot a few i’s on their USAC permits. We hope to open reg for all of these events soon. Yes, of course we’ll let you know here and on the twits.

– Please update your BikeReg rider profile with, at the very least, your USAC license number. No, pending is not a valid license number. Even if you are racing on a One Day license and had an annual USAC license in the past, make sure that number is in your profile. If you forget what your license number is, go here, and type in your last name, then a comma, then your first initial. This helps us out more than you can imagine. Thanks!!!

– Regardless of what nickname, team name, etc you use in BikeReg we match your license number to the information in the USAC rider database, so the place to make sure your team name is correct is there. Get on it!

– USAC added a Men Category 5 to CX this season, so if you have a Y chromosome and are brand new to CX you’ll be racing Cat 5. Masters, Juniors, and Single Speed are all open category, meaning anyone from Cat 1 to Cat 5 can race in these fields.

– The downside to the new Cat 5 is that if you raced as a Cat 4 last year on One Day licenses you’ll likely need to have an annual license this year. Please make it easier on everyone and apply for your annual license here on USACycling.org.

– Other USAC category related info is over on our Series Rules and FAQs page and in the USAC rulebook.

– Remember we stage by CrossResults.com points at Jackson Park. For the love of all that is green and good on this earth, please search for yourself on on CrossResults.com and make sure all of your results are there.

– Reg is open for Patriot CX .

– Reg is also open for the Trek CXC Cup in Waterloo, WI on 9/21 and 9/22. This is the former USGP Madison race (but a new venue) and just happens to take place the weekend before the CCC series kicks off in Jackson Park. Head behind the Cheddar Curtain, watch some pros, maybe get on TV, and prep yourself for our local series. Staging is done by order of registration.

– And finally… What’s the one thing about the CCC you can’t live without? We want to know! Please leave your comments below…

– Thanks to everyone who braved the cold, the wind, the Saturday snow, and finally the (gasp!) Sunday sun this past weekend and came out to race, spectate, and heckle at the final Chicagoland CX races of the season at the New Year’s Resolution. We had a great time putting on the event and loved seeing all the locals battle on course with plenty of out-of-towners. We hope you all had fun too and felt it was a great way to end the local racing season. Many local racers maintained or improved their fitness from Afterglow with some great results. We had several locals hit the podium and grab kisses from our podium presenter Kelly Riordan… with a few taking the top step. Congratulations to you all!

– Speaking of putting on a race… the NYR would never happen without the tireless and dedicated work of our numerous volunteers. We are always amazed at how many people step up and help us out at the races and we are simply humbled at the fact that so many of you take time out of your day to lend us a hand. Course set up took longer than it should have because we had to pre-drill holes in the ground for nearly every stake lining the course (seriously, we were out there with hand drills), but our volunteers got it done. Its not a lot of fun to stand around for several hours in the cold at a course crossing or waiting for riders to finish so they can pee in a cup, but our volunteers got it done. Indian Lakes is notoriously windy and can tear a course (or pop-up tent(s)) to pieces, but our volunteers kept the course tape in perfect condition. And at the end of the day, when we’re all exhausted and just want to sit down and put our feet up, our volunteers tore the entire course down and we were closing the doors to the equipment trailer exactly 2 hours after the last UCI Men’s racer crossed the line (true story). Absolutely amazing! So again, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to our volunteers for helping to make the NYR happen again.

– Speaking of again… this was the second and last year of the CCCNYR. We always intended for the race to serve as a tuneup race for Nationals in Madison. So with Nationals moving away from the Midwest next year we doubt anyone will want to come to Chicago first and then to Boulder. It looks like these guys already have the ball rolling though, so let’s see what you’ve got Colorado! We’ll send a riders your way!

– Speaking of Nationals… racing action in the midwest continues this week at USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13. Based on the results we saw this past weekend at NYR the CCC will be well represented in nearly every category from Juniors to the really old guy Masters. Good luck to everyone!

– We know of a few people looking to share rooms and rides at Nationals so if you have any room at all please let us know and we will connect you. Thanks!

– After a 2 week break the US CX season heats up again with Cincinnati Kings and then ends at Masters World Championships and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 Louisville,KY. We know of several Masters riders heading down to these events and wish them luck as well. Then, we hang out with the Belgians and watch the best of the best of the best race for the rainbow stripes. Bring your heckles and we’ll see you in Louvul.

– And finally… Machinery Row Bicycles is having a party this Friday night before Nationals where you can rub elbows with a few pros. Check out the details here.

– And finally, finally… CX Magazine just put up a video showing news coverage of 1985 Nationals with a young Tom Stevens.

Full schedule and results at: http://chicrosscup.com/nyr.  Media inquiries can be directed to the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, contact Eric Goodwin, at [email protected] .

– The Chicago Cyclocross Cup New Year’s Resolution is back and will serve as a springboard for riders looking to put final touches on their preparations for the USA Cycling CX National Championships next weekend. Its going to be a lot colder this year, so we at the CCC encourage everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells and cameras, and spend the weekend at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR). Plenty to discuss below so please pay attention…

– Tech Guide: Pretty much everything you need to know is here. We didn’t write this thing for ourselves, so please review it. More info is also on our NYR page here.

– Registration: Online pre-reg closes tonight at midnight. For the locals or if you raced with us last year, we’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 40+ & 50+ racers to reg first since they have to get ready and race first thing in the morning. If you’re coming to race in Chicagoland for the first time we’re glad you’re here! Just bring your USAC and/or Intl license to the registration room (yes we accept the USAC phone app). If you pre-reg’d we’ll have your USAC release form pre-filled for you in a big blue binder. Sign your release, grab your number and go. Day-Of registrants will need to be entered into the computer but it only takes a second.

– Please bring your own pins. Also, you’ll get a different bib number each day, so make sure to come back Sunday morning for your new number.

– Speaking of the USAC phone app, PLEASE renew your annual USAC license online at USACycling.org before arriving at the venue. Annual licenses purchased on or after 12/1/12 are good until 12/31/2013 and you must have a 2013 license to race either day this weekend.

– Waitlists:  We have a strict 100 rider field limit on course at one time. All fields are open and there are no waitlists at this time. If reg fills up today or on race day please see the ‘Registration’ section in the tech guide for a full explanation of the Day-Of waitlist procedure.

– UCI Staging: Staging for the UCI Women and Men races is by UCI rank/points and then drawing random lots for riders without UCI points. If you do NOT have UCI points you need to make sure you draw your random lot, otherwise you will be staged at the back of the field.

– Amateur Staging: The NYR is NOT a CCC series race and we will be using CrossResults.com points to stage all amateur categories. While we will post full results to USAC Saturday evening those results will NOT update CrossResults.com points for Sunday.

– Preliminary staging for all categories for both days (except random staging for UCI racers w/out UCI points and obviously day-of registrants) will be posted here no later than Friday morning (1/4/13). Please note there are two worksheets (one for Saturday, one for Sunday). Also, since we do not have onsite access to the CrossResults.com points database, all non-UCI day-of registrants will be staged at the back of their fields based on order of registration.

– Podiums presentations for each race will occur immediately after each race finish on the CCC podiums near the finish line (look for the 4 CCC razor flags… you can’t miss them), so pay attention during and after your race, we may be calling your name! There will also be a warming / interview tent located close to the podiums for rider/media use. The full payout schedule for both days is posted here.

– Sponsors: The CCC NYR is made possible by generous support from the following sponsors:

      

     

– Results: Results will be posted to USACycling.org here the evening after each race. Results are NOT just about your placing though. As with all other CCC series and Chicagoland races we’ll have posts up here on the CCC site each afternoon where we encourage you to post links in the comment section to your Flickr/Picasa/FB/etc pictures & videos and race reports/blogs.

– Anti-doping: The UCI will be conducting random anti-doping tests at the event. Riders are responsible for reporting to anti-doping control if they are selected to be tested.

– Weather: The forecast for the weekend has temps in the low 30’s with partly sunny skies. There is a small chance of precipitation earlier in the week but then dry… and windy through Sunday. Please bring plenty of warm clothes for after your race so you can stick around and heckle.

– Speaking of… you will be heckled… period. You might not even be racing when it happens. If you’re coming in from out of town and haven’t experienced Chicago’s style of  CX heckling, at best you may be taken aback, and at worst quite offended. But don’t worry, its all just for fun… but we’ll let Chicago’s head heckler and the Don Rickles of CX… Mr. Rob Curtis of PSIMET explain.

– For the more professional wordsmiths… Richard Fries and Todd Busteed will be announcing the race, and Kelly Minx Riordan will be hostessing the awards and podiums.

– Everyone’s favorite mechanic Jose Alcala will be manning the equipment pits both days with SRAM Neutral support. We don’t expect too much mud (if any), but if it appears we’ll need pressure washers we’ll have them in the pits.

– Merchandise: If you ordered CCC merchandise you can pick it up in the registration room. We will also have CCC Contigo coffee mugs only for sale. Cash, check, or credit!

– The Hotel: There’s a big reason we’re hosting a cyclocross race on a golf course in suburban Illinois the weekend before USA Cycling CX National Championships… the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort. ILR has many amenities including hotel rooms mere steps away from the course, indoor bathrooms, showers, two restaurants, a spa, pool, a hot tub, plenty of parking, and last but certainly not least… The Cave. There is WiFi in the hotel but the signal isn’t great in the guest rooms outside of the main lobby. We suggest bringing an Ethernet cable. ILR will be running an all day buffet special at the Master’s Clubhouse adjacent to the registration room and finish line. There’s also a bar in case you want to, you know, ring in the new year a little late.

– Speaking of, the CCC will be hosting an informal party and meet & greet with several pro (and non-pro) riders at the The Cave bar (in the hotel atrium) Saturday evening. Stop by to have a drink, say hello to old and new friends, and ring in the New Year (okay, a few days late) in the best way we know how… with a CX party.

– Course Crossings: There are four official pedestrian course crossings. Please use them to cross the course safely. We still need a few course marshals as well. Please either sign up here or contact us if you have some time to spare on race day.

– Bathrooms: Spot-a-pots, Port-o-lets, Lepri-cans… call them what you will but they are cold with the temps dip down low. Indoor bathrooms (and showers) are just inside the clubhouse doors to the right, close to registration but not necessarily near the start line… so please plan accordingly.

– Club Row: No charges this year for Club Row along the start/finish pavement section, but space is limited on a first come, first served basis. If you have questions about where to set up please email us ahead of time or see a race director at the venue. Indian Lakes is notoriously windy, so if you do set up a pop-up tent please bring stakes, weights, kettle bells, large babies, etc to help weigh down your tent. Many unsecured tents have been damaged in the past due to strong winds. You may leave your tent overnight, but please break it down all the way. The CCC is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items.

– The Course: The CCC series race at ILR in November is a perennial favorite. Sand traps, fairways, roughs, a little mud, dodging flying golf balls… ILR has it all. The NYR course is slightly different (thankfully no one will be golfing, we made sure this year) and goes the opposite direction (anti-clockwise) but uses many of the same course features including, yes, the sand traps. Staging is on the asphalt cart path at the Northern edge of the course. The entrance to the staging grid is on the North section of crowd barriers, adjacent to Pro-Row. The course will be ready for pre-riding Friday afternoon.

– The NYR course runs anti-clockwise and can be broken into 4 sections… 1 path/grass power section followed by 1 grass power section, 1 technical section, and then a final power section. We intend to alter the course slightly from Saturday to Sunday but the majority of the course will be the same both days.

1. The start takes the course on a quick trip through Club Row and then heads up a small incline and past the Finish Line. A sweeping dog-leg left takes the course around a set of t-boxes to the first grass section. Winding around to the left the course passes to the opposite side of the finish line and heads South out onto the course proper. After a tricky off-camber turn the first real obstacle is the hill located at the far South West corner of the course.
2. The course then straightens out in a fast grass power section heading towards the Eastern edge of ILR’s property. A long straight stretch and a few quick turns and then the course winds back to the first entrance to the equipment pits.
3. After exiting the pits the course doubles back on itself to the inside and heads South again. In this section riders will be greeted by UCI regulation maximum height barriers. Making full use of all of the terrain and possibly a sand pit or three the course twist and turns its way back to the main incline at the South Western edge of the course. Any wet weather (unlikely) or residual snow (more likely) will cause this section on the driving range to become muddy.
4. After negotiating the hill for the 2nd and last time the course straightens out into the final long, par 4, power section heading straight towards the finish and Club Row. After a quick trip through several real sand pits the course turns 180 degrees to the right for a final pass through the equipment pits. A large, sweeping 180 to the left on the cart path turns the course back to the West, past the staging grid and Club Row, and up the small incline to the finish line.

– First off… HAPPY  NEW YEAR! We here at the CCC wish everyone a healthy and happy 2013.

– If its the new year that means our UCI C2 New Year’s Resolution race is right around the corner… four days to be exact. Find the full schedule (including who is pre-reg’d to race), flyer, tech guide, course maps, payout schedule and more on the NYR page here. The Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) has discounted rooms for $84 per night using GROUP code ‘CYC’… which includes use of the hot tub!

– The CCC still needs volunteers to make the race happen and host housing for our out of town riders. If you can help please contact us via the NYR page here.

– The full course preview will be up at the regular time tomorrow (Wednesday). Online pre-reg on BikeReg closes at Midnight Central time tomorrow (Wednesday 1/2/13).

– After the NYR don’t forget USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13, Masters World Championships, and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 Louisville,KY. Follow the links for more info.

– Machinery Row Bicycles is having a party the Friday before Nationals. Check out the details here.

– And finally… This is from last week, but David Lombardo checks in from Euro Cross Camp.

Six-Time National Champion Tim Johnson Headlines Elite Men’s Field at New Year’s Resolution Cyclocross UCI C2 Weekend

Nation’s top cyclocross racers head to Chicagoland to prepare for 2013 National and World Championships

Chicago, Ill. – Six-time National Champion Tim Johnson headlines the men’s elite field for the 2013 New Year’s Resolution cyclocross weekend, featuring a pair of UCI C2.0 races at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Ill., on Saturday and Sunday, January 5-6.  Johnson, of the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com franchise, comes to Chicagoland in preparation for the following weekend’s National Championship in Madison, Wis., where he will be among the title favorites. The second edition of New Year’s Resolution will feature opportunities on Saturday and Sunday for local competitors to race the same course as the elite and professional riders. Hilton Indian Lakes will be open and no admission fee will be charged for spectators.

Johnson, holder of six junior, U23 and Elite National titles, last captured the stars and stripes jersey in 2009. His recent results bode well for his national ambitions, including a pair of victories in Iowa’s Jingle Cross weekend and a win over a stacked field at the USGP Cyclocross-Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Ore.  The New Year’s Resolution stable of racers will feature notables Adam Myerson (Team Mountain Khakis / SmartStop) and Tristan Schouten (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) on the men’s side and Amanda Miller (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) among the women’s lineup.  A native of Iowa, Miller is a dual road-cyclocross threat who has done battle at the sport’s highest levels, including the 2011 UCI World Road Championships.

Elite competitors can look back at New Year’s Resolution’s inaugural edition to gain inspiration for Nationals. On New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, 2011-12, elites Ryan Trebon and Jeremy Powers battled head-to-head through wintery conditions, including frozen mud and windy fairways that rewarded the powerful Trebon with back-to-back wins. A week later in Madison, Powers would rebound and go on to win the first Elite National Championship of his career.  In 2013, Tim Johnson will be among the elites not only eying the National Championship, but the looming World Cyclocross Championship, to be held February 2-3 in Louisville, Ky.

“We are excited to host the lead up to Nationals and to have competitors from around the country here in the Chicago area, making final preparations for their biggest race of the year,” said Chicago Cyclocross Cup Series and NYR race director Jason Knauff.  “Getting ahead of the curve, we are also matching the UCI women’s payouts to the men’s with the help of the Chicago Women CX fund. We’re grateful to have so many talented athletes join us and for the local community to witness the sport at its highest level.”

Registration for the New Year’s Resolution closes at midnight CT on Wednesday, January 2 at BikeReg.com.  The event is hosted by the Chicago Cyclocross Cup and governed by USA Cycling. Valid 2013 licenses are required for all races. Competitors should visit ChiCrossCup.com/NYR or BikeReg.com for details. Rooms at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort are available by calling (630) 529-0200 or visiting indianlakesresort.com.

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

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

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

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

– Congratulations to all the CCC’ers who raced up North at Badger Cross and down South at Miller Chill CX. Looks like some very solid results going into the end of the year.

– Up next, CX racing returns to Chicago with the Afterglow on SATURDAY. The Afterglow team has scored a brand new location—Douglas Park Golf Course! When registering to race, please consider donating those extra dollars you’re saving on the cheaper reg to the wonderful people at Blackstone Bicycle Works right from the registration page. Look for all the Blackstone kids (along with our friends West Town Bikes!) in the Juniors and 4s, and cheer them on! Intelligentsia will also have that coffee you’ll need for your second race for sale to help support West Town Bikes. Registration will be open until Thursday night at 11:59PM. More details here.

– Speaking of coffee, ROBOTS <3+Comrade Cycles+Just Coffee Co collabo CYCLOCROAST will be around to drink and maybe to buy if we can work it out to purchase.

– Continuing the theme of giving, Greater Chicago Food Depository has paired with the team on a food drive at the event–everyone who brings a non-perishable food item gets a coveted CALLUP. And if that’s not enough motivation to lend a hand to the needy during this holiday season, a Team Competition is in place–the team that brings in the most amount of food BY WEIGHT wins a fabulous item to impress your friends for an entire year! Sign up for the team competition here. You have until Friday at 4pm to register for the team competition (but we will of course accept day-of donations!). The award will be given out after the Cat 4/FatBikes/Etc race. UPDATE: Please see RpbL for more information about the food drive.

– Check back Thursday morning for the course preview, including details on an epic REMATCH.

– If you have any money left for Christmas presents after all of that the CCC merch page is still open and we can deliver to you at Afterglow or via USPS before 12/25.

– On SUNDAY (12/16) the CCC hosts its annual End of the Season Awards Party at EJ’s Place in Skokie at noon. Please pre-purchase your tickets here. The coveted CCC series winner cowbells will be awarded to the overall winners, our season long donation will be made to WBR, we’ll have a bunch of fantastical door prizes, and of course the world famous Lost & Found grab.

– Need more CX racing? The CCC’s New Years Resolution is at the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort 1/5/13 and 1/6/13. See the NYR page and help us finish off the season right. We still need volunteers. Help out and race for really cheap free.

– Then USA Cycling’s CX National Championships in Verona, WI on 1/10/13 – 1/13/13 (nearly the same course as Badger CX but entry fees increase tonight at 11pm). Andden Masters World Championships and World Championships on 2/2/13 – 2/3/13 in Bourbonland (i.e. Louisville,KY).

– And finally… winter time means its cold and dark here in Chicago, but that’s not always so bad.