• Thanks to PSIMET for hosting another great Groundhog PSI-clocross. Links to all results are here.
• Next up the series heads to Wheeling for Wheeling Heritage Park CX hosted by Northbrook Garner Bicycle Club and Sasquatch Squadron / Main Street Bikes. Looks for the course preview at the regular time on Thursday.
• Please note, we do not actively monitor the comments here on the website. Please email us directly at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you see wrong information or have questions. Thanks!
• And finally… Set your calendars, the CCC Awards Party will be hosted on Saturday 1/6/2024 at Specialized Chicago Fulton Market. More details to follow but we’ll have swag, raffles, series winner jerseys, cowbells, food, and drinks!

Phil : Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?
Mrs. Lancaster : I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.

Why is this race called Groundhog PSI-Clocross? Well, in 1992 the downtown square of Woodstock, IL was used to film the movie Groundhog Day. Rob Curtis and the PSIMET crew have carried some parts of the movie into the venue.

• Registration closes Friday at midnight. There will be day of registration available at a higher price but only through BikeReg.
• Preliminary Staging will be posted here on Saturday.
• Remember that Daylight Savings ends the morning of the race so be sure you have the right time!
• There is plenty of parking throughout the park. As with all previous years there is NO PARKING ON THE GRASS. This is the strictest rule the park and city have for the facility. This also means no vehicles on the grass to drop off gear early in the morning <looks at masters teams>. We say this every year and yet it still ends up being a problem at some point in the day. No cars on grass anywhere for any length of time. Police are ticketing and will patrol throughout the day
• Enter from the Park’s North entrance (Kishwaukee Valley Rd) then you can drive right up to the “tent city” field and drop off gear. The Jackson Entrance will be closed this year. You can park in the lower lot by entering off of South St but will not be able to drive through to the rest of the course or park.
• Speaking of Deja-Vu – Rob had a hankering to see old throwback Chicago Kits this weekend. So if you have an old school kit bring it out and help celebrate Chicago Cycling Heritage.
• There is an Open Event at Noon. The course will be shortened (will stay on the East Side of the course with no road crossings for this even only). Everyone is invited to ride the course. No Fee. 20 Minute event. This is your opportunity to try a cross course or wear a great costume or throwback kit and ride with your friends. We are hoping we can get some of the family friendly circus of the CCC of old to help cheer everyone on. All can participate we just need you to sign up so we have a waiver. Sign up on the BikeReg page.
• Food: Perk and Pickle Food Truck will be on site all day long serving breakfast, lunch and an early dinner if needed. Serving hours will be from 8am-5pm. The menu for race day is available on their site now – https://perknpickle.com/crosstown-classic
• This park has “always” had a “no alcohol” policy. So when you bring in cups for your soda and lemonade PSIMET asks that you pack out what you bring in. It helps PSIMET make sure the park doesn’t think we’re a drinking series with a cycling problem if there aren’t a lot of juice boxes laying around.
• Equipment Pits will be single width and will not use the orange fencing this year. There will NOT be any water or washing facilities at the race though, so if conditions look to be getting worse please plan your own support accordingly. The city sent notice they shut off all the outside water at the park but would turn on one spigot for race day. Maybe you can find it if you’re lucky.
• Weather looks great, but chilly. Please dress and plan accordingly.
• There won’t be much if any daylight left after the last race ends, so please plan accordingly. Also if you can, please help PSIMET tear down the course so they aren’t doing it all in the dark.
• There is an informal Car Show that we are hosting on site like we did last year. If you bring a notable car for display (classic, antique, etc.) we will have an area for you to park at the top of the hill near the food truck. You will also receive a free food truck meal voucher from the PSIMET coordinator.
• As another reminder, if you are pre-riding while anyone is finishing up, please make sure you are NOT inadvertently riding in front of people still racing. Just ride slowly behind them and offer words of encouragement or ring a cowbell. Thanks!
• If you’re interested in looking over the filming locations for the movie there is a great map for self-guided tours here: http://www.woodstockgroundhog.org/walking-tour/
• Remember to use #psiCX on X and Instagram.
• The Course: A collection of no less than half a dozen pinwheels/toilet bowls Roughly the same course as last year with a few small modifications.

• Happy Halloween!
• Thanks to Guaranteed Rate Cycling for hosting another great Campton CX. Lots of great racing and costume out there. Thanks to Tim Radcliff and Ned Bowen for taking pics!! Links to all results are here.
• Next up the series heads to Woodstock for Groundhog PSI-clocross. Note for the ‘Local Event’ PSIMET will be holding a free Open Event at noon. Get on the course with everyone! Course will be shortened (will stay on the East Side of the course with no road crossings). Everyone is invited to ride the course. No Fee. 20 Minute event. This is your opportunity to try a cross course or wear a great costume and ride with your friends. Anyone can participate, we just need you to sign up and sign a waiver.
• If anyone lost a Wahoo Element Roam at Sunrise Park CX, please email us, a local resident found it on Monday.
• If you’re free on Saturday 11/4 from 12-3, Big Marsh is hosting an event to launch the ‘Big Hill’ and present more details on the big hill alongside the debut of the Chicago Park District’s new master plan.
• And finally… we know there are still a bunch of you out there who haven’t updated your CX team name on your USAC license. Please check your team name in the Overall Standings tracking GoogleSheet. If your team name is not listed next to your name then we do not have it and you are not contributing to your team’s overall total. If you’re not worried about that, then that’s okay. But if you are, please email us this week so we can correct the situation. Thanks!

• Thanks to ABD for hosting yet another great day at Sunrise Park. Results links are all here.
• Next up, the CCC heads a little further West to Campton on Sunday 10/29/2023 for Campton CX. This is of course the Halloween costume race (if you want to). We can’t wait to see what great costumes you all come up with this year.
• Final reminder that if you upgrade your USAC category you can take 1/2 your points with you to the next category (for overall standings and staging), but you must do so THIS WEEK. Details on the Rules and FAQ page and if you do upgrade you need to email us and let us know.
• And finally… here’s your annual reminder that in order to race not only does your body need to be in tip-top shape, but so does your equipment. There are many, many amazing local bike shops in the Chicagoland area that are ready to help keep your rides in fully functional working order, especially after the punishment you may have been dealing them over the last few weeks. Schedule some maintenance to make sure you keep flying through this CX season!

• Congrats to everyone who traveled North behind the cheddar curtain this past weekend to race at the Trek CX Cup. Conditions looked cyclocrossy to say the least.
• Next for us, the CCC picks back up this coming weekend on Sunday 10/22/2023 at ABD Sunrise Park, a deceptively difficult race and the home of the original Heckle Hill. Get ready for a sweet, sweet 5 week block of racing. Here we go!
• Another reminder that if you upgrade your USAC category you can take 1/2 your points with you to the next category (for overall standings and staging), but you must do so before 1/3 of the way through the season plus 1 race. This year that’s BEFORE Campton CX, so this coming weekend will be your last chance to earn overall points before upgrading. Details on the Rules and FAQ page and if you do upgrade you need to email us and let us know.
• And finally… there’s always a lot going on in the world… some great… some down-right horrible, especially this past two weeks. Remember we’re all here as bike racers and more alike than we are different. So flash a smile, let out a laugh, give someone a high-five, make your day and someone else’s better than it started… and have fun racing your bike!

• Thanks to xXx Racing for keeping us racing this past weekend and using every last shred of available land in Jackson Park to fit the course it. Results are on USAC and CrossResults, lap times are here… and as always we have links to all results and overall standings here. There were a bunch of photographs and videos recorded as well which are posted in the comments of the Jackson Park Course Preview here.
• The CCC takes a break next weekend but there’s some hot & spicy CX action up in Waterloo, WI at the Trek CX Cup. Good luck to everyone traveling to race, spectate, and get their photo taken with Sven.
• The week after on 10/22/2023 the CCC continues at ABD Sunrise Park which is the start of 5 week block of racing every weekend. Buckle up, the season’s just getting started!
• A quick note on Team Names. We match all riders’ USAC license numbers to the USAC rider database, not the team name you have listed in BikeReg. You need to have your CX team name correct in your USAC rider profile for it to properly flow through to CCC results and to contribute to your team overall standings. We can update previous results in the CCC overall standings, but please let us know now and not at the end of the season. Email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail.
• Speaking of overall standings, remember if you upgrade your USAC category you can take 1/2 your points with you to the next category (for overall standings and staging), but you must do so before the 1/3 of the way through the season plus 1 race. For those following along at home that’s BEFORE the 4th race of the series (i.e. Campton CX). More details here on the Rules and FAQ page. We no longer have a way to track USAC upgrades, so if you do you need to email us and let us know. Congrats to those of you who have already upgraded!
• And finally… a huge thanks to our USAC officials, camera/results crew, and of course the best announcer a CX series could wish for Kenny Labbé for making our first 2 races operate and run efficiently. Its not easy being at our venues all.day.long. and all.season.long. and ensuring things flow smoothly. So make sure to thank them, give them a high five… or a hug, or maybe just a tip of your helmet at the next race and the rest of the season! Thanks everyone!

• We hope everyone had a great weekend off and got out on your bikes in some amazing Autumn weather.
• The CCC is back again this weekend for race #2 on Sunday 10/08/2023 at Jackson Park. We’ll be at the same venue as Relay Cross, but with a different course. Please pre-reg over on BikeReg.com before Friday night at midnight.
• We take another break the following weekend 10/14 & 10/15 but if you want to see some pro-level racing and event production, head up to Waterloo for the Trek CX Cup. They have amateur racing all weekend as well as the World Cup on Sunday, not to mention the Legends Race on Saturday.
• And finally… as we do every year we ask everyone to race hard but also make it as easy as possible for our USAC officials and timing/results pros on the finish line to identify everyone so we can get accurate results out as quickly as possible. Below are a few images from Glenwood of what those folks actually see on the camera at the finish line. #252 was awarded best bib placement of the day, #224 was solid, #1 and #2 were also good… #266 was too high but it was the first race of the year so we know you’ll do better going forward. Thanks everyone for your attention to detail and consideration!

• Thanks to everyone who came out to Glenwood Academy to enjoy the first race of the series. And thanks to the South Chicago Wheelmen for hosting such a great event.
• Full results are online here and here and series standings are here and directly here.
• Next up the series takes a week off and then heads into the city at Jackson Park CX hosted by xXx Racing. Note this race is on Sunday 10/8/2023… NOT 10/1… and at Jackson Park in the same venue as Relay CX (NOT Schiller Woods). This is also the same day as the Chicago marathon so please plan your travel time accordingly.
• And finally… all series events are now open on BikeReg.com. You’ll still notice Wait List categories at the bottom of each event, but those will only open if the actual categories completely fill up, which probably won’t happen. Pre-Reg closes for all events at midnight the Friday before a race. Please remember to have your correct USAC license number in your BikeReg profile as we match everyone’s name, team name, age, etc. to that license number for consistency throughout the series. If something is wrong, just email us. And if you pre-reg we also pull in your CrossResults.com points for staging (beyond the first row). Just remember to check the preliminary staging posted on Saturday before the race. Everyone did great with all of this before Glenwood, so let’s keep it up for the rest of the season. Thanks!

• Here we go, the series starts this coming Sunday 9/24/2023 at Glenwood Academy hosted by South Chicago Wheelman. Please register over on BikeReg.com. Look for the course preview at the regular time this Thursday morning.
• We’ll have Kenny Labbé on the mic again this year. Listen for the dulcet tones of his soothing voice all day long.
• Please help us welcome our newest Cowbell Level series sponsor Specialized Chicago. The folks at the Fulton Market location hosted our awards party earlier this and we plan to have the 2023 season awards party there again after the end of this season. In addition, both the Specialized Chicago Fulton Market and Lincoln Park locations will be providing the series with some very special raffles prizes worthy of everyone’s attention. Stay tuned for details to be announced very soon.
• Still interested in being a series sponsor? There’s room for everyone. Please contact us ASAP.
• We are (finally) changing the series scoring points this year (still 30 deep) to better balance out participation and placings so more categories are NOT decided until the last race of the series. Only the top 10 are affected. In years past some categories were already decided by the 2nd to last race. Shout out to Kirk Jozwiak and Nathan Snydacker for helping us figure out the new points. See the point schedule over on the Rules & FAQ page and on the last sheet of the Overall Standings.
• Speaking of, now is a great time for everyone to head over to the Rules & FAQ page to (re)familiarize yourself with how the series works and all the details that makes it tick. Have questions or suggestions? Our inbox is always open at chicagocrosscup at gmail dot com.
• While we’re at it, here’s your friendly beginning of the season reminder to please make sure you have your bikes tuned up, tyres pumped and pressure checked, USAC licenses renewed, online waivers initialed within BikeReg, Team name is updated after Relay CX, and all your fancy new kits, gloves, shoes, neck thingies, & helmets, ready. Need something last minute… skip Amazon and support your local bike shop(s)!  
• Speaking of bikes, we’re reviving the CCC ‘Whip of the Week’ program. Look for Ty Kurth as he roams the series seeking out the neatest, nerdiest, coolest CX bikes he can find.
• And finally… as we do every season we’d like to remind everyone that we really do have such precious little time together. Yes in life generally, but specifically during the short CX season. Let’s have yet another great CX season with each other and enjoy each other’s company as much as possible. We’re all here because we love racing bikes and getting rad… so leave your cares and weekday life at home and embrace each Sunday while we have it. See you all soon!

• Hey everyone, we’re less than 2 weeks out from the first race of the series on 9/24/2023 hosted by South Chicago Wheelman at Glenwood Academy. Please register (do we even need to call it pre-registering anymore?) over on BikeReg.com.
• As mentioned last week, the 2nd race of the series should be hosted by xXx Racing with location TBD. However the date has now been pushed back 1 week to 10/8/2023. We’ll have the race on BikeReg.com as soon as everything is ready to go. Hold tight for details.
• All other events are on BikeReg.com (filter by Event Type = Cyclocross, Event Location = Illinois, and Event Name = chicrosscup). We’re still waiting on permits to be finalized for Campton and Wheeling and then those events will open for registration.
• We’re very happy and excited to welcome back some long-time series sponsors to 2023. We’ve completely lost count how many years all of these folks/businesses have supported the series and we are forever grateful for your support! Whether you’re looking for a new house, a new bike, a new bike helmet or lock, a new bike coach, legal help if you’ve been in a bike accident, or a new culvert and civil engineering help… please consider one of these businesses. Thanks!
  • ABUS
  • Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL)
  • Keating Law Offices – IllinoisBicycleLaw.com
  • Michael Heagney Homes – Realtor IL and WI “Make Your Move”
  • Main Street Bicycles
  • Simple Endurance Coaching (Paul Warloski) – Check out his YouTube channel
• And finally… we realized there was some old information on our FAQ page which has been updated. Please take a few minutes before we start the season to review and familiarize yourself with the Rules and FAQs page and the USAC RuleBook and multiple Policies. Thanks and see you all soon!