• This Sunday the CCC returns to Wheeling Heritage Park, hosted by the Northbrook Cycling Club.
• The Wheeling Park District welcomes us back for a day of cyclocross racing. And we are welcome back every other day we aren’t racing too. Check out the events and programs the park district offers throughout the year. Things like kids’ triathlons, free concerts, cultural events, camps, and sports galore. There’s even one called Wine and Yoga. It could be the greatest mashup to happen since cyclists started riding and running with their bicycles.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here.
• Electronic maps will get you closest to your destination by using 105 Community Boulevard, Wheeling. We shouldn’t have to repeat it, but DO NOT GO TO MELAS. Proceed beyond the pool building on the left to the west parking lot on the right. Please keep the angled parking lot closest to the Community Center open.
• Heritage Park is a no drone zone due to its proximity to the Chicago Executive Airport. The airport code is PWK for those of you trying to inspire a new tire tread with your racing prowess.
• The pavilion grass loves feet. It can’t stand bicycle tires and it really hates tents. Please don’t make the pavilion grass angry. It has a few picnic tables to share in its company. There are plenty of other open areas along the course for setting up tents.
• Food and drink. The park district food trailer will be back, taking center stage at the pavilion. No alcohol is allowed per park rules except for purchase. A variety of other food and beverage options will also be available.
• Weather. The forecast shows a little bit of orange covered by some grayish-white, but temperatures should be unseasonably cool. Okay, cold. Upper 30s, with moderate breezes. Okay, winds. Please monitor the forecast and dress appropriately for conditions.
• Warming up is sometimes hard to do, but there are paths to ride throughout the park. Many have lake views to make it easier and more enjoyable. As always, be mindful of pedestrians and other patrons of the park. The Community Center building is also open to us. Showers are available, but please do not bring bicycles into the building.
• Volunteers needed: Robert Paetsch is looking for a few volunteers to help with course set up, marshalling, and repair. Please email him if you’re interested. Volunteers race for free and have lunch provided.
• The course:
• Sunday is Veterans Day. Thank you to all who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The Northbrook Bicycle Club would like to dedicate our day of racing in remembrance of George Garner, Sr. He served in the Marine Corps in the WWII era before opening his first bike shop in 1947 after the war.
• The course runs clockwise. Flat at the start until it transitions to the southwest corner of the park via the closed-off path, through the table top finish area, over to the course elevation for a couple ascents/descents before an off-camber run around the pool embankment to do it over again and again. There should be a short course option for the Juniors 9-14’s and Cat 4/5’s. Less elevation = more laps.

Photo: PSIMET

• Another great Groundhog PSI-clocross weekend hosted by PSIMET out in Woodstock. The Pre-Deju-Vu course on Saturday was more power while Sunday’s Groundhog course was more “finesse”, and more weather too. Links to all results and lap times are here.
• Next up, the CCC travels closer to Chicago with our Wheeling Heritage event. Due to construction in the park the course will be slightly different from last year, but still mostly the same. Look for the course preview Thursday morning and remember pre-reg closes Thursday evening.
• Speaking of Wheeling… The Northbrook Bicycle Club is looking for a few volunteers to help with course set up, marshaling, and repair Saturday and Sunday. Please email Robert Paetsch for details. Shifts are typically three hours or less. Volunteers may race for free and get food and beverage perks too.
• Also speaking of this coming weekend… unless you have a bike shop in your basement or garage, your CX bike probably needs some love. Get it into your local bike shop ASAP for a clean up, tune up, etc. before the wheels literally come off at the next race!
• Looking towards the end of the season we here at the CCC are thinking about changing up the when and where of the awards party. The time and location would have to be family friendly (i.e. not just at a bar) and at least mostly centrally located. If you have ideas or suggestions please email us at [email protected].
• And finally… the 2nd annual Women’s Networking Event hosted by UPB Juniors will be held Saturday 11/17/18 at 2:15pm in the UPB tent at Pheasant Run Resort. As part of this event, UPB will also hold the Ultimate Pro Racer Raffle to benefit a Women Cat 3/4/5 at Montrose. Proceeds will go towards the 2019 Juniors CX Camp. The raffle tickets will be on sale 9a – 12pm Saturday and Sunday as well as during the networking event. Warm drinks and treats at 2:15 pm on that Saturday. All women racers are welcome to come and visit. UPB’s juniors are hosting and will be mingling.

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.

• If you’re interested in looking over the filming locations for the movie there is a great map for self-guided tours here: woodstockgroundhog.org/pages/tour.html
• Remember to use #psiCX on Twitter and Instagram.
• As a reminder on SATURDAY PSIMET is hosting their Pre-Deja-Vu-All-Over-Again 2019 State Championship Course Preview Race. This is NOT a CCC series event but still well worth your time to race it and incorporates the woods that used to be part of the PSI-clocross for Life course. A preliminary course map is here and preliminary staging will be posted here. Check out the race’s Facebook page, and/or PSIMET’s Instgram or  twitter.com page for more info and Race Day announcements.
• Preliminary staging for Sunday will be posted here on Friday. We’re going to try and upload results from Saturday’s Pre-Deja-Vu-All-Over-Again race to CrossResults so they affect Sunday’s staging, but the turn around will be tight and we might still have a Halloween candy hangover, so no promised.
• There is plenty of parking throughout the park but parking that is close to the reg tent is in short supply. There are 2 designated gear drop off areas for teams hauling their supplies as well as riders with an entourage of bicycles that need to get into the pits. We ask that you use these areas for drop off then park farther away to help others do the same.
• As with all previous years there is NO PARKING ON THE GRASS. This is probably one of the strictest rules the park and city have for the facility.
• 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.
• Food: A new food provider this year – Dukes Blues n BBQ from East Dundee IL. This isn’t your average BBQ setup – this is competition award winning BBQ that happens to also do events. dukes-blues-n-bbq.com – Dukes may not have Vegetarian and Vegan options, but there is a Vegetarian specific restaurant on the square downtown only 0.8 miles from the course.
• Equipment Pits will be nearly full UCI size with stalls. There will NOT be any water or washing facilities at the race though, so if conditions look to be getting worse then please plan your own support accordingly. There are a couple of water spigots around the park that may or may not be in service . Just know that you have a full sized pit to utilize. Mambo Car Wash is right down the street.
• PSIMET will also be issuing Pit Passes and pit stall assignments for the time slots of the Cat 1/2/3 men’s and women’s races. If you are planning on having a pit support person and/or bike then let them know at registration so that you can receive your pit pass. Pre-registered racers will be assigned pit positions first. This also applies to the Women 3/4 race as it is during the same time slot as the Women 1/2.
• Daylight savings time ends the morning of the race again this year so don’t forget to move you clocks back – otherwise you’ll be an extra hour early for your race. There are worse things that can happen though. You’re welcome.
• 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 and the Northbrook Garner teams tear down the course so they aren’t doing it all in the dark.
• Kids Race will be held at 2:00pm. If you can help out please email us ASAP.
• The Women Cat 4/5 & Junior 9-14 and Men Cat 4/5 will likely race on a shortened course. Details TBD on Sunday.
• 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!
• The course: Run clockwise and will follow the same flow as last year in general with new features and adjustments as PSIMET sees fit. The only road crossing will be closed.

Photo: Tim Radcliff

• Trick or Treat and thanks to everyone who came out to Campton Hills to race, cheer, and show off their best costumes. The Marching Band won the best costume contest and Tony Rienks (along w/ Joe Castello this year as Daft Punk) was given a lifetime costume achievement award. Links to all the results and lap times you’re looking for are here.
• John Gatto may not be racing, but he still came out to Campton with his Drones and GoPros and gave us this video gem. Special mention also to Nathaniel Allen for this Instagram video.
• Next on the calendar this SATURDAY is PSIMET’s Pre-Deja-Vu-All-Over-Again 2019 State Championship Course Preview Race. This is not a CCC series event. And as we mentioned last week, this is the preview for the 2019 State Championship, NOT this year’s (i.e. 2018) state champs which are at Montrose Harbor. PSIMET always hosts great events so don’t miss your chance to see next year’s state champs course early, which is completely different than the CCC series race on Sunday. Please pre-reg here for Saturday.
• Speaking of Sunday, the CCC series continues on SUNDAY with Groundhog PSI-clocross at the same park in Woodstock but on a completely different course. The normal course preview will be up at the regular time on Thursday. The normal course preview will be up at the regular time on Thursday.
• We haven’t heard of anyone going to the Pan-Am Championships in Canada this weekend, but if you are, good luck!
• It seems we’re getting similar weather to last season, which has meant a decent amount of rain, and usually on Sunday. Show your bike some love and and take it to your local bike shop to keep it in tip-top shape. Many shops are running specials/deals for the CX season, so don’t wait until sometime breaks!
• And finally… Our guy behind the lens Robert Clark is moving on to bigger and better things, meaning shooting larger UCI races for the rest of the CX season. We’re supper bummed (for us) but also super happy and excited for Robert. We’ve been very lucky to have Robert at our first five series races and will miss him the rest of the season. Check out his photos from the CCC series as well as several other cycling events over at robotfresh.com and if you see a photo you like consider making a purchase. Good luck Robert!!! If you consider yourself a shutterbug and would like an all access CCC media pass, please email us.

• #CamptonCX is back, brought to you by Training Bible Cycling, Bicycle Heaven. Campton is one of the original ChiCrossCup races and the best Halloween party on two wheels.
• Anderson Park in Campton Township (5N180 Brown Rd, Campton Hills, IL 60175). There are other Anderson Parks in the Chicagoland area, so please go to the correct one.
• Remember pre-reg on BikeReg closes tonight.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here on Friday.
• Kiddie Cross is on at 2pm!
• New food vendor this year. Fernando’s Street Kitchen. Tacos, quesadillas and drinks.
• The annual Costume Contest as judged by Rob Kelley is on again. We can’t wait to see what the Beverly Bike team has in store for this year. Note PeeWee is Tony Rienks.
• Weather; the forecast is 50% clear, but will be chilly again in the morning.
• There is plenty of parking on site. Please do not ride or drive on the grass surrounding the course.
• There is a bike path just north of the park that is great for a warm up.
• The course: Running anti-clockwise with many of the traditional rad Campton features. Note the purple route on the map will likely be use for the Junior 9-14’s and Cat 4/5’s. As always the final route could be different on Sunday.

• Thanks to the entire ABD crew for another great Sunrise Park event on and around the original Heckle Hill. Links to all results are here. We know there were a few results errors the last 2 weeks and will have them 100% corrected later this week.
• Next up, the CCC heads just a bit farther West to Campton Cross. Please make sure you set your GPS coordinate to the correct park. This is our annual Halloween race, so bring your costume A Game and get your cameras ready. There might even be trick-or-treating at the team tents if people bring enough candy. Look for the regular update on Thursday at the regular time.
• Speaking of cameras, while not up just quite yet, our guy Robert Clark should have another gallery up for Sunrise Park soon. Check out all of his galleries here: robotfresh.com/2018chicrosscup 
• Just a remind to everyone, especially the younger ladies to keep hair up in pony tails while racing. If One2Go and the USAC officials can’t see your bib number, we can’t score you. Thanks!
• If anyone is available to help out with Kiddie Cross the next two weekends, please email us ASAP. Thanks!
• While its not officially part of the official CCC series schedule officially, on Saturday 11/3/18 PSIMET will be hosting their “Pre-Deja-Vu-All-Over-Again 2019 State Championship Course Preview Race” at Emrickson Park in Woodstock, IL. This is NOT a preview for this year’s CX State Championships which will be held at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on 12/2/18. With a race name that long, we’re not sure how anyone could confuse the two, but we just want to make sure. However, NEXT YEAR PSIMET will be hosting the CX State Champs in Woodstock, hence the preview this year. If you still aren’t sure what’s going on take a look at our schedule page, email us, or ask Kenny on Sunday.
• Speaking of Montrose…
  Sponsorship opportunities for the 2018 Illinois State Cyclocross Championship and series finale are available! 
  Spidermonkey Cycling, with Ten27 Cycling Club, are seeking additional sponsors to help alleviate the cost increases associated with having the event at the legendary Montrose Beach location in the city of Chicago. Event title sponsorship with multiple branding opportunities and expo locations to activate your business are both available. For more information, email Mark Zalewski.
• And finally… Here’s our annual reminder that, if you are warming up on course you should never, ever, ever, evar ride in front of someone who is still racing. We know it can be difficult to tell sometimes with large fields and riders spread out all over the course. However, it is your responsibility while pre-riding to figure it out, NOT the person still racing to tell you they are still racing. Full stop. Let’s make sure everyone gets their fair and full time to race. If you need more time to pre-ride, please arrive at the race venue earlier, bring a trainer, or eat more doughnuts. Thanks in advance!

• #ABDcx The standard preview page is over here.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here.
• Remember pre-reg on BikeReg closes tonight.
• If you upgraded this week and want 1/2 your CCC series points to follow you to the next category, please contact us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail by Friday. We will NOT automatically transfer your points. See the rules/FAQ page here.
• Parking on Foster Ave is allowed but on NORTH side only. There should be “No Parking” signs along the park (south) side. If not, please respect this. Also Parking is allowed on Struckman Blvd (better option), or at Sycamore Trails School (preferred).
• North of the Border will be serving Mexican and American w/ veggie options.
• Kiddie race is at 2pm!
• PLEASE no parking on grass.
• Due to Safety concerns NO TENTS on the Southwest portion of course along bike path. This is marked on the course map in Orange. If you put a tent there you will be kindly asked to move it somewhere else.
• No alcohol.  Sorry Park rules.
• Weather forecast is chilly but 100% change of awesome.
• The Course: Very similar to last year. But as always the course can change between now and Sunday and race director Jim Nowak always has something up his sleeve. There will be a cutoff in the South woods to shorten course for Junior 9-14’s and Women 4/5’s.