Please post links in the comments to your pictures, videos, and race reports.

• We hope everyone had a relaxing and fun long Labor Day holiday weekend.
• The CCC series starts THIS COMING WEEKEND at Hopkins Park in Dekalb, IL. We are ready and we hope you are too. Look for the course preview Thursday morning.
• We keep the momentum rolling and next week is even busier than this week.
  • Thursday night 9/6 we’ll all be at the Rapha Clubhouse for the CCC Kickoff Party.
  • Saturday 9/15 during the day xXx Racing hosts their Sven-nado with Sven Nys and Sven Vanthourenhout. You must pre-reg for this clinic, please do NOT show up unannounced.
  • Saturday night the Trek Store in Wicker Park is hosting a free Night w/ Sven Nys.
  • And then finally Sunday we’ll all be back together at Caldwell Woods for the 2nd race of the series where riders will be showing off their Pactimo series leaders jerseys.
• Online pre-reg for Hopkins Park and Caldwell Woods have been open for a while on BikeReg, and the rest of the series races (except for a few that are finishing up their paperwork with USAC) are now open. Please pre-reg for races, it makes everything go much smoother, and you’ll received your results emailed to you from One2Go.
• And finally… we’re really looking forward to beginning the season and series with all of you this week. Before we get start though, let’s all remember we’re all out there to have fun and share some precious time with each other. We can all race hard, be aggressive, have differences in opinion, and have individual definitions of what it means to have a successful race. But we all know how to respect each other and be civil with each other. So let’s race our bikes, have a good time, and show each other what the Chicagoland CX community is all about. LET’S RACE!

• Thanks to everyone who came out to hi-five and start off the CCC season in style with xXx Racing at Relay Cross. Results are here. Remember this is all for fun, so for those of you wondering, Relay Cross results will NOT be counted in your CrossResults.com points.
• The CCC season officially starts in TWO WEEKS at Hopkins Park in Dekalb, IL. Remember the first 2 races are switching dates this year, so please do NOT show up to Caldwell Woods. The full event schedule is here.
• But before we start racing, let’s hang out a little bit off the bike at the CCC Kickoff Party at the Rapha Chicago Clubhouse on Thursday 9/6 at 6pm. Please RSVP here (so we have enough snacks and dranks) or on the FaceBook if that is your thing.
• After that the CCC takes a 2 week break so everyone can go see the PROs race at the Trek CX Cup and Jingle Cross. Good luck to everyone traveling to race those events.
• And finally… we’d like to welcome (back) Michael Heagney Homes to the CCC sponsor family. Many of you may know Mike as a very quick sprinter and expert tactician on the road, but he also happens to be really good bike driver on the CX track and also an accomplised real estate agent/broker. Please join us in welcoming Mike back to the CCC.

• Most details are over on xXx Racing’s website here: xxxracing.org/relay-cross/
• There’s some pretty good team names again this year: xxxracing.org/relay-cross/whos-registered
• Please remember to use the official hashtag #RelayCross so the entire Internets can see our Chicagoland Relay CX in all its glory.
• There should be plenty of parking in the lot, but if it fills, there is street parking all around the park.
• When warming up, PLEASE do NOT ride on the golf course next door. There will also be a cricket match near the north end of the course; please respect their game and do not ride near the pitchers and bowlers.
• Reg closes tonight and there are still a few spots available at xxxracing.org/relay-cross. Please pre-reg!
• Remember to reg for and donate to the Relay Roulette race – it’s the cheapest 2nd race you’ll ever find ($5!) and every $5 you donate beyond the reg fee will enter you into a raffle for Blackhawks tickets, a full fit session at Get a Grip bikes, and tuneup gift certificates. All proceeds will be donated to a local cycling-related charity chosen by the race winners.
• The course: All new in Warren Park. Please do NOT go to Jackson Park.
• Like last year, the course will be fast and flowy (more laps!), but will provide a lot more opportunity to practice your off-camber skills. Direction = Clockwise.

• The season is almost here!
• The xXx Racing Relay Cross is this coming Sunday in Warren Park (please do not show up to Jackson Park). Some great team names in there. We’ll have a course preview up on Thursday.
• Get your bike(s) cleaned up and ready to race now, don’t delay. There are many local bike shops that will be very happy to help you. Many of them are even series sponsors, so help them, help you, help us, help you.
• Speaking of series sponsors, last call for series sponsors. Please let us know if you’d like to be involved.
• Speaking of being involved, the CCC official kick off party will be at the Rapha Chicago Clubhouse on Thursday 9/6/18 at 6pm. There will food and dranks, a silent auction and raffle with proceeds going to West Town/Blackstone, Kenny will be MC, we’ll say a few words from the series, and there may even be a mechanic’s challenge. Please make sure to R.S.V.P. and join us, we look forward to seeing everyone!
• And finally… as we are all getting ourselves and our bikes ready for the season, remember there are a bunch of kids and young adults that race alongside us that could use a little help with their bikes. If you have extra equipment (especially frames) or clothing that is collecting dust and could use a good home, please consider donating it to Blackstone Bicycle Works or West Town Bikes. Either organization will gladly accept your gear or clothing during regular business hours.

• Just a few quick updates this week.
• The schedule page is updated with all HICX and WCA CX events.
• The UPB CX Camp for Juniors is next this weekend on 8/19. Online reg and details are over on BikeReg.
•  xXx Racing’s Relay CX is the following weekend on 8/26 in its new location in Warren Park.
• Online pre-reg on BikeReg is now open for Hopkins Park and Caldwell Woods. Make sure to have your USAC annual license renewed AND your correct license number in your BikeReg rider profile. Most of the other events will open in early September.
• We’ve finalized the new payout schedule for 2018 and its here. Email us with any questions/concerns.
• And finally… our 2018 series sponsorship drive is still going on but we’re happy to announce our newest series sponsor, Tailwind Cycles Chicago. Steven, Ben, and Rawny have been local mechanics on the Chicago scene for years and you more than likely saw their white mobile service truck at most of the CCC events last year. Please join us in officially welcoming Tailwind to the CCC family.

• Online pre-reg opened this past Sunday evening for xXx Racing’s Relay CX race on xXx’s website. NOTE the venue has changed this year to Warren Park on Chicago’s North side West Ridge neighborhood. Grab your partner, get your ridiculous team names and high fives ready, and doh-see-doh to the unofficial kickoff race of the CCC season. And make everyone’s life easier and pre-reg now.
• Speaking of online pre-reg, we have set up BikeReg pages for all of the series races and reg will open next Monday morning for Hopkins Park and Caldwell Woods. Reg for the rest of the races in the series will open in early September after the events have been permitted by USAC.
• The Svens are coming again! Catch xXx Racing’s Sven-nado Clinic on 9/15 or 9/16. Details on xXx’s site here.
• A few reminders if you haven’t been reading this site over the last few weeks:
  • The Single Speed ladies will have their own separate start this year immediately after the men.
  • Hopkins Park will be the first race of the series this year on 9/9 with Caldwell Woods 2nd on 9/16.
  • Wheeling Heritage CX also moves up a week to 11/11 and Pheasant Run back a week to 11/17 – 11/18 (the weekend before Thanksgiving and the last races before Montrose).
  • Payouts will only be going to the Women Cat 1/2 and Men Cat 1/2/3 fields this year. But the top 3 in every category will still get their 15 seconds of fame on the podiums.
• And finally… there are still a few spots left in UPB CX Camp for Junior on 8/19. Online reg and details are over on BikeReg.

• A few updates to get you going now that road season is over.
• One larger change we’re making this year is something we’ve been thinking about for a while and also following a trend we’ve seen around the country in cyclo-cross and road events. This year the series will not have cash payouts for any categories except for both men and women Cat 1/2‘s. We’re still working out the final details, but the Men and Women Cat 1/2 fields will pay deeper than last year’s 5 deep (probably 10) and we’ll of course maintain parity. Given that probably half of payouts are never picked up anyway or are donated back to the series’ charities, we’re 99.9% sure no one is financing their kids’ college tuition or their next full suspension gravel bike with CCC payouts. Final details to come but let us know if you have any questions.
• Trek Bicycle in Wicker Park is having a Ladies’ Night Out party on Thursday 8/9/18 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm geared towards women cyclists of any level and discipline. There’ll be food, drinks, giveaways, and speakers during the event. You can find more details on their facebook event page.
• Remember the UPB Juniors CX Clinic on August 19th.
• The Svens are coming, again, this time in a Sven-nado. Saturday, Sept 15th, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm OR Sunday, Sept 16th, 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm (riders may only attend one day). Check out xXx Racing’s site for more details.
• Half Acre is again hosting their CX Eliminator race on Saturday 9/29/18 at Big Marsh. We’ll publish details when we receive them.
• Blackstone Bicycle Works is hiring a Full-time Program Manager. Strong candidates will be people-focused and strategic thinkers. Deadline to apply is August 8th. More information is here or contact Matthew Searle (773.241.6044, [email protected])
• And finally… our friends at the Rapha Clubhouse Chicago are again hosting our 2018 CCC Kick Off party, on Thursday evening 9/6/2018. We’ll have dranks, maybe some food, a raffle to benefit West Town and Blackstone, and all the normal cheer to help start the season off right on the right foot (or left if you’re a goofy foot like Kevin Powels). We hope you’ll join us for an hour or two in casual street clothes (or dress up if that’s your thing) before we start racing!

• We’ve been making a bunch of website updates so take a look around and see what’s new. We’ll have some more significant updates next week.
• Do you have any feedback from last season you’d like to share with us? We’re always trying to make the series better and want to hear from anyone and everyone. Email us and let us know!
• Second call for Series Sponsors and Volunteers. Email us if you would like to be involved this year.
• And finally… UPB is hosting a UPB Juniors CX Camp on Sunday 8/19 from 9am-12:30pm in Willow Springs. Details are here and registration is over on BikeReg. There is NO ON-SITE REGISTRATION for this clinic/camp. Time to get RAD!oactive!