• #ABDcx  Remember to check out the standard preview page here.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here.
• 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.
• 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).
• ABD will be awarding a Women Cat 3 payout the same as the Men Cat 3.
• Payouts will be held until Campton Cross. Any payouts not claimed after Campton Cross will be donated to Bartlett Park District Foundation.
• North of the Border will be serving Mexican and American w/ veggie options.
• Kiddie race is at 2pm!
• Weather: The forecast is calling for 100% chance of awesome and file-treads. Get those bikes cleaned off from Carpentersville ASAP!
• No alcohol.  Sorry Park rules.
• The Course: Very similar to last year (yes, the map name is correct). As always the course can change between now and Sunday.

• Looks like everyone had a great time in the mud at the this past weekend’s Carpentersville event. Thanks to everyone who helped and thanks for everyone’s patience as we had to switch venues at the last minute. Feedback from the village of Carpentersville and area residents has been positive and given the construction and changes at Carpenter Park we may be back at the Woodland school again next year. Check back next summer for details.
• Results from this past weekend are here except for Overall Standings which we’ll have up shortly.
• Snowy Mountain Photography went to great heights to take some great pics which are here.
• John Gatto has another video for everyone at: vimeo.com/187789731
• Speaking of results… we’re very sorry the One2Go emails weren’t delivered until later in the day on Sunday. Apparently Gmail put One2Go in the penalty box for sending out so many emails this weekend (they were also at the GP of Gloucester which had 1k pre-reg’d riders both days) and wanted to check they weren’t spamming half of the CX racers in the country. We’re working with One2Go to avoid this scenario in the future, but in the meantime, get yourself on Twitter where results are also tweeted in real time and there are no such restrictions on the number of tweets sent out. You can also follow along on LiveLynxResults.com.

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LOCATION CHANGE!! LOCATION CHANGE!! LOCATION CHANGE!!

In case you have been living under a rock we will be at 770 Navajo Dr at the former Woodland Elementary School… Still in Carpentersville, but NOT Carpenter Park and NOT Randall Oaks Park. Please let all of your friends still using Netscape know.

• This is another new venue for everyone, so please take it easy and help out if and where needed.
• Even though its not actually in Carpenter Park we’re going to revert to and use the hashtag #carpenterCX since we’re back in Carpentersville.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here: https://goo.gl/OQdkfC
• Numbers will still go on your left.
• Kiddie Cross at noon! Parents need to sign a waiver. Ages 10 and under. 5 age groups: 2 and under, 3-4 y/o, 5-6 y/o, 7-8 y/o, 9-10 y/o.
• Sorry, no petting zoo this year.
• Food offerings: Dave’s Slow Food and Jim’s Dogs and Brats.
• Drinking water is on site.
• Weather: The forecast says overcast and 20% change of rain during the day, but rain the night before and after. Temps in the mid 60’s, so please plan and dress appropriately.
• No Alcohol permitted on the property.
• Parking: The school has a small lot so an area will remain open for tent drop off, plenty of street parking surrounding the school – please respect the posted parking signs. If need be, the Sunny Hill School lot is available on Helm Rd.
• The Course: Runs clockwise. The Squatches over at Main Street Bicycles have managed to put down their beer cans for a long enough period of time in order to lumber around every inch of this modest territory, once reserved for small children, and bring you an adult sized course full of woodland adventures.  It’s sure to grow a thick coat of fur on those finely shaven road legs. Course map below should be unlocked soon.

Photo courtesy of Snowy Mountain Photography

The Chicago Cyclocross Cup, with exceptional help from people like Paul Swinand and Lou Kuhn from the PonyShop, has done something spectacular.  It is not unusual to see 100+ juniors line up at any given race!  It gives a lot of hope for the future of our sport and CX is finally feeling a little less fringe.

According to Paul Swinand “Kids want to have fun.  If it is not fun they’re gone”.  The Pony Shop crew doesn’t have structured training for their juniors, but rather rides and events.  It keeps them interested because it keeps it fun.

Chris Lombardo, father of the fastest kid to come out of the cup, shared much the same sentiments.  “Even when David was showing a strong interest and ability in the sport we kept it light.  We did do training at intensity at a certain point, but we’d be laughing while trying to beat each other up a hill”. Chris also points out that too much intensity can actually stunt a child’s ability to grow and develop to their full physical potential.  And not only is David Lombardo an amazing bike racer, he also goes through life with proper balance and that is a testament to parents who helped him keep the big picture in mind.

Oh ya, they’re serious

Interest is at least as important as talent.  Odds are that the most naturally gifted endurance athlete in the world is hanging out somewhere right now not thinking about endurance sports. There are many at the top of their respective game though that were mid-pack in the beginning.  Music, academics, sport….whatever.  Kids that love something can become great at it.

One of the challenges you face as a parent is that there are not always a group of fellow juniors to ride with.   In this case you’ll walk a fine line between fun, encouragement and preparation.  We’ve created a schedule for this very situation that blends skills, fitness and fun together.

Monday – off

Tuesday – skills.  Easy ride with some work on starts, barriers and cornering.  All fun, no hard efforts unless they want to do them.

Wednesday – bandit CX if available.  Otherwise just a fun ride on a challenging course.

Thursday – off

Friday – off

Saturday – Kid Opener.  Essentially the same as Tuesday’s skills ride.

Sunday – CCC race

Keep in mind that this is an example of the most training that we would recommend in a week.  Wednesday turns into more of a fitness oriented effort and Sunday is the hard ride. Two days with some intensity is plenty and keep them fun.  Regardless of the schedule that you have in mind, an important part of the mix is to listen, learn and change things up if that is what your child needs.

Kids are awesome!

• Wow, who’d a thunk Dan Ryan Woods would be muddy? What is already one of the series’ more challenging courses turned into an outright tractor pull. Thanks to everyone who came out to race, run, climb, & swim… and everyone who stuck around all day to cheer on all our riders. All the results you seek are linked here.
• Speaking of results, for those of you who are new to the series, and a reminder for you old timers, we put up a “Pics, Vids, and Race Reports” post on each race’s page the day of each event. Apologies if these pages have gotten buried in the new website design. Please use these pages to post links to all the great photos & videos you are taking throughout the day as well as race reports and comments. We can’t manually scour the web to curate all the content out there, so please give us a hand. Everyone enjoys seeing themselves on Monday morning.
• Speaking of comments, keep sending them our way. We read all the comments on the CCC website & Twitter and reply back to every email within 24 hours… usually much faster. The CCC only gets better based on constant rider feedback.
• Next up the CCC travels Northwest out to Carpentersville… or at least somewhere very nearby. An 11th hour construction project at Carpenter Park will have us moving to another (hopefully) temporary location up the road. We’re still working out the final details with race director, CCC series director, Main St Bikes owner/operator, Belgian beer connoisseur, and all around great guy Jeff Provisor. But if anyone knows how to pivot on a dime and pull an event together its Jeff and his Main St Sasquatch Squadron… squad. Stay tuned for details and look for the updated course preview at the regular time Thursday morning. In the meantime tell all your friends who never visit this website to come here and read this website.
• And finally…  if you’re looking to get involved with the rad ladies of Chicago Women’s Elite Cycling next season, please attend their “Get Involved with CWEC in 2017” event tonight at BFF Bikes in Bucktown. See more info on their The Facebook page here.

This weekend is the 8^th year Beverly Bike*VeePak is bringing you some fun adventures on Chicago’s Southside!  It’s stop #3 of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup (CCC) at Dan Ryan Woods-CCC#3.

• On Sunday for all PRE-REGISTERED racers, BBVP has once again graciously contracted some good eats for all of our racers. This year we are trying something fun and new. We will be offering a Taco Bar with beef, turkey, and bean options. BBVP is again covering all of this food… so preregister and ENJOY! Tickets will be stapled to your bib #’s for redemption. Do not lose the ticket and if you enjoy it, make sure to tip your cooks.
• Water: BBVP will NOT be supplying water (saving the world with less plastic). There are two water fountains on site, but please bring your own hydration.
• For the 4th year in a row (for this event) One2Go Event Services will be with us for professional timing and results. All preregistered riders (with valid email addresses included in their BikeReg profiles) will receive race results and lap times for via email shortly following their finish. Riders MUST be preregistered to enjoy this feature. Results will also be tweeted by @One2Go_Results on twitter following each event.  Bib numbers (always) go on your LEFT SIDE! Failure to follow properly place bib #’s risk you not being scored and potentially a $20 fine. Live scoring of the races will be found at www.livelynxresults.com.
• Don’t know if your email address is correct in BikeReg? Use the “Edit Entry” link in the “My BikeReg” section of your BikeReg.com rider profile.
• Parking: Parking is free, and the best spots are off of the 8500 S Western Ave entrance to the park… follow parking lot to the South.
• The Chicago Marathon is again being run on Sunday so please plan your travel times to and from the race accordingly.
• Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com closes TONIGHT. Please remember on-site registration closes 30 minutes prior to each race’s scheduled start time. All bib #’s must be picked up prior to registration closing so please be timely and considerate to all those you race with and DO NOT show up 15 minutes before your race expecting to still get in, even if you preregistered. Your numbers must be picked up no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of your race. We will be doing a hard cut off 30 minutes prior to handle any waitlists. If you’re late, you go to the end of the wait list. No exceptions so come early and get your numbers!
• For 2016, we have rented out the pavilion/chalet and we will be hosting registration inside. Please allow yourselves a few extra minutes to safely make your way from parking to the pavilion to get your bib numbers.
• For the kiddies…  kids under 9 years old should come to the main viewing area of the race on Sunday at 11:40 am for a free prize from Beverly Bike & Ski Shop.
• Weather looks great with 100% chance of awesome.
• Preliminary staging will be posted here by Saturday.
• Forgot to pick up your payout from Hopkins Park? Winnings can be picked up at Comrade Cycles 1908 W. Chicago Ave, and at Dan Ryan Woods on Sunday.
• The Course: Runs counter-clockwise. The course will once again be offering a little something for everyone. It will have straightaway power sections, hills (and we do mean hills), technical turn sections, and the infamous bunny hops will be transformed into something magical this year. Energy management will be key. Bring your awesomeness!

• Hopkins Park was again well worth the drive out to Dekalb. Thanks to Comrades Cycles Racing for hosting the event. All the results are here. We know we’re missing the Cat 4/5’s and the Women Cat 3 need to be fixed. Stupid Microsoft auto-updates have us running to the pits but we’ll have all those loose ends tied up later this week.
• Speaking of results, if you have upgraded from a Cat 4 to Cat 3 since LaBagh Woods, please email us and let us know so 1/2 your points will follow you to the next category. Also, if you upgrade before Carpenter Park, please email us. Otherwise you will not be staged or possibly awarded a Pactimo Series Leader jersey correctly.
• Speaking of being correct… the CCC matches all team names to what you have listed as your CX team or club name in the USAC rider database. If its not listed there, then we don’t print it. If you need to make a change or update your CX team name, please call USAC and kindly ask them to change it. We can manually change team names for LaBagh and/or Hopkins if need be, but otherwise its up to you to update your info accordingly.
• Next up the series heads back to the South side of the city for Dan Ryan Woods. Plenty of power sections, tricky bits, and hills. Look for the course preview at the regular time on Thursday.
• Series sponsor Tipping Point Photography has some updates over on the TPP blog including race pics from Hopkins Park, news about pre-holiday family portrait and headshot sessions, and an opportunity to purchase a custom framed print of “Colder Days Ahead”–the iconic snowy Montrose Harbor shot from a few seasons back. Read more here.
• Series sponsor Snowy Mountain Photography also takes some rad photos, check them out over at snowymountainphotography.com
• And finally… GREAT NEWS from our friend over at the Bonebell… Construction at Big Marsh is nearing completion and park opening will soon be upon us!!! If you would like to get a first-hand look prior to official park opening, join Friends of Big Marsh and partners this Saturday morning, October 8 in a volunteer effort to lay woodchips on the first hiking trail. Sorry, there will be NO BIKE RIDING at the park yet, although you are encouraged to ride to the event.
  And it’s not too late to be a CHAINRING DONOR with your name permanently emblazoned in the bike park as a magnanimous grassroots supporter! And finally, those sexy and slimming Big Marsh KITS will be available for sale again soon for delivery by the holidays with all proceeds benefiting Friends of Big Marsh for continued build-out of park features. Check for updates at our Facebook page.  #buildbigmarsh #putaringonit
  Volunteer Event: goo.gl/Ji4jMQ

  CHAINRING DONOR: bigmarsh.org/#build

  Facebook: facebook.com/bigmarshchicago/