Photo: Luke Seemann

– #MontroseCX

– One more to go! Ten27 Cycles once again and now with Spidermonkey Cycling host the last stop in the 2013 Chicago Cyclocross Cup… which is also the Illinois State CX Championships at Montrose Harbor. Yes, its going to be cold, but we here at the CCC, Ten27, and Spidermonkeys ask everyone to bundle up, bring your cowbells and cameras, and make a day out of Montrose… which means BOTH DAYS. Lots to review below, so buckle up…

– Registration: We’ll be running reg the same way as every other CCC race. Please allow all 40+ racers to pick up their numbers first since they have to get ready first. Several fields are either already full or very close. Online waitlists are on BikeReg. The only combined categories are the Juniors, but all categories have a field limit of 100 riders. After No-Shows are removed we put in the online waitlisted riders, then its first come, first served until we hit the 100 rider limit. Online pre-reg closes tonight for both days of racing… so if you’re not yet reg’d, do everyone (yourself included) a favor and reg now!

– Montrose would not be possible without the generous support of the race sponsors below. Please find a way to thank them at the events this weekend:

• Goose Island’s 312 Beer
• EJ’s Place in Skokie
• Wheel & Sprocket
• Autobarn VW
• Chicago Chiropractic and Sports Medicine
• The American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure
• The Multiple Sclerosis Society

– Staging: Staging will follow the same protocol we’ve been using all season long in the series. See the procedure here.

– Preliminary staging will be posted here on Friday.

– State Champion Requirements: Ten27 Cycling, Spidermonkey Cycling, and the ICA will be presenting 15 CX IL State Champion Jerseys (on the podiums) to the first IL rider to cross the finish line in every category (excluding the 4/5’s). This means Juniors 15-18 AND Juniors 10-14… boys AND girls, Women Cat 3, and yet even the 60+! Remember that in order to win the state championship you must be a permanent Illinois resident (we’ll be checking ID’s), a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a valid and unsuspended 2013 USAC annual license before the start of the race (yes, we’re looking at you Cat 4’s). There must also be a full podium of IL riders (that means 3) to win the state jersey. This should not be a problem in any category.

– All races are championship races except the Cat 4/5 on Sunday and the Cat 2/3/4 on Saturday. The Saturday race is an opportunity for Category 2 riders to win some good cash prizes without the usual competition from the Category 1’s.  It also affords the Category 3 riders a unique opportunity to race against the next level up, without taking on a bunch of Category 1 riders.  For those who’ve been resting this week to “taper” for the State Championships on Sunday, it is a good opportunity to test themselves in a shorter race, to make sure all systems are firing, before the big one on Sunday.

– Podiums presentations for each race (top 3 overall in the race) AND and for the IL state championship (top 3 IL riders in the race) will occur immediately after each race finish… so pay attention after your race, we may be calling your name! The one exception will be the Juniors races when the podiums will be awarded at 2 pm.

– Ted Burger hosts the “Kid CX State Championships” at 1pm (not 2pm) on Sunday. Note the quotes, we’re having fun here and there is no such thing as a kids state championship jersey. But we do have cool #1 bib numbers for everyone!

– Payouts: 5 deep per the 2013 CCC minimum payouts.

– The Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding extra prizes and trophies for Junior categories. The (other) CCC will be giving out junior girls awards as usual (5 deep, medals and ribbons) for the race as well as trophies (3 deep) for final CCC overall standings in Boys 15-18, Girls 15-18, Boys 10-14, and Girls 10-14.

– The Cuttin’ Crew will also be awarding trophies for the top 3 women in the Single Speed category on Saturday. A few rules apply.

– While a few riders have already locked up their CCC overall titles (see riders in yellow), there are quite a few very, very, very close categories still to be decided on Saturday AND Sunday. Overall titles will be  posted Saturday and Sunday, but all official overall series awards will be presented at the CCC Awards Party on Sunday December 22nd at EJ’s Place. We look forward to celebrating with all of you.

– Speaking of parties… Saturday evening all Montrose racers and spectators are invited to a Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration at 4:30 pm at Holiday Club Chicago, on the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Irving Park Road, a half mile south of the race venue.  Everyone attending will get a free Goose Island beer.   Sign up to attend on the Facebook; search for Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration.

– Food: The Big Star truck will again be serving tacos both Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm. Nom nom nom.

– For the last day of CCC racing, series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation will have physical therapists on hand providing complimentary injury screens. Anyone (racers or spectators) can stop by to get any injury (cycling related or not, new or old) checked out (for free!) for advice on how best to manage it. Look for the green NovaCare tent on Sunday 10:30 – 12:30. Or stop by for a complimentary granola bar for snacking or to ask us about our bike fitting services and physical therapy services. Can’t make it then? Injury screens are available at no charge at any of our clinics. Go to www.novacare.com/chicagoland.htm for the clinic nearest you.

– More than any other factor, the weather usually makes Montrose the legend it is. Right now the forecast is cold with sun on Saturday with a 50% chance of snowy awesomeness on Sunday. In any event, the weather can always change on a dime, especially next to the lake, so bundle up, dress appropriately, and come prepared with extra warm (& dry) gear.

– Chris Zigmont will be announcing the race.

– Parking: Parking will be on the street only along Simonds Dr. Simonds Drive will be closed to through traffic on both Saturday and Sunday between the staging grid and finish line.  You may approach the race course on Simonds Drive from either Wilson Avenue or from Montrose Avenue, but you will have to turn around and leave the same way you came in.  Please do not park adjacent to the Type III “road closure” barricades, as Ten27 is required to leave enough room for all cars to turn around at the barricades.  Only authorized vehicles (i.e. officials, CCC staff, One2Go results trailer, BigStarTruck, etc) will be allowed within the road closures.

– Bib Numbers: On your LEFT SIDE as always.

– One2Go Results (the same as DRW & ILR) will be back and providing camera timing and results. However, if your bib number is on the wrong side, you will NOT be scored nor will you receive lap times. So pin those numbers correctly.

– The equipment pit is in the best place to put it given the layout of the course. Please do NOT leave your spare bikes and wheels in the pit after your race. The next category needs to use the pit too. Neutral race support will be provided by Wheel and Sprocket near registration.

– Tents: Feel free to set up your tents to the West of registration and the sand pit. Given the ever present potential for strong winds, bring weights and stakes. Also, Ten27 will have an expo area near registration with designated tent spots for race sponsors, so please do not set up your tents in these spots or you will be asked to move. If you’re setting up on Saturday, there will be a security guard watching the venue Saturday night, but teams are responsible for their belongs… meaning you should pack up your tents and not leave them at the venue overnight.

– The Course: Ten27 Cycling’s course designer Chuck Judy brings back several of Montrose’s classic features while reinventing other parts of the course yet again. The course runs anti-clockwise, beginning at the staging grid which will now be on the South side Simonds Dr. The finish line and registration tent will be in nearly the same location as years past, just off the road to the North and near the main sand pit, however the finish line will now be on the paved path. Riders will have the full width of the tunnel heading southbound under Simonds Drive.  The course will then cross back over the tunnel on Simonds Dr to complete the loop, resulting in the first paved flyover ever in the CCC. Yes the main sand pit will be back, where spectators are all but guaranteed a great view of all the action. As always the final course track will be determined Saturday morning and may be altered from the map below.

– Thanks again to Rob Curtis and his PSIMET crew for another great NORGE Ski Jump CX. We hope you all enjoyed the race and had a great Thanksgiving beforehand.

– Up next, the last race of the series at Montrose Harbor in downtown Chicago hosted by Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling. Course preview at the normal time on Thursday, but a bunch of info is already over here on the preview page. Also, on Sunday leave your beers at home… Goose Island will be on site to sell 312 beer and E.J.’s Place will be selling Italian sausages. All beer must be consumed inside the Beer Garden, which will be set up between the finish and the sand pits in a large heated tent, so you can see all the action.

– A few other events on the horizon…

– The Bonebell crew is hosting the CCC 10th Anniversary Party this Friday night. Buy tickets now over here and RSVP via FB.

– The Midwest Regional CX Champs p/b Intelligentsia (@MWRCXC) will be held Sunday 12/15/13 at Dan Ryan Woods.

– And lastly the Afterglow is Saturday 12/21/13 at Douglas Park, as is Sweet Justice.

– The CCC Awards Party is Sunday 12/22/13 again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are for sale on BikeReg. Overall series cowbells, food, fun, beer, & door prizes.

– USAC CX Nationals are 1/7/14 – 1/12/14 in Boulder, CO. Check out Snyder Cycling Services and Pro Bike Express to get your gear there and back again.

Tipping Point Photo

– Looking to deck your walls with the perfect gift? Consider purchasing a print from long time CCC series sponsor Tipping Point Photography! Tipping Point’s travel and art photography–including a few cyclocross landscapes–will be on sale at the Peterson Garden Project Holiday Market beginning this Friday, Dec. 6 and running through Saturday, Dec. 14. The market is being held at the PGP Learning Center, 4642 N. Francisco, just off the Francisco Brown Line stop in Ravenswood Manor–not far from Montrose Harbor, which means you can stop in before or after your race! 15% of all market proceeds go to support PGP’s educational community gardening programs. More info, including a full market schedule: http://tinyurl.com/PGPHolidayMarket.

– There are still a few 2013 CCC Series t-shirt available. We’ll call it PlainOleInternetTuesday.

– As of this past Sunday (12/1/13) you can start renewing your annual USAC license. Annual licenses purchased on or after 12/1/13 are good until 12/31/2014. We highly suggest renewing/purchasing your license online at USACycling.org as this is the easiest (for everyone) and most efficient method.

– And finally… This Saturday evening, all Montrose racers and spectators are invited to a Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration at 4:30 pm at Holiday Club Chicago, on the corner of Sheridan Rd. and Irving Park Road, a half mile south of the race venue.  Everyone attending will get a free Goose Island beer.   Sign up to attend on the Facebook; search for Montrose Cyclo-Cross Celebration.

 Happy Thanksgiving!

The CCC wishes everyone a safe, healthy, fun, and happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Good luck to everyone racing NORGE Ski Jump CX, and we look forward to seeing you all again next weekend in downtown Chicago at Montrose Harbor for the CCC’s finalé and IL State Championship.

– #NORGEcx. Preliminary staging will be posted here on Thursday.

– This is the 3rd year of the NORGE Ski Jump cyclocross race hosted by PSIMET. Never raced CX in much less seen a ski jump? This is your chance.

– PSIMET expects roughly 300 racers.

– This race is on SATURDAY. Don’t show up on Sunday.

– No Parking on any road. All parking must be in the field near the course as marked on the map or in the soccer fields – same as for the Fox River Grove crit. 2 road crossings with marshals. Be aware of them just in case as the full road is NOT closed.

– The schedule is NOT THE SAME AS A CCC RACE! Check the flyer for your category’s time slot. Then double check it to be sure! Almost everyone will have more than 1 chance to race. Please do!

– Beer will be on sale at Norge, sold by the Norge Ski Jump. Please purchase your beer from them. If you plan on consuming alcohol please realize that it is 100% OK (and somewhat encouraged in a responsible manner). We specifically ask for NO OPEN CONTAINERS ON ANY PUBLIC ROAD. You can and will be ticketed if that occurs. Either side of the road is private property though.

– Please stay off of the landing mats at the base of the jumps as well as please do NOT climb the jump itself. You can climb the hill and look out if you’d like but insurance won’t allow you on the jump structure itself.

– All proceeds go towards PSIMET breaking even. This being the 4th and final race of each calendar year that PSIMET hosts they essentially have this as their “Thank You” party to the Chicago racing community. They’re just trying to cover costs and pay Norge what they are looking for. Please come out and enjoy the day with PSIMET. It’s a truly unique venue and a huge surprise to anyone who has never been there before.

– Currently there is no one slated to provide food. Norge has a concession and after small turnout the first year they decided not to open it. There are a lot of eateries very close to the venue. You could also pack a lunch, some beverages and make a day of it.

– Staging will be by CrossResults.com points, then order of registration.

– Online reg is here and closes tonight!

– The 2013 course is below:

– Thanks to Chris Henning and his crew for another great Melas CX Basin Racin’.

– This coming weekend the CCC stays at home to eat Pumpkin’ Pie, but Rob Curtis and the PSIMET crew host NORGE Ski Jump CX on SATURDAY 11/30/13. We usually don’t like to claim the first or the one and only, but as far as we know there isn’t another CX race anywhere held at a ski jump. If you’re in town for the holidays don’t miss out on all of the fun.

– The weekend after the CCC returns for the final race of the series held over two days at Montrose Harbor. Lots of great details are in the work so stay tuned.

– Need more Championship racing? The Midwest Regional CX Champs p/b Intelligentsia will be held Sunday 12/15/13 at Dan Ryan Woods. Follow @MWRCXC for more.

– And to finish off the Chicagoland CX season in style, don’t forget Afterglow, back for another year at Douglas Park. You can expect some Sweet Justice!

– The CCC end of year Awards Party will be held Sunday 12/22/13 again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are now on sale on BikeReg. We’ll award the overall series cowbells and prizes but, you can expect a few new additions to the event.

– Going or even thinking about going to USAC CX Nationals in Boulder? You have two options to get your gear there. Snyder Cycling Services and Pro Bike Express are one option. Hear about it here from Chandler himself. Also Verdigris-Village CX is sending a trailer to CX Nats. Contact Ken Johnson for details.

– Looking for a holiday gift for that special CX someone? How about a stylish 2013 CCC Series t-shirt? Quantities are limited.

– Thanks to all of those riders who donated their ILR prize payouts back to charity. The SCW, CCC, and certainly the recipients of that money very much appreciate your generosity.

– And finally… this weekend as we all give thanks for family, friends, turkey, cranberry, quinoa, gluten free biscuits, pie, and everything else around the table… we at the CCC want to thank all of YOU… the riders, mechanics, supporters, sponsors, fans, and yes even the hecklers for making the Chicago Cyclocross Cup the great community that it is. Have a great extended holiday weekend and we’ll see all of you at Montrose Harbor!

– #MelasCX and more here. Preliminary staging will be posted here sometime Friday.

– Parking: The promoters will have some spots reserved for locals who may want to use the park. Overflow parking will be at Bosch Tools to the immediate west of Melas Park and located at 800 W Central Rd, Mt Prospect . There is an opening in the fence to get you from the Bosch lot to Melas Park.

– Vehicles in the Park: please don’t drive your vehicle on the grass or park in a reserved spot. If you have a team trailer or vehicle that you want to setup please contact Chris Henning (through the Contact Event link on BikeReg) ahead of time & he’ll work out a spot for you.

– Park rules: Sorry, we don’t make them but we do have to follow them… no alcohol allowed. Please be respectful of the park.

– No kids race this weekend.

– Announcing: Kenny Labbe will be back and announcing all day long.

– Weather: It’s supposed to be sunny but VERY cold on Sunday so please bundle up!

– Series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation will have physical therapists on site providing complimentary injury screens. Racers or spectators- any aches or pains you would like to get checked out by a PT? Look for the green NovaCare tent 10:30 – 12:30. Or stop by for a complimentary snack bar or for information on our physical therapy and bike fit services. Can’t make it then? All of our clinics offer complimentary screens. Go to novacare.com/chicagoland for the clinic nearest you.

– Stixx Grille food truck from 11 am- 1pm.

– The Toasty Cheese Food Truck will be there from 1:30- 3:30.

– Volunteering: Melas CX is still looking for a few volunteers. Volunteers race for free & lunch is provided. Please sign-up here.

– The Course: Quite a bit different from last  year. Same tough hill(s) getting out of the Basin. Course map will be published Friday. Please remember the course might change based on conditions encountered during setup. As always, arriving early to preride the course is advised and highly recommended for this weekend.

Photo: Tipping Point Photography

– Well, that was another electrifyingly, weather-filled fun weekend at the Indian Lakes Resort. Thanks to the entire South Chicago Wheelmen crew for another great weekend. While no race promoter ever wants to cancel their race, safety is always the first priority. So cancelling racing from the Cat 3’s onward due to Sunday’s dangerous weather was a no brainer. It was the first time any of us can remember we actually had to cancel a CCC race ever… much less due to inclement weather. But, as a wise man once told us, “You can’t win if you don’t finish,” and the SCW, USAC Officials, and CCC would always rather play it safe than sorry. We hope everyone enjoyed the racing that did take place Saturday and Sunday morning and we thank you for their understanding in the matter.

– Next up, the CCC heads to the 11th and penultimate race in the series at Melas CX Basin’ Racin’. Course preview on Thursday at the usual time or see here.

– After that the CCC takes a well deserved weekend off to eat toferky. But fear not, Rob Curtis and his PSIMET crew will be hosting NORGE CX at the ski jump with all the trimmings!

– Then its back to the city for the 12th and final race of the series spread out over 2 days at Montrose Harbor.  Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling will also be handing out a few Illinois State CX Championship jerseys.

– Before the Montrose racing starts the The Bonebell crew is throwing a CCC 10th Anniversary Party. That’s right, the CCC turned 10 this year and a few of the founding members are getting together to relive the magic, or at least drink a few beers together. Buy tickets now over here.

– Speaking of Montrose, the Chicago Women’s CX Fund will cover Sunday registration fees at the 2013 Illinois State Championships for any Women Category 4 who races Saturday, upgrades, and then races Women Category 1/2/3 on Sunday. Details on how to double-up are here.

– Main Street Bicycles is celebrating their 10th anniversary too by giving an additional 10% off on all in stock bicycles, parts, accessories and service. This discount can be taken on top of already discounted year end bikes in stock, a savings of 20-40%! Sale is good through February, but take advantage of a good selection now!

– Getting ready for the holiday season? Why not support some of the great CCC series sponsors that support our little weekend parties all season long? Nearly all of our 2013 series sponsors are local businesses where you can stop in, drop a few duckets, and say high to the people who care enough about CX and the CCC to help make it happen.

– And finally… for those of you wondering about refunds of your entry fees from Sunday’s cancelled races, a message from Steve Feehery from the South Chicago Wheelmen; “On behalf of the South Chicago Wheelmen, we would like to thank everyone who supported our race weekend. Unfortunately due to the weather we had to cancel some of Sunday’s races. We still incurred costs. Therefore all unpaid prize money and some entry fee money will be donated to West Town Bikes, St. Jude Children’s Cancer Research Hospital, World Bike Relief and the Red Cross (to help the Washington, IL victims of Sunday’s tornadoes). Thanks for your understanding and we’ll see you next year at ILR.”

Photo: NIkki Nation