Just a reminder that everyone needs to sign in and get a new number tomorrow… DO NOT race with your number from Saturday or you will not be scored

– #ILRcx More venue/course info here.

– Preliminary staging will be posted here for Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s results will affect Sunday’s staging.

– SRAM neutral support in the equipment pit both days.

– Due to forecasted high winds and rain SCW is requiring all tents be torn down, all the way, Saturday night. You may leave your tent(s) on premise overnight.

– Bike wash available, but not in the equipment pit. The hose is located next to the pro-shop just outside the door to registration.

– No warming up on the fairways or west of the course. The warmer temps this weekend mean the golf course will be open to golfers.

– Please stay off the putting greens at all times.

– Kids cx is on for both Sat and Sun. Open course starting at 10am, “racing” starts at 2pm. Saturday will be a C1 with UCI points up for grabs.

– Half Acre Cycling will be collecting cycling clothing for West Town Bikes. See details here.

– The Cave Bar will be open as well as an all you can eat buffet in the Masters restaurant.

– The course: Classic ILR features with a few new sections. Approximation of this weekend’s course is here.

Photo: Rob Whittier

– Thanks to Rob Curtis and his entire PSIMET crew for another hilly and fun PSI-clocross for Life event.

– Up next, the CCC heads to the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort (ILR) hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen for the 2nd of two double weekends in the series. Online pre-reg is split between two events on BikeReg and closes tomorrow night (Wednesday) for both events, so do it now. Details are forthcoming concerning any festivities at the Cave Bar Saturday night.

– Just a reminder for everyone (looking at you Cat 4’s & 5’s) that if your bib # is high up on your back the officials can’t see it from the scoring tent. The officials want to score you in the race just as much as you want to see your result, so please help them out and pin your bib # to the side panel of your jersey/skinsuit.

– Chris Henning and Melas CX are looking for a few volunteers to help out with their race on 11/24/13. Volunteers race for free & lunch is provided. If you are interested please sign-up on this page: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B45ACA6292-melas2

– Online pre-reg is now open for the two days of Montrose Harbor. Looking to make a weekend out of the State Championship event? Ten27 Cycling Club and Spidermonkey Cycling have secured some hotel deals for everyone:

1. City Suites Hotel at 933 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, 60657. Call 773.404.3400 and mention the group code “CYCLO” for a rate of $109 per night, plus tax, for a room with a queen size bed. A room with two double beds or a king bed will be $139. The City Suites hotel offers complimentary continental breakfast, wireless internet, and many other amenities. Nearby parking is $22 per night with 24-hour in and out privileges. Check-in at 3:00, check-out at 11:00, early check-in or late check-out can be arranged for an additional $30. 48 hour cancellation. More at chicagocitysuites.com. Hotel is 2.5 miles south of the race venue.
2. Heart O’ Chicago Motel at 5990 N. Ridge Avenue, Chicago, 60660. Call 773.271.9181, please mention that you’re attending the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships at Montrose Harbor. Rates are $79 per night, plus tax, for a double bed, $87 per night for two double beds or a king bed. This motel is a more basic alternative for the more budget minded, but still includes complimentary continental breakfast, wireless internet, and parking. More at heartochicago.com. Motel is 3 miles north of the race venue.

– 2013 Series sponsor NovaCare Rehabilitation is a physical therapy provider with clinics throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Our therapists specialize in treating sports injuries and orthopedic conditions. In addition to our physical therapy services, our Andersonville clinic offers bike fits by a physical therapist (and CCC participant.) All of our clinics offer complimentary injury screens to help you figure out what to do about your aches and pains. Look for us at an upcoming race offering complimentary injury screens on site. Visit www.novacare.com/chicagoland to find the clinic nearest you.

– And finally… another request from our USAC officials… most CX courses are 1.5 to 2 miles in length. There’s plenty of room for you out on course to spit, blow snot-rockets, etc. Please don’t do it right in front of the officials tent where high winds can blow your spray… or better yet, save it for later.

– #PSIcx and/or WoodstockCX… plus more info here. Preliminary staging will be here on Friday.

– Sorry, but there will be no kiddie race this weekend.

– No parking on the grass, and no vehicles on the grass. the village of Woodstock has warned every year that they will ticket cars and each year PSIMET ends up having to have a nice conversation with the kind officer who sits there threatening to ticket. This year the local constable WILL ticket everyone they want who is parked on the grass.

– Nappolis is selling food. Same as last year. Mostly Pizza. There are plenty of places to eat in downtown Woodstock on the scenic square and we highly encourage any hungry racer to stop by one of those places and tell them they are there because of the CX race.

– No inside bathrooms or the warming hut this year. All Porta-potties. As a result PSIMET has ordered 7 and 2 washing stations. 2.5x the number from last year.

– Rob Curtis will have the payouts that were not collected at Campton CX. If there is any question about them though he will refer you to the Campton promoter Rob Kelley.

– PSIMET will be able to accept credit cards on site if needed. There will be an extra $2 fee to cover the costs and hassle. Cash and check are still preferred.

– Karrie Ozyuk’s crew from Lucky Brake Bicycles in Crystal Lake will be in the new double entry pit to help provide neutral support. PSIMET will provide a small number of neutral wheels for use. They will all be aluminum and clincher so… Rob doesn’t suggest a self-induced mechanical near the pit as a way of upgrading race day wheels, but if you flat and have no backup then these are for you.

– There will be no water or powerwashers available this year. On the long term list. If weather becomes an issue we highly advise you get someone in the pit to work for you.

– As always, but especially now that it gets dark very quickly in the evening, PSIMET and the South Chicago Wheelmen would appreciate any help tearing down the course after the Cat 4/5 race.

– While Rob Curtis LOVES the festivities on Heckle Hill, he asks that if you bring it in you pack it out… or at least drop it in one of the trash cans. It is often tough to see after the last race due to sunset. The smell of day old Jello-shots on Monday is something he’d like to avoid having to pick up this year if at all possible.

– Due to all the hubbub regarding Ben Berden, Rob will be hosting a #HeckleClinic on Twitter leading up to and throughout the race. “You suck” is not a heckle, so learn from a pro how to do it right.

– The course: We still haven’t figured out how to embed the new GoogleMaps into the site, so here’s the link. If you know how to do this please get in touch with us.

– Thanks to Rob Kelley and the Bicycle Heaven crew for another great Campton CX. The weather was outrageous and so were the costumes. Make sure to see the links below for a huge number of great photos from our CCC photogs.

– Next up stop #8 of the CCC heads NW to Woodstock for Rob Curtis and PSIMET’s PSI-clocross For Life. Find directions here.

– There are a few other races happening in Peoria and Evanston on Saturday. Find them on BikeReg here.

– Series sponsor Moorhead Law Group, LLC is offering a special 20% discount on legal fees for any client engagement from now until January 31, 2014. The firm handles commercial real estate, sports law, and conservation matters. Prospective clients must mention the CCC to receive the discount and are subject to the firm’s engagement policy.

– Because series sponsor TZCoaching believes athletes should train during the winter to see the biggest gains in their next season, they are offering a great deal during the month of November. Purchase a Wahoo Kickr at retail price ($1099) and a 4 month winter coaching package and only pay for 2 of those months!!! That’s right, get ready for your 2014 season right, by purchasing a great trainer and combine that with personalized coaching at half the price!!! So for $350 you’ll get 4 months of coaching, and to make it a little easier on you TZCoaching can make those monthly recurring payments for you rather then paying up front. TZCoaching‘s goal is to help you get the most out of this winter, so they are doing what they can to make this investment easier for you! Contact TZCoaching for details and to purchase the Kickr. You must purchase the trainer through TZCoaching in order to get the coaching deal, so contact them today!

– You’ve trained like a pro, now get treated like one. Snyder Cycling Services has some great services, especially for those of you heading to Boulder this season for CX Nationals. Also, monthly wine and snacks at the shop. See all the details here or stop by the Velosmith Bicycle Studio tent at the races and say hello to Chandler himself.

– And finally… we know you’ve all been waiting very patiently, and we can now finally take the big red bow off the surprise. Ten27 Cycling Club has teamed up with Spidermonkey Cycling to bring us 2 DAYS of championship racing at Montrose Harbor for race 12 of the CCC and the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships. Check out the Day 1 and Day 2 schedules on BikeReg.com. Online pre-reg opens NEXT MONDAY 11/11/13 at 9am.  Since fields have been filling up all season long the only combined fields will be the Juniors and Ten27 Cycles has added another non-championship event on Saturday afternoon for Cat 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s wanting to get in some last minute prep… and earning a little extra scratch. Let’s make this another great Montrose event and make a weekend out of it.

– #CamptonCX

– More details here. Preliminary staging will be here.

– Remember reg closes 30 minutes before the scheduled start of each race. If you’re late, you’re not racing. We’re even giving you an extra hour to sleep in this year.

– Don’t put your Halloween costume away just yet. Race director Rob Kelley will be the judge in the annual costume contest. A bottle of an adult beverage to the winner if they are of drinking age, otherwise gift certificate to Bicycle Heaven if you are younger than 21. The bar has been set very high by the NECX. Let’s show ’em what the CCC is made of.

– TDogs BBQ will be back again and Bicycle Heaven is bringing in a 2nd food vendor that will be selling brats… so plenty of food.

– Campton CX has also upped the prize money, again and with a total of $2610.

– Kiddie Race at 2pm.

– The Course: Very similar if not exactly the same as last year.

– Thanks again to Jim Nowak and the entire ABD crew for another great ABD Sunrise Park race. The weather was delightful and the winds were much lower than in years past, but the racing action was still red hot.

– The 2013 CCC season is now half over, or the other half is still left to be determined… can you believe it? Next up, stop #7 takes us to Campton CX where Rob Kelley and the Bicycle Heaven crew takes us up hills, through woods, and over dale. Thursday preview at the regular time and place, but get started with the static preview here.

– Another reminder, if you have pre-reg’d and for whatever reason (we won’t judge) don’t plan to race, especially in a filled & closed and/or combined category, please get in touch with the race promoter via the “Contact Event” link in BikeReg to let them know. We still have lots of riders wanting to race and it makes it easier on everyone if we can get those waitlisted riders into the event before race day.

– Concerning lapped riders, we are now in the 2nd half of the season and the guys and gals at the front of each race are really duking it out for every last series point. Accordingly we would like to give those riders challenging each other for the overall series title every opportunity to earn those points of their own, er, accord. What this means is those of you out of contention for a top placing and either being lapped or about to be lapped on the final lap, can expect to be pulled (and placed) early. The chief USAC referee will make the final decision (based on the application of the 80% rule, see page 115) during each race about who gets pulled. We are not trying to penalize anyone here, but simply give the lead riders a clear track to race on.

– Similarly, never, ever, ever, evar, enter the race track to preview it before the USAC officials say it is okay. Furthermore, never, ever, ever enter the race track in front the finish line. You could seriously impede racers finishing (as happened this past Sunday) or worse cause a crash and injury. No one wants that. So, very simply… you are only allowed to enter the race track past the finish line and once given the okay by the USAC officials. To facilitate this and make it clear as mud, we are going to borrow an idea from our CX friends in Colorado. Look for the green flag at the finish line. When it is raised you may enter the race track AFTER the finish line. When the red flag is raised no one is allowed on the race track except those riders in the current race. No exceptions. Ever. Violators can and will be disqualified.

– And finally… just because the Euro Pros do it and don’t get penalized doesn’t mean we are allowed to.