Thanks to everyone who came out to Glenwood Academy to enjoy the first race of the series. And thanks to the South Chicago Wheelmen for hosting such a great event.
Full results are online here and here and series standings are here and directly here.
Next up the series takes a week off and then heads into the city at Jackson Park CXhosted by xXx Racing. Note this race is on Sunday 10/8/2023… NOT 10/1… and at Jackson Park in the same venue as Relay CX (NOT Schiller Woods). This is also the same day as the Chicago marathon so please plan your travel time accordingly.
And finally… all series events are now open on BikeReg.com. You’ll still notice Wait List categories at the bottom of each event, but those will only open if the actual categories completely fill up, which probably won’t happen. Pre-Reg closes for all events at midnight the Friday before a race. Please remember to have your correct USAC license number in your BikeReg profile as we match everyone’s name, team name, age, etc. to that license number for consistency throughout the series. If something is wrong, just email us. And if you pre-reg we also pull in your CrossResults.com points for staging (beyond the first row). Just remember to check the preliminary staging posted on Saturday before the race. Everyone did great with all of this before Glenwood, so let’s keep it up for the rest of the season. Thanks!
The South Chicago Wheelmen host the series opener of the 2023 CCC this Sunday at Glenwood Academy CX in Glenwood, IL.
On the South side of the city, set your GPS to 500 W 187th Street Glenwood, IL 60425. Then please drive slowly through the campus to the parking area. This is an active school with children, so please drive carefully.
Registration closes on Friday night over on BikeReg.com. Its way easier to reg online as opposed to at the venue (which you still can do), and we’ll have your CrossResults.com points if you reg online. If you sign up at the venue you’ll be staged at the back of the grid.
Look for preliminary staging here some time on Saturday. As this is the first race of the series, everyone will be staged by CrossResults.com points. Then on 10/8 at Jackson Park the first row of 8 will be staged by series points and everyone else by CXR points. See the Rules & FAQ page for more details. Please check the preliminary staging on Saturday and let us know on Saturday if there are any errors as it’s a lot hard to fix Sunday at the race. Thanks!
Please renew your USAC annual license BEFORE Saturday evening before you go to bed.
Weather looks great!
There will be a Food Truck from 11-3 but that’s all we know. If you have dietary restrictions please pack your own food/drinks. There’s also plenty of stores on Halsted St just around the corner. BYOB if you’re an adult.
Parking: You can use any parking lot. Plus use the grass. DO NOT park in any cottage (residence) driveway.
Registration will be located next to officials at the finish line.
Reg is NOT in Kenny‘s tent. Lost or not sure where to go and what to do? Listen for his voice.
Staging will be at the North side of the access road at 187th St. which is reverse from the last 2 years.
The course will be open on Saturday afternoon for inspection and pre-riding.
And finally… we’re not making too many changes to the series this year, but putting on any bike race is still not easy, even if the South Chicago Wheelmen and our USAC officials make it look that way. Please be courteous to everyone and remember to say thank you to everyone making our events happen. See you all on Sunday!
Here we go, the series starts this coming Sunday 9/24/2023 at Glenwood Academy hosted by South Chicago Wheelman. Please register over on BikeReg.com. Look for the course preview at the regular time this Thursday morning.
We’ll have Kenny Labbé on the mic again this year. Listen for the dulcet tones of his soothing voice all day long.
Please help us welcome our newest Cowbell Level series sponsor Specialized Chicago. The folks at the Fulton Market location hosted our awards party earlier this and we plan to have the 2023 season awards party there again after the end of this season. In addition, both the Specialized Chicago Fulton Market and Lincoln Park locations will be providing the series with some very special raffles prizes worthy of everyone’s attention. Stay tuned for details to be announced very soon.
Still interested in being a series sponsor? There’s room for everyone. Please contact us ASAP.
We are (finally) changing the series scoring points this year (still 30 deep) to better balance out participation and placings so more categories are NOT decided until the last race of the series. Only the top 10 are affected. In years past some categories were already decided by the 2nd to last race. Shout out to Kirk Jozwiak and Nathan Snydacker for helping us figure out the new points. See the point schedule over on the Rules & FAQ page and on the last sheet of the Overall Standings.
Speaking of, now is a great time for everyone to head over to the Rules & FAQ page to (re)familiarize yourself with how the series works and all the details that makes it tick. Have questions or suggestions? Our inbox is always open at chicagocrosscup at gmail dot com.
While we’re at it, here’s your friendly beginning of the season reminder to please make sure you have your bikes tuned up, tyres pumped and pressure checked, USAC licenses renewed, online waivers initialed within BikeReg, Team name is updated after Relay CX, and all your fancy new kits, gloves, shoes, neck thingies, & helmets, ready. Need something last minute… skip Amazon and support your local bike shop(s)!
Speaking of bikes, we’re reviving the CCC ‘Whip of the Week’ program. Look for Ty Kurth as he roams the series seeking out the neatest, nerdiest, coolest CX bikes he can find.
And finally… as we do every season we’d like to remind everyone that we really do have such precious little time together. Yes in life generally, but specifically during the short CX season. Let’s have yet another great CX season with each other and enjoy each other’s company as much as possible. We’re all here because we love racing bikes and getting rad… so leave your cares and weekday life at home and embrace each Sunday while we have it. See you all soon!
Hey everyone, we’re less than 2 weeks out from the first race of the series on 9/24/2023 hosted by South Chicago Wheelman at Glenwood Academy. Please register (do we even need to call it pre-registering anymore?) over on BikeReg.com.
As mentioned last week, the 2nd race of the series should be hosted by xXx Racing with location TBD. However the date has now been pushed back 1 week to 10/8/2023. We’ll have the race on BikeReg.com as soon as everything is ready to go. Hold tight for details.
All other events are on BikeReg.com (filter by Event Type = Cyclocross, Event Location = Illinois, and Event Name = chicrosscup). We’re still waiting on permits to be finalized for Campton and Wheeling and then those events will open for registration.
We’re very happy and excited to welcome back some long-time series sponsors to 2023. We’ve completely lost count how many years all of these folks/businesses have supported the series and we are forever grateful for your support! Whether you’re looking for a new house, a new bike, a new bike helmet or lock, a new bike coach, legal help if you’ve been in a bike accident, or a new culvert and civil engineering help… please consider one of these businesses. Thanks!
And finally… we realized there was some old information on our FAQ page which has been updated. Please take a few minutes before we start the season to review and familiarize yourself with the Rules and FAQs page and the USAC RuleBook and multiple Policies. Thanks and see you all soon!
We hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend, riding bikes, enjoying the last bits of summer, and trying not to melt. Seriously, its hot.
We have most of the races up BikeReg.com, some are open for registration, and others will open as soon their USAC permits are in process.
The first race of the series will be at Glenwood Academy CX on 9/24/2023 hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen.
The 2nd race will hopefully be hosted by xXx Racing, but they’ve had some trouble securing a venue with the Forest Preserves of Cook County and Chicago Park District. Look for more details soon concerning the final location (hint: it will not be Indian Lakes).
All other events are on track to be held at their scheduled venues.
And finally, we’re still looking for a few more series sponsors to help make the series happen financially. If you or your business would like to pitch in, please contact us at chicagocrosscup at gmail. Thanks!
Voting is open until next Monday 8/21/2023 at 5pm for the 2023 Illinois State Cyclocross Championships. Please see instructions here on the ICA website and vote accordingly if your team is registered with USAC.
The CCC Schedule page is updated including the map of events. One change to the daily schedule this year, shortening the Men 1/2/3 race to make room for local events, TBD by the individual race directors. Look for family friendly events, costume parades, doggo runs, adaptive cycling, etc. during this time.
Our friends North of the infamous Cheddar curtain kick off their series on Saturday 9/9/2023 at the Flyover Silver Creek CX race in Manitowoc. Details here, here, and here.
And finally… it is with sadness we learned last week that OG CCC member and organizer Erik Weisenburger passed away. Erik had moved away from Chicago a while back, but some of you may remember him as the designer, builder, and keeper of the initial height-convertible and foldable CCC race barriers. Erik also designed the first courses at Jackson Park and Montrose Harbor. He was a threat on the bike too, capturing the first CCC Champions Jersey for Cat 3 in 2004. R.I.P.
From the crew… we’re ready to show off the Big Marsh Park, Chicago Park District’s only park dedicated to cycling! Continuing our mission of creating bike access for youth cycling programs, get ready to run, jump, ride, and dance amidst the beautiful wilderness that is Lake Calumet. We’ll have live DJ’s, an inflatable MTB lander, and a hot dog stand! Proceeds benefit Friends of Big Marshso they can continue to offer inclusive and joyful outdoors activities.
Afterglow will offer a whole new set of events! In addition to our typical cyclocross race, we’re pumped to incorporate running, walking, a group exploration guided tour, bmx demos, and a dance class into the day. Explanation of each is available on the second page of the Afterglow 2023 Schedule Flyer. Choose your race/ride based on your ability/vibes!
Additionally, Afterglow participation will be FREE for all young people, and we are providing full race day support for youth from Working Bikes, West Town Bikes, Bikes N Roses, Boxing Out Negativity, and other youth orgs. Are you a young person or are you in a community with young folks who are interested in participating? Get in touch so we can lift ‘em up!
We are also offering a discounted subscription to ALL of Big Marsh’s summer racing for the price of $100 ($150 if you want all the merch!). This includes ALL of the Afterglow events AND SRAM’s Mountain Bike Series, for a total of 7 days of racing.
As always, equal payouts of $0.00. And while it is the most affordable race on the calendar, know that any extra donations may give you an advantage!
To register, FIRST complete the Bike Event Registration Link and/or Run/Walk Event Registration Link, THEN pay/donate at MightyCause OR @bigmarshchicago on Venmo OR day-of cash OR check made out to Friends of Big Marsh. We will have a donation box on-site to collect your gently used gear, clothing, and cash money.
Day-of registration and number pick up opens at 8:00am outside of the Ford Calumet Environmental Center. Bib numbers will go on your bike (like a mountain bike race), course runs counterclockwise, and we encourage you to carpool. Tailwind Cycleswill be providing neutral support. The course is open NOW (see below), so if you’re up for discovering the most correct line, feel free to come out!
Can’t race? Feel free to fiscally compete at MightyCause! Half Acre Cycling is currently leading the board with their $2,520 donation!
Thank you for continuing to support the young people of our city — their programs not only provide transportation to the races and food and snacks, but also a sense of home and accomplishment for the beloved young people of our community.
See you Sunday!
**Sorry, pet owners, but Big Marsh’s status as a home for migratory birds means only Service Animals are permitted in the park
Hi all, we’re hosting a Town Hall. Come hang out, bring your opinions (we know you have them), & discuss the CCC series. We’ve always tried to make the CCC the best it can be for everyone, so we won’t promise everyone will get their wish, but we’ll certainly listen and consider all reasonable and plausible ideas.
Who: All those interested in the future of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup
Remember this coming Saturday evening 2/4/2023at 6:30pm we’re having our Awards Party at Specialized Fulton Market in the West Loop. More details here.
The day before and earlier in the day, and the day before, the UCI Cyclocross World Championships take place in Hoogerheide, Netherlands. More details here: https://www.uci.org/competition-details/2023/CRO/68229 and here: https://wkhoogerheide2023.nl/
