– You high fived and raced at the CX Relay (also hosted by xXx Racing)… you road tripped and raced at Patriot CX… now its time for the big leagues. This SATURDAY starts off the 9th season of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, once again in Jackson Park and hosted by xXx Racing. Please show up on Saturday and NOT Sunday.

– Remember the parking lot next to the course is OFF LIMITS and you’ll need to park across the street in the metered lot (it only costs about $9-10 for all day). We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. If that lot fills up, there is parking to the west of the course on Hayes Drive and to the East of Lake Shore Drive.

– Please note that the CARA 20-mile run will again be taking place along the Lakefront Path on Sunday morning. xXx and the CCC urge all CX’ers riding down to Jackson Park for the race to exercise due caution and courtesy when traveling along that route. False alarm, the CARA run is on Sunday. Please still be careful on the bike path.

– The CCC is trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. Mother earth thanks you!

– Online pre-registration on BikeReg.com (say it with us… Bik Rej… like REGistration) closed last night at midnight. Entry fees increase $5 on race day. Huge thanks to the 662 of you (most # of CCC pre-reg’s ever, beating last year’s JP number of 628) that have already pre-reg’d. If you show up early in the morning, please let the 40+ racers pick up their bib numbers first since they start promptly at 8:45am. Also thanks to the 7 of your that donated to WBR when registering. If you’d like to donate your race winnings to our WBR drive, please see us after your race.

– Don’t forget Activator Cycle Club will be hosting a kiddie fun ride around 1:40pm for the under 10 crowd.

– Series sponsor CarboRocket will be out on Saturday with big coolers of CarboRocket mix and coffee (in the morning). Swing by and fill up your bottle, mug, or canteen. Temps are forecast to be in the lower 70’s with an 100% chance of awesome, but we all need to stay hydrated.

– Food. There are NOT a lot of food options in the immediate vicinity of the park, so please bring your own… or better yet ask a food truck to stop by.

– Again year we are running 100 rider field limits in all categories. In combined fields (Women 1/2/3, Masters 50+/60+, Single Speed and Women 4 & Juniors) that means only 100 riders are allowed on course at one time. We will likely hitting 100 riders in both of these fields, and xXx will be maintaining waitlists for all fields. Both Cat 4 fields are already filled, the Cat 3’s are nearly 90, and 40+ & 30+ are in the lower 70’s. That’s a lot of people to keep track of so please help us in every way possible (i.e. don’t lose your bib #, show up on time, etc)!

– Concerning waitlists… we’ll start waitlists for each filled category (SS, Juniors, Cat 4A, Cat 4B) when registration opens at 7:30am. First come first served. 30 minutes before each race is scheduled to start (yes, even if we’re running a little behind we will still close reg at the scheduled time) we’ll close out the race and reassign bib numbers to those on the waiting list. If you are pre-reg’d and show up after this time your bib will already have been reassigned and you will NOT be allowed to race. Period. If you are racing more than once and would like to give your number up to someone else so they have a chance to enjoy the thrill of heckles and whatever else goes on, thank you, and we certainly can accommodate that. Just make your way to registration as soon as possible and the reg staff will switch you in start list (just don’t give your number to the other guy/gal… you both can be DQ’d by USAC and no one wants that!).

– Please remember to register for the correct category/age group. We cannot allow you to race outside your cat/age group and the reg staff will be checking licenses thoroughly all day long. If you have a question, please ask us or a USAC official.

– Concerning call-ups… as mentioned previously we will be staging by straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. See our thorough discussion of the topic in our post here and our standard staging procedure here. Remember CCC staging grids are 8 lanes wide. Preliminary staging info will be posted here as soon as we wrangle all the data and make sure everyone reg’d for the correct category.

– Concerning reg’ing for the correct category… no, you may not race Cat 3 if you are a Cat 4… and vice versa. Also, your CX age for the 2012 season is your age on 12/31/2013. Juniors (and their parents) please take note of this rule. Juniors 10-14 riders may race up in age with the Junior 15-18’s… but not the other way around.

– Concerning the 80% rule… we ask the USAC officials to leave as many riders in the race for as long as possible. However, pulling riders is still at their discretion in line with USAC rules. If you are told you are being pulled (always near the start/finish)… please exit the course immediately. You will still be scored and given a laps down designation.

– If you decided not to finish the race on your own volition, please let a USAC official know so you can be marked as DNF. This makes scoring the entire race a lot easier. Note that DNF’s count against your CrossResults.com score, so hang in there and finish your race!

– Full results will be posted on the CCC Results Board at the race (somewhere near registration) and online at usacycling.org/results later Sunday evening. Series standings will be posted here (please bookmark it) following each race. Remember we’re presenting podiums to the top 3 in each race immediately before the next race. So if you are in the top 3, head to the podiums right after you’re done ripping legs off. The Spidermonkeys will be presenting awards to both Juniors categories.

– We are also awarding Pactimo Series Leader Jerseys to ALL CATEGORIES. Determining the series leader at the first race is easy (the winner of the race, duh) and we’ll present the jersey on the podium. So if you won, please be present. You may even get a kiss from a podium girl.

– Juniors, remember the Chicago Cuttin’ Crew will also have extras for you.

– In addition to all of that we once again have Mad Alchemy First Lap Hot Leg primes for the Women Cat 4’s and Cat 4A’s. First rider across the line at a pre-determined spot on the first lap wins a tub of Mad Alchemy embrocation.

– The CCC will of course be on Twitter all day… so feel free to follow us for up-to-the-minute updates.

– The CCC is supported by many, many, many generous series sponsors (34 in all so far!), many of whom will personally be attending and racing at Jackson Park. If you see one, please make sure to stop and say thank you for their continued support. Our little series would NOT be possible without them.

– We will have all CCC merchandise pre-orders available for pick up on Saturday. T-shirts, Socks, embro, coffee mugs. We will also have a limited supply of merch for purchase

– Below is the tentative 2012 Jackson Park course brought to you by the great minds of xXx Racing. The course is essentially the same as the CX Relay race but will obviously have a different start and staging grid. The staging grid will be next to the parking lot. Please remember the map below is only an approximation as we may need to make adjustments on race day. The course runs clockwise. The wheel/bike pit is dual sided and currently SW of finish line.

– And finally… thanks to everyone for coming out and racing the Chicago Cyclocross Cup… again! 2009 was a banner year… 2010 was enormous and great, 2011 was even more nuts… and we’re guessing 2012 will definitely be our biggest, best, and fastest #YearOfSpeed yet. So let’s race, cheer, heckle, and have a great time! See you SATURDAY!

– Well, well, well… the week we’ve been waiting for all summer is finally here. Cyclocross season officially kicked off this past weekend across the country and here in IL down in Rantoul at Patriot CX. We also saw a handful of CCC’ers also went North to race in WI. The CCC series starts this coming SATURDAY in Jackson Park with our hosts xXx Racing. More on that later and in Thursday’s course preview.

– Remember online pre-reg closes tomorrow (1am Eastern on Thursday = midnight Wednesday Central time) evening for Jackson Park. Super early preliminary staging info is here, but since there are NO CCC points used in staging for the first race of the series all Day-Of entrants will be staged by order of registration… meaning at the back. So pre-reg now if you have CrossResults.com points and want a better starting position than the last row.

– Kiddie Rides!!! A bunch of parents have asked for them and Activator Bicycle Club has stepped up to the plate to make them a reality. At 6 select events (Jackson Park, Carpentersville, Campton, Psi-clocross, ILR Day 2, & AHFD Supercross) at 1:40pm (after the Cat 1/2/3’s have started) Activator Bicycle Club will put on FREE kiddie CX ride. No entry fees,  no paperwork, no staging grid… just all fun. Based on the number of kids that show up Activator will run rides for kids 4 and under, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10. If your child is <=10 years old (in CX years) and can’t, or doesn’t want to, race in the CCC  Junior races earlier in the day just make sure they have a bike and a properly fitting helmet and swing by the side kiddie course which should be somewhere near the registration desk, start line or finish line. We’ll make announcements throughout the day with more info. Thanks to Activator Cycles and the Activator Bicycle Club for putting on these events for the U10 kids.

While the CCC officially only has Junior 10-14 and Junior 15-18 mixed gender age groups, the infamous Chicago Cuttin’ Crew is stepping up this year to supply awards to a wider range of junior category. As with anything from the Cuttin’ Crew details are still somewhat sketchy, but just like they always do we’re sure they’ll deliver with flying colors… even if that color is only pink. What does that mean? If you’re racing in the junior races, even if you don’t win or podium you’ll want to be around the podiums after your race.

– The big kid races of the CCC would never happen if it wasn’t for our great promoters, USAC officials, and of course series sponsors. Over the next few weeks we’ll be highlighting all of our sponsors to let you know how great they are.

 Iron Cycles – Back for their third year as Series Title Sponsor, Brandon and the guys at Iron Cycles are all about bikes, and specifically CX bikes. They also walk the walk (or is it ride the ride?) too. From the Cat 1/2/3’s to the Women 4’s you will see someone racing in an Iron Cycles kit in nearly every CCC category. Iron Cycles recently updated their website to add lots of great tidbits on the blog, services, bike porn, and to let us all know about their great sales… like the CX sale going on right now. So over the next few weeks, look for the extra large black tent at every race, usually in a primo viewing spot, swing by and say hello to Brandon and the folks at Iron Cycles. Thank them for keeping the CCC going every year as well!

 – Also back again for 2012 and supplying the leaders’ jerseys is series sponsor Pactimo. Last year we experimented with awarding leaders jerseys to the Women Cat 4, Cat 4A, and Juniors and for the 2012 we’re going even bigger. For 2012 all categories will be awarded series leader jerseys (except the 4B’s) each and every week. After the officials get everyone sorted out and the results protest period ends we’ll calculate overall series standings and get the series leader for each category up on the podium. In cases where the series leader may be racing again we’ll wait until s/he is done pedaling and/or puking to get them to the podium. We’ll wait until the 40+ awards on Saturday to show you what they actually look like, but this year’s leaders jersey was designed by Chicago’s very own design empress Becky Welbes.

 It seems like a no brainer since their corporate HQ’s is right in our own back yard and this year SRAM comes on as a CCC series sponsor. You’ll put your spare bikes and wheels in the SRAM Equipment Pit and you’ll be want to stay within the lines made of SRAM course tape. SRAM makes some of, if not the best cycling components on the planet and have been ridden to multiple world, national, and (lest we forget) Illinois state CX championships. What’s even better for us here in Chicagoland is we have SRAM employees and engineers riding right along side us in races… okay, maybe well in front of us, but you get the idea.

Series sponsor Velosmith Bicycle Studio has a Cyclocross Trainer Fit Special – With the cyclocross season upon us, correct bike fit is paramount. As a sponsor of the 2012 Chicago Cross Cup, Velosmith is offering cyclists participating in any of the Chicago Cross Cup races a special $100 Cyclocross trainer fit. Just have proof of registration to any of this-years races and Velosmith will provide you a one hour fit session to help you perform with greater comfort and performance. Fittings are by appointment only. Please call Velosmith at 847-920-9360 to book an appointment.

– Well spotlight a few more sponsors next week, but in the meantime check them all out here on the sponsor page.

– Before we get started with the season, please take 10 minutes to read through our Series Rules and FAQ page. There really isn’t that much there, and its all there… staging, points, category descriptions… so don’t say we didn’t tell you.

 – And finally… did you know the CCC has merchandise? 2012 Series t-shirts will be available at Jackson Park this weekend, along with Mad Alchemy embrocation, Sock Guy socks, and Contigo coffee mugs. Order yours today on BikeReg right here!

– We hope everyone had a great extended Labor Day weekend.

– CX racing starts up in earnest soon, so get those bikes ready.

– Patriot CX – Saturday Sept 8th, Wild Card Cycling will host their second cyclocross race at Heritage Park in Rantoul, Il.  Promoter Karl C and his team have worked hard planning and setting up a course that’s both fun and challenging. They want to make it worth your trip down and have added more distance, extra climbs and a sand pit… the barriers and logs from last year will be there also. They may have a nice size mud puddle too, depending on how much rain there is this week. Wild Card has a lot of great prizes for the race winners and will raffle some after the last race. Yes, there will be a food vender  with burgers, brats, chips, drinks. See the Course here. More info at http://wildcardcycling.org/index.php/site/events/

– And finally… presented without comment.

– We hope you all had a great time at the xXx Racing CX Relay race this past Sunday. For those of you who wimped out because of the rain, it really wasn’t that bad at all, and kept the temperatures to a very comfortable 78 degrees. Please post links to your pictures, videos, and race reports in the comments of the post below. We’ll have posts like this for every race going forward so you don’t have to go hunting all over the Intertubes on Monday morning looking for pictures of yourself.

– Attention all Potential Series Sponsors. We want to get things wrapped up this week, so if you’d like to help sponsor the series please email us now!

– Speaking of series sponsors, we’re happy to officially announce that Iron Cycles returns again as the 2012 Chicago Cyclocross Cup Series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the guys at Iron Cycles do a great job both on and off the bike sponsoring and promoting the series and we’re very, very, very happy and grateful to have them back for another year. We’ll have more to say about Iron Cycles (their fancy new website and even fancier new kits!) and all of our series sponsors in the coming weeks.

– Quick plug for one of our multi-year series sponsors. Check out Well-Fit’s training plan here.

– Speaking of the CCC Series, before we get under way please take 10 minutes to read the Series Rules & FAQ page. We know the rules and didn’t write this page for ourselves, so before you ask if its still okay to still ride 35mm tyres, or what your CX racing age is, check out the page and you’ll likely find the answer there. If not, shoot us an email and we’d be happy to answer your question.

– Speaking of website pages, did you know we also have a store page where you can pick up all kinds of trick CCC branded goodies, including Sock Guy CCC socks, CCC Contigo coffee mugs, Mad Alchemy custom CCC blend embrocation, and this year’s 2012 CCC series t-shirt. We decided not to hold a t-shirt design contest this year and instead had our super-awesome graphic designer Becky Welbes design a shirt that goes with another project we’ve been working on (see below). Ordering and payment instructions are all on the Store page.

– Speaking of new designs, Becky Welbes also designed this year’s Pactimo Series Leaders Jerseys. This season’s jersey will be awarded, every week, to all categories (well, except the 4B’s). We’ll show you what the Pactimo leaders jersey look like in a few weeks as soon as we get them from Pactimo. Overall standings will be posted after each race here which you can get to from here based on points listed here.

– But before you finish the race and earn points you have to start the race. All CCC series races are staged according to a combination of CCC Series Overall Standings, CrossResults.com points, and order of registration. The obvious exception will be the first race of the series (Jackson Park) where no one will have yet accumulated any points. The last race of the series at Montrose Harbor (which is also the State Championship) will also be staged a little differently so as NOT to disadvantage mid and down state IL riders, but we’ll get to that later in the season.

– Jackson Park staging. While we considered the idea of employing a random component to staging at Jackson Park, given the sheer number of riders and possibility of wet weather (again) we decided to use straight CrossResults.com points and order of registration for all categories. There are several nuances of using this system.

1. While CCC series points do NOT carry over from the previous season, CrossResults.com points do. So riders in higher (faster) categories and guys/gals that have been around for a few seasons should have a good idea of where they will be staged.
2. If you’ve never raced CX, sorry, but you’ll be towards the back (since you don’t yet have any CrossResults.com points). Fear not! You’ll automatically start earning CrossResults.com points with your first CCC race, as long as you have an annual USAC license. Sorry, but One Day’s do NOT earn CrossResults.com points (but you can earn CCC series points). Confused yet? If not, read Colin’s explanation here.
3. The caveat here is that riders without CrossResults.com points will be staged by order of registration. This means Cat 1’s, 2’s, and 3’s don’t need to rush to register (because they already have high CrossResults.com points). But Cat 4’s, you should pre-reg sooner rather than later.
4. However, we can’t carry the entire CrossResult.com database around with us to every race (we get the data from BikeReg.com, also see Colin’s comments) so in order to be staged properly by CrossResults.com points you MUST preregister on BikeReg.com with your correct USAC license number. We do our best to clean up license #’s, etc ahead of time, but if you want to be staged correctly, please help us out and get that license number in your profile.
5. If you don’t pre-reg for Jackson Park, even if you have CrossResults.com points you will be staged by order of registration. Likely not a big deal for a first timer in the 4B’s just out there having fun, but you guys and gals at the front end of the Cat 1/2/3’s and 3’s field won’t want to be staged at the back. Sorry, after pre-reg closes there’s nothing we can do.
6. After Jackson Park, CCC series points come first, but you need to finish in the top 30 to score points. CrossResults.com points come next, then order of registration.

– Speaking of BikeReg.com (which btw owns CrossResults.com), have we mentioned you need to have your correct USAC number in your rider profile? No, “PENDING” is not a valid license number. This simple, little 8 digit number makes all the difference in the world to us. We want to continue to provide you with great races and specifically in this case results, so please help us out!

– Speaking of pre-registration. Online pre-reg for most CCC series races opens this Saturday 9/1/12 at 12 noon Central (all BikeReg times are Eastern because they’re in Massachusetts, duh). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

– Speaking of results, for those of you that pre-reg’d at the CX Relay, did you like getting your results in your email inbox shortly after you raced? That’s a little project we’ve been working on recently. It takes a little bit of extra work on our end, so please don’t expect it at ever race, or within minutes of crossing the finish line, but we’ll do our best. All that being said, in order for us to do so you need to have your correct email address in your BikeReg.com rider profile. Full results will obviously still be posted at the race on the CCC results board (somewhere near registration) and usually that night on USACycling.org/results. Overall standings should also be posted that night before we go to bed.

– Speaking of USA Cycling, if you’re racing anything higher than Cat 4 you need an annual license. period. Sorry, we don’t make up the rules, but we do have to enforce them. Purchase or renew you annual license on USAC’s website for the fastest turnaround time possible. You’ll also need an annual license to win the state championship in December at Montrose Harbor. #YearOfSpeed.

– And finally… for all you fellow metal heads out there, may we present…

Please post links to your Pix, Vids, and Race Reports below in the comments.

– This Sunday is the 3rd installment of xXx Racing’s CX Relay race. Pre-reg closed last night but there are still spots open in all categories except the 30+ and Co-Ed Open (last race of the day), both of which will have Day-Of wait lists. Day-Of reg incurs a $15 late fee… so bring your cash dollars. See your competition and all the crazy team names here.

– Also, be sure to read the tech guide for all the specific rules that apply to this unique event. Check xXxRacing.org or Facebook/RelayCross for more info.

– Still looking for a buddy to high five? Leave your request in the comments below and maybe you’ll get lucky.

– Due to some restrictions and other events taking place at the park the venue for this year’s course is across Hayes drive to the South from last year.

– Also, for some reason the CPD will not allow anyone to park in the boat ramp parking lot. YOU WILL BE TOWED! Let us repeat that… DO NOT PARK IN THE BOAT RAMP PARKING LOT right next to the course. Sure you can drop off people, or equipment, or your 23 pairs of wheels, but then you have to park across the street. Parking is available on the streets, the lot north of Hayes Dr. (last year’s location), and the lot east of Lake Shore Drive.

– Remember the parking lots around Jackson Park are metered, but only costs about $10 for all day. We don’t want anyone getting a ticket, so you’ve been warned. However, did we mention the boat ramp lot south of Hayes Drive is off limits?

– This should go without saying but PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN CROSS THE STREET FROM THE PARKING LOTS TO THE RACE COURSE!

– Please note the Chicago Triathlon will again be taking place along the Lakefront Path on Sunday morning. xXx and the CCC urge all CX’ers riding down to Jackson Park for the race to exercise due caution and courtesy when traveling along that route. If traveling by car, you should probably try another route besides LSD especially North of the city.

– Like every year the CCC and xXx Racing are trying to be green… take a look under the floor mats of your car, dig into to seat cushins and bring your own safety pins to properly attach your bib number. But how will you remember to bring pins each week? Purchasing a patch kit, patch all those tubes you’ve been meaning to patch for months, put all your pins in the little plastic box, keep the box in your gear bag… done.

– Looks like we’re in for some weather on Sunday. Dress appropriately for before, during, and after your race, and learn to make friends with a tent… or a large umbrella.

– Speaking of gear, if you need CCC socks, embro, or coffee mugs we’ll have a few for sale onsite. If you want to make sure you get some email us and we’ll make sure to reserve your items for you.

– Podiums will be awarded immediately after the conclusion of each race and before the start of the next race. So if you finish in the top three head straight to the podiums (look for the CCC flags) after your race so we can stay on schedule.

– Before we start racing… let’s review a few rules of engagement (the same every year). Yes, we’re all racing, yes many of us are aggressive, yes you will fall down, yes the officials might not get your placing correct, and yes tempers might flair here and there… but remember first and foremost we’re all out there to have some fun and enjoy each other’s company. So please smile, have a lot of fun, and enjoy this precious time we have together. Oh, and don’t forget the high fives and handups… even if you’re not racing.

– As with previous years, the Relay Cross has a LeMans start, where one teammate runs to the transition area to get their bike.

– The CX relay course will look about like this, but not exactly. xXx Racing did a great job planning out the course using as much of the park as possible, but there’s not a lot of park to use in the first place. The NEW Jackson Park course is a combination of power sections, turns, and barriers. Run mostly on grass, there are a few paved areas as well as some tight turns among the trees. The new location, SOUTH of Hayes Drive, is spectator-friendly, allowing viewing of 75% of the course from the start-finish area.

– Just a quick update today as we’re super busy just like the rest of your getting ready for the season.

– Last call for Sponsors!!! We want to get our series sponsors lined up for the season so we can get the series t-shirts printed up before Jackson Park. If you’d like to be a series sponsor, please contact us ASAP. We can still accept sponsor after 8/31/12, but your logo(s) will not make it on the t-shirts and flyers.

– This weekend Chicago CX season unofficially kicks off at xXx Racing‘s CX Relay. This is a great event to ease into the CX season, or just CX in general if you’ve never raced or experienced a CX event before. Look for fast racing, lots of friendly smiles from people you haven’t seen since December, likely a little shenanigans, and loads of fun. Pre-reg closes Wednesday night (that means pre-reg now before you forget/miss it) and check back on Thursday for a full Course Preview.

– And finally… we’d like to remind everyone (one last time) that as unsanctioned, uninsured, unofficial CX practices start up around the city and suburbs, please be kind and courteous to any and all park users you may encounter (come to think of it that’s a good rule to always live by). All it takes is one angry non-CX, non-cycling friendly person to complain to a high ranking government official and all of the CCC races in the area could lose their park permits… thereby shutting down the entire series… and no one wants that. So keep it safe and fun… for everyone.

– Holy cow, the weather has made a turn for the worse better in the last week. We went from 90+ degrees and the worst drought in 80 years to 60’s, rain, wind, more rain, lots of clouds, and more rain. CX must be on the big man upstairs mind!

– The CoEd open field is filled up for next weekend’s (wait, what, already?) xXx Racing CX Relay Race. There are still plenty of spots in all other categories, but please, please, please, please, please Pre-Reg and don’t wait to reg day of. Pre-reg is always easier on everyone, but its especially helpful at the Relay.

– Speaking of BikeReg, make sure to update your rider profile now, especially your USAC license number. PENDING is not a valid license number!

– Calling all Sponsors. While we’ll gladly accept sponsors any time during the season, we need to finalize the sponsor list by August 31st in order to get everyone’s logos on the t-shirts. That’s the long way of saying, if  you’d like to sponsor the series, please get in touch with us as soon as possible!

– Hey, did you all hear there’s a big race in Louisville next year… and that a certain someone will be there?

– And finally… when did you all get so creative with your team names?

– One more week closer to the season. Are you ready for the #YearOfSpeed?

– We’ve had a bunch of NEW Series Sponsors sign up this year and will continue to accept new sponsors until the end of August. We’ll mention all of our sponsors later on when more people are reading the site, but take a look now and support those businesses that support the CCC series.

– Remember all USAC category upgrades are processed through the USACycling.org website. The CCC does NOT handle upgrades and CCC series points are NOT USA Cycling upgrade points. Take a look at the Series Rules & FAQs page and the USAC Rulebook to learn more. If you have enough points to upgrade, log on to USAC and go for it!

– Speaking of logging on… please remember to update your BikeReg.com rider profile, especially your USAC license number. We match all USAC license numbers to the USAC rider database, so make sure your license number is in your profile and correct! If not your results may not be correct, and you’ll be causing a whole bunch of unneeded headaches for the officials.

– Speaking of BikeReg, Patriot CX online registration is now open. Hey Ladies…. promoter Karl C is giving you incentive… the first 20 registrants will get a $10.00 refund at the race… but their must be at least 20 racers.

– Speaking of pre-season races… pre-reg for xXx Racing‘s Relay CX will be open soon, but find yer pawtner now!

– We’ve set online pre-reg for all regular season CCC series races to open at noon on September 1st… so relax, you won’t miss it. Now go ride your bike.

– Any finally… the Brits are giving new meaning to the term “hottie pants”.

– The heat came back in a big way this past week but we’ve seen plenty of you out and riding hard in preparation for THE CX season. Funny how cyclocross used to be what riders did in the “off season” to stay in shape and now so many people skip road and mountain bike races to get ready for CX. Not that we’re complaining.

– CCC superstar and series volunteer Ellie Blick recently wrote a riveting review on Chicago Women’s Bike Racing about this year’s changes to the Women Category 3 races. Ladies, if you haven’t heard or even if you have, please read Ellie’s summary.

– Don’t forget that before the official 2012 CCC #YearOfSpeed season takes off on Saturday September15th in Jackson Park there are two warm-up races in late August and early September. xXx Racing starts things off in a fun way with their Relay Cross race on Sunday August 26th, and Wildcard Cycling hosts Patriot Cross for the 2nd year on Saturday September 8th in Rantoul, IL. More info will be available as soon as the promoters have their race flyers approved by USACycling.

– Speaking of, Patriot CX promoter Karl C. has boulders (see at left) for sale. Please contact him directly if you’d like to purchase one (or more).

– A number of Series Sponsors have already signed up for the 2012 season. If you’d like to be involved see our proposal document first and then shoot us an email.

– Email us at ChicagoCrossCup at gmail if you’d like to stock up on SockGuy socks, Contigo coffee mugs, and/or Mad Alchemy embrocation. See the store page for details. 2012 series t-shirts will be available before the season starts.

– And finally…  We’ll repeat this before and during the season, but the CCC would like to remind everyone that we’re all just out there to have fun and ride our bikes with our friends. Sure we’re all competitive, but at the end of the day we’re all just amateurs (at least until CCCNYR) who have to get up and go to work or school on Monday morning, so there’s absolutely no reason to get yourself all in a tizzy about something silly. Keep it fun, keep it positive, and keep it realistic. If you have a problem with the series or a race, email us at [email protected] (we’ll get back to you within 24 hours, we promise) or better yet talk to one of us, the promoter, an event volunteer, or a USAC official at the race. Please don’t get all passive-aggressive on the Facebook, Twitter, some other social media site, or the comments section here on the site. That doesn’t help anyone and only makes you look immature. K, thanks… now let’s go have some fun!!!