– First up, this Sunday is the xXx Racing CX Relay race. Remember pre-reg (which closes at 11:45pm on Thursday) is always easier on everyone… so get yourself over to BikeReg.com. Also, be sure to read the xXx’s non-denominational race bible for all the specific rules that apply to this unique event. We know of a few Cat 4’s still looking for buddies to high five, so if you need a partner, email us or leave your request in the comments below.

– Before we get started racing however… let’s review a few rules of engagement. 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.

– For those of you who would rather not start off the season in your chamois… clear your calendars because we’re having a 2010 CCC kick-off party at Iron Cycles on Saturday September 11th. We’ll have some adult beverages (and stuff for the kiddies too) and food while we hang out and chat about the impending fun to come.

– Hello there… remember me? Details about the 2010 CCC series t-shirt contest will be posted later this week… so start getting your designs cleaned up. We’ll run the contest with similar rules as last year and the shirts will be printed and distributed by our good friends over at REKLAIM apparel. Check out last year’s submissions here.

– Speaking of orange… series sponsor Tati Cycles is running a promo for CCC racers at the shop. $500 for a pair of handbuilt tubular wheels and properly glued tires (Challenge Fango/Grifo/Grifo XSs). Tati loves the exotic stuff as much as anyone, but if you’re looking for some workaday hoops, basic=better!

– Someone asked us the other day what this year’s CCC theme would be. We didn’t have a good answer. Then later that night while starting up iTunes we realized the CCC did not yet have good theme music. We got a little PA for the start line this year (yes there are that many of you and no the bullhorn is not going away) where we can play some tunes at each race while you all go around in circles. We have plenty of music but not enough time to comb through it all… so we’re now accepting requests. In the comments below let us know what you’d like to hear, assuming you don’t have sand in your ears. As always, please keep it clean, we won’t play music with foul language.

– And finally… Many of you are racing cross for the first time this year… and many of you have been racing for a few years… but have you ever wondered what the CCC looked like waaaay back when it started in 2004? Original series promoter Joe Doyle reminds us of our humble beginnings here when there were only 4 races on the calendar, categories were letters, juniors paid to race, Jason Meshberg & Joel Feinberg actually raced, and there apparently were no cowbells or bacon.

Final round up of series sponsors. If you’d still like to be involved we always have room for one more, but please hurry!

– Iron Cycles – We at the CCC are pleased to announce our first ever series Title Sponsor. Brandon and the folks over at Iron Cycles have stepped up in a major way to sponsor the entire series from start to finish and the CCC is excited to be partnering with yet another great local bike shop. Follow Iron Cycles on Facebook, their blog, stop by their tent at any CCC race, or swing by the shop itself at 3134-3136 W. Montrose Ave Chicago, IL 60618 and say hello.
– RoadID – The name says ‘Road’, but the IDs still works on grass, dirt, and sand.
– SockGuy – Keeping your tootsies stylish and comfy.
– Verizon Cycling Team – Young guys, old guys, it doesn’t matter… the Verizon squad rips legs off at will, and then tweet about it on “the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network.”
– REKLAIM Apparel – Organic, Repurposed, Upcycled clothing and gear.
– BikeReg.com –  Simple, easy online bicycle race registration. You can register for all 12 CCC races on BikeReg.com… just add this address to your favorites and look for the CCC logo.

– Some of our race promoters have been working ultra hard to secure extra merchandise and product above and beyond the standard CCC payout for their races. However, they don’t want to hold on to this stuff forever, and we don’t want it in the trunks of our cars. So make sure to check the flyers for each race because you (or a designated  teammate) must be present to win. Otherwise your winnings will be offered as handups at the next race.

– In thinking about what we missed in last year’s CCC one thought kept popping up in our minds…  all of you were working overtime for your placings but we at the CCC didn’t recognize those achievement until later that evening online. So this year we’re making it a priority to hold podium presentations for the top 3 finishers immediately after each race. If you finish in the top 3 in your race, don’t go to your car, don’t head to the beer tent, don’t go kiss your girlfriend, definitely don’t go kiss someone else’s girlfriend (unless they’re into that sort of thing), don’t go eat dear jerky, and don’t jump in the back of the Cuttin’ Cruiser to… well, whatever it is they do in the back of the Cuttin’ Cruiser. Don’t worry, in colder months we’ll have something to keep you warm. Please head immediately to the podiums (probably somewhere near the start/finish line… you’ll see them) where you can bask in the glory of all your admirers and stand on a step. We won’t start the next race until the podiums are done from the prior race… so please help us stay on schedule.

– We know almost all of you race every weekend anyway, and most categories are decided in the last one or two races, plus we’re not sure why you wouldn’t want to race all 12 races anyway… but just in case, we’re making a slight change to the series rules for 2010. Starting this year you must race at least half of the series (6 races) to win the overall.

– CX Clinic with Jeremy Powers and Randy Warren was a hit this past Sunday. The weather might have been completely un-cross-like, but a few lucky souls got to learn from the best. Check out the photos below from the morning session and more from Liz Farina Markel at Tipping Point here.

– We know you keep looking for it, and registration for Jackson Park (and all other races) will open soon on BikeReg. We’ll post here and on our twitter feed as soon as it is.

– Registration is however already open for the xXx Racing Relay Race. We know of several people looking for partners, so if you’re looking for a buddy too let everyone know in the comments below.

– And finally… The weather seems to almost be turning to Autumn and everyone is itching to get racing. We may have heard of a few CX practice that may have started popping up around town where people may have been riding on grass, dirt, etc, etc. Please remember that if you are using public spaces to respect everyone and everything out there… other people (yes, even those people on rollerblades) have just as much right to use our public parks as we do. So be kind, say hello and wave. You never know… you just might introduce someone new to CX!

– More new Series Sponsors!
– Avid – A division of locally headquartered SRAM Corporation… new this year Shorty Ultimate brakes!
– Rapid Transit Cycleshop – Bikes, service, and a fleet of Kona’s in Wicker Park/Bucktown.
– Spin Doctor Cyclewerks – Bikes and service in Bartett… home of the original “Heckle Hill”
– Tati Cycles – One offs, customs, rare vintages… if you can’t find it anywhere else, Tati has it in stock, today. Tati is also starting up a junior CX team.

– There’s still time and space to register for this Sunday’s IIT Cyclocross Clinic with Jeremy Powers & Randy Warren. We’ll be there to pick up a few tips ourselves and look forward to seeing everyone.

– If you are switching teams for the CX season or looking for an upgrade make sure to get that process started soon. License upgrades and team names are handled through USA Cycling on your ‘My USA Cycling’ page. But make sure to update your BikeReg profile as well.

– Registration for CCC races will be opening up soon on BikeReg. Look for updates here and on our Twitter feed. Remember you can always see who’s pre-reg’d for each race by checking out the ‘Confirmed Riders’ link on each race’s reg page. Like last year we’ll call up the top 10 riders in each category before the start of each race. We know you’re probably wondering, “How will you do this at Jackson Park since its the first race of the series?” You’ll have to wait and see, but we’ll have a special call up procedure on September 19th based on who pre registers.

– Speaking of… look who’s matched up together at the xXx Racing Relay Race. We aren’t betting people, but if we were, we’d be looking for Cat 1/2/3 state champ Scott McLaughlin and Mike Hemme of  the composite team SRAM/Courage to set a blistering pace at the front of the Cat 1/2/3 field. Are you looking for a buddy to high five? Post your request in the comments section below and we’ll see if we can play match-maker.

– For those of you recovering roadies that slipped and found yourselves on the sidelines at the Grayslake Cycling Classic this past Saturday, you were treated to a show during the kids races just before the P/1/2 race. Below we see 6 year old Peter Swinand giving his best Cavendish post-up impression at the end of the 5-6 year old category. We can’t wait until he’s old enough to race in the CCC… but in the meantime Peter’s dad Paul will be hosting kids cyclocross introductions/training on Friday evenings in September in Evanston.  If you’re interested in getting your kids hooked on CX too, check out the Facebook site “beginning cycling“ or contact Paul here.

Photo by Andrew Rizzo

–  The US Gran Prix of Cyclocross has a new video. Check it out here. Registration for the Planet Bike Cup in Sun Prairie, WI is open NOW!

– And finally… racers always ask us lots of questions before, during, and after races. Things like “What tire pressure should I run?”, “What side does my number go on?”, Where’s the start line?”, “How much further?”, and “How much embro should I apply directly to my chamois?”. Note… DO NOT put embro anywhere near your chamois! But we here at the CCC have a few nagging questions of our own that have been stewing in the backs of our minds for a while now… things like:
– Will Flannel Mike where spandex this year?
– Can anyone challenge The Pony Shop juggernaut in the team competition?
– Can anyone pry the Cat 1/2/3 cowbell from Scott McLaughlin‘s hands?
– Does Wayne Simon really have small motors inside his bike?
– If gravel is the new dirt, and white is the new black, then what will the new bacon be?

We can’t wait to find out the answers this year (okay we already knew Wayne had motors surgically implanted in his legs long ago) and we hope you’ll help us… in just 4 weeks!

– Lots of news on the series sponsor front. Please help us welcome the following companies/organizations below to the CCC family. Remember, if you’d like to join in too, please let us know by August 15th.

– EJ’s Place in Skokie – Juniors race free (again) thanks to EJ’s!
– Psimet Wheels – Custom handbuilt wheels.
– MOX Multisport – Bikes and more in downtown Chicago… with Mox Appeal.
– Van Wagner – For all your outdoor advertising needs… did someone say another CCC Billboard?
– Tipping Point Photography – ChiCross Photo Collective co-founder Liz Farina Markel takes pictures of things besides bikes too.

– Online registration is now open for the Sunday August 29th xXx Racing Relay Cross race here. Find info on xXx’s site here including the very important  race bible/tech guide. Make sure to take note of the specifics of the “high-five” rule, and that there will be LeMans style starts for each race. Many of the same categories as normal CCC races will be run, but the schedule is a bit different with the Cat 4’s race in the middle day, and what looks to be the main event, the Coed Open, finishing out the afternoon. And while this isn’t an official CCC race (so there are no series points), we’ll just go ahead and consider this the official kick off to the Chicagoland CX season. Get your cowbells and luchador masks ready… this one promises to be a wild event!

– Online registration is also open for the Sunday August 15th IIT Cyclocross Clinic with Jeremy Powers & Randy Warren. Jeremy and Randy have years and years of proven CX experience… and even better know how to transfer that accumulated knowledge to you. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from two of the best. Rumor also has it that Adam Myerson will be in town and might be convinced to stop by for a little bit. Make sure to send Adam a note on twitter at @adammyerson to let him know how much we’d all like him to be there!

– There’s a new CX race up North on Saturday September 18th, the day before the Jackson Park CCC race. See the WCA schedule here. From promoter Ron Knaflic: “Saddle up, CXers as Lake Country Endurance brings you a new venue this year. After 13 years of Lapham Peak we are moving to a new pasture. We present to you The No Good Double Cross. Set in a mock Old West town, the course has sand, gravel, billy goats and features a stair runup to the a hilltop Chapel that will have you praying for one less lap. We at LCE are raising the bar this year, literally! The Jack*^# Saloon will be open, air conditioned and serving (legally of course) as well as the venue for awards. If that was not enough to get your spurs shined up, we will also be trying something new this year. Each race will feature a 2nd Lap Prime. Cash or prizes to be determined. Donations accepted. To see the town go to www.kettlemoraineranch.com”

– And finally… apparently we were wrong and no one is getting ready for CX season… which is a crying shame because we were really looking forward to another great season. Lucky for us, rumor has it Andrew Zens (of CBR fame) will be racing for bacon in the 4B’s. However, if you’ve ever seen Andrew near Pratt and Ridge after the Wednesday night MidWeekeGem then you know Andrew might be looking for something besides bacon during the carnival. Will this be your first season racing CX? We’d love to hear from you and what you’re doing to get ready. Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Now that its nearly August… and that little race in France is done… we’re full on CX… so lots of CCC news coming at you in the next few weeks. You can expect regular Tuesday CCC website updates at least every other week, and perhaps even weekly from now until September.

– We’ve already had a great outpouring of series sponsor support for the 2010 CCC but we’d love to have other sponsors join our little family. So have a look at our proposal and let us know. However we need to start finalizing plans and writing checks, so if you plan to be involved please let us know by August 15th.

– Katie Compton has to go all the way to Alaska, but IIT only has to bring JPow down from Glencoe for the their CX Clinic with Jeremy Powers and Randy Warren hosted by IIT. We expect this clinic to fill up, so register early!

– Juniors will again race for free in 2010 thanks to the continued gihugimous support from EJ’s Place in Skokie.

– Yes, its only July 27th, and we’ve been spending a fair amount of time with Mr. Bigglesworth… but we’ve heard about and seen quite a few of you already prep’ing for September. We’d love to see and hear more though. Feels free to post links in the comments below about what you’re doing to get ready for “the” season.

– CX Magazine reports the New Jersey SpectaCross has been canceled. We hate to see any race canceled, much less a spectator friendly CX event. Once the CCC gets going, lets make sure we all show our local promoters some love.

– The 2010 CCC now has an official Series Sponsorship Proposal. Please take a look and if you’d like to see your name in bright neon lights and be a series sponsor (or even just know someone who might) please contact us at [email protected].

– If you haven’t heard by now you must be living under a rock, but long time CCC promoter xXx Racing-AthletiCo will be hosting the inaugural Tag Team Cyclocross Race on Sunday, August 29 at 10:00am in Jackson Park. You and a buddy trading off laps for 45 to 90 minutes. Categories are still being finalized but apparently there will be a coed option. Look for pre-reg to open later in the summer but find a partner now. Forthcoming details will be found here.

– Hey Ladies! Half Acre raises the bar (again) for bringing new riders into the mix with their Women’s Cyclocross Clinic on Saturday, September 11th at Rainbow Beach and Park (not far from the Gaper’s Block Crits location). The clinic will be led by WI Pro Kristin Wentworth. Find details here and here. Pre-reg opens July 1st.

– Not to steal Half Acre’s thunder, but we’ve heard rumors that another non-gender-specific CX clinic is in the works for mid August when a bunch of pro’s will be in town, to hopefully be led by a powerful East Coast CX’er. Details are still being finalized, and we’ll post details as soon as they are confirmed.

– Speaking of the pro’s… the UCI has made a few changes to international CX rules. None of them really apply to us racing the CCC, but  if you plan on racing the Madison USGP on the CCC’s first free weekend, or plan on heading to Nationals, these new rules may apply to you.

– Juniors update. A bunch of you have asked to separate out the 10-14 Junior and 15-18 Junior age groups similar to how the ICA scores the IL Cup. We are happy to announce that starting this year the CCC will score the two age groups separately. However, since we don’t have time to start each age group separately we’ll do call-ups for the top 5 Juniors in each of the two age groups alternating between the 15-18’s and 10-14’s. The Pony Shop has also signed on to sponsor the Juniors races. If you’re under 19 years old and can catch him… say thanks to the Sheriff next time you see him!

– Speaking of separate scoring… a few of you have also inquired about adding a single-speed category. We’d love to do it, but we’re running out of time… literally. There’s just not enough daylight in November and December to add another 30-45 minute race at each venue. We’re trying to think of a way to let SS’ers race in the categories we already have, and then score them separately, but it would be tricky. If you have ideas on how to make this work we’d like to hear from you… and better yet if you’d like to help us score such a series we’d love to hear from you.

– And finally… yes, we know there are few sprint finishes in CX races… but here’s an example why you should always, always, always, always wear your helmet when riding and racing your bike. We’ll be watching this year and rule 1N1 in the USAC Rulebook reserves the right for officials to give the kind of hand ups you DON’T want to receive in the form of DQ’s and/or $20 fines for people not wearing their helmets while riding their bikes at any CCC race. Our fantastic officials really don’t want to deal with the paperwork or have to make 911 calls, so don’t be stupid… there’s absolutely no downside at all to wearing your helmet… and every reason in the world to wear it.

Now that’s its after Memorial Day and we can all safely wear white, the CCC thought we’d bring everyone up to speed on what we’ve been toiling away on since December in our evil CX lair (and if you need to ask… yes, we do have sharks with lasers on their heads).

– Our tentative 2010 schedule is up and ready for your viewing pleasure. We’ll have 12 races this year with all 10 of your favorites from 2009 returning for 2010. The 11th race will be hosted by 2008’s Hawthorne Woods promoter Ted Schweitzer at a new venue in Wauconda the Saturday before Carpentersville. The 12th race will be a 2nd day hosted by the South Chicago Wheelmen at the Hilton Indian Lakes golf resort.

– The 2010 race day schedule will be changing slightly too. We’re keeping all races in the same basic order as last year (the 4B carnival still gets the spotlight as the last race of the day), but in order to make room for even more riders on course at the same time (we’ve grown 30% each of the last 2 years) we’ll be adding an additional time slot earlier in the morning… so the 40+ Masters will start a bit earlier in the morning. We’re still working out exactly what time that will be, so stay tuned for details. Online PreReg will again be on BikeReg.com for all races, so bookmark the site and please make sure your rider profiles are up-to-date before September.

– Starting earlier in the morning means promoters will be working extra hard and will still need help to get courses set-up and ready for the old guys to rip each others legs off. In order to make sure all races start on time and run smoothly the CCC is asking for a little help. There are a few teams out there that participate in the CCC every weekend yet do not host their own races, so we are calling on you to help out. Any individuals willing to show up early and help set up the courses that need the most help will not only earn our deepest gratitude, but also get to race all day for only $5. That’s a pretty sweet deal for only 1-2 hours of work each weekend. Please contact us at [email protected] if you are interested.

– Payouts are changing for 2010 as well. All fields will be paid out in ca$h except for the 4B’s, which won’t receive any weekly payout at all. We’ll still score the 4B’s for an overall title, but there will be no weekly prizes… beyond the usual handups. We’ll also be watching closely and asking egregious sandbaggers to race in the 4A’s so as to give everyone else a chance to have some fun in the 4B’s. Fields already receiving cash payouts in 2009 will get a bump up in total dollar amount for 2010 and… wait for it… the Women 1/2/3 will receive equal payouts as the Men 1/2/3.

– The CCC will NOT be sending out a newsletter in 2010. All communications will be disseminated through the site here or on our brandspankyingnew Twitter account (@ChiCrossCup). So add us into your favorite RSS reader or follow us on Twitter to stay up to date with everything CCC. Facebook you ask??? We can only update so many social networking sites at once (plus our work offices block FB during the day), but we highly recommend friending The Pony Shop, Iron Cycles, Tati Cycles, Half Acre, and others around that time of the year. Still need more suggestions… you’re on your own… that why its called social networking!

– In this tough economic climate we at the CCC feel very, very, very fortunate and lucky to have so many gracious series sponsors who donate their time, money, merchandise, and good will that allows us to put on such a great series of CX races for all of you. Several 2009 sponsors including Mad Alchemy, The Pony Shop, Sheila Moon, and Main Street Cycles, as well as new sponsor The Bone Bell, have already stepped up for 2010, but we’re always looking for others. If you would like to be a 2010 CCC series sponsor, please contact us at [email protected] for details.

– For 2010 the CCC will once again be accepting donations through BikeReg for World Bicycle Relief (WBR) as our main charity. For those of you not around in 2009 the CCCCommunity donated $3,400 to WBR… but we think we can do even better this year! In 2009 we had an average of 400 racers at each event. If everyone donates $1 at each of the 12 races in 2010 we can easily raise $4,800… so we’re setting a GOAL OF  $5,000. If some of us can spend that much on a single bike, collectively we can surely help out those around the world without a bike at all. Let’s see what we all can do together this year!

– The ChiCross Photo Collective still needs to sell some 2009 CCC coffee table books. These books are well worth much more than the price tag would indicate and will bring you many years of fond memories. Plus, all of the profits go to World Bicycle Relief, so its a win-win for everyone.

– Our equally CX crazy friends up North in Wisconsin have released some details for their 2010 season. The WI Cycling Association website is still not updated, but CX Magazine provides details here. We’re glad to see WI races will be doing call-ups and promoting more consistency across their entire series. Starting after Jackson Park and ending before Montrose, with 4 double race weekends, there are a lot of overlapping weekends with the CCC, but that just means we all have plenty of options and chances to race all Autumn long. We highly encourage everyone to check out the UCI level USGP races in Sun Prairie the weekend after the CCC begins (Sept 26-27).

That should do it for now. We’ll have more news (there’s still more?) as we get closer to CX the race season. But as always if you have questions, comments, ideas, want to help out, etc… give us a shout at [email protected].

Dekalb promoters North Central Cyclery and Half Acre Cycling cordially invite you to a metric century on some of the finest “roads” the Dekalb area has to offer. It might not be dirt or mud, but gravel is the next best thing this time of year… and Cervantes would be so proud.

As if you couldn’t get enough CCC through the site proper, the CCC has joined Twitter. We’ll still have regular updates during the season on the main site but on race day and special occasions we’ll be tweeting anything we deem microbloginguptotheminutegottahaveitrightnownewsworthy.

Follow us at http://twitter.com/chicrosscup.

Our good friends over at The Bonebell have some snazzy new kits for sale for a limited time. If you haven’t already spent your lunch money on a shiny Stybar WC edtion Ridley or a set of  Dugast Diavolos then surf on over to the Bonebell’s online store and show your Chicagoland dirtbag love. The Bonebell is also the 2010 CCC’s first official sponsor as they are throwing into the pot a brand spanking new CX20 Alpha Q full carbon fork.

Are you interested in being a sponsor for the 2010 CCC? Contact us at [email protected] to find out more.