– That’s right… give yourselves a big pat on the back. Following the last race of the year at Montrose we’ve been getting lots of emails and posts on the site about this person did this, and that person did that to make the season so great. Well, there would be no CCC at all without all of you who show up week in and week out to race, heckle, give handups, give postups, be awesome, do whatever this guy’s doing, crash, get back up again, and ride your bikes like there’s no tomorrow. If you look back at our very first post ever on this new site we said “The ChiCrossCup is all about you, the racers…” Well you all ran with that idea and transformed our little Sunday party into something truly special. So for that, we at the CCC THANK YOU!

– The 10th and final race of the CCC at Montrose was amazing. We figure there were probably 300 people watching and heckling the 4B’s at the end of the day… just crazy. Big thanks again to Turin for putting on another great race and for wrapping up the IL CX season in style.

– While we’re all winners at the end of the day… congratulations again to those riders who earned a few more points than everyone else in their respective CCC overall categories. We have something special for each of you at the CCC Awards Banquet on January 10th at EJ’s Place in Skokie. Tickets are on sale now here!

– Congratulations also to the IL State CX Champions.
Masters 40+ – Christando Lombardo (Verdigris Cycling)
Masters 30+ – Eric Sondag (The Pony Shop)
Masters 50+ – Wayne Simon (Verdigris Cycling)
Women 1/2/3 – Debbie Dust (Roscoe Village Bikes)
Men 3 – Ron Bridal (Bloomington Cycle & Fitness Racing Team)
Women 4 – Gina Champion (Team Mack)
Junior Boy – Brandon Feehery (South Chicago Wheelmen)
Junior Girl – Jessica Prinner (ABD Cycling Team)
Men 1/2/3 – Scott McLaughlin (SRAM FACTORY)
Men 4 – Jason Rassi (Proctor Cycling Team)

– In case you still want more CX before the holidays, CX Nationals are being held this coming weekend in Bend Oregon. We know at least a few CCC’ers are heading out west… so good luck to you (Holly, Scott, Ben, Mike, Steel, Kevin, and Bob) and anyone else we don’t know about!

– If you didn’t pick up a t-shirt you ordered or left anything else at the race (or any other race), please contact us at [email protected] to arrangement a handup (in the Loop or Wicker Park) . We have a very small random assortment of extra t-shirts left over. If you can fit into a Men’s XL (Blue) or Women’s M (Blue or Orange) we have a shirt for you. Main St. Bikes, MOX Multisport, The Pony Shop, and Tati Cycles have a small inventory of shirts on sale as well.

– And finally… would you like to be part of the team that makes the CCC happen in 2010? Please email us at [email protected] to get involved.

We leave you for now with a few pix from Montrose…

SuperGirl and Jacob

Photo: Amy Dykema

Flannel Mike

Photo:Liz Novak

The 3 stages of CX… Riding, Running, Falling

Photo: Arnold Klein

Pretty

Photo: Luke Seemann

Mmmm Bacon (see what West Coasters have to say here).

Photo: Luke Seemann

Betcha didn’t know a chicken could lay a dollar bill did ya?

Photo: Amy Dykema

Thanks to the 474 starters who bravely stormed the beach to make Montrose the largest CCC race ever.

Full Results here.
Final Overall Standings here.
If you didn’t pick up your t-shirt or left anything else at the race (or any other race), please contact us at [email protected] to arrangement a handup.
Also… don’t forget to purchase your tickets for the Awards Banquet on January 10th.

Congratulations to our 2009 Chicago Cyclocross Cup Overall Winners

Masters 40+ – Scott Arrigoni (Verdigris Cycling)
Masters 30+ – Eric Sondag (The Pony Shop)
Masters 50+ – Wayne Simon (Verdigris Cycling)
Women 1/2/3 – Jessica Hill (The Pony Shop)
Men 3 – Ryan Cooper (Flatlandia Cycling Team)
Women 4 – Jannette Rho (L’équipe Bouledogue Tout Noir)
Junior Boy – Brandon Feehery (South Chicago Wheelmen)
Junior Girl – Gina Johnson (Smart Cycling)
Men 1/2/3 – Scott McLaughlin (SRAM FACTORY)
Men 4A – Russ Kuryk (Iron Cycles)
Men 4B – Bryan Lee (The Pony Shop)
Team – The Pony Shop

We’ll have a full Montrose and Season wrap up next week after you all have had a chance to upload your photos. But here’s a little taste…

Yes we had a sighting (note blurred photo)…

And a decapitation?

This is it!!! The 10th and final CCC race of the year… and it just happens to also be the Illinois State CX Championships. Turin Bicycles of Evanston with promoters Chuck Judy and Chris Mailing at the helm are aiming to make the Montrose Harbor race the best yet. The race will certainly be one of the largest with 391 of you pre-reg’d.

• Please review our previous post about State Champion Rules. IL Technical Director David Fowkes confirms that if you purchase an annual license now (after December 1st) it is good for all of 2010.
• Our USAC officials have again asked when pinning your number to your jersey this weekend to position them as in the photos below. The officials are NOT on a platform or stage and can’t read your number if its high up on your back (or on the wrong side). So please help the officials out so they can score everyone correctly. Thanks!
  
• Both 4’s fields have filled up, but there are usually a bunch of riders who are no-shows. We’ll start a wait-list Sunday morning and get those riders in on a first come, first served basis.
• Turin has brought in sponsors EJ’s Place, Lake Cycling, and Craft to create an enhanced prize list here. For the Men 1/2/3, Masters 30+, and Masters 40+ categories the Illinois State Champion will win a $200 dining card to EJ’s Place. The first rider who is not the Illinois State Champion will win a pair of Lake cycling shoes. The IL State Champs in the Masters 50+ and Women 1/2/3 will also win a $200 dining card to EJ’s Place.
• Turin is still selling Jay Ryan designed race posters here.
• Turin is collecting non-perishable goods as part of a food drive to benefit the Chicago Food Depository. Drop items off at the store by Tuesday, December 10th or bring your canned goods to the race on Sunday, December 6th.
• K-Bars will again be a the race with samples of their delicious energy bars. They’re also helping out with the prize list.
• We’ve heard of some people shopping at Costco for hand-ups this weekend… and we’re guessing there will also be some sort of pork product. Just remember to keep it safe and do NOT interfere with any riders who are ole’ scrooges and don’t want to partake in the hand-up fun.
• The weather forecast is calling for slightly chillier temps than we’ve been racing in recently… so make sure to dress warmly!
• Speaking of clothes… we’ll have all of the pre-ordered CCC t-shirts at the race. Please pick your shirts up from the series director near the start/finish area after the Masters 30+ race. And don’t forget to heckle Joe Kallo for designing the shirt this year!
• Remember, anyone dressed up like Santa (beard required), Mrs. Claus (beard optional), or a Christmas tree (or Chanukkah bush) will get a special call up after the top 10 in the overall standings.
• We at the CCC would again like to request that everyone plan on making a day of Montrose… meaning we want to see all of the 40+, 30+, 50+ Masters AND all of the 4A’s and 4B’s… and the Men 1/2/3’s, Women 1/2/3’s, Men 3’s, Women 4’s and Juniors lining the course all day long. 2009 has been such a great CX season here in Chicago and we’d like to see everyone together for the entire day. Heck, maybe someone will take a group photo?
• If you missed it earlier this week, TheBoneBell.com posted a great interview with one of the CCC’s celebrities “Flannel Mike“.
• Below is a estimate of what the course should look like… but as always, the course is subject to change due to weather and ground conditions. Cricket Heckle Hill should provide some good spectating, but last year most people seemed to congregate in the sand just opposite the start/finish line. Either way… it should be a fun day! Due to the proximity to the city Turin has asked that we do NOT pre-ride the course before Sunday. There’s a security deposit involved and Turin would like to hold the race at Montrose again next year. Thanks.

• And finally… the 2009 CCC Awards Banquet will be held at EJ’s Place in Skokie on Sunday January 10th 2010 from noon to 4pm. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for Juniors in advance and on sale now on BikeReg here.

Take your pick…

– By looking at the  photos coming back from Iowa it looks like a bunch of CCC regulars had a great showing at this year’s Jingle Cross. Congratulations to everyone who braved the cold and mud and bikinis to get in 3 more days of CX racing! Full results are here.

– The 2009 CCC Awards Banquet will be held at EJ’s Place in Skokie on Sunday January 10th 2010, most likely from noon to 4pm (so we can have the entire restaurant). We’ll have a tasty buffet along with a cash bar and door prizes… and of course the Individual and Team Series Awards presentations. Please save the date now. Tickets will be $30 for adults and $15 for Juniors in advance (on BikeReg). More details coming soon.

– This Sunday is our 10th and last race of the 2009 season at Montrose Harbor. Host Turin Cycles is pulling out all the stops including some fantastic extra prizes for this year’s race. Come back Friday morning to find out all the juicy details! Remember online pre-reg closes this Thursday night at midnight (don’t get stuck waiting in the cold).

– Our USAC officials have asked when pinning your number to your jersey at Montrose this weekend that you position them as in the photos below. Since the officials are NOT on a platform or stage they can’t read your number if its high up on your back (or on the wrong side). So please help the officials out so they can score everyone correctly. Thanks!

– The CCC and more specifically the 4B’s recently got some press in CX Magazine here. We thought the 4B’s were called “The Carnival”… but “The Circus” works just as well. Big thanks to Julie Popper for writing the article.

– The CCC has officially reached its goal of raising $1,000 through direct donations on BikeReg.com… but that’s no reason to stop giving! If you haven’t yet registered for Montrose, please donate a buck, or two, or twenty when singing up.

– We’ve closed down the t-shirt sales on BikeReg. If you ordered a shirt online we’ll have it for you at Montrose somewhere around the start/finish/registration area. Please pick up you shirt(s) at the race as we will NOT be shipping the shirts. If you can not (or forget to) pick up your shirt(s) please email us at [email protected] to work out a hand up in Wicker Park. If you didn’t order a shirt online and still want one, limited quantities will be available at The Pony Shop, MOX Multisport, Main Street Bicycles, and Tati Cycles.

– Speaking of Tati… you still have a few days left to take advantage of their Cyclocross Season Pass Promotion.

– As promised, Liz Farina Markel of Tipping Point Photo has updated her website to include info about purchasing digital files and prints from the 2009 CCC. Here’s a link to the page: http://www.tippingpointphoto.com/TippingPointPhoto/chicrosscup09.html. However, it’s not accessible via the rest of her website navigation, so you’ll have to bookmark this link. If you haven’t been following the comment sections Liz is also working with Luke Seemann and Chip Williams (both of whole we’re sure would be happy to sell you their photos as well) on a 2009 CCC coffee table book. Look for more details soon.

– While we’re all racing here in Chicago this weekend, a big GOOD LUCK to all of you heading out to Portland to swim in mud. We know of at least two guys heading out that way. Have fun and show all those west coasters what they’re missing here in the mid-west.

– Even though the “Official” end of the CCC season is this Sunday at Montrose, there’s no reason we all can’t still get together and have a good time. CCC Cat 3 stud Newt Cole’s band Los Borrachos are playing  Dec 19th at Elbo Room in Lincoln Park. Imagine… Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and AC/DC all in Mambos and Sambas in Spanish… good times indeed. We’ll consider this event, the “Unofficial” end of the CCC season for 2009 (at least until the Awards Dinner in January 2010). Newt is trying to work out discounts at the door for racers and love ones… and a drink deal (oh my!).

– And finally… those Dane’s really know how to light up a tree! We wonder if Joachim Parbo will help out?

We know several of you were at Jingle Cross, and even though its not part of the CCC, we’d still like to hear and see what happened. Feel free to post pix, vids, and race reports here.

Its fitting that today is Thanksgiving and this week’s Thursday CX video is all about a family. In a day and age when many families can barely find time to spend 5 minutes together on a regular basis, Paul Michna shows us in his third video documenting the 2009 Chicago Cycloross Cup how one family is doing more than that, and spending an entire day racing cross together. Many of you know or have watched various members of the Thom family race this year in the CCC… and we can’t think of any better way to bring a family together than to spend a day at a CX race.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone… and good luck to all of you heading out to Jingle Cross.

If you’re traveling this holiday season, remember that Google is providing free WiFi in 31 US airports. See the details here.