This is a long one, especially with no race this coming weekend… but there’s lots of important info, so please read it all…

– Another big thanks to Dr. Jim Kearns and all of the volunteers who helped to make Woodstock a success and the 2nd largest race of 2010 (based on # of starters). 418 racers toed the line for hills, woods, hills, grass, more hills, and some very creative hand ups. Oh, and the Dr. raised a boatload of money to help fight Leukemia and Cancer! We also witnessed the first ever dollar bill hand-back! Luckily our CCC hecklers knew just what to do (see below).

– Up next (and sadly the last CCC race of 2010) is Montrose Harbor hosted by Turin Cycles which also serves as the IL State Championships. Turin is looking for volunteers with course set up and breakdown, so please contact them directly if you’d like to help and get a discounted entry fee. We’ll have the usual full preview next week, but as we mentioned to the group on the hill at Woodstock… anyone dressed up like Santa (beard required), Misses Claus, or a Christmas tree (Chanukkah bush if you swing that way) will get a special call up after the top 10 in the overall standings.

A few notes on Race vs. CCC Series (individual and team) vs. State Champion scoring.

– Like any race in the series the winner of each Category or Age Group race will be determined by the first person to ride around in circles faster than their competition and cross the finish line first (duh).

– CCC Individual Series winners are determined by your points earned according to the rules posted here at the beginning of the season. Some racers have already locked up their respective overall competitions, and they don’t need  to even race at Montrose to pick up some tasty schwag… but we have a pretty good idea they’ll be there to race anyway. On the complete other end of the spectrum, some categories are still totally up in the air. The Cat 3 Ryans are only separated by 9 points, while Janette and Courtney in the Women 4’s are separated by 14 points. The top 4A’s and 4B’s are separated by a few more points, but anything can happen at Montrose and nothing is for sure until you cross the finish line. Point breakdowns can be found here or on the ‘Points Breakdown’ tab here.

– CCC Team Series winners are also determined by points earned by each team according to the rules posted here.

– State Champions will be determined by the first rider to cross the finish line who is a.) an Illinois resident, b.) a US Citizen or permanent resident, and c.) holds a valid and current annual road or mtb USAC license. State of residence is determined by what is listed on your USAC annual license (or drivers license/ID card if you’ve recently moved). You must satisfy all 3 requirements to be named IL State Champion at Montrose. If you’re a master or cat 4 without an annual license and think you have a shot at the jersey, we’ll have annual licenses on sale at registration for $60. We’re going to try and hold some sort of podium ceremony immediately after each race, so if you finish in the top 3 please make your way back to the reg/finish line area as soon as you finish. Actual jerseys will be distributed to you from the ICA at some point in the future.

– Unfortunately we do not award a state champion in the 4B’s, so if you’re a Cat 4 and want to win a jersey, you’ll need to race the 4A’s. Somehow we don’t think too many of you that race in the 4B’s are worried about a jersey anyway. However, what you may be interested in is a little tradition Ben Popper started last year… but we’ll let him explain.

– Turin has once again commissioned a race poster for the Montrose Race (this year by artist Jay Ryan) which is on sale now here.

– Speaking of things on sale… you can still pre-order a 2009 Joe Kallo designed CCC T-shirt on BikeReg here until Midnight this coming Sunday (11/29/09). We will NOT be ordering extras, so if you want a shirt, order it now and we’ll have it for you at Montrose. After that, they’re all gone! All proceeds go to World Bicycle Relief and helping the CCC in 2010.

– The Annual Awards Banquet and series prize distribution will again be held at EJ’s Place in Skokie on Sunday January 10th. More details will be posted soon and we will again pre-sell tickets on BikeReg.com but please save the date on your calendars now.

– We were going to make a list of all the great hand-ups we saw at Woodstock… but there were simply too many to remember. Feel free to post in the comments below what your favorites were. For Montrose we’re expecting a fantastic end to the season… candy canes, sugar cookies, dreidels, gefilte fish, hot chocolate, hot toddies… we can’t wait to see what you all come up with.

– Another good luck to all of you heading out to Jingle Cross this weekend. Whether you’re racing CX or eating turkey, safe travels to all and Happy Thanksgiving!

– Fill up turkey, stuffing, and cranberry this week because we’re making a special request from all of you at Montrose. Many of the Masters racers don’t stick around to watch the 4B’s… and many of the 4A’s and 4B’s don’t show up early enough to watch the Masters. We at the CCC want to see what you all are really made of… so clear your schedules all day for Sunday December 6th. We want to see the course lined with spectators hecklers all day long. Yes, that includes all the 40+, 30+, 50+ Masters AND all of the 4A’s and 4B’s. Let’s blow out the end of the season with a bang and make it a big party… and no, that does NOT mean driving to Indiana for illegal fireworks! Its been such a great season and we’d like to get everyone who has participated in one place at one time and see what happens.

– Finally, we were all deeply saddened to hear about fellow CCC’er Sean Callahan of Team Pegasus who passed away last week. We will doing something special for Sean at Montrose. Please stay tuned for details.

– You all are taking some really, really, really great photographs of this little circus we call the CCC. We wish we could highlight them all, but here are just a few that caught our eye from Woodstock…

It only took 9 races… but SPAM finally made it to a CCC race… and Steven Tyler was there to hand it out… wrapped in a handed-back dollar bill.

Photo: Liz Farina Markel

The Gobbler rides alone into the setting sun…

Photo: Michael Shea

… and then takes a quick break.

Mini

Photo: Luke Seemann

Thanks to Dr. James Kearns for hosting the race and the 418 starters who came out to race today in Woodstock!

Full results here.
Individual and Team Overall Standings here.

Good luck to everyone heading to Jingle Cross… and Happy Thanksgiving to all.
We’ll see you in 2 weeks at Montrose.

Also, many of you were asking and we will do one more t-shirt order which will be ready at Montrose. However we will NOT have extra shirts available beyond what is pre-ordered. If you’d like a 2009 CCC t-shirt, please pre-order it here on BikeReg.com

Finally, please mark your calendars for Sunday January 10th for the annual End Of Season Awards Banquet. We’ll be back again at EJ’s Place in Skokie. More details to come next week.

Gooble Gooble Gobble Gobble!

Back again for his sophomore effort Dr. James Kearns brings us the 9th stop in the Chicago Cyclocross Cup at Emricson Park in Woodstock, IL.

• The Woodstock race is actually the Ed Brophy Memorial Cross for Life race and all proceeds go towards Leukemia and Cancer Research. With 339 of you pre-reg’d cancer doesn’t stand a chance! Someone call Lance!
• Dr. Kearns is a naprapath which is a doctor that specializes in treating muscle and skeletal pain. Hmmm, coincidence that he puts on a CX race. Want to know more, see the Dr’s site here.
• Both EAS and K-bar will be at the race to service your nutritional (and perhaps hand-ups) needs.
• If recovery drink and energy bars aren’t your bag there’s plenty to see, do, and eat in nearby downtown Woodstock. Check out the Chamber of Commerce site for more info.
• There is plenty of parking at Emricson Park (see map below) so please use it.
• Registration this year will be in a pop-up tent next to the Start/Finish and NOT in the warming hut near the pond. The hut should still be open though just in case you get cold… but given this weekend’s weather forecast we doubt it.
• The Woodstock course (below) is very spread out, but CX rules still apply. If you suffer a mechanical you must go forward on the course and you cannot cut across the park. The wheel/bike pit will be in the same location as last year… just beyond the S/F.
• The course runs clock-wise.
• Please pay attention when you are racing on Sunday. We know many of you are deep in oxygen debt while racing, but there are 4 (four) road crossings on the course. There will be course marshals at each crossing, but please look both ways before crossing. Better safe than sorry.
• Even though the course is quite spread out and long (~2 miles), the last 1/2 mile or so should provide the most excitement for spectators with lots off-camber sections, twists, and turns. If we were betting CCC’ers, we’d bet the best spectating spots will be just after the U-turn after the final road-crossing. We will bet however that you all will be more creative and enthusiastic in your hand-ups than the people in NJ last weekend.
• Just like last week we ask that if you’re hanging around after the race, please help us tear down the course so we’re not working in the dark.
• Congratulations to David Dokko for being the first person to have his picture taken in front of the CCC’s first billboard. David races in the 3’s and will receive a call up after the top 10 in the overall standings. Big thanks again to Walid Abu Ghazaleh & Van Wagner for the billboard space, and Luke Seemann for the fantastic photo.
• Remember we’re also giving Thanksgiving call-ups to anyone dressed as a pilgrim, a turkey, or a big bowl of stuffing. Sure, its not Halloween, but we can still have some fun!.
• We’re still collecting donations for World Bicycle Relief too, and a few people who have gone above and beyond will get special call-ups. For this race alone you all pitched in a we raised $430.65 (enough for over 3 whole bikes!) so it looks like we’re going to have to raise our donation goal a year ahead of schedule. For those playing at home… we’ve now collected over $800 from direct donations and that’s before we count the t-shirt money.
• Speaking of… yes, we’ll have the t-shirts at the race this weekend. If you ordered a shirt before mid-week it will be there waiting for you after the 30+ race.
• Finally, while we’ve got your attention, we know a few CCC’ers are looking for ride shares out to Jingle Cross next weekend. If you have room, want some good company, and need gas money please let others know in the comments below. Thanks!

We thought about posting what Hipsters or Dirtbags are thinking in cyber-land… but this week instead of a CX video we’re playing a little game called “Find that intersection” in the real world.

Big thanks to Walid Abu Ghazaleh and Van Wagner for the ad space!

The first person to post a photo of themselves (in the comments below) in front of this intersection with the billboard in the background gets a special call up at Woodstock. Be safe (that means take the picture standing on the sidewalk… NOT riding your bike through the intersection) and good luck!

Okay, so we couldn’t post a Thursday CX video without at least one video… we bring you… “Bacon Alley“

– Big thanks to the South Chicago Wheelmen, the Hilton Indian Lakes Resort, and everyone who dared enter the Octagon Hexagon(s) to make this past Saturday’s race a success. Indian Lakes was our largest race ever with 454 starters! We guess the beautiful weather helped, but we’re just glad someone got a picture of this guy pouring a Fat Tire on his head! Not only that, but many of you chipped in to raise $126.30 for World Bicycle Relief… just shy of the $134 needed for one bike.

– Speaking of WBR… it was just announced Monday (11/16/09) morning that ALL donations to WBR between now and the end of the year will be matched $ for $! Buy 1 bike – have 2 delivered! This is no reason to stop giving however… so let’s see how much more we can raise for people who don’t even have bikes!

– Next up is Woodstock. Its fitting for a CX race that race promoter Dr. James Kearns’ web address is http://www.painfree101.com/. The course will be very similar to last year, but I’m sure the Dr. will have a few surprises in store for everyone. Additionally, we doubt we’ll get many takers, but since this is the last race before the most American of holidays (Thanksgiving), anyone dressed up like a Pilgrim, a Turkey, or a Big Bowl of Stuffing will get a special call-up.

– If you haven’t noticed… the days are getting shorter. We at the CCC appreciate any help we can get, so if you’re hanging out after the 4B’s finish up, please lend a hand in tearing down the course. Rounding up course materials in the dark is no fun at all. Thanks!

– Speaking of… if you’re not already traveling out of state for Thanksgiving then you may want to. Our friends to the West in Iowa will be hosting their (6th?) Annual Jingle Cross UCI weekend. Three days in a row of CX! Good luck to all of you CCC’ers who are foregoing the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry to race CX!

– On SAFETY… If you are riding your bike at a CCC event… you MUST WEAR YOUR HELMET AT ALL TIMES. There are NO exceptions to this rule. It is a USAC rule, a CCC rule, and just plain common sense. The overwhelming majority of you have been great about this, but a few knuckleheads keep forgetting. Please, for your own safety, wear your helmet. If you need one, just ask, we’re sure someone will let you borrow theirs.

– The RESPECT… We heard that a few of you took matters into your own hands this past weekend and were changing the course before the 4B’s race around the mud section. This is not acceptable. Only the officials have the right to change the course after it has been set at the beginning of the day. Every racer, no matter how far off the front or off the back has the right to a clearly defined course just like everyone else. Yes, this is CX, and its supposed to be hard, but that doesn’t mean anyone has the right to make anyone else’s race harder than it already is. Please be respectful of your fellow racers and leave the course the way the promoters set it.

– On SAFETY & RESPECT… Please remember we do call ups for a reason… when lining up on the start line you must only be 10 riders wide. We don’t know how many times we have to tell you all this. If we see riders trying to cram themselves in between the riders in front of them we will relegate you to the back of the field. We know you all want a chance at being at the front of race from the beginning, be we cannot comprise the safety of all of the the other riders… or the hard earned placings they’ve worked for.

– On Hand-ups. Okay, let’s see if we can remember them all… at Indian Lakes we saw cupcakes, bacon, Twinkies, Twizzlers, Bacon wrapped Twizzler stuffed Twinkies, Fat Tire Amber Ale, something in a canteen, dollars, golf balls, and even the increasing popular Recession Hand-Up (otherwise known as a Hi-Five!). Awesome. Keep up the great work. We can’t wait to see what theme you all put together for Woodstock… will it be Thanksgiving or hippies? Just remember… no glass or sharp metal.

Photo: Michael Young

– Finally, Harry Lam, a USA Cycling & UCI Official, was injured during a CX event on 11/7/09 in Northampton, Massachusetts.  Harry was accidentally struck by a cyclist sprinting at the conclusion of an event.  Harry was knocked to the ground, suffered a broken nose and internal head injuries.  Harry was put in a medically induced coma for about 24 hours to control bleeding on the brain. Fortunately Harry did NOT require surgery and was awaken about 24 hours later. He has already begun working with a physical therapist and continues to make improvements daily.

Harry was released from the hospital on 11/11/09 in Massachusetts and will be taken to Virginia for a lengthy recovery.  Harry is from Salt Lake City, Utah. However, he has extended family in Virginia with whom he will be staying with.  Harry’s recovery precludes his returning home for some time, so he faces an additional hardship of being separated from his family during this recovery. There are a lot of difficulties ahead for Harry and his family between medical expenses, separation of the family, no work, etc. Please continue to hold Harry and his family in your thoughts and prayers for a full recovery.

Like many of you who find yourselves in these types of situations, we at the CCC want to help. The New England Bicycle Racing Association (NEBRA) and other officials around the country have worked to set up a fund on BikeReg.com to assist Harry and his family with medical expenses. If you can, please donate here to get Harry back up, home, and working again!

Full results here.
Overall individual and team standings here.

If you lost your wallet or anything else please email us at [email protected] with details and we’ll get it back to you.

The Pony Shop has extended its lead in the team competition, but never count out the Green Machine of Verdigris.

Also, as we get closer to the end of the series (so soon?) we will highlight (in yellow) those riders who have already wrapped up the their respective categories. However, take note that with only 2 races left, many categories are in virtual dead heats and still anyone’s game. For instance;
Ryan Gingerich and Ryan Cooper are only separated by 6 points in the Men’s 3 category,
Courtney O’Neill and Jannette Rho are only separated by 1 point in the Women’s 4 category, and
Eric Willcox and Russ Kuryk are only separated by 7 points in the 4A’s. Good luck to everyone!

OMG… there are too many great pictures from Saturday… here are a few of our favorites

And at the 8th race they ascended into CX heaven…

The 4B’s taking a quick break…

You’d prefer a cupcake?

Or perhaps bacon?

Photo: Liz Farina Markel

Going for it…

“Bacon Alley”…

Nice glasses…

How to enter a sand pit with your BFF…

Photo: Liz Farina Markel

Flannel Mike (otherwise known as BC = Business Casual) is recruiting.

Thanks to Flannel Paul for coming out to race this weekend!

Photo: Liz Farina Markel

And finally… why you should never, ever, ever let your friends watch your kids…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/benschomatic/4103893241/in/set-72157622680219067/