• 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.
• The unofficial start of the CX season begin at xXx Relay CX and HAC CX Eliminator… Reg is open for both on BikeReg.
• 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.

Hey gang, remember us?

• The 2023 CCC series is in preparation mode and getting ready for the season. See the event schedule posted here.
• We’ll have one NEW race this year, the Quarry Cross at The Forge hosted by EMC2.
• Outside of the series, xXx Racing Relay Cross is on Sunday 8/27/2023 in Jackson Park and the Half Acre CX Eliminator is on Saturday 9/2/2023 at Big Marsh.
• We’ll have a few small changes to the CCC race day schedule, more info coming soon.
• We always love sponsors and need some help running the series, so please email us if you’re interested!

• 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
• What: 2023 CCC Town Hall
• When: Tuesday May 23th 2023
• Where: Specialized Fulton Market (thanks Specialized AGAIN for hosting us!)
• Why: Open discussion of the current series, future ideas, etc.
• Food: Maybe
• Beverages: Beer and Non-alcoholic options 
• Schedule:
  • 6:30 pm – Doors Open (not in complete darkness)
  • 7:00 pm – Town Hall discussion
  • When the beer runs out o’clock- Closing Time
• Please RSVP here –>  https://forms.office.com/r/z06wut8s65
• See you there!

Hi everyone!

• Remember this coming Saturday evening 2/4/2023 at 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/

• Hey everyone… Happy New Year!!!

• Before you hunker down and go into cycling hibernation for the winter we’re having one more event… an Awards Party after all!
• Who: You, and us, and anyone who wants to join.
• What: 2022 CCC Awards Party
• When: Saturday February 4th 2023
• Where: Specialized Fulton Market (thanks Specialized for hosting us!)
• Why: Who doesn’t want to hang out with our cyclocross family with free food, dranks, and prizes?
• Food: Pizza & Salad
• Beverages: Beer and Non-alcoholic options 
• Raffle: Chances to win loads of cycling-related prizes!
• Series Winner Awards, announced by the greatest MC in Chicago – Kenny Labbe
• Schedule:
  • 6:30 pm Start
  • 7:30 pm Awards
  • 9:30 pm Closing Time
• Please join us! Get out of the house for a little bit. Free entry (just don’t make a mess of the place), and a chance to hang with the CCC community not in a sweaty or freezing cold pop-up tent.
• Please RSVP here –> https://forms.office.com/r/LdvWr8JqPP
• See you there!

And finally… Looks for details soon concerning the best cycling fundraiser ever… Afterglow – A Cyclocross Race… to benefit West Town Bikes and Blackstone Bicycle Works… happening sometime in May at Big Marsh!!

• Thanks to EVERYONE who helped make the 2022 Chicago Cyclocross Cup a success… from the racers, the riders, the teams, the sponsors, the coaches, the parents, the spouses, the significant others, the the mechanics, the doggos, the spectators, the hecklers, the officials, Kenny (of course), the land manager and park managers, the bus/sprinter drivers, and anyone else we may have forgotten. After 2 years off for COVID you all showed everyone why the CCC truly is the best amateur CX series in the country… probably the world if we’re being honest.
• Full Overall Series Results are posted here. We’re still updating team names and will post final team standings later this week.
• The USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships start today in Hartford, CT. Good luck to all competitors, especially those from the Chicagoland region who race with us.
• If you’re still in need of some Christmas gifts, please consider something from our amazing Series Sponsors.
• Speaking of series sponsors… Simple Endurance Coaching is hosting… The 2022 CCC Season Was Awesome, But I Want to Do Better! Join coach Paul for a free seminar/work session where he will review your training from 2022 and start making plans for 2023. You’ll review your season, your strengths and future needs, and then set up some goals for 2023. You’ll talk about how to set up your training in three periods: General Fitness, Bike Fitness, and Race Fitness. The seminar will be on December 13 at 7 pm on Zoom. From Paul, “I was honored to help sponsor the Chicago Cyclocross Cup this year, and I specialize in coaching cyclocross and gravel racers as well as trail runners.” Click here to register.
• And finally… We truly hope everyone had a great time this year and wish you all the best during this holiday season and into 2023. There may or may not be a few more updates here on the site this year, but if not… have a great Holiday season no matter what you celebrate and a Happy New Year!!!

• Spidermonkey and Half Acre cycling clubs are excited to bring Montrose Harbor/Beach back! Please read the info below for some important notes. #MontroseCX
• Preliminary staging will be posted here on Saturday morning. We want everyone to be staged correctly, so please, please, please for the love of all that is good and green check your staging Saturday morning. We can make corrections at that time but it is highly, highly unlikely we’ll be able to do so on Sunday. Thanks!
• Since this is the Midwest Regional Championship AND CCC finale, podiums are a little more complicated than usual. Please help the best announcer a race series could ask for and if you are top three in the race or the overall, report to the podium ASAP following your race.
• The weather looks great with a 30% of awesomeness, but as always, the wind coming off the lake is no joke; please make sure to secure your tents and spheres.
• Here’s your friendly reminder that this is a city park where people who might have no idea what cyclocross is WILL be wandering through on their usual Sunday strolls (the lakefront path now cuts through the course). Yes, we’ll be celebrating the return of cyclocross with drinks** and food and more dranks**, but please be on your best behavior and show the city what a classy bunch we are.
• ** And now let us pause for the annual message from the fun police … it’s Chicago Park District property and alcohol is not allowed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 
• There will be THREE food truck options this year with Firecake Donuts arriving at 07:00 with donuts/coffee, and Aztec Daves tacos and Gilty Pig coming for lunch, so come hungry.
• Big thanks to our generous sponsors for helping make the Ald. James Cappleman Midwest Regional CX Championship presented by Specialized Chicago possible:

• Specialized Chicago
• The Spoke & Bird Cafe
• Ellie Thompson + Co.

• Speaking of Specialized Chicago, pre-reg riders can head to the Fulton Street location on Saturday from noon to 4:00 p.m. to get your bib number early. Pin your number from the comfort of your own home! While there, you can pick-up the event poster you already ordered on BikeReg when you registered early. If you didn’t, there might still be some available for purchase at either Specialized location or at series sponsor Tailwind Cycles.
• Simonds Drive is closed to thru-traffic and parking within the barricades is restricted to officials, food trucks, sponsors, porta-potties, and the like. Regular parking will be along Simonds Drive and Montrose Drive either to the north or south, entering and exiting the way you came in.
• Per the Park District, NO PARKING ON THE GRASS OR PATHS, ANYWHERE! We cannot emphasize this point enough and yet still had vehicles break this rule in the past. Please adhere to marshals regarding your vehicle parking and movements.
• Speaking of, a few parking spaces within the barricades (near the finish) are available with a donation on BikeReg to help defray the overall event costs. Entry for this is from the NORTH END of Simonds drive — check in with the nice volunteers and show your receipt. (If you have a trailer please count that as a second space).
• Teams are welcome to drop off equipment at the turn-around on the south-end of Simonds Drive near the staging grid. The driver must remain with the vehicle to expedite unloading and keep traffic flowing, just like at the airport. It’s usually a high-volume operation with everyone coming at the same time so help your teammates.
• Speaking of team tent placement, all are welcome, nay encouraged, to drop/place tents and other large items on Saturday afternoon! There is hired security for overnight watch (though of course SMC, USAC, CPD, et al. cannot take responsibility for what the weather/acts of gods could do to items left overnight, so make sure it’s secured/laid down/tied down). And hey, stick around to lend a helping hand with course setup.
• Speaking of helping hands, Spidermonkey could use a few more hands during the race on Sunday for course marshaling spots required of the new course design and lakefront path interaction. Volunteers get free coffee & lunch! Check the sign-up sheet.
• We understand the desire to pre-ride, especially with so many CCC’ers living nearby. However, we kindly request you DO NOT RIDE the course this week, especially during setup on Saturday, to enable course construction AND to keep it in nice condition for game day. Again, please drop the bike and pick up some course stakes and tape to help — it takes a village!
• Onto the course: We had such great feedback on the course in 2019 we are sticking (mostly) to that same design, featuring the start on pavement. Bonus, the city repaved the road! However, that includes new six-inch curbs, so we will have a ramp transition after the first turn. All this is to say, please stay friendly on the starts, remembering that you can’t win the race there, buy you can surely lose it. Same expanded pit with neutral support provided by Jose from NRS & Events!
• UPDATE: Please stay off the sand shown in the picture below which has been designated a Protected Natural Area by the city and park horticulturalist.
• We can’t wait to see everyone and close out the CX season in style on the lake front in our namesake city. See you all on Sunday!  

• We hope everyone had a nice and relaxing Thanksgiving with family and friends.
• We’re not done yet though. The final race of the 2022 Chicago Cyclocross Cup, the Ald. James Cappleman Montrose Beach CX/Midwest Regional p/b Specialized Chicago will be held this coming Sunday 12/6/2022 at Montrose Harbor, hosted by Spidermonkey Cycling and Half Acre Cycling. Full course preview will be posted on Thursday morning.
• Please pre-reg on BikeReg.com here.
• This year Montrose will also be the MidWest Regional CX Championships, so expect a bunch of riders from not-Illinois. #OPEcx
• And finally, if you haven’t already blown your entire paycheck on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, whatever Sunday is these days, and Cyber Monday… remember today is Giving Tuesday. There are great local programs such as Blackstone Bicycle Works, West Town Bikes, and World Bicycle Relief that can always use our help, so please considering donating, helping, mentoring, or just sending a few dollars their way. Thanks!

• The final race of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup at Montrose Beach, the Ald. James Cappleman Midwest Regional p/b Specialized Chicago, is fast approaching, and the organizers Spidermonkey Cycling and Half Acre Cycling have a few early notes to munch on along with your turkey.
• Get a limited edition race poster designed by Half Acre Cycling’s own Matt Maniscalco. Purchase early at either Specialized Chicago retail location, series sponsor Tailwind Cycles, or when you register EARLY on BikeReg — and avoid getting it muddy when you pick-up your bib number EARLY on Saturday, December 3 at Specialized Fulton Street. Any remaining posters will be available at registration. 
• Also remember our friends to the east are holding Region Riot CX this coming Sunday; a great way to make sure your legs are ready to battle for midwest bragging rights! #OPEcx
• And finally… we here at the CCC wish everyone a fantastic and restful Happy Thanksgiving. Fuel up, the season isn’t quite over yet!