You see I racing

The cross fanatics used to lament about how their season was maybe nine weeks long. Sometimes you get what you ask for, and to round out a season that kicked off before Labor day, the ChiCrossCup brain trust stepped up to get the necessary cash, barriers, and powerwashers to put together Chicagoland's first UCI race. But you knew that, booking your NYE adventure in Bloomingdale Illinois, home of famous karaoke nights and other hijinks. The Pros put on a big show with Trebon schooling Rapha's Powers and Jones, and Sally, Sue, and Andrea owning the podium both days. But you can read all that in legitimate news sources. Day one had the hardest working man in show business, our own Maxwell Riordan, lining up in the 2/3s race. While the rest of the cross world has been Facebooking their every race moment, Max has been chipping his crossresults score down, and he slotted up in the second row. On a day when the carpetbaggers came out of the woodwork, Max repped the locals well, as the third-placed Illinoisan and 9th overall. Chapeau to Mumford who made the last step of the podium as top local.

Blame the New Year's champagne, the leg-sapping mud, or dropping temps, but day two was a more sparsely attended affair. Christina kicked off the day for the crew in the women's 2/3 race. The mud was still in abundance, but the icy temperature was turning it into a two-mile bed of clay. Run, push, carry, or ride; there were no great lines left. Being the big ring monster she is, Teeners pretty much rode the whole thing into submission, notching a 2nd place finish.

Elsewhere on course, Ella was christening her new bike. Finally outgrowing her 650 wheels, she rolled single speed in the juniors' 10-14 category. Joined by her longtime partner in crime, Tess, these two were the only girls man enough not to DNS. Heckle Hall of Fame nomination goes to Tess, who, while being razzed by her brother in the staging area, replied "I'll eat your innards with a spoon!" Your fearless race director even paused over his clipboard at that one, and he's heard it all. By any means necessary, Ella pushed, shouldered, and rode to a solid 4th place finish, first female. No podium shot for the girls, but the man with the clipboard slipped her a four pack of root beer anyway.

Rounding out the day Avi roused himself from the hotel fireplace long enough to suit up for Single Speed. Nearly half the registrants blamed it on the a-a-a-a-alcohol and were long gone, but the remainders made it an honest three lap affair, even if the course was being packed up mid-race. Greg Heck, off a full season of ChiCross racing, and ready for Nats, was in his own class off the front. Avi had a slow start, but found his groove in the thick mud, shed the two Tati riders Sascha and Rory, caught Sprockets' Forest, and barely held him off to finish 2nd.

Big thanks to the late nights and hard work of our local promoters, who are tireless in their quest to raise the game of Chicagoland racing.