The Chicago Cyclocross Cup will celebrate its season with a buffet banquet this Sunday, Feb. 10, at 4 p.m. at E.J.'s Place, 10027 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. All participants are welcome. RSVP requested.

USA Cycling's new rulebook has some interesting changes to the upgrade requirements on the road.

Racers still need 20 points to upgrade to Cat 3 and 25 points to upgrade to Cat 2, but the points now vary based on size of field and criterium vs. road race. Furthermore, the points are now standardized across categories.

Let's look at the requirements to become a Cat 3. Previously all races awarded 7-5-4-3-2-1 points to the top 6 finishers, regardless of the size of the field. In 2008 points will go five deep (5-4-3-2-1) for criteriums of 21-50 riders and seven deep (8-6-5-4-3-2-1) for road races of the same size. For bigger races, more points are available. For smaller, fewer.

With fewer points available for criteriums, this could make it harder for 4's to upgrade, given the dearth of road races close to Chicago, but I expect many 4's will continue to upgrade based on a combination of top 10's and the discretion of our wise and benevolent technical director.

The same tables apply to 3's upgrading to Cat 2. Of note is that the points warranting an automatic upgrade are now 40, down from 60. Sandbaggers, you're on notice.

Requirements to upgrade from 5 to 4 remain the same: 10 mass-start races.

Similar adjustments have been made to the cyclocross guidelines, which have lowered the bar for entering the 3's: One need only "experience" 5 races (not necessarily finish?) or score seven points. I think this will be good for the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, which this season saw more than 80 riders line up for 4's races but only 20 for the 3's. Ben Popper (Killjoy), who first brought my attention to these changes, disagrees.

One other major change in the cyclocross guidelines, emphasis mine: "If the road and XC categories do not correspond to the same CX category, then the higher one will be used." This means Cat 3 roadies can skip the Cat 4 cross races altogether. (That clicking sound you hear is me applying for my upgrade.)

• » Here's another new team you can add to your blogroll: Welcome, Beverly Bike/Vee Pak.

• » Next Saturday, Jan. 19, is the Chicago Winter Bike Swap, hosted by Project 5 Racing.

• » Results for the first of ABD's indoor time trials are online. Once again Mark Swartzendruber (Lucas Oil) delivered some hurt, placing not once but twice in the top three. Coming in 2nd on the day was second-year pro Reid Mumford (Kelly Benefit Strategies).

• » In the time trial results I see some riders from a mysterious Burnham Racing squad. I have no idea what this team is all about. Appears to have something to do with celebrity gossip and supermodels.

• » According to this tentative schedule posted at the Pony Shop Cyclocross blog and elsewhere, the Chicago Cross Cup has seven races planned for 2008. The newest addition will be the Old Towne Vande-Cross in Moline, Ill. That's a bit of a trek, but the more, the muddier. Jackson Park will again kick off the series, on Sept. 21, a mere 255 days away.
  

• » I'm not sure if it's the last cross race of the 2007 season or the first race of the 2008 season, but Team Mack is hosting the 20th Annual Tour de Groundhog on Feb. 17 near Springfield. In preparation, new South Side team Beverly Bike VeePak will be hosting a training cross ride on Feb. 10.

• » Riding Attempting to ride portions of the lakefront path last week was a balance drill of despair. Now there's so much salt it's like riding on sandpaper. Keep track of latest conditions at this handy Chicago Bike Federation page.

• » CyclingNews has a feature story on Team Type 1, a new UCI team whose development squad includes Alberto's Robert Schrank, part of a Ride Across America team that won its division this year. UPDATE: Scott Van Maldegiam (Spin Doctor Cyclewerks) points out that ABD product Alex Bowden is also on the development squad.

• » What's it like to be a messenger in Chicago? Dispatch 101 is here to tell us.
  

I missed a few other strong results from local riders at this weekend's cyclocross national championships. Debbie Pielet (Alberto's) finished 6th in the women's 50-54, and Wayne Simon (Verdigris) got 8th in the men's 50-54. (Thanks, Barry!)

And if you have a strong stomach, check out this video of the head-on crash that took out defending champion Ryan Trebon (Kona).

Some more race reports are now online:

Aspen Gorry (University of Chicago): "The temperatures rose later in the day turning the course into a mix of soupy mud and grass and causing ice to rain down from the trees that it had been covering."

Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles): "It's tough riding your bike when the course grabs your wheels and throws you every which way. People went down all over the place."

Holly Klug (Killjoy): "The woman who ended up winning our race came all the way from the left side across to the right completely out of control, taking me completely out."

Photo by Luke Seemann

Plenty of Chicago racers had good seasons in 2007, but none dominated a field quite like Devon Haskell (Team Get a Grip Cycles). In just her second year of competition, Haskell cruised to victory in each of the six races of the Chicago Cyclocross Cup, where she raced women’s 1/2/3, including Sunday’s state championship at Montrose Harbor. She also invaded our neighboring states, winning the state championship races in Indiana and Wisconsin.

The 26-year-old had a memorable road season as well. Racing for the University of Chicago, where she is pursuing a PhD in economics, she finished 3rd in the Division II women's road race national championship and 6th in the criterium. That earned her a spot on the Ryan Collegiate All-Stars, a women's squad that competed against the nation’s best professional women at June’s Nature Valley Grand Prix.

This weekend Haskell tackles the next level with the national cyclocross championships in Kansas City, where she’ll slog through the cold and mud not just once but twice. Even though she was busy getting ready for that and writing a big paper for school, she spared a few minutes this week to talk about her season and cycling’s many dividends.

What happened at the Nature Valley Grand Prix?
It was a fun experience until Day 4. I don't really remember what happened. The first 70 miles of the race were going along fine, and then I think I hit a curb that according to witnesses launched me about 20 feet onto my head. (Thank goodness for helmets!) I had a concussion that left me out for a bit. I missed out on some summer racing, like Proctor weekend and most of Superweek, which was a bummer.

How did you get ready for cross season?
I found a super coach, Brian Conant (Pony Shop), who prepared me well.

Did your success surprise you?
I didn't know what to expect from cross this year, so yeah, I was surprised.

You'd think women's cross would be popular: small time commitment, low risk of injury, high risk of incredible fun. Any idea why the ChiCrossCup fields have been so small?
I guess people just haven't`[Cross is] like being a kid on the playground while at the same time discovering and redefining your body's limits.’ learned how much fun cross is yet.

What's so fun about it?
You get to play in dirt, mud and snow, splash in puddles, dart through trees and jump over stuff. It's like being a kid on the playground while at the same time discovering and redefining your body's limits. It's difficult not to get hooked by that combination.

Will you be going to cross nats in Kansas City this weekend?
Definitely. I don't want to miss one more chance to ride my cross bike this year. I'll be racing collegiate and then elite.

With the cross season ending this weekend and the collegiate road season starting in February, you're not left with much of an off-season. You obviously can't do the traditional drawn-out prepare-base-build-peak cycle. What kind of plan do you have?
Apparently I have a short plan. It will be better than last year, when I didn't really know about the whole base-build-peak thing until February.

Where do you see your cycling career going?
This is a hard one for me. With this being my first full season, I haven't had a lot of time to figure that out. I've definitely developed a passion. All I know right now is that I want to keep riding and having fun.

Is it coincidence that you went to Dartmouth, alma mater of former collegiate national champion and UCVC rider Todd Yezefski (Nerac)?
Yeah. The only biking I did at Dartmouth was from one side of campus to the other. That's not very far.

One of your teammates has accused you of being "the sweetest and most genuine person that I have ever met." How do you plead?
My teammates are too nice.

I happen to have ample evidence that nice guys tend to finish if not last, mid-pack. Don't you think you'd go faster if you stopped smiling all the time and at least snarled a little?
:)

Do you ever apply economic models to cycling? Resource management? Cost-benefit and risk analysis? Tire inflation? You could do an entire thesis on a single race!
I could use a dissertation topic. Maybe we should talk some more.

Which would you rather bring to the University of Chicago: another Nobel prize for economics -- like it needs any more! -- or another national championship?
Well, if I do my dissertation on the economics of cycling, I'm pretty sure a Nobel prize is out of the picture.

Turin's Chris Dimmick is in need of help to dig out the course before Sunday's state championships cyclocross race. He and others will be out there Saturday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Bring a shovel or broom and treat yourself to a unique off-the-bike workout.

Chicago Cyclocross Cup standings have been updated ahead of Sunday's finale at Montrose Harbor.

Barring catastrophe, overalls are pretty much locked up, with Luca Lenzi (Vision Quest) and Devon Haskell (Get a Grip Cycles) sitting pretty atop their respective fields. One remaining showdown is in the 4's, where professional triathlete Brad Zoller (Unattached) and Aspen Gorry (UCVC) are separated by a mere 15 points. (Gorry no doubt pines for the 10 points he lost at Lansing when officials relegated him for riding off-course in the final sprint.)

Even if the series are settled, state championship jerseys are on the line, so expect fierce competition all day. Make sure your cowbell ringing and heckling are just as merciless.

• » As you may have read in The New York Times, cyclocross "has recently caught fire" in the United States. Get it while it's hot by coming out to Sunday's state championships at Montrose Harbor. A "light wintry mix" is forecast, which should make the racing extra sloppy and spectator-friendly, but it should be warm enough that you don't freeze your butt off. Bring $20 and you can go home with this amazing poster from legendary poster artist and bike enthusiast Jay Ryan.

• » Dan Castallaneta of "The Simpsons" joins "Le Comedie du Bicyclette" when it returns to the Lakeshore Theater for a short run Dec. 12-16. I have no information on whether drugs will enhance the performance.

• » Just because it's snowing doesn't mean you and can't have fun with your bike, thanks to our friends at Bike Winter.

• » Your mechanic called. He said he and the other wrenches would like a calendar for Christmas.

• » Cross riders will want to note the schedule changes over at the Chicago Cyclocross Cup. To relieve some of the congestion experienced at Jackson Park, women will no longer be mixed in with the masters. In addition, 4's riders will now choose between two fields: An "A" field for licensed riders (or confident one-day licensees) and a "B" field for rookies and other one-day licensees.

• » Kevin Stephens (Project 5) is organizing a winter bike swap for Jan. 19, 2008.

• » Don't forget the Dick Herron Memorial Ride & Walk next Sunday, Oct. 14. The main cermony is at 9:30 a.m. at North Avenue and the lakefront path, and XXX Racing-AthletiCo will be having an earlier gathering in Wicker Park at 7:15 a.m. to remember its fallen teammates.

• » I mentioned the road-rage murder of Tommy McBride last week, but here is a complete archive of press coverage.

• » The local cyclocross season kicks off this Sunday in Jackson Park. Important note: The schedule has recently changed, so double-check the current flier and help spread the word. Also, volunteer opportunities are still available. Contact Greg Heck if you're interested. There's no discipline more fun to watch than cyclocross, so if you're going to be there anyhow, might as well spend some time with a flag in your hand. (And presumably a cowbell in the other.)

• » Jonathan Dugas (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) is one half of the smart and thorough Science of Sports, which reads a bit like a Freakonomics of athletics. Dugas and colleague Ross Tucker recently wonked out over the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, but there's a lot of good cycling analysis on the site. I expect it will become a must-read as we approach the Olympics.

• » Someone took an amazing video of the Brad Huff (Slipstream) crash in the final sprint of the Tour of Missouri. "It helped that I had said a prayer," Huff said. "Before the start of every sprint, I do that."

• » Only four more days to order your Unattached Rider uniform, guaranteed to be the sexiest kit of 2008.
  

• » The first cyclocross flier is up, this one for Jackson Park on Sunday, Sept. 23. Just in time, Velonews has a series of cyclocross skills videos. (Owing to popular demand, I'll throw nearby cross races on the race calendar as soon as I have a free hour.)

• » Chicago Athlete is a must-read for cyclists this month. For one thing, all three athletes of the month are cyclists: Debbie Dust (Team Kenda Tire), Ed Amstutz (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) and "Kid Athlete of the Month" John Tomlinson (XXX Racing-AthletiCo). Then there are a few cyclocross stories: an introduction to the discipline and a look at juniors cross (including input from Tomlinson). Finally there's a remembrance of Beth Kobeszka, who was killed racing in June.

• » Kobeszka would have been among those competing in the Chicago Triathlon this weekend. In her memory, three friends entered Team Kobeszka in the relay category and came in 9th out of 168 teams, not to mention 4th co-ed and 5th in the bike leg.

• » Wisconsin cops to former Downers Grove national champion Brad Huff (Slipstream): Do your intervals, go to jail.

• » Like a kid counting down to Christmas, Jeff Kao (XXX Racing-AthletiCo) reminds us that there are only 30 days until cyclocross. To get ready, Jason and Kristen Meshberg (Flatlandia) are hosting cross practices Wednesdays at Spring Rock Park in Western Springs. Warm up at 5:30 p.m., race at 6. "It's practice and not a clinic," Jason says. "Everybody is there to get a crazy workout." Mind the rules: Knock over a barrier, do 10 push-ups. (I won't be covering the cross scene nearly as obsessively as road, but you can expect some updates.)

• » Action Images is starting to upload photos from Downers Grove.

• » Voytek Glinkowski (WDT) alerts me to construction on Sunday's Glencoe course. "Two-thirds of the width of Park Avenue, between Vernon Avenue and Grove Street, is under heavy construction. There is about a 4-inch drop on the street, surrounded by construction fence." Should make for an even more interesting course. UPDATE: Patrick McNally (MetCycling) tells me "the pavement is under construction because they are laying down NEW stuff for the race!" Even better! Race director Jon Knouse adds: "The village is owed a very healthy thank you for going the extra mile to assure the best pavement possible for our inaugural race." Thanks, Glencoe! Now if only Wilmette would follow and pave Sheridan Road ...

• » It is so not going to rain tomorrow, so don't even think about wussing out out of Sherman Park.