September 06, 2011 (Nanaimo, BC) – The type of year it has been is one in which nothing has been getting done until it absolutely has to. NOT because I am lazy or a procrastinator…..it is purely because of the VOLUME of stuff to do this year. With that said the preparations are FULLY underway for our Vancouver Island Cross series (and we actually started preparations in January)!!! It is amazing how much work you can get done when you are waiting for a baby to come…..it is not here yet and I hope that it comes soon and not this coming weekend!!
LOTS of news for the Cross on the Rock Series this year……follow along and we will see you this Sunday.
Race guide for Cumberland will be posted on Thursday on our web site for download.
Better keep that water bottle holder on your bike for now….estimated temperature for Sunday is 27°C
Series Schedule
– September 11th. Village Park in Cumberland
– October 2nd. McLean’s Mill in Port Alberni
– October 10th. Topaz Park in Victoria
– October 15th. Beban Park in Nanaimo (Island Championships); Social at the new Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo in the PM.
– October 16th. Bowen Park in Nanaimo
– October 30th. Transfer Beach in Ladysmith
– November 20th TBA Park in Victoria (Series Championships and Double Points)
Season Overview
We have 7 races on Vancouver Island this year. Victoria to Cumberland. Nanaimo to Port Alberni. Of those 7 races. 6 are series races…..one is the “Island Championships”….(see information below). Of the 6 races in the series you will score a max of 5 events throwing out your worst series score if you do all 6 events. The last race of the series will be the series championships in Victoria and will be double points as it has been in the past.
KIDS: We are trying to have more Kids races at the events. This depends on the venue and the manpower. There WILL be a kids event at Cumberland. Check the race bible before the event to make sure if there is a kids race at other events.
2011 Categories
Aside from the Island Championships, which is an age-based category system, our series is basically ability-based with a division by age. Fastest racers in Expert and Open Women’s. All others divided into basically beginner or above 40 years of age or below 40 years of age. For a more in depth description read below.
BEGINNERS: This is someone that is new to bike racing. New to cross racing. Young. Old……does not really fit into any of the other categories…..putting their toe into the water….trying it out. As with all of our categories if you are TOO fast we will give you a gentle nudge.
WOMENS: OK we have tried to do this for a number of years and it is NOW or Never….(or later and not Never). We REALLY want to do an intermediate women’s category this year. WE NEED WOMEN TO COME OUT AND RACE. In order to do these two categories we need to have at least 10 girls in each category…..if we don’t see that at the first race we will merge the women’s categories into an OPEN Women’s category for race #2 and beyond. Get your girls out! Intermediate women will race with the intermediate men. Separate start behind the men. Open women will race with the Masters Men….before the masters men. Separate start. We need 10 girls in each category…….we hope we can do it!
MENS MASTERS: OK Boys…..this is one of the MAJOR Changes for 2011. We have chatted about this for a while. We are not at the point where we can have a 50+ masters category BUT we are going to do two things this year. First. COTR Master races for this year will be 40 plus (age as of the end of 2011). IF you are over 40 and not quite fast enough to race Expert this is your category. We will also recognize the first Masters that is 50+ in the results as well as hopefully series overall. Masters will all race together as usual with one start and points will be given out as one category with the Masters that are 50+ having a highlight in the age column. If you were one of the few people that were 35-39 last year racing Masters and aren’t 40 this year….you will have to make a move to intermediate or to Open men.
SINGLE SPEEDERS: In a perfect world we would be as big as Portland and Seattle and be able to have categories for everyone……not perfect yet. While Vancouver Island is the Belgium of Canada we are still small in numbers at our series. BUT we would like to recognize the nutcases that do cross on Single Speeds. We will give it a try this year and see how it works out. For 2011 if you want to race against the single speeders of Vancouver Island in cross you need to race Intermediate category. We will have an indication on the results (and you need to tick the box on the registration…..clear head….clear head) that you are a single speeder. IF you beat all your other single speeders on the day. We will give you a 6 pack of Phillips beer….don’t drink and drive.
INTERMEDIATE MENS: You have graduated up from Beginners. You are not old enough to race Masters. Getting Faster but not quite fast enough to race Expert….this is your category. Keep in mind that this is a fun and competitive category BUT if we find out you are TOO fast or you are SANDBAGGING….well we will “politely” ask you to move up to Expert. If you were racing Intermediate last year but are over 40 years old this year…..best to move to Masters.
EXPERT: If you have raced Pro, Expert, Cat1, Cat2 or have finished in the top half of a Cat3 field…..Any age you should probably be racing Expert. Any Gender. Any Speed…….Races are a bit longer and a bit faster. If you have won a few Intermediate men’s races or are coming out to race our series after winning a world championships or something like that in another cycling discipline…this is probably your category. IF you find you are really too slow you can move down….if you are too fast in another category you can move up.
KIDS: Some of our events will have kids races for KIDS….meaning under 12. Run bikes. Half Lappers etc. IF your kids are up to it they can race the beginner category…..if they get too fast for that they can move up to Intermediate. Kids over 12 can race Beginner or Intermediate but the kids races will probably be too easy/short for them. If you are unclear on what category to race…let me know. Speaking of kids racing and kids cross you might want to check out this bike from KONA. A 24 inch Jake. This bike has not been offered every year so if your kids needs a new bike OR this bike might fit them in the future…you might want to buy it now! See it HERE.
Island Championships
The Island Championships will be a new event for 2011. This will be hosted by the MIVA Club in Nanaimo at BEBAN Park the site of 2006 National CX Championships and a venue we have used 7 times on the island. This event will have different categories than our other events with all participants having to race age based categories rather than ability based as usual. For example we will have Male and Female Categories for the following: under 15. 16 to 19. 20-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50+ (all ages at the end of 2011)
Series Championships
The Series Championships will be in Victoria this year. Double Points up for grab and as usual a tonne of draw prizes. We are still working on the last Victoria venue with a few options so we will keep you posted.
Racing into Shape…..
There are still a few races left in the MIVA RACE SCHEDULE for 2011……no better way to get into shape for cross.
09/06/11
Crit. Champ.
Boxwood
60 min.
1830h.
09/08/11
Hill climb
Duomont/Wiegles
5.2km
1830h.
Park at P.V. Community Centre
10/08/11
Hill climb Champ.
Duomont/Wiegles
5.2km
1100h.
Park at P.V. Community Centre
Check out www.bikeracing.ca for more information.
Series Sponsors
– KONA
– Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo
– Lambert: Pedros-Leyzne
– Action Motorcycles
– PHILLIPS BEER
– Howard Johnson
– Saltspring Coffee
– Oakley
– Pro Bay
– Aviawest
– Frontrunners
Brought to you by the Council of Cross.
This Cyclocross Series is Organized by the Cross Council:
With the following cycling clubs: MIVA, VICC, Experience Cycling Club, UROC, Arrowsmith MTB Club, ASS, Alberni Valley Riders and IRC
Supported by:
– OBB Victoria, Westshore and Nanaimo
– Trail Bikes in Courtenay
– Experience cycles in Duncan
– Frontrunners in Nanaimo
– Straight Up Cycles in Victoria
– Dodge City Cycles in Cumberland
– Ozzie’s Cycles in Port Alberni
Sanctioned by: Cycling BC