November 8, 2005 – While the morning skies were filled with sun, the rain arrived to greet the Elite women mid-race at the Canadian National Cyclocross Championships at Hardwood Hills in Barrie, Ontario. The sandy ground quickly drank up the water and became bike jewelry – clinging to cross bikes and riders more and more enthusiastically as the race progressed. The course featured multiple chicane-and-alley combinations whose lines took a beating over the course of the day, providing spectators with front-low centre seating for greasy falls. After a dalliance in wood chips, riders launched over four man-made stairs and wound around to a grassy run-up, then descended a fast hill into a sandy turn and run-up, followed by two brief but thrilling downhills. The course then opened up for pure speed, winding back to the Hardwood Chalet. Upon arrival in front of the Chalet, two obstacles lay in wait; after navigating past the wheel pit, riders then crossed the start-finish line to begin the long 3.4K loop again.

In the Élite women’s race, the pride of Quebec, Lyne Bessette (Cyclocross World/Louis Garneau) took an early lead, charging ahead of the 15-woman peleton. The only rider who momentarily caught up to Bessette was British Columbia’s Wendy Simms (Kona/Les Gets). The two battled it out on lap one and two, but Bessette rode and ran away for good on a climb. Bessette had a flawless race, continuing to increase her advance with each lap, and literally doubling half of the peleton. Simm’s exceptional mountain-bike skills were surely helpful in putting her on the second step of the podium, as well as putting a full minute between herself and third place finisher Stacey Spencer (Team British Columbia), also from B.C. Coming in for fourth was Ontario’s Tara Ross (Victory Brewing). Ross, who has shadowed Bessette and Simms all season long in the Crank Brothers series, was disappointed by fourth place; yet all who witnessed her have definitely seen the next big thing in Canadian cyclocross.

The Elite Espoir Men’s race took place under full rain on a well-digested course; this added an element of excitement and uncertainty. Peter Wedge (Kona/Les Gets) and Greg Reain (Stevens RT/Cycle Logik) shadowed each other throughout the course, but Reain’s impressive crash in the sand-pit ended the dual. Reain, who has been training in Europe, certainly snapped back, gaining ground on Wedge, apparently suffering from frozen hands with each lap. In the end, Wedge would take his seventh National Cyclcross title – hunting him down and coming in second was Reain. Espoir dynamo Christian Meier (Symmetrics Cycling) roared in after Reain roughly 1min 30 seconds later and secured himself the National Espoir title. Ontario’s Andrew Watson (GearsRacing.com) came in after for the official third step on the Elite men’s podium. Grabbing the silver in the Espoir category was Ryan Hopping (Team Alberta) two minutes behind Meier, followed by Ontario’s Marty Lazarski (Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) with a one-minute delay taking the shiny Espoir bronze medal.

The Junior Men’s race featured Amazing Albertan Mike Bidniak (Team Alberta/Juventus CC) who demolished the pack and lead the race from the whistle, putting a full minute on Nova Scotian silver medalist Garrett McLeod (Valley Stove and Cycle). Third place was a battle between Newfoundland’s Tim Clarke (Canary Cycles) and Ontario’s Matthew McCartney (J and J / Tabasco), with Clarke sprinting for the bronze medal, a slim 30 seconds ahead of McCartney.

Elite Women
1. Lyne Bessette (QC) Cyclocross World/Louis Garneau 41:23.8
2. Wendy Simms (BC) Kona Les Gets (KLG) 42:57.6
3. Stacey Spencer (BC) 43:55.1
4. Tara Ross (ON) Victory Brewing 44:58.6
5. Kelly Jones (BC) Sugoi Factory Team – B.C. 45:09.0
6. Jennifer Stephenson (ON) Team Biovail 45:44.1
7. Amanda Shaw (ON) Team Biovail 46:28.7
8. Sarah Robbins (SK) Team SK Cycledelia 47:51.1
9. Anita Lagler (ON) Wheels of Bloor 49:43.4
10. Maogosha Pyjor (ON) Wheels of Bloor 50:31.2

Elite/Espoir Men
1. Peter Wedge (NB) Kona Les Gets (KLG) 1:02:19.96
2. Greg Reain (ON) Stevens RT:Cycle Logik 1:02:51.13
3. Christian Meier* (NB) Symmetrics Cycling – B.C. 1:04:44.01
4. Andrew Watson (ON) GearsRacing.com 1:05:14.92
5. Peter Morse (ON) Chain Reaction 1:05:41.8
6. Nathan Chown (ON) Italpasta – Transport Belmire 1:05:54.3
7. Mike Garrigan (ON) Epic Ride / Digica.ca 1:05:57.0
8. Nick Friesen (AB) Team Alberta:Bike Shop-AB 1:06:51.2
9. David Gagnon (AB) Sportif Bromont – Qu»bec 1:06:51.2
10. Aaron Fillion (ON) Ottawa Bicycle Club 1:06:54.7

Espoir Men
1. Christian Meier* (NB) Symmetrics Cycling – B.C. 1:04:44.01
2. Ryan Hopping (ON) Team Alberta 1:06:57.3
3. Martin Lazarski (ON) RockyMountain BusinessObjects 1:07:21.2
4. Rob Britton (SK) Team Saskatchewan 1:07:21.2 14.
5. Peter Glassford (ON) Epic Ride / Digica.ca 1:08:16.6

Junior Men
1. Mike Bidniak (AB) Team Alberta:Juventus CC 41:18.6
2. Garrett McLeod (NS) Valley Stove and Cycle – NS 42:19.0
3.Tim Clarke (NL) Canary Cycles – Newfoundland 44:08.8
4. Matthew McCartney (ON) J and J / Tabasco 44:38.8