October 06, 2014 (Victoria, BC) – Before we get rolling with all the information you want — some you need and other just interesting “stuff” — I just wanted to put out a “get well” and “enjoy Euro Cross on You Tube while you heal up your femur” to Paul Underhill our awesome supporter from RUMBLE.

In this newsletter a quick recap of Bear X-ing and an 18-question primer for KONA KUP BC Provincial Championships.

Also… you know we love stats.  Roland ran a stat to find out who out of the series has been the closest to the Victory without winning a race so far.  We ran the top 10 for podium placers without a Victory and the top 2 that are due for the V are Thomas Skinner (11 podiums) and Tanya Larkin (10 podiums).  I have to say that I have a secret wish for both these two to take the top spot sometime this year… they are due!!

BEAR X-Ing Report

If you were there… you know how awesome it was!

If you were not… you have heard how awesome it was!

With the development plans for the area that we used this year pending and pressing in the near future we don’t know how viable a course will be in years to come… but we can certainly dream about it and remember the day where the Westin Hotel made food for a record 270 racers and awards were on the Masters Patio.

Check out the video recap from Mitchell Thacker of Pro City Cycles here.

If you have not checked out the Chek News coverage, it has been our most watched post on FB with 4,350 people reached. Watch is here.

Some great photos here and here.

From race director Drew:

Special thanks to Adam Walker and Morgan Blake who were just excellent to work with and who instrumental in working with Bear Mountain Resort, getting us access to the golf course and creating a world class race experience from awesome food, wicked groomed terrain, and a super sweet awards party location.

A very special thanks to Norm, Katie and Roland for all of their hard work, tireless dedication, and just for being so generally awesome.

Also a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all our volunteers!

Please take the time to recognize and thank all those folks you saw out at the race up early to set up the course, time the events, register everyone, put on kids races, tabulate all the results, clean up afterwards, and just generally making the whole show run so smoothly (in no particular order):

·         Andy Achuff
·         Doug Doyle
·         Curtis Schlossberger
·         Scott Mitchell
·         Andrew Barnes
·         Dave Damery
·         Carson Damery
·         Luke Damery
·         Allison Damery
·         Alex Hui
·         Betsy MacKenzie
·         Joele Guynup
·         Christyna Mitchell
·         Paul Brend
·         Geoff Robson
·         Sabrina MacLeod
·         Savonah MacLeod
·         And last but not least THANK YOU to all the many great people who just show up on the day and end up helping out!

If I have somehow missed somebody I am terribly sorry!

Also please vote with your dollars and your kind words the next time you’re out shopping or talking about cyclocross to friends and strangers alike.  Make sure to support those that support you!

Venue and sponsor: Bear Mountain Resort!

Results here.

Series standings here.

KONA KUP-Provincial Championships.  18 Questions.

General Details:
1. When is the race:  Thanksgiving MONDAY (yes MONDAY).  October 13th.

2. Where: Bowen Park Nanaimo.  The sacred ground of Cyclocross on Vancouver Island.  You will be proud to have raced there. A true test of every cyclocrosser and a worthy Provincial Championships.

3. If I registered for the COTR series am I registered for this event:  No.  This is the Provincial Championships and NOT part of the COTR series.

4. Who can race: ANYONE

5. Should I race:  Anyone that races Cyclocross in the Province of BC should make the trip and race this race.  It is set up so you can ride on the ferry, race and ride back to the ferry.  It is an amazing course.  It will be a great day of racing.  Support your sport and race Provincials.  See how you stack up.  Go for the Jersey!

6. What license do I need: NONE!!  This is HISTORIC.  Typically you need a UCI license to race a Provincial Championships.  BUT Cycling BC is making a huge push to grow cycling so for this time and this time ONLY (I don’t actually know if it is this time only) you can race with EITHER a UCI license or a Day-Of-Race $10 License.  This is ABOLUTELY HUGE!  Take advantage of this if you do not have a license.  Show Cycling BC how big this can be!! There are NO excuses!

7. How do I register:  This event will be PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY.  Registration will close this Saturday, October 11th at 7:00.  This is completely so that we can PLAN for the event including numbers in each category and call up positions.  Don’t even try to register after that time and date…..OK!  Here is the link that everyone has been trying to find (share it with your friends).

Course:
8. Can I pre-ride: Yes.  There will be time on Sunday before the morning races and a SMALL amount of time before the afternoon races (enough to get 1 lap).  If you try to ride before race day you will not find the course and might get beaned by a “disc” (what F-rolfers call Frisbees). If you try to ride before the course is open on Sunday morning you will get DQ’ed.  If you try to ride during others races you will get DQ’ed.  I hope that is clear.

9. What is the course:  Basically the same as previous years with a few alterations.

10. Is it hard:  All courses are hard if you ride fast.  All courses are easy if you ride slow.

Categories:

11. Tell me something I need to know:  Because of one of the worst rules in cycling invented by the elitists at the UCI in Switzerland our Provincial Championships has to follow the UCI protocol for AGE for Cyclocross for this event.  Because the world champs are held in Europe at the end of January we have to use riders ages at the END of 2015 for this event.  It is a stupid rule as the world champs only have limited categories BUT it effects all ages for all categories for our event… even if there is no world champ category… like for 12 year olds.  So your age for Provincial Champs is what your age would be at the END of 2015.

12. Why are the categories different from COTR:  The categories are a compromise between what should be (Masters SHOULD start at 40) and what exists….Cycling Canada sill follows the Masters at 30 throwback.  So we come in at the middle with Masters starting at 35.

13. What are the categories for KONA KUP:  I am glad you asked that.  The categories are as follows:

U13/U15/U17 Men – Championship
U13/U15/U17 Women – Championship
Junior Men (U19) – Championship

Junior Women (U19) – Championship
Masters Women (35-44) – Championship
Masters Women (45+) – Championship
Masters Men (55+) – Championship
Masters Men (35-44) – Championship
Masters Men (45-54) – Championship
Elite Men – Championship
Elite Women – Championship

14. What category should I race:  If you are below 19 years of age or above the age for masters you have 2 options:  Your age category OR Elite.  If you are 20-34 you have one option and that is to put on your big boy/girl chamois and line up with your peeps for an epic battle that you will tell your friends about for years to come.

15. Is there a “Beginner/Citizen” category:  No.  Because of Cycling BC’s generosity in allowing Day-Of-Race insurance option there is no need to have a un-licensed category.

16. Is there a kids race: No there is no kids race at this event.  The focus is on the Provincial Championships.  All the other COTR events do have kids races though.

Other Information:

17. What do I win:  Don’t ask stupid questions, Norm.  You won’t win anything because you don’t train.  You have to train to go fast.  Just race for the Glory and the feeling of your heart pounding.  Race because it is 45 minutes to yourself.  No work.  No kids.  Race to support the sport.  Race because it is a kick ass venue and a kick ass course.  Race because the wafel will taste even better.  Forget about Victory….it is gone like Peter Reid’s back wheel.  Focus on defending your honour and your family name.

18. Can I ride a MTB or have tires over 33mm:  We are checking on that.  Please follow our FB page and check the Race Guide for an update on that.

For all other information check out the RACE GUIDE on our web page…..I will make sure it is edited and up to date in the next 24 hours.

COTR Series 2014
Sunday Sept 14 – Cumberland. Coal Cross
Sunday Sept 28 – Victoria. Possible New Venue
Monday Oct 13 – Bowen. Kona Kup.  Provincial Championships
Sunday Oct 19 – Farmer Bills.  Port Alberni*Venue/Race Change.
Sunday Nov 2 – Speedway. Binab Property Group GP
Sunday Nov 9 – Shawnigan Lake School. Ronde Von Hogwarts
Sunday Nov 23 – Arbutus Meadows.  My Little Pony Cross.  Series Final

Cross Club-Victoria (See Poster below the one below)
The Victoria Wednesday Nighters start THIS WEDNESDAY.  Check the poster out below.  This is the oldest cross series in BC that has been running since…..2003 (will have to confirm that year/date)

Weekly CX Rides on Vancouver Island.
I know there are MORE rides out there but I have only received notice of 1.5 of them so far.

Trail Bikes in Courtenay has a weekly ride at 5:45.

M.I.V.A. has a (maybe) weekly clinic/short race…but the details are not readily available so dig around on their FB page and their Web site and maybe drop them a note…in Nanaimo.

Anyone else have anything going on at their Bike shop?  If not….you should!

Series is Organized by the Cross Council:
With the following cycling clubs; ASS, Pro City Racing club, MIVA and Trail Bicycles-Eatmore Sprouts Cycling Team
Supported by:
Straight Up Cycles in Victoria
Outdoor Addictions in Campbell River
Dodge City Cycles in Cumberland
Ozzie’s Cycles in Port Alberni
Trek Bikes Victoria. Pro City Cycles in Victoria
Oak Bay Bikes in Victoria, Westshore and Nanaimo
Trail Bikes in Courtenay
Experience cycles in Duncan
Cowichan Cycles in Duncan
Cycle Therapy in Duncan
Frontrunners in Nanaimo

Sponsored by in 2014:
Outdoor Addictions and Island Cycles (Quadra Island) (55+ Men’s Category Sponsors)
Pearl Izumi
Rumble
Oak Bay Bikes Nanaimo
Cycles Lambert
Phillips Brewery
Shimano
Frontrunners
Nutcase
Naked
Kona
The Howard Johnston Nanaimo and Elk Lake
Zed Wheels
Trek Bikes Victoria. Pro City Cycles
Orange Sport Supply
Riverway Dental (Youth Category Sponsors)
Quadra Island Cycling Coalition (QUICC) (55+ Men’s Category Sponsors)

Supported and Sanctioned by:
Cycling BC

Normon Thibault normont@islandnet.com

Frontrunners-Nanaimo www.frontrunners.ca

Cross on the Rock www.crossontherock.com