December 19, 2003 – Snow, mud and wind, conditions that the average person would tend to turn the other way from. However when it comes to the cycling discipline of Cyclo-cross this is the stuff they make a living from. These men and women live and dream of conditions like this and on Sunday November 30th on a snow-covered course at Albion Hills north of Bolton they got their wish in the Provincial Cyclo-cross Championships. Spectators and riders alike were treated to some of the best racing and competitiveness that has been seen on the circuit all year. It was a fitting way to bring this event back to Albion Hills the site of the 1993 classic and many thanks are given to Jim Adams for his foresight and vision for bringing it to this top-notch course.
A special thanks also goes out to Sean Ruppel, Scott Doel and Peter McCaffery for their help in organizing the course and being there throughout the day. On top of that a very special thank you goes to Albion Hills Conservation Area for permitting the event to take place and understanding
Cyclo-Cross is not a cash cow, but much a much beloved discipline nonetheless. This was a day for cycling though and great performances there were, particularly the memorable finale in the senior men's race between two of the best in the province Peter Morse and Aaron Fillion. Below are the winners and comments from most of them on the day, the series and their overall love and appreciation for Cyclo-cross.
In the senior's men race perhaps the epic event of Cyclo-cross it was the Ottawa native and member of the Ottawa Bicycle Club, Aaron Fillion bringing home the gold medal with a neck and neck race against Peter Morse providing the highlight of the racing day. Although Aaron did not win the overall title, he enjoyed his season in the Ottawa bike loop and the eastern Ontario series and quite enjoys the sport. He credits Cyclo-cross with helping him train and helps him with his concentration level as sometimes riding on the bike just for training purposes is not too much fun.
In the men's Espoir division once again the champion was Eric Batty. The member of the Bay Cycle/3 Rox Racing team has dominated this division for the last couple years and shows no signs of stopping. For Eric Cyclo-cross was not something he did much this year, entering only the provincials and nationals, but he enjoys it quite a bit and has strong hopes for next year.
In Master A the champion was an experienced veteran to the tour being Stephen Heck. For Steve this was his 8th year in Cyclo-cross and one of his best. Finishing at the top was a great accomplishment and one he was more than happy to receive. He claimed it was a tough field this year in Master A and was slightly disappointed that some of the races were cancelled, but more or less found it to be a good turnout with good promise in the Master A division.
In Master B, it was a warrior and an old standing tradition lifting the price once again for Dave Dermont. In his 10+ seasons on the circuit he has continued to dominate and win time and time again. Dave enjoyed the course and was very pleased to have the race take place in the snow the way a real Cyclo-cross race should be. He was disappointed with the turnout in Master B this year, but it is a growing division becoming more and more competitive each year.
In the Master C division the champion was another experienced veteran and a relative newcomer to Cyclo-cross in Jim Laird. Jim thought the course was tremendous and wanted to thank the organizers for their time and effort. Jim competed this year in the Eastern Ontario Series taking the title and is looking forward to coming back next year and having the opportunity to defend his crown.
In the Master D the champion was Jan Kocemba. Jan had a strong race and has been a presence in Cyclo-cross for the past couple years. More is expected of this veteran in the years to come and with his shape and conditioning plenty more races may be in store for this timeworn veteran.
The future is what Cyclo-cross or even cycling event is really about though and the junior men's champion this year was Mark Batty. The native of Brooklin had a strong race and simply dominated the race winning easily and showing once again why he is one of the best for his age in Ontario. Mark became interested in Cyclo-cross as something to do in the winter and has been hooked ever since.
In the other younger division, the cadet men, the champion was Andrew Wilson another member of the Bay Cycle/3 Rox Racing team.Andrew has only been in Cyclo-cross for the last couple years, but sees it as a great opportunity to train year round. He credits the Battys for getting him into it and he plans on competing for many more years to come.
As much as juniors are important to the future so are women. Over the years cycling has tended to attract more males but it is finally starting to make some inroads in terms of attracting female cyclists. This year there was a strong number of female cyclists and many good results were add. In the Master division the champion was Amanda Shaw.Amanda has been competing for the last couple years and had an extremely successful season this past year winning the Eastern Ontario Series. She credits her boyfriend with getting her involved in it and is looking forward to competing in many more, as she finds it a great thing to be involved with.
Another good showing by a female this year belonged to Anita Lagler who took home the senior women's championship. Anita is a road racer who became interested in Cyclo-cross much like Amanda because her boyfriend was interested in the discipline. She really likes it and sees herself competing more and more as the sport gets stronger.
Finally in the field of junior women the champion was another well-known Batty this time being Emily. Emily had a strong day and in becoming champion. Naturally Emily was drawn to the sport by her brothers and for the chance to further her training in the off-season. As an avid cyclist she enjoys cycling on a year round basis and found Cyclo-cross to be that opportunity for her to do something she loves.
Overall the provincial Cyclo-cross championships were extremely successful with many great individual performances and with momentum and the display that was witnessed this year there is no telling just how successful Cyclo-cross may become. Instead of 63 riders this year, let's hope for 80+ next year and for all the riders who competed this year, our thanks to the riders for a great season and great effort for believing in Cyclo-cross and cycling in general.