November 8/07 12:26 pm - Cross on the Rock Finals this weekend, Race Info, News Updates, Call for Volunteers

Posted by Editoress on 11/8/07
 

Cross on the Rock
Courtesy Normon Thibault

This weekend marks the END of cyclocross in BC (and Western Canada?) for the year. It is a LONG-LONG time before September rolls around again and cross starts so you better get your butt out for the last two races of the 2nd Cross on the Rock Series. We don't care if you are already in hibernation, injured, too fast for us, saving yourself for snowboarding or waiting for your invitation to the pro tour.....we need to see some good support for these events and show that there is a reason to schedule cross races for more than 6 weeks of the year.....a cross "Season" should be a "Season" NOT just 6 weeks!!!!........COME RACE!!

LOTS of NEWS!!!!

RACES

This weekend is our DOUBLE CROSS weekend with the first race in Cumberland and the Second in Errington. With two races there are double the reasons to come out to race. Both VERY different courses. BOTH very different from each other and from all the other courses we have done so far this year.

CUMBERLAND: Coal Cross (Guide Posted on Web Site)

Totally new and different course from last year. This course will feature a totally small town-urban feel. We will be racing through alleys, roads, trails and parks of the cool little town of Cumberland. It will be fast and fun. Race guide is posted on our web site and ready for downloading. Our host club for this event is the United Riders of Cumberland (U-Roc as they like to be called). We hope to see some of those guys out on their single speeds.

The post race celebration and social at the Riding Fool's Hostel will start almost right after the event and we will host our awards in there as well. Lighthouse breweries is sponsoring it and it will be a great time to chat and socialize with people which we sometimes don't get to do when we are busy racing and cleaning up. BOOK a room up there and you will not have far to go to get to bed and rest up for the next day.

Beginners we again have a special race rate for you. $10 to do the beginner race if you have a cycling BC racing or Cycling BC Club license. We encourage the beginners to get out there AND we encourage all the non-beginners to drag some beginners out to try out cross. Remember all bikes are allowed....except for ones with motors and those crazy recumbants.

Local Sponsors are: Trail Bikes and Rehab in Motion

In Partnership with: Riding Fool Hostel and United Riders of Cumberland

FLETCHERS FARM: Jungle Cross (Guide will be posted tonight on Web Site)

I was out at Hugh Fletcher's place yesterday scoping out the course and I am both happy and kinda sad to report that the creek is only about 6cm deep right now. LAME!!!! The lower field is also totally mowed. We will be throwing in a few more turns into this course and I am sure that it will prove to be tough. Hopefully there will be some mud (as the Denmark Champ calls it, "Poor man's sand") to make up for the lack of water in the creek....we will think of something.......we always do.

Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club is our co-host and they will have the BBQ going for all the participants and a concession for the spectators and those that need a bit more blood sugar. Draw prizes for this event will be mostly supplied by Arrowsmith Bike Shop so there should be some cool swag to win in each category.

One of the highlights of this event is the end-of-series MONSTOR draw prize table where we give away lots of odds and ends in a flurry of draw prize mayhem.

AS WELL (if that is not enough): we will be giving away our series prizes of Crankbrothers Pedals to top athletes in the series in Masters, Intermediate, women and Expert. DOUBLE points on the line at the last event so anything could happen.

Beginners we again have a special race rate for you. $10 to do the beginner race if you have a cycling BC racing or Cycling BC Club license. We encourage the beginners to get out there AND we encourage all the non-beginners to drag some beginners out to try out cross. Remember all bikes are allowed....except for ones with motors and those crazy recumbants.

A little note about Fletchers Farm; this is a private venue and donated for use. Please respect the site and the Fletcher's private property while there. ALSO there is LIMITED facilities with a newly installed outhouse only......which according to Hugh "works best for people under 5 feet tall". I am not sure what that means but I am sure we will all find out. Plan accordingly. PARKING: If you want to park close to the start area and on the farm you may not be able to remove your car until after ALL the events. IF you plan on leaving earlier plan on parking on the road and riding the 200m to the start.

Local Sponsors are: Arrowsmith Bikes

In Partnership with: Arrowsmith Mountainbike Club.

We hope to (and would REALLY like to) see a good turn out at both these events.

HUGE Draw Prize Announcement

Oak Bay Bikes has been announced to be the only authorized dealer of the famed Ridley brand of bikes on Vancouver Island. To kick off this major announcement they are giving away a Ridley CrossBow Cyclocross Frameset to some lucky person over the Double Cross weekend. Each race you enter in your name is put into the draw once. Ie. Once for Cumberland and once for Fletchers. The draw for the frame will be the last draw prize at Fletchers Farm and you MUST be there to WIN. Again.....you MUST be there to win! This is a HUGE prize and we thank Ridley and Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo + Victoria for donating this cool frameset.

Points

Posted below is the up-to-date series points after 3 races. It is great to see so many ranked riders. A Maximum of 45 points still available to a rider over the double cross weekend so there can still be lots of changes to the series standings. Up for grabs for 1st place are the CrankBrothers Pedals, Honor, Respect and Admiration......and Island cross supremacy.

CASH

As announced before, the Beban park race we put up $100 for the winners of the women's and men's main events for the last 3 events courtesy of Elitewave.com training and Oak Bay Bikes Victoria. It has always been one of our goals to provide a bit of cash to give back to the racers as well as provide an extra incentive. Well....we did not expect that after advertising cash that we would have our lowest EVER turn out of women racers of any of the cross races that we have ever put on. Needless to say it was disappointing. Bobbie Taylor put on a great race and earned the cash that is for sure!! BUT really....we need to see more girls out racing IF you want us to put up cash. SO we put our head together and figure that everyone needs to bring out and encourage to come out....MORE girls!!! We think that we need to see at least 12 girls on the start line for the girls event at the last two events and we will be happy to put the cash on the line (equal to the men's which you do NOT see at many bike races). IF we don't well there were many suggestions but the one that stuck is that we either split it with or give it to the masters field that have been coming out in force each race.......GIRLS....PLEASE race we want you out and we want to give you some CASH!!!

Donation

A big thank you goes out to super volunteer and cycling FANATIC Gregor who helps out at almost all of our events. He had some stopwatches laying around which he has donated to our equipment stash to make timing of the events a little smoother. THANKS GREGOR!!

HELP and Volunteering

Although the events are co-hosted a lot of times they can use some extra help (EVERYONE can help with tear down and clean up). IF you can help out for either of these events please contact the following race directors; For Cumberland: Coal Cross it is Dave Nowak: nowak@futurewest.ca. For Fletcher's Farm: Jungle Cross the contact is Kristen (K-Mag) at kdm893@mail.usak.ca

Beginners

We are trying our BEST to get our more beginners so please tell anyone that has wanted to do a cross race. Races other disciplines of bikes. Is active and likes biking etc. To come out. The race fee is subsidized for beginners to help get them out and they just need a club level license which IF they do not have....we can line them up with for a bit more at the event. Drag out a beginner!

Our series sponsors are:

Oak Bay Bikes in Nanaimo and Victoria
Frontrunners Nanaimo
Lighthouse Brewery
Norco
Converse All Star
The Howard Johnson
Crankbrothers
eNVy

Current Points standings