September 2/15 9:40 am - Cyclo-cross Nationals Return to Winnipeg

Posted by Editor on 09/2/15
 

The Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships return to Winnipeg on October 24th. Organizers plan to build on the success of the 2014 edition, promising an even more high quality event than the one that raised the bar for Canadian Cyclo-cross last year. Improvements are made possible by the involvement of several new sponsors, most notably the addition of Volvo as Presenting Sponsor. The three-day Cyclo-cross festival will now officially be known as the Shimano Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships, presented by Volvo.

"Volvo is proud to support the Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships in 2015," said Matt Sarmatiuk, General Manager of Volvo Winnipeg. "As part of our event, we will have our new XC90 on the course. Participants and spectators will have a unique opportunity to experience the XC90 and several other Volvo models, which are the perfect vehicles for the lifestyle many cyclists lead."

This year's schedule will once again feature three full days of racing as well as clinics and numerous social events. The racing kicks off on October 23rd with the Kick Cancer Cyclo-cross Derby. The Canadian Championship races take place on October 24th, and the international Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross (C2) concludes the weekend of racing on October 25th. There will be races for everyone, from kids and first-time racers to elite professionals, not to mention everyone in between. Those who are unable to attend in person can tune in to watch the elite races via live stream.

With over 35,000 people on site at The Forks during the 2014 event, the race ranks among the largest Cyclo-cross events to be held in North America. Organizers expect another big turnout for 2015, with racers coming from across Canada and the USA. In addition to the excitement of crowning a new slate of Canadian Cyclo-cross Champions, the Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclo-cross will feature a much deeper field of international competition this year.

Among the international racers coming to Winnipeg to challenge the top Canadians, organizers have so far confirmed the involvement of Jonathan Page, Jeremy and Gaby Durrin of the Neon Velo Cycling Team, Meredith Miller and Allen Krughoff of the Noosa Pro Cyclo-cross Team, Emily Kachorek and Anthony Clark of Squid Bikes, and Jake Wells and Ally Stacher of the Stan's NoTubes Elite Cyclo-cross Team.

In addition to drawing huge crowds, last year's event drew rave reviews from racers, spectators, and sponsors, alike. Defending elite womens champion Catherine Pendrel says, "The Forks in Winnipeg was the perfect venue for a high level Cyclo-cross event. The course was fast, varied and challenging, the spectators awesome and the organization flawless."

Pendrel's enthusiasm is echoed by David Blondel, Marketing Coordinator of title sponsor Shimano Canada: "Heading into the 2014 Shimano Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships, we knew the event was going to be good. What we weren't prepared for was how far our own expectations would be exceeded. Working with a near perfect venue, providing racers with an exceptional course and spectators with an experience not soon to be forgotten, the 2015 Championships promise to deliver and Shimano remains a proud title sponsor of the event."

[Editor's Note: I would agree that the 2014 event set a new standard for 'Cross Nationals]

Cycling Canada is equally excited about the 2015 event coming back to Winnipeg. "We are thrilled to have our Canadian Cyclo-cross Championships returning to Winnipeg in 2015," Matthew Jeffries, Director of Marketing and Communications at Cycling Canada. "The event was an overwhelming success on all levels in 2014 and we look forward to another fantastic weekend of racing at The Forks this October. Our sincere thanks to the passionate volunteers, fans and sponsors for their support of this world class event, and best of luck to all the athletes and competitors."

Other major sponsors include Official Bike Supplier, Ridley. The CancerCare Manitoba Foundation is the event's Official Charity Partner and will be hosting the Kick Cancer Cyclo-cross Derby, a day of fun races and fundraising that will kick-off the weekend on Friday. Local craft brewery Half Pints, is once again brewing a beer exclusively for the event - Dead Ringer Belgian IPA. For a complete list of sponsors and partners, or for more information on the event, please visit the website: winnipegcx2015.ca.