January 17/17 12:39 pm - Registration Open for Hayman Classic Youth Stage Race (B.C.)

Posted by Editor on 01/17/17
 

If hills are your thing, then it's time to register for the Hayman Classic, Canada's premier racing event for Junior cyclists who want to pit themselves against gravity and quad-burning terrain in the beautiful Okanagan Valley.

This year's version of the Hayman Classic, taking place June 9-11, features four events over three days and it starts with a bang on Day One - a mass start on a new venue that runs some 10 kilometres along Lake Okanagan and then turns sharply onto a narrow, winding road that kicks up through pitches of 10, 12 or, for some, 18 per cent.

This will be true test of strength and tactics over one to two kilometres (depending on age), followed by an awards ceremony on the grounds of Painted Rock Winery, one of the most spectacular venues in the Okanagan. Painted Rock owner John Skinner is a veteran cyclist himself and a long-time advocate for the sport.

But there's more to Day One than the opening hill climb. After a break for lunch (and maybe a brief siesta), the Hayman Classic heads south for a late afternoon circuit race at Area 27, the sleek, undulating track that opened only last year but is already a favourite in the motorsport world.

This too is a new venue for the Hayman Classic, so having the hill climb followed by the circuit race is what chief organizer Ron Hayman proudly describes as a "double day" of firsts and originality for the event that bears his name.

On Day Two, riders will go wheel-to-wheel in a criterium, and on Day Three they'll face off in a road race that will also punish their climbing legs. Happily, there's a benefit to all this suffering - a climber's award for those with the best combined results from the Day One hill climb and the road race climbs on Day Three.

Registration for the Hayman Classic is now open. For more information on registration, courses, accommodation and rules and regulations, go to www.haymanclassic.ca.