This Sunday marks the half way point for COTR this year with the famed Farmer Bills course.  Some people absolutely LOVE this course…..we hear how it is people’s favorite and a “not to be missed”.  Full preview below but before that we will review last Monday’s COTR Provincial Champs.  The KONA KUP at Bowen Park.  Sit back.  Feet up for recovery.  Enjoy the read.

KONA KUP 2014.  PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. 

Hardest Race EVER for COTR.  http://www.crossontherock.com//results/statistics/  If you made it to the finish line.  Take HUGE pride in that.  This race is a BEAST that ever cross racer must one day BEST.

Patrick Burnham photos here https://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/sets/72157648695166636/

Erik Diertens’ first Cross Edit here: Kona Cup 2014: http://youtu.be/oo6ivm5zuSQ

Kick ass race report here: http://www.theholeshot.ca/kona-kup-race-report/

From Corey at OBB-Nanaimo
I would like to thank everyone who came out making the Kona Kup a success and reaching a record turn out for this course as well as for a Cross Provincial Championships. I love this course, to me it’s a very European style course. Lots of varied terrain, elevation gain, sand and natural obstacles. It’s the course you love to hate.

Thanks to Nanaimo Parks and Rec for letting us use it year in and out.
Thank you to Roland and Katie for their amazing results and stats.
Thanks to Hillary, Paul, Wendy, Tara, Joele and Peter for time keeping.
Thanks to Mike, Paul, Shep, Derek, Ken, Ron, Matt, Steve, Bryce, Sean and Trevor for setting up and helping through the day.
Special thanks to Del for coming and volunteering all day. It was her first cyclocross experience!
It was awesome to have Renaat and his Wafels there giving it an even more Belgian feel!
The Howard Johnson in Nanaimo.
Thanks to Cycling BC for letting Cross on the Rock and The Kona Kup have provincials two years in a row and thanks to Norm, who without we wouldn’t have this phenomenal series!!

I was reading the stats on the Cross on the Rock website and it blows me away the growth of the series and number of racers.

The first underground races to 65 racers per race in 2006 and now 241 racers per race in 2014.

I hope I didn’t forget anyone.

From Norm

More than just a few highlights for me for this event.

First was the feedback on the course.  SO MANY people love this course even though it is SUPER-DUPER hard.  I love that.  Yeah the road is LONG….but it is HARD so it is awesome.  Yeah there are a lot of climbs, turns, stairs, sand…..but combined….it is harder than hard….which makes it AWESOME!!  Always something to work on each lap.  Always something you can do better.  It is almost impossible unless you are Craig, Tom or Tyler to race the whole course clean and fast.  For the rest of us….it is a HUGE challenge.  It is not supposed to be easy.  I hope you all come back and challenge yourself again next year!!

Highlights:

Devon Moonie. 20 years old from Kamloops BC.  Drove to the ferry terminal in Tsawwassen.  Left his car.  Rode to Bowen Park to the start of the race in the morning.  BUT he had 2 bikes so he strapped his second bike to his back and rode from DUKE POINT to Bowen Park with his spare bike (which he did not use).  Places 13th in Elite.

The Grants back racing COTR after a coach and injury fixing race break.  Both Grant boys on the podium.

Doug Doyle who sacrificed his race to help out Peter Wellsman after his crash.  Then later helped out Arne Bickle after he crashed in the Masters 45-54

240 racers at Provincials.  All in Championship Categories.  No “Open/Citizen” categories.

The number of Intermediate men and women that stepped it up and races Elite for Provincials. 

51 men and 18 Women.  Biggest Elite EVER and more likely than not bigger than Nationals.

Unfortunately a couple of “Low”-Lights for this event

Confusion over the start of the Masters 35-44 and 45-54 race.  We thought we had communicated it well enough but apparently not well enough for a few people.  If you were affected by this or missed your start please fire me a note.  We are sorry and would like to refund your entry fee.  It will not make up for it but at least you will have some beer month.

The man in black.

Back to the good stuff.  This came from Chris Courtenay that works for Orange Sport Supply that supports our series.

Thanks again for putting on an awesome series.

I ended up having a pretty decent race. I’d never battled with Elite, never done a full hour before, so there was that. And I also crashed about 11 times, so there was also that, but managed to keep it mostly together and finished strong. Fought a good battle with a few guys mid pack, so that made the race for the top 20 quite interesting. If you aren’t going to podium, you may as well battle it out for 17th!

The course was awesome also. When I pre-rode it I figured it was going to be really tough with the punchy climbs and the stairs of doom, but the only thing that consistently hurt lockered me was the road section! Also I had my lines picked out in the dry, but as soon as it rained, it became a new course.

Thanks again, and cheers,
Chris Courtney    
Inside Sales Manager

FARMER BILLS 2014.

Pre-Registration closes at our normal time of 7:00PM on this Saturday Night.  The link is: http://www.raceonline.ca/events/details/?id=729

Reminder as per the series “Bible”:  Onsite registration, number pickup and category changes close 30 minutes before the start of each event. Hard Cut OFF and has to be enforced to allow for the smooth running nature of COTR events.  Sorry if you don’t make it but others should not suffer because of your tardiness.

Forecast calls for MUD!!

2014 farm course promises to be more of the same delightful barn shaking fun. Lots of off bike sections and speedy descents.

This 3km course will be a little different from years past due to large cattle population.

Because we have been asked a few times….there is NO JUMP this year.

Lime’N food truck will be serving up great food and the farmers market will be open.

NEED SOME WHEELS? 

I have one set of Eason EC90’s for sale.  BRAND NEW.  Rim Brakes.  I REALLY WANT TO SELL THEM.  Fire me a note if you are interested.

I also have an awesome Blue 70 Helix wetsuit for swimming that has only been used once.  Medium….let me know if you are quitting riding and starting swimming and I will sell you that.

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
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

DONE for 2014.  Thanks to the Victoria Crew for putting on those events.  Not a lot of public buzz this year but we assume they were great!

Weekly CX Rides on Vancouver Island.

Trail Bikes in Courtenay has a weekly ride at 5:45 on Wednesdays?  Or Tuesdays?  Check with them.

M.I.V.A. has a  weekly clinic/short race in Nanaimo at 5:00 on Tuesdays.  Beban Park.  Meet at the BMX track.  Until the time change.

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

COTR 2014: 7 days of COTR on V.I.