Is it even possible to not have a great time in Cumberland?


Cyclocross has started on the island for 2022!!  What a start.  So many first time winners or first time podium placers.  It was so great to see.  Amazing to see some of the kids that have moved up from doing a 1 lap race to now being right in there for the Launch and Intermediate categories!

A few notes from the weekend:

  • Check out Patrick’s photos from the weekend here.
  • It was SO great to see so many people out on Sunday.  The weather was great (a tiny bit smokey) and the racing was FULL ON!
  • Has a Master race ever been one on a mountain bike?  First time COTR racer Jamie Levett made it happen with a win over Graham Cocksedge!
  • Where was Haldor?
  • In addition to our series sponsors the Qualicum Beach community always get behind our event with local prizing which is wicked!  No tandem Skydiving this year…..but LOTS of awesome prizes!
  • Get your TEAM NAME RIGHT.  We will allow edits (that you can do yourself thanks to Roland’s amazing coding skills) for a week and then the results are then FROZEN for the series.  We do not want a repeat of last year when teams thought they were doing OK and then there were mega edits in the last week and all the top 10 were turned upside down.  You are a COTR racer.  You CAN get your team name right!

1. Cross on the Rock 2022 Race #2 – Cumberland – Coal Cross – Preview

Tycho and Jack are planning on a ICE COLD DRINK stand.  Bring a toonie and get a nice cold drink!

Registration is open for Coal Cross!

Race organizers have a few new tricks up their sleeves that DON’T include jumps, but that are within the boundaries of Cumberland Village Park; one of COTR’s longest running venues. The forecast is calling for a drizzle on Friday and Saturday, with overcast skies on Sunday which should make for perfect conditions.

This race will be run to help support the Trail Bicycles Junior Race team.

REGISTRATION LINK HERE

RACE DAY SCHEDULE

2. Cross on the Commons.  Qualicum Beach.  Cross on the Rock 2022 Race #1. Review.

2022 Cross on the Commons – The Rear View

Thanks everyone for coming out to Arrowsmith Cycling Club’s 5th Cross on the Commons and inaugural race of the 2022 Cross On The Rock series.  Racers and supporters who came out were treated to a great day of racing and fun.

Erosion considerations eliminated use of the sand pits and pool lawn surface being off limits meant for a somewhat different course set up.  Like it?  Miss those sand pits?  It was definitely a bit of everything—single track, gravel, grass, techy, loose sand, all of the pump track, twisty, off-camber and fast. And of course, the first ever logstacles! Some rain would have made the course a lot different—stand-by for next year.

A special shout-out goes to the many volunteers that come out to make this race really happen.  As a first-year race director (with training wheels on) I was amazed at the amount of work and amount of people that goes into the planning, organizing, seeking sponsors and setting-up a COTR race.  More amazing is that Roy and Dean have been and continue to be the driving forces and work horses behind Cross On The Commons. There are lots of people like that and as racers and participants reaping their rewards, we should thank everyone who helps out in any way. No one ever gets tired of hearing “Thank You!”.  Our volunteers heard that a lot on Sunday—so Thanks To You!

Also, thanks to the Town of Qualicum Beach (again!) for wanting and making this race happen. Know of another town or city that comes out the day of the race and moves one-ton rocks so that the course is safer?

And far from last, is the awesome support we received from many businesses in Qualicum Beach and Parksville that donated product, gift certificates and a whole lot more to a great event with locally roasted and ground free coffee and a fantastic prize table!

Please support them when you’re in the Oceanside area:

559 Clothing, French Creek
Arrowsmith Bikes, Parksville
Beaufort Forest Products (logstacles)
Big Grin Bikes, Qualicum Beach
Covet in Qualicum Clothing, Qualicum Beach
Creekmore’s Coffee, Qualicum Beach
Dolly’s Home Hardware, Qualicum Beach
Edge Outdoors, Qualicum Beach
Faire Living, Qualicum Beach
French Press Coffee, Qualicum Beach
Happy Jack’s Restaurant, Parksville
Herschel Supply Company, (Bryan Anderson)
Island Cycle, Parksville
Mod Apparel Clothing, Qualicum Beach
Q Burger, Qualicum Beach
Qualicum Pet Foods, Qualicum Beach
Qualicum Toy Shop, Qualicum Beach
Quality Foods, Qualicum Beach
Richard Franklin (awesome poster design!), Parksville
Thrifty Foods, Parksville
Wild Culture Artisan Bakery, Qualicum Beach
Windsor Plywood, Qualicum Beach

Onwards and upwards for #COTR2022!
Thanks everyone,
Ritchie

3. Facebook Classified Page
We receive regular requests to post cyclocross related items on our web site or in the newsletter.  We had a page on the web site before but it just ended up getting spam’ed all the time.  Knowing many people have items to sell we have pinned a classified page at the top of our Facebook page.  If you have something to sell you can put it in the comments.  IF you just put a link with no information we will delete it.  Post some information!  If you sell your items please delete your post.

We can see how it goes and if it goes well we may re try our classified page on the web site.

4. Cross Club Information.

If you have never heard of “Cross Club” it is because you should not hear about “Cross Club”?  Is that how it goes??  Cross Club was the original cross series on Vancouver Island and where many of the Council of Cross did their first ever cross races.  They used to be “underground” but went “legit” a few years back.  One of the very BEST ways to train for Cross on the Rock and other events.  Great group.  Great workout!

Registration link can be found @ www.crossclubvictoria.com.

Details on locations will be emailed to the registered riders list on the Monday of each week. Make sure you register by Monday morning on the 12th of September so that you can receive the info for Ride # 1 on September 14th.

If anybody you know is not on the email blast list from last year, just send them to www.crossclubvictoria.com to register for this year.

Please bring your UCI License or Cycling BC License to the Kickoff on September 14th.

Cross Club 2022 Schedule
Ride #1 – September 14th
Ride #2 – September 21th
Ride #3 – September 28nd
Ride #4 – October 5th
(Please note: No ride on Oct 12th due to Cross on the Rock race on Monday, Oct 10th of that week)
Ride #5 – October 19th
Ride #6 – October 26th

5.  Cross on the Rock Season 2022 Schedule

DONE – September 11th. COTR #1. Qualicum Beach. Cross on the Commons.
September 18th COTR #2. Cumberland. Coal Cross.
October 10th. COTR #3. Nanaimo. Muc Off Cup.
October 23rd. COTR #4. Langford.  Broad Street Cycles GP
October 30th. COTR #5. Cowichan Valley. Chris Cross.
November 13th. COTR #6. Nanaimo. Hot Crossed Bunnies. (This venue is still to be confirmed)
  • 6 races again.  Same as 2021
  • So far we have 5 returning venues with 1 new venue
  • At least 2 very different courses from previously raced at those returning venues.
  • 1 totally new course at Chris Cross in the Cowichan Valley.
Warm Down Shot – The smile says it all!
Muc Off – Cross on the Rock 2022: Newsletter #3 – Coal Cross coming this weekend!!