This is the LAST newsletter for 2016. Keep in touch with us through Facebook or just by good old fashion W.O.M. Go for a ride with a COTR buddy and just talk about all the latest COTR news, gossip, rumours and smack talk. Thanks for a great season and we will talk to you in 2017 #COTR2017

We are READY with our post 2016 Survey!! Hit the link. Answer a few questions. Leave me your info and I will put you in for a draw for some SWEET stuff!! Plus you get to shape COTR 2017 and beyond and give us VALUABLE feedback. We would love to get 200+ surveys back. There are 20 questions and it takes most people between 1:30-4:00 to complete. Piece of cake!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5T9QGBR

Christmas is coming!! I have a few COTR 2016 T-Shirts left. Would love to move them to a place or person that would wear and love them. $22. Let me know and I will work on getting it to you.

Some of the last stuff we love of the season

Last Chances for CX for 2016

  • Kris Cross at the Cowichan Fairgrounds on December 11th . We have looked at this venue for a few years so it will be a good chance to check it out. Registration for this one is on Webscorer with links from OBB and Cycle therapy pages.
  • Semiprestige CX Race: Dec 18th Likely the same excellent venue as last year, with fingers firmly crossed for SNOW. Keep an eye on Broad Street Cycles FB page for more information on this one.

In newsletter #16

  1. Provincial Championships round up
  2. The Naked 2016 Notes
  3. Save some dates (now you will know….so don’t e-mail me like you don’t know!!)

1. Provincial Championships round up

Check out the Gallery from Patrick Burnham. Past COTR photo of the year winner….but has been TOO BUSY with timing this season to take any photos. He snapped a few in Squamish to finish the year off: https://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/albums/72157677053382296

Results here: http://bcraceresults.wimsey.co/

Write Up here: http://pedalmag.com/bc-cx-2016-championships-full-results-dyck-and-richey-win-elite-titles/

PLEASE NOTE. CBC wrote that article and it was NOT “Richard Machhein” that won the SS Championships….it was our own Halldor Gunnarsson!!

We know you crew LOVE stats. Here is a few for you.

Number of people that raced BC Provincial CX Champs: 257
Percentage from Vancouver Island (or North Sunshine Coast): 63 or 24% of the field was COTR racers.
Number of podium places available at the event: 51
Number of podiums captured by COTR racers: 21
Percentage of podiums captured by the 24 % of the field that are COTR racers: 41%

COTR Racers sweeped the Master’s Men’s 50-59. If you count Andreas Hestler who races 1 COTR race this year we also sweeped the Men’s 40-49. The only categories we did not get a podium spot of the 17 categories were U13Men’s, and Women’s Masters 40-49 and 50-59.

If you look at top 5 we it is even more impressive!

By category here are our COTR podium placers.

Elite Men – Honestly all of the top three might be considered COTR’ers. Craig Ritchey in 1st got his cross start at our races. Kevin Calhoun comes over quite a bit and took 2nd and for CERTAIN we count Nicholas Kupiak who had a beast ride for 3rd.

Elite Women – Mical Dyck 1st and Carey Mark 3rd.
Single Speed – Halldor Gunnarsson 1st place. We can count Mark Karau as well from Stuckylife as he is over here racing enough. 3rd place.
Master Men 60+ – The master of super masters….Derek Steel in 3rd
Master Men 50+ – Ken Olson 1st, Peter Stevenson 2nd and David Opko in 3rd.
Master Men 40+ – Justin Mark 1st, Andreas Hestler 2nd and Normon Thibault 3rd
Master Men 30+ – Andy Pitre in 3rd place.

Master Women 30+ – Denise Mahon 1st place
Junior Men – Ethan Pauly 1st place.
U17 Boys – Carter Woods 1st place
U15 Boys – Griffin Hart 3rd place.
U17 Girls – Sarah Van Dam 1st place and Emilly Johnston 2nd place.
U15 Girls – Isla Walker 3rd place

U13 Girls – Brynn Johnston 2nd place and Sarah Roberts 3rd place

Even better than the results was seeing so many COTR’ers pull together at the race and help each other out. One great community!

2. The Naked 2016 Notes

From the one. The only….SAM WHITTINGHAM!!!!

“Is your old cross machine “done” after all the mud this year?

Bummed you missed out the Naked Frame draw prize?

Can’t wait 18 months for a new naked frame?

Fear not, I will be taking a VERY limited number of orders of Naked X17 machines exclusively for COTR riders,friends and family members. Prices and most options will be as you see at http://nakedbicycles.com/the-bikes/x but delivery will much sooner, in time for COTR17! ”

And for the first time EVER in COTR newsletter….Naked Notes:

“It is an absolute honour to be part of the cross mosh fiesta that is COTR. I can’t believe another season is in the bag. After missing most of the last TWO seasons due to separate “oh my god, not again” injuries, I was thrilled to pack in a full roster of races this time around.

Some Highlights for me:

· All the kids! The future is bright.
· All the kids racing for free. Elle and Dre of Study build making it work.
· The good will of EVERYONE. No jerks allowed.
· Course design. These just keep getting better and better.
· MUD! So much MUD! And still managed to get away with nearly no rain………
· Hayley Dominating her class on my original COTR bike I built 10 years ago as a polo bike.
· No SUPER serious injuries this year that I’m aware of. (Although Dre’s knee was pretty gross)
· Jack’s Hot chocolate, Coffee, Donuts and portable changing tent! So pro.
· Roland. Just. Roland.
· Seeing Phil Schum and Sean Lunny race MASTERS even though I still think they are 17 cuz’ thats the last time I remember racing with them.
· Crashing due to a perfectly executed Norm Heckle.
· Ritchie’s reaction to winning a new frame. So easy when the stoke is this high.
All the Naked Bikes and Jerseys! So much Love. So proud of Mical and Regan, Terry, Hal, Jamie, Dave, Dave, Dre, Elle, Hayley, Katie, James, JP, Beast, Roanne, Geoff, Mandy, Sylvia, Tom, Wade, Andrew, Roy and of course, Ben and Fyn. Who did I miss?”

Cheers!

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3. Save some dates (now you will know….so don’t e-mail me like you don’t know!!)

As you know our race season is ALWAYS evolving. BUT we have been working on 2017 for a while now….and we want you to know what we are thinking and how it most likely will shape up.

Here is how it looks:

August.

Season Primer August 9th. Maybe in Victoria or back to Diver Lake.

Race #1: Season opener September 10th at Topaz again (start might depend on survey results). Pre-race day race number and chip pick up at Pro City from 3:00-5:00
Race #2: September 15th…..Comox Valley with the NIGHT pub/taco ride if possible?
Race #3: October 1st: Tugboat at Transfer Beach
Race #4: October 9th: Bowen Park Nanaimo
Race #5: October 22nd: Qualicum Beach.
Race #6 and #7: November 4th and 5th. Double Header in Victoria. Bear Mt, Saanich Fairgrounds, Speedway or another venue. Laritz, JDF,
Race #8 Series final. November 19th or 18th Beban park.

Race #8 MIGHT be Provincial Championships….if that happened then we would finish the COTR season with the double header. There is also a chance the double header might be back in Nanaimo which if that happens then October 9th and the last race of the year would be in Victoria.

That is where we are at for 2017!!

Have a great winter. It has been the best season of COTR to date. A total pleasure being a part of this community.

Signing off.

Normon Thibault

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The Last Round………Mazda – COTR – Newsletter 2016 #16 – Put away prepped and prepped by Muc Off.