MUC OFF – Cross on the Rock 2025.  Season #19



Race Bikes.  Make Friends.  Have Fun.

ARE YOU REGISTERED FOR THE MUC OFF CUP?
HAVE YOU CHECKED:
           YOUR POINTS?
Your points effect your call up position and your series standing.  Take a second and make sure you are getting credit!
           YOUR TEAM POINTS?
TEAM points will be LOCKED in for the first 2 races before the Muc Off Cup.  So take a moment and make sure they are correct.

Is your bike chip still on your bike?
Did you know you can pin your number on the LEFT for Monday!

1. MUC OFF Cup Preview.
REGISTRATION CLOSES: Sunday Night at 6:00 PM.  No on site registration.  

Some Fun Inspiration:
KONA Cup at Bowen Park 2018
Kona Cup at Bowen Park 2017
AND going WAY back to 2012 a Classic Pelle G. Edit

Welcome back to the Muc Off Cup! Third stop for the 2025 Cross on the Rock series. This is one of the hardest races of the year, you have full bellies from Thanksgiving feasting, long uphill straights, tricky downhills and soul sucking sand! Weather looks good with a slim chance of rain but be prepared. Pete from Muc Off and HLC will be there to assist with bike washing if it gets muddy. The course is a traditional euro style course with lots of elevation and will be very similar to previous years. 
The Stats!!
This race has some impressive stats over the history of the event.

  • Biggest race of all time!  2019
    • 5th biggest in 2018
    • 6th biggest in 2017
  • Biggest category of all time masters men 40-54 in 2019 with 88 racers
  • Most DNF’s EVER in 2014
    • 4th most DNFs in 2010
    • 10th most DNFs in 2011
  • LEAST DNF’s ever in 2016
    • 2nd least DNFs in 2019!
  • Two Time venue for the Provincial Cyclocross Championships
  • MOST RAIN ever during one of our races for the 2021 Masters Men’s race.  It was INSANE!!

Annual Course Hazards

  • First of all the park is open to the public.  There are people everywhere and some will NOT be aware of the race or cyclists on course.  Keep your head up!!
  • Please be very cautious of the down-hill section after the pool.  This is the fastest section with some BIG trees that can break your shoulder or your head.
  • There are slippery sections, roots and trees and uneven ground all over the place and it will be WET
  • You MUST stay to the inside of the cones on the upper road near the tennis courts. This is very important as we are sharing the road with other park users.
  • The last hazard is the down-hill after the stair section. Please use caution, as it its steep and can be slippery.

Parking

  • There is LOTS of parking in the AREA of the race but maybe not RIGHT beside the registration/finish area.  You have a bike….you can park a little ways away.
  • The main Parking is located in the lot beside the Volley Ball courts off WALL STREET.  These spots are not marked so please don’t park like a donkey and mess it up for other people.  Organized rows!
  • Overflow parking can be found across the street at the Curling Club.
  • There is also some parking up by the park administration buildings by the tennis courts and then above that by the pool.
  • All spots are within 1 minute of the main race area.

Registration/Number pick up and race central

  • Will be located near the Volley Ball courts

ALWAYS: Please be courteous to other park users.

Team Tents

  • One row on the grass in front of parking area.
  • Then a second row against the curb in the parking lot.
  • STAKE YOUR TENTS!

Please do not put any tents on the opposite side of the course. Only event tents are allowed in that area.  Thanks

Food Truck.
For a food truck this year we have back again Sip and Sliders food truck!  SO GOOD!!
PLEASE ABSOLUTELY STAY OFF THE COURSE AFTER RACE DAY!

Lastly we can almost guarantee this…..NUMBERS ON YOUR LEFT!

Remember….registration CLOSES at 6:00 PM on SUNDAY.   Although the MUC OFF cup has never been voted as the #1 Cyclocross race in Canada by Cycling Canada we know that is because they have never been to our event.  If they had they would be voting the MUC OFF Cup the #1 race in Canada and Cross on the Rocks the #1 Cyclocross series in Canada.  That is just fact!

CategoryStart Time
Number Pick up Open9:15 am
Beginner Clinic10:00 am
Launch Men (Including Youth U13 and U15)10:45 am
Launch Women (Including Youth U13 and U15)10:46 am
Bigger Kids Full lap or almost a full lap (No stairs or bigger DH for the kids)11:40
Intermediate Men (Including U17)12:10 pm
Intermediate Women (Including U17 and Masters 40 and faster Women)12:11 pm
Lil Nutcase Kids Race (Lower picnic shelter area below start/parking area)12:15 pm
Masters Men (40-54)1:15 pm
Super Master Men (55+)1:16 pm
Open Men2:30 pm
Open Women2:31 pm

It is about the community.  Racing.  Respect.  Repeat.
Remember to recommend COTR to people that ride and bring a friend out to race!!

2. FUNHOUSE X – Review.

Roland’s first POV video for the season.  Masters Race.
Photos from Ari Robinson of the Intermediates and a few of Open and Masters
Photos from Ross Greenwood

Norm’s Notes:

  • Rowan English getting the spirit award for the race. First race in 4 years.  Misses her race because she is coaching her kid through the little kids race.  I casually suggest she does Open and she does…..OUCH!!  Way to Go Rowan.
  • I have 2 people on my list now of “we will bring you: Root beer/doughnuts/cash/genie wishes if you can get us into the race…..that have NOT delivered yet.  Missing out on Port Alberni Doughnuts was a low for last Sunday!
  • ALWAYS impressed with how FAST the course comes down when more people pitch in.  Grab some stakes.  Take down some tape.  It will get cleaned up quickly and we can get on with the awards and draw prizes!
  • Warm up rides are NOT the same as RACING.  So many people came back after their races and said it was “not as bad” as they thought it was going to be.  We all know the section that they were talking about!!  
  • I can tell you…….this course will stand out in your memory!
  • So many FAST single speeders in Masters Men this year!!  2 on the podium at Funhouse even with the big climb!

Nik’s Notes:
Wow what a great event.. I want to thank everyone who joined the fun this year! Your support and smiles are what drives the vision of this race.Event numbers increased by 12%. This is incredible. Also nice riding racers, the 98% success rate is very impressive! This may have been the spiciest COTR race ever? If not, it’s in our top 3 after 24 years of racing combined (Nik & Lee)We put in months of work building new lines!Word on the street is, MOST people enjoyed the added action on the course. (It will only get more silly and fun as the years go on) Thank you to all the volunteers:- Kevin Laidman, Todd Daradicks, John Kay, and Andy Hamilton for putting hours into the course set up. – Big Jeff for using his truck.- Port Alberni fire department for volunteering their time and resources to fill our MUD pit.- This year’s course clean up went much faster, thanks to all spectators and racers who lent a helping hand.- Thanks to all the series sponsors as well as our local event sponsors: Bomber Boulders, Twin City Brewing, The Salty Woodsman, Airhouse Nanaimo, Vancouver Island Soaring center, Godfather garage, The Jumping Slug bike shop, Trek Bicycles and anyone I may have missed for the amazing prizes!- Food trucks, Sutra foods, and Ro’s
When you come to town, think about supporting these awesome companies who help make local events possible! Things to remember:- Airhouse funhouse 1st of its kind @ Crossontherock event (This idea was cooked up 48hrs before the event)- Off camber is awesome, Mud is awesome- Norm was adamant everyone needed a suffer fest run up this year… So you got one 😉 (Note from Norm: This is NOT TRUE!)- COTR riders are bloody tough and skilled.. That was one heck of an experience and MOST were smiling about it!- Dj Hammy & DJ Oz for the LIVE music. They volunteered their time and energy to provide the best experience possible for the COTR family! Both these guys raced (DJ Oz 3rd inter men?!?! and DJ Hammy 6th open men on SS ?!!?!  Also 1st of its kind @ Crossontherock events- My son completed his first cross race at 2 years old. *teary-eyed*- Sun in October after a week of heavy rain made this a 10/10 day.. warm and slippery- Beer is also awesome.. Thanks to Twin City Brewing for the handling the beer gardens- Norm smiling and Rocket bulldozening me *Lee Special thank you to Lee Blais A.S.S. Grand master for being my partner in crime.. Stoked to see you back out on course getting loose!Norm for allowing us to host another great event in the valley! Thank you and see you next year in Port Alberni, for the Funhouse X COTR 2026 finals!! ;)(Still trying) #PortFinals2026 #crossishere
Cross is awesome… and HERE!!! Much Love Nik @ The Slug 


#COTR2025 #Cyclocross #CrossIsComing #RockCityCycles #RideWithUs #CrossOnTheRock

Parting ShotThere may never be another race quite like the Masters Men’s race at the Muc Off Cup 2021
It will always be remembered by those that raced it!

Newsletter #5 – The Muc Off Cup – Biggest CX Race in Canada?