We wait 9 months of the year for this weekend!!

Newsletter #2

Cross is here!
Yes. It seems like the summer break just ended….because it did just end.  We have been getting messages all week about people doing their first intervals, taking their gravel tires off their bikes, getting new fast racing shoes for the cx season,  doing their first start practices, dusting off their cross bikes, re-gluing tubulars and…..even….shaving legs!  Most people are NOT ready to go full gas this weekend.  We are with you.  BUT at the very same time we CAN NOT wait to go full gas this weekend.  It will HURT but it will be AWESOME!!  Easing into the season.  Start to feel your groove sometime in October when things ramp up and the weather gets more “cross like”.

We can’t wait!!

• Please read through the adjusted COVID Protocols for this year.  Quite a bit different than 2021 but still encouraging care and consideration for others and a priority for staying healthy.  Link is here.

1. Cross on the Commons.  Qualicum Beach.  Cross on the Rock 2022 Race #1. Preview!!

Arrowsmith Cycling Club, the Town of Qualicum Beach and many supporting businesses of Oceanside are pleased to hold and sponsor the 5th Cross on the Commons!

Registration CLOSES for Race #1 at 6:00 PM on Saturday night before the race.  CLOSES.  There is NO DAY OF RACE registration.

Link to registration page is here.

Course Description

 The course will be fast and run in a counter clockwise direction that starts at the same location (lower, most northerly playing field) as last year. It begins with a slight uphill section toward and past the kids playground into The Olde Forest section which is a mix of single(ish) track, gravel, your favourite ditch and a slight (slight!) bit of grass before exiting on to The Strait-Not-That- Away section that’s a bit uphill that keeps the skate board park on the left and includes Logstacles (come and find out what those are). From there The Off-Camber Goat Path section that goes above and over (but not through) the sand pits and hugs the northern woods before exiting near the woods hugging the most south-western field. Skirting the field and on to a two-way section before entering The Ride Like a Kid BMX Track section where, you’ll exit near the start and enter a path that leads to The A-Maze-ing? section that will test your speed versus cornering (may be wet!) on grass before back to the two-way section where we keep to the left like good Brits. Here you’ll find The Fast-in-Grass section with a few twisty turns that goes down 2 levels in the park down to the tent area and exits back of the washrooms and enters The A Wee Bit of Single Track Forest section before exiting near the start where will do repeats until Norm says to stop!

NOTE #1:  Please, Absolutely NO riding on the playing fields or the sand pits!  Thanks!

NOTE #2:  The course area is a public recreation site, be courteous and respectful of other users.  This is especially true along the paved path where the Team Tents will be located.

NOTE #3:  There will be two food and beverage vendors on site: Dude’s Dogs (smokies, hotdogs and drinks/pop) and The French Press for coffee. Cash only.

Team Tents

Team tents will now be located on the south side of and parallel to the paved path that separates the lower and mid-level playing fields.   (Do not spike tent supports within 1 metre of the paved path due to buried irrigation)  No vehicles allowed to this location so the best and shortest point of access is from Park Rd just off of First Ave.  Unload then park in the BMX parking lot which is really close.

Parking

The large Civic Centre parking lot is available. 

Other good locations include along Jones St. and the BMX lot on Park Rd (this is your prime location for Team Tent drop off and parking) and Ravensong Swimming pool.


Washrooms (same as last year)

They are situated in a standalone building adjacent to the paved path.  QB calls it the field house and it is very close to the Park Rd entrance to the path where the Team Tents will be located.

 Course Location

At the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre (more or less).  Good access from all highways:

1. From Hwy 19, take the only off-ramp into Qualicum Beach, follow the traffic circle around to Rupert Rd, drive 1 block and turn right onto Jones St.
2. Coming from north Island on Hwy 19A, turn right onto Laburnum Rd and continue until a left turn on Jones St.
3. If coming from down Island on Hwy 19A, turn left at Bennett Rd (also goes to airport), it will change to Rupert Rd, go around the traffic circle then one more block to a right turn on Jones St.
4. From the west (Port Alberni, Hwy 4) drive towards town and follow the traffic circle around to Rupert Rd, drive 1 block and turn right onto Jones St.

Course Map

Race day Schedule

2. 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!

2022 Cross Club registration is now live!

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

3.  Cross on the Rock Season 2022 Schedule 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 GPOctober 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.

Registration Cross on the Commons will open at 6:00pm September 1st and CLOSE at 6:00pm on September 10th.

LINK TO RACE #1 Registration here.
 There are a few other fun events happening on the island this fall that you may want to also consider:
September 10th. Steam Donkey Racing Dodge X Off road TriathlonSeptember 24th Mind Over Mountain Adventure RaceSeptember 24th Burnt Bridge Classic Gravel FondoOctober 2nd Island Cup Enduro series final (need to get this moved out of cross season for 2023!!)October 9th Royal Victoria Marathon 8km and Half.October 16th. Tripleshot CrossFondoNovember 5th or 6th. BC Provincial Champs at Hard Knox CX in Kelowna (not on the island)November. 25-27. National Cyclocross Champs in VICTORIA!! (Rumour has it NOT at Bear Mountain)
As well there are a few other cyclocross events not on Vancouver Island: 
Check those out here:  https://cyclingbc.net/events/?tribe_disciplines%5B%5D=2468&tribe_disciplines%5B%5D=500

Parting Shot

Looking forward to butchering names as we call each racer randomly to the start line on Sunday in Qualicum Beach!

Rain was hitting my windows today which of course brought me to thoughts of the fall and our 16th season of Cross on the Rock.

If you don’t have these dates on your calendar you might want to mark them down. This is how the race season looks at this point. More details and information will be added and posted as we know.

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. Victoria. Name TBA
October 30th. COTR #5. Cowichan Valley. Name TBA
November 13th. COTR #6. Nanaimo. Hot Crossed Bunnies.
There are a LOT of moving parts and events this fall.
Please also consider:
August 28th. Mid Island Velo Association UNPAVED
September 10th. Steam Donkey Racing Dodge X Off road Triathlon
September 24th Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race
September 24th Burnt Bridge Classic Gravel Fondo
October 2nd Island Cup Enduro series final (need to get this moved out of cross season for 2023!!)
October 9th Royal Victoria Marathon 8km and Half.
October 16th. Tripleshot CrossFondo
November 5th or 6th. BC Provincial Champs at Hard Knox CX
November. 25-27. National Cyclocross Champs in VICTORIA!!

Cross on the Rock 2021: Newsletter #9

We made it this far. Lets finish this season off STRONG!

Newsletter #9.
1. Hot Crossed Bunnies. Race #6. Series FINAL. Preview!
2. Broad Street Cycles GP.
3. Check your points. Check your team points!

Warm Ups.

• Have you ever wanted to win a custom bike frame build specially for you? If you have raced this season then attending the series awards is your BEST CHANCE EVER!! Sam Whittingham will be drawing from our master draw prize list 1 special person that will win a Naked Bikes frame. Every time you raced this year your name has been entered. Race 6 times. You have 6 chances. Race 0 times. You will not win! We will also be drawing for other prizes from our series sponsors including a stay at Hotel Zed in Tofino and gear from MUC-OFF! You have to be there to win any of it!
• We have made it this far. 5 of 6 races. When we made the decision to get Cross on the Rocks fired up again after 20 months away we did not know what to expect. One observation from the series so far is how incredible everyone have been. People are pitching in when needed. The community of racers has been great! There has been the least complaints or issues of any of the 15 seasons of racing we have hosted. Most of all people are reporting that during the races people are racing HARD but generally it has been clean and supportive. That has been so great to hear! We have one more race for the season. Lets all work together and finish this off the same way we have been all season. Race Hard. Have Fun. Be Nice. See you Sunday!
• Don’t forget for the series only your top 5 race scores count. Check the link below in the “Check your points” section which shows which race is your lowest. Then you can do the math to see who you have to beat and by how much to move up in the series!
• We started carrying an awesome product called Sport Wipes this fall at Frontrunners in Nanaimo. I have been using them all season after each race to clean up and look presentable for the awards. They are like a HUGE wet wipe towel. One of the best features is that they are 100% Biodegradable and you can put them in your compost. I thought they were so good that I contacted the company and asked if they would sponsor our series! So at the finish line on Sunday everyone will get a FREE Sport Wipe to use to clean up after their race. We will have a compost container on-site so you can drop your used one in there before the awards. I hope you like these as much as I have. You can get more from Frontrunners in Nanaimo!

1. Hot Crossed Bunnies. Race #6. Series FINAL. Preview!

Please NOTE: MASKS ARE MANDATORY IN THE AGRIPLEX for registration and spectating. They will not be mandatory for racers during the race. The awards will need to be fully masked for all ages and all people attending. Plan accordingly.

Parking: (Consult Map) Beban park is HUGE. But on any given weekend there is a LOT going on. The best place to park for the race is south of the race course in the gravel lot by the golf course and tennis courts. Be aware that there is a new road access to the Steve Smith Jump park, please do not block it. IF there is no soccer on the Beban fields then that lot will also be available. The lot by the BMX track is normally under-utilized. The paved parking by the Pool and arena might be over run so it would be best to avoid those lots. Parking on the roadways or grass is strictly forbidden and will get you towed

Team Tents: Make 100% sure your tent is staked and secured. With wind this week and in the forecast we can not have any tents becoming kites. It is drop and go (NO PARKING AT TEAM TENTS AREA) until we close and lock the gates around 9:30am. After that point you will have to carry your gear in. On the flip side the gate will be LOCKED until after the OPEN races so it will be carry out until that point. There will be no team vehicles inside the gate or we will run out of space for the team tents.

Registration: As it has been all season pre-registration only. This will close like normal at 6:00pm the night before the race. In this case that will be SATURDAY NIGHT at 6:00pm. The call up sheets are literally done by 6:10pm the night before the race. So if you FORGET or put it off you are unlikely to get your earned call up spot.

The link to register is Here

Race day number pick up and race central will be located in the Agriplex. Consult the map.

Washrooms: NOTE: MASKS ON IN THE PORTA JOHNS AND IN ANY OTHER BUILDINGS IN BEBAN PARK. There will be porta johns located at the end of the opening straight away. There are LOTS of other (Flush) washrooms located in Beban park. You can also locate washrooms in almost all buildings in the park. Both arenas. Down by the artificial turf field. In the Pool. NO DIRTY BIKE SHOES OR DIRTY PEOPLE INSIDE THE BUILDINGS OR WASHROOMS. Clean yourself up BEFORE going into a public area. We want to be able to use this venue again. MORE IMPORTANTLY if you are going IN a building LOCK YOUR BIKE!!!

Awards: Awards location will be in the Agriplex where the finish is located.

Race Course: The weather is calling for rain. MIVA will have been out cutting blackberries and scouting lines. With the rain we’ll have mud, sand, gravel, grass, pavement and off camber hills. Everything you could want for an epic final race of the season.

Food: Tipsy Avocado (Same as Bowen Park) will be on-site and ready to serve up Lunch. We have also invited Georgies Pies to come back and set up her baked goods stand as she did in 2019.

Post race: We will want to get the awards going as soon as possible on Sunday. With that in mind please help us both tear down as well as RAKE out the course. With the rain in the forecast the more raking we can do the better the course will look on Monday when people are driving by or walking through. Please bring a rake and work gloves. Many hands make light work and get the work done FAST. We will make an announcement when we are starting the awards….and…..well…..there will be no one left on course so you will notice that the awards have started! Ideally we would like to start around 4:00

TENTATIVE COURSE MAP WITH SITE OVERVIEW

2. Broad Street Cycles GP Review

Photos from Patrick until his camera decided it did not like the rain any more.

Photos from Matt Powell

From Parker
THANK you to the volunteers, racers, spectators and weather gods for making Sunday a memorable event.
Icy temps, treacherous conditions, some patches of sun and a few squalls: perfect cyclocrossing.

From Roland
Thanks to all racers for coming out to to race. It’s getting harder and harder to find venues in Victoria, so it’s great to have a venue we will reliably be able to get going into the future. I hope everybody enjoyed the unconventional cross course that brought back memories of the early days of CotR of Jungle Cross at Fletchers Farm. Thanks to Jon Watkin for getting us the course.

Shout out to the setup crew: Parker Bloom, Cam McLellan, Doug Doyle, Andy Achuff, Glenowyn Carlson, Mitch Thacker, Scott Mitchell, James Pauly, Jon Watkin, Meegan Armstrong, Brent Hooper

Registration crew: Denise Mahon, Sylvia Storry, Markus Kellerhals

Timing crew: Dylan Reeves, Geoff Homer, Shawn McKean, Steve Crowe, Joanna Fox, Ros Penty, Holly Henry

Waffles: Ryan Dawson

Event Prizes: Broad St Cycles, Arc’teryx Victoria, Drew MacKenzie of Shimano

And everybody who helped tear down the course!

From Norm
We were very excited to be able to race at the Jordie Lunn Bike park in Irwin Park. Many members of our community including but not limited to Parker Bloom, Jon Watkin and Drew MacKenzie have spent hundreds of hours developing the plan for this facility and bringing it from raw land to what we were able to race on. It was a rowdy day! The course had a bit of EVERYTHING. Most exciting of course was another opportunity to race in the MUD.

With any new venue we learn after the first event. This past Sunday we made many observations and we hope that our event at this venue continues to improve in 2022 and beyond.

A special thanks to the Masters and Super Masters men who maintained their season long cool during our lap 1.5 on course incident. We made the best of the situation and hopefully it did not change anyone’s overall result too much.

Also a thanks to Roland for stepping up to race direct this event. Parker and Broad Street for sponsoring and making some REALLY nice prize packs and Jon for being the go between and working the behind the scene to make sure that everything was in place for us to race.

2. Check your points. Check your team points!

As you know from reading our series rules if you race the full series only your top 5 results count towards your overall standings. Roland has made a series results page with your lowest score crossed out. If you want to check it out it is located here!

The team competition continues to be CLOSE. Make sure you check your team points before the series final!!

Most of the errors that happen in the team competition have to do with the team name that was inputted at the time of registration. If it does not match your other team mates…..then your points will not get counted.

If your team name is NOT CORRECT it is now possible to adjust them yourself because Roland is a master of coding!

Now people can go to their user page e.g. https://www.crossontherock.com/php/racer/?racername=Normon+Thibault

There is an edit link next to each result. Click the link, press the get password button. Your password gets emailed to you. Type in the team name you want and hit save. Team name updated!

You can edit team name, city and age. You can’t edit your name…..so if you have registered using different names and want the results for all your personalities to be put together send an e-mail to the link on the results page. Multiple names can ALSO effect your call up……so it is worth fixing.

Parting Shot
If you have been following the bike industry over the last 1.5 years you know it has been “Crazy”. With that in mind we are very fortunate to have the continued support of Nutcase Helmets supporting our little racers! Thanks to Elladee Brown for her continued support and making this happen for our series!