HOT COTR TOPICS
The countdown in on to cross. It might not seem like it with all the great weather we have been having BUT it did rain on the weekend so that is very promising.
OBB in Nanaimo is reporting that their new KONA 2014’s are almost in the shop. If you have not checked out these sweet rides yet you can see them here: http://konaworld.com/bikes.cfm
YES we are now on Facebook as Cross on the Rock. You can like us up and get all the latest information before it actually happens. There is also the Island Cross group on FB that you might want to join too. Vegan Dave also has a twitter feed for COTR. Word of mouth. Website. Telephones….we are everywhere.
The truth about our beer sponsor…….we never really had one. It is just that Phillips Beer is AWESOME and SO tasty and we have always wanted to have a super cool beer sponsor for the series. Honestly though do you think that even though one of the owners of Phillips has raced at COTR (Gorge Course) that they would give us that much beer each year……not likely. But we know where the brewery is. We have a van….we are quick (although some of us are easily distracted-Me)……and this is pretty much how we get our Phillips “sponsorship” each year.
This year we will go even bigger!!
(Providing they are not onto us after seeing this Pelle Edit and increase security).
CROSS ON THE ROCK 2013 SCHEDULE
You got the “Save the dates” e-mail….months and months and months ago. Dates are the same.
A few weeks ago we published our promo cards (look for them in all the better bike shops and carry them with you at all times) with the venues.
Then the venues were published on our web site but you might be busy fighting forest fires, “at the lake” or doing a mud run or something…..so just in case this is the deal:
September 29th. Coal Cross. Village Park. Cumberland
October 14th. Binab Property Group GP. Western Speedway. Victoria
October 20th. Farmer Bill’s Cattle X-ing. Farmer Bills Farm. Port Alberni
October 27th. Crosstoberfest. Transfer Beach. Ladysmith.
November 9th. MIVA Cross (Not official title). Arbutus Meadows. Nanoose.
November 10th. Kona Kup Provincials Championships. Bowen Park. Nanaimo. Not part of COTR 2013 series.
November 24th. Ronde Van Hogwarts Series Championships. Shawnigan Lake School. Shawnigan Lake.
SERIES OVERVIEW
A bit of a later start for COTR this year with Star Crossed back in mid September. Cross in BC will actually start in August according to CBC!! There are 23 cross races PLUS the Victoria series this year in BC. Ummm……I would say that is growth. In 2005 we had 5 races in the Province.
RACE #1: Starting the season in the Village of Cumberland. Expect Coal cross to have the same awesome venue. We have heard rumours of more course “options” this year with the RD already checking out lines and possibilities.
RACE#2: Victoria has hosted a cross race on Thanksgiving monday on a few occasions and we are returning to greater Victoria for the holiday monday again this year for the Binab Property Group GP at Western Speedway. The course last year included one of the toughest 200meters of course ever in a COTR race as well as a 50 across no call up start. I don’t like to toss this word around but it will be Epic.
RACE #3: Port Alberni is one of our more remote venues but anyone that made the trip to Farmer Bills last year was rewarded with a great course in really fun (MUD) conditions. I expect Lee from Ozzie’s cycles to put together another fun time this year.
Race #4: Beer Garden and Oceanside race course. All that needs saying.
Race #5: New Venue for MIVA’s race this year. For the first time since we started putting on cross races on the island 10 years ago we will not be going to Beban Park (we will return obviously). We will be heading instead to Arbutus Meadows for race 1 of a double header long weekend. This venue just north of Nanaimo located right on the hwy is full of possibilities so we hope for a new and kick ass course out there. Still waiting for the official race name on this one.
Race #6: Race #6 is NOT part of the COTR series. Instead the 2nd part of the double header long weekend will be PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. The KONA KUP at Bowen Park. A true test of every riders full skill set we will be racing age groups at this one instead of our usual COTR categories. Expect more mainlanders to cross the straight and good fun competition. Course will be similar to past years with a few changes as usual.
Race #7: Ronde Van Hogwarts. The series championships returns to Shawnigan Lake School. Drew MacKenzie will brew up a special potion of wickedness for the series final. Not sure if Voldemort will be on course or not but you can expect a championship quality course that will reward finishers with double points. After the racing is done we will “retire” to the club house (remember no shoes inside of course) and enjoy the series final festivities and prize giving.
Pumped?
COTR SERIES SPONSORS
We have been lucky to have some amazing sponsors that scrape their meager promotion budgets to give us a hand with product for prizing each year. We thank them! Honestly getting sponsors is the hardest part of the COTR series. Even though we are the biggest (and in my very bias opinion the most fun) series in Canada….it is harder than hard to get support sometimes.
Some of our sponsors have been helping us for a LONG Time:
Frontrunners in Nanaimo of course….but they have no choice really!
Oak Bay Bikes. Corey started putting on cross races with Wendy and myself…so again he has to support us!
Lambert. Peter Creiton gets a meager promotions budget ever year and he gives (almost) all of it to us every year.
KONA. We even got Dik Cox out last year to race his first EVER cross race at the KONA KUP. Rumour has it a few more KONA guys will over this year!
The Howard Johnson in Nanaimo at Saanich. Dan Brady supports pretty much any event we ask him to. He is going to lose his cross racing virginity this year.
Action Motorcycles. Why is a motorcycle shop sponsoring a cross series? Well cyclists sometimes ride motos (I do….well a scooter OK). Plus Jamie Emery races cross and has every single one of our promotion cards in his workshop.
Phillips BEER. Well we already explained that one.
Jim Pearson from the Waters Edge on the west coast and Pacific Shores in Parksville has supported cycling on the island since Tri Kinetic days in the 80’s. Staying true to his roots and occasionally when the stars align he can make it out to a race.
Zed Wheels. Every cross racer needs wheels….might as well make them custom and purpose built! Another sponsor that races the series….a bit of a theme here!
RUMBLE. We had Rumble come to the Binab Property Group GP last year and now they are in for the whole series.
Hammer Nutrition. You race. You train. You need some Hammer (and some Rumble).
We are still sorting out the details from a few other sponsors; Orange Sport Supply that have been on/off with us over the years. Nutcase which have helped us out sponsoring our kids races and in the past the NISSCOTU. Saltspring Island Coffee; our man Bryn is gone from S.I.C. but we love those guys so still working on that. Lastly hammering out details with Joele about a combo; Pearl Izumi, Pro, Shimano combo which would be super sweet for EVERYBODY. I will keep you guys posted as it happens.
Like I said sponsorship prizes are the hardest part of the series so if you are part of a company that wants to help out we don’t ask for a lot and we try to MAX your value!!
SERIES AND PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS RACE GUIDES
Last year instead of publishing race guides for each race we did one up for the whole series. We will be doing that again this year as well as a separate guide for the KONA KUP Provincial Champs. They will be posted and ready for download at the start of September.
REGISTRATION for COTR as well as the KONA KUP PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
We used raceonline.ca last year for pre-registration for all of our events. We will be using them again this year for the series as well as the KONA KUP Provincial Championships. It is not mandatory to pre-register for the series but it does make it easier on race day and less paper.
It will be mandatory to pre-register for the KONA KUP Provincial Championships and there will be no day of race registration for that event (aside from the kids race) as we will have to sort out call up order in conduction with other series in the province which needs to be done a head of time.
Pre-Registration for our series races, the series as a whole will start at the beginning of September.
Provincial Champs Registration will start around the same time.
LICENSES for COTR….what you need.
In order to race any of our COTR series races you must have a license OR you have to pay $10 extra on race day.
With regards to “What type of license” I need to buy there are three different types that will get you on the start line.
#1-FIRST TYPE: UCI International License This license allows you to compete anywhere in Canada or the World, in the race category for each cycling discipline listed on your license.
A UCI License allows you to race any of the COTR races as well as Provincial Champs which are being held in Nanaimo this year and National Champs being held in South Surrey. You can race any cross race pretty much anywhere in the world.
THESE LICENSES JUST WENT ON SALE (PRO RATED) yesterday on the Cycling BC web site for the remainder of the year. Buy it now and you could still fit in a few MTB races or road races too!
You NEED TO HAVE THIS LICENCE TO RACE PROVINCIAL CHAMPS and or NATIONAL CHAMPS. This type of license is now on sale at a discounted rate on the Cycling BB web site for the remainder of the year.
#2-SECOND TYPE: Citizen License. This license allows you to compete in the citizen category at any race in BC, in the cycling disciplines listed on your license card. You are also able to use this license to enter club-level races.
#3-THIRD TYPE: Day License. IF you are only going to race COTR SERIES RACES and NOT the Provincial Championships you can purchase this license or you can pay $10 per event extra. This License does NOT allow you to race Provincial Championships or National Championships.
GUIDE to LOCAL CROSS RACES, RIDES and PRACTICES
If you have a weekly cross ride, skills practice or practice race that you want to get the word out on Vancouver Island we want to help you get that word out. Let us know and we will include the information in our newsletter.
FOR SALE
There is a classified section on our web site for any cross stuff you are selling. Wendy and I still have some stuff that needs to move. I need a new lawnmower and to pay my visa….so take a look!
Wendy and Norm’s Carbon Cross Wheels for Sale.
1) Easton EC90SL with Challenge Limus Team Edition Tubulars. Easton Skewers. $950
2) Easton EC90SL with Challenge Grifo 33’s (Tubular). Never been ridden. Brand New. Easton Skewers. $1200
3) Easton EC90SLX with Dougast Typhoon Tubulars. Easton Skewers. Dura Ace Cassette. $1000
4) Zipp Pave-Cross 303. One has a Challege Grifo Tubular and one has a Dougast Typhoon tubular. Skewers. Dura Ace 10S Cassette. $900
5) FSA RD 888 K-Force Wheels with Grifo XS 32 Tubulars in White. Skewers. Dura Ace Cassette. $1000
6) FSA RD 488 Wheels with Dougast Rhyno 32’s. Dura Ace 10S Cassette. $900
Kona Major Jake Cyclocross/Road Bike 55cm. Carbon Frame and Fork. Full Custom Build. Shimano Dura Ace Shifter (single front ring) and rear DR. Mixture of FSA, Avid, Easton parts. Selling for $1700.00
Series is Organized by the Cross Council:
With the following cycling clubs: MIVA, VICC, Trail Bicycles-Eatmore Sprouts Cycling Team, Cowichan Valley Cycling Club, ASS and AVR
Supported by:
Oak Bay Bikes in Victoria, Westshore and Nanaimo
Trail Bikes in Courtenay
Experience cycles in Duncan
Cowichan Cycles in Duncan
Cycle Therapy in Duncan
Frontrunners in Nanaimo
Straight Up Cycles in Victoria
Dodge City Cycles in Cumberland
Ozzie’s Cycles in Port Alberni
Supported and Sanctioned by:
Cycling BC
Normon Thibault
E-Mail: normont@islandnet.com
Frontrunners-Nanaimo
www.frontrunners.ca