The first COTR newsletter of 2016!!

Are you ready? Is your bike ready? Does not matter you have until November 20^th to get it all dialed in!!

We have a lot of information BUT I have been accused of having the LONGEST e-mails so I will try to restrict it to ONLY 5 things this week. Next week we will fire up the 1^st race preview for The Pro City Grand Prix and give you a bit more information.

In this COTR Newsletter:

Series Overview.
Some of the changes this year.
Outlining license requirements.
Other cross happenings on the island.
Registration.

1. Series Overview.

If you have not been checking the website, or FB page and have been eagerly anticipating this e-mail…..here is the schedule for the year.

2016 Cross on the Rock Race Schedule
Race #1. September 11^th: Pro City Cyclocross Grand Prix. Victoria. Topaz Park.
Race #2. September 17^th: Top of the Rock Cross. Courtenay. Mt Washington.
Race #3. October 2^nd: Tugboat Cross. Ladysmith. Transfer Beach.
Race #4. October 10^th: The Bear X’ing. Victoria. Bear Mountain
Race #5. October 23^rd: Farmer Bills Cattle X’ing. Port Alberni. Farmer Bills
Race #6. November 5^th: Hot Crossed Bunnies. Nanaimo. Beban Park
Race #7. November 6^th : Kona Kup. Nanaimo. Bowen Park
Race #8. November 20^th: Series Championships. Central Saanich. Saanich Fairgrounds

A few things of note:

8 races.
4 Returning Venues from 2015: Topaz Park. Transfer Beach. Bear Mountain. Beban Park.
2 Returning Venues from 2014: Farmer Bills. Bowen Park
2 Totally New Venues: Saanich Fairgrounds. Mt Washington
Topaz Park was the biggest cross race ever in Canada in 2015
Transfer Beach was voted best race by the racers of 2015
3 races in Greater Victoria. 3 races mid island. 2 races up island.

2. Some of the changes to COTR this year.

We are always looking to make improvements to COTR. Some things are “doable”. Others as much as we would like to do them don’t work with our series, organizers, venues etc. So we call them “not currently doable”. Sometimes our vision for the series and races does not match with what others have visioned. That is reality. We do appreciate everyone’s feedback though. Sometimes it is not something we have thought of. Sometimes it is something that we have wanted to do. Sometimes it is just a crazy idea that will never work (in our minds) and then we try it and it does and makes the series better. Anyways this is what we are working on changing this year.

Points structure. We have changed this a few times before. Each time we think we will be good for a long time….and then the series and the categories grow and there are too many racers getting 2 points for a race. So we have upped it again this year. Winning naturally earns you a bit more of a buffer.
Series Points. In the past we have kept everyone together for points that races together. For example in the women’s intermideate cateogry there are the series categories of women’s masters, women’s U17 and women’s intermediate. To keep the series tighter we will do the points based on how you finish within the series category that you are racing. Prizing for the races are still done on the race day category. Call up will be based on points for that race day category (best and safest way to properly separate it as you can’t call up 3 people for the pole position).
Our on-line registration company: Race On Line has merged with Race Roster. COTR racers and new father, Mark Nelson, is still our man to get all our quirky and details right for registration but you will be on a different web site and platform for registation.
Electronic Timing. This has been on our to-do list for a long time. Patrick Burnham from MIVA has the system in place and we beta tested it at the MIVA Mid Summer cross race at Diver Lake for the first time. It will take a bit to dial it in so we will be running parrallel (old and new) timing systems for the first few races until we have it dialed in. For racers it is going to mean a few more attentions to details as the timing chips do require some special care. The reward will be that you will be able to geek out more than ever on lap splits and stats.
After 10 years of COTR and a few years of non-COTR races (we are now year #14 of putting cross races on Vancouver Island) the price is going up (for some). Beginners goes up to $15 pre-registration and other races go up to $25. $5 increase that was needed to cover the cost of Electronic timing and other increased expenses.
BUT we have adjusted the pricing for any racer racing youth categories. Meaning if you are under 19 (JR and younger) the pre-registration price is $15.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS PRETTY MUCH MANDATORY. Again given the changes with electronic timing and the preparations that are needed for that and to make sure our call up lists are as accurate as possible we need to have time to do this work. Race morning 10 minutes before the start is not the time! So pre-registration is “pretty much” mandatory. By “Pretty Much” we mean if you delay, procrastinate, hedge your bets on weather etc. you can still come and race BUT it will cost you $35/$25 youth and you will NOT receive a call up. All day of race registrations will be called up at the end. After the people with points and the people without points that pre-registered. We really want people to pre-register.

3. License requirements for COTR this year.

Once again the Cross on the Rock’s series is sanctioned and supported by Cycling BC. As always everyone that races a series race needs to have either a license from Cycling BC or purchase a day of race license ($10). A Cycling BC “General Membership”. Masters cycling. Triathlon BC. Your library card. None of those count or will help you out.

What we need to see is:

a) A Provinicial Racing License. $45. This will allow you to do all our races and is VERY economical. Last year this also allowed you to race the provinical championships. You can also use this license to race the Cross Club Victoria races or do the cross clinics in Nanaimo and Cowichan.
b) UCI Racing License. Now discounted to $99 for the rest of the season and for ALL of the Cross Season. This will allow you to race any cross race any place any category any where until the end of the year.
c) Day of race license. Fill out a form. $10. Good to go.

As has been for the last 10 year…..EVERYONE needs to have their license WITH them at check in at EVERY COTR race to race. If not you will be required to pay the $10 day of race insurance to participate.

4. Other cross happenings on the island

Cross on the Rock is not the only thing happening on Vanouver Island for Cross.

In Victoria there is the Cross Club. 7 training “rides” starting this Wednesday and going until October 26^th. Great workouts!! www.crossclubvictoria.com

In the Cowichan Valley on Wednesday Nights they have their practices/mock races. 6:00pm. cowichancx@gmail.com and Cowichan Cyclocross on Facebook

In Nanaimo on Thursday nights starting September 8^th are cross practices hosted by MIVA and run by Carey Mark. Carey3221@gmail.com

Also put October 16^th on your calendar for the first ever Cross Fondo hosted and organized by Tripleshot. 40km of backcountry trails. www.Tripleshotcrossfondo.ca

5. Registration

So…..are you ready to get registered? Here are the links.

For the FULL SERIES: Series Page – https://raceroster.com/series/2017/10093/2016-cross-on-the-rock-series

We are looking forward to the first COTR race of the season and the series a head.

Check your in-box next week for Newsletter #2 with more on the series, our awesome sponsors and a preview of the Pro City Grand Prix.

The first COTR newsletter of 2016!!

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