Mazda – COTR – Newsletter 2017 #2 – Cleaned and prepped by Muc Off. #COTR2017

A few new things happening with the newsletter. We have consolidated our mailing list to Mailchimp which will make things a bit smoother (eventually) on our end. It will also make it (eventually) easier to subscribe and unsubscribe. IF you are reading this on the web site and did not get the e-mail….and you want the e-mail. You are not on the mailing list and you should sign up for it!

Just a WARNING. This e-mail is HUGE. But it is because there is a LOT of information!!

Also if you are a cyclist or knows a cyclist that is NOT racing COTR (you might be getting this because you are a super-fan) There is the ALS ride on Sunday in the Cowichan Valley. Poster is attached at the end.

A MAJOR thanks to MAZDA for continuing their title sponsorship of the COTR series. They will have the CX-3 out at the venue on Sunday for people to check out. Through the season they will be displaying different CX series vehicles at different races. Check them out.

Newsletter #2

54 people out for cross practice in the Comox Valley yesterday. 54!
35 out for the Rock City Cycles team welcome night.

Um…..things are getting S-E-R-I-O-U-S!

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

1. Pro City GP Preview

2. Are you a YOUTH rider and do you want to race for FREE in 2017?

3. What you need to get used to doing to race COTR in 2017

4. Weekly cross happenings on the island.

5. Registration.

1. Pro City GP Preview

First of all. Do you want to AVOID all registration line ups on Sunday morning? Do you want to pre-pin your race number and have it PERFECT before you leave the house for the race? Do you just want to chat CX with like minded people for a while while you enjoy a BEER?

For the FIRST TIME EVER!!

For all that have PRE-REGISTERED (by NOON on Saturday) and don’t want to wait in line Sunday morning. Stop by the Trek Bicycle Store, PRO CITY RACING headquarters 338 Catherine St in Victoria on Saturday from 5:30-8:00pm and pick up your number and timing chip. We will also have some complimentary beverages to help you pre-hydrate for the race on Sunday. Join us for the Season Kick off Party. Hang out with fellow Cross Fiends and and chat tactics, brag about your new cross bike, and talk tire pressure.

Second of all. Tessa and Tycho would like you to pop by their Freezie stand to buy a pre or post race freezie. $1. They tried to do this at the MIVA Diver lake race….but their were technical difficulties. Make their day. Buy a freezie!

Course Description:
The City of Victora has allowed the use of Topaz park again for 2017.
The course will be very similar to last year. Some corners will change a bit but the layout will be the same. Taking advantage of Topaz park’s varied terrain including grass, wood chip trails, rocks, and more grass. The 2017 race course is fast, fun, and flowing with a mix of high/low speed riding, wide open power sections, technical cornering, and fluid long radius turns over varied surfaces. Race your file tread tires, bring your horsepower and your cornering skills.

Venue:
Topaz Park is located at the corner of Finlayson Street and Blanshard Street in Victoria. Parking is available on the north end of the park off of Finlayson Street or on the East side of the park by taking Spruce St off of Quadra Street. Additional parking is available at Mayfair Centre and SJ Willis School, a short walking distance to the park.

Please be courteous to other park users during race day and keep off the sports fields.
The park is still open to the public so please be respectful.
KEEP OFF THE SPORTS FIELDS!

Team tents:
Please send scott@trekbikesvictoria.com if you would like a reserved parking spot and area for your team tent. We will be setting up tents similar to last year, a bit closer to the parking area off Spruce St. Your spot will only be reserved until 9:30 am.

Shout outs:
Race sponsors: Shimano Pro and Trek Bikes Victoria
Big thanks to Shimano for stepping up big time to help with prizes, course marking, and making great products!

Directions to Topaz Park
From the Mainland:
• Please check www.bcferries.com for up to date sailing times

From the Swartz Bay ferry terminal
1. Follow the Patricia Bay Hwy/BC‐17 S toward Victoria.
2. Head southwest on Patricia Bay Hwy/BC‐17 S (go 28.3 km)
3. Take left onto Finlayson St (go 260m) and look for parking lot entrance to Topaz Park on your right hand side.
OR
4. Additional parking also available by continuing straight on Finlayson another 250m
5. Turn right onto Quadra St (go 200m)
6. Take the 1st right onto Spruce St and follow for 110m to parking lot.

From Nanaimo / Up-Island (Incl. both mid-island ferries)
1. Follow Island Hwy/BC-19A South (go 106km)
2. Continue to follow Island Hwy onto Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 S (go 6.8km)
3. Turn left onto Finlayson St go 450m head straight through lights at Blanshard and look for parking lot entrance to Topaz Park on your right hand side.
OR
4. Additional parking also available by continuing straight on Finlayson another 250m
5. Turn right onto Quadra St (go 200m)
6. Take the 1st right onto Spruce St and follow for 110m to parking lot.

From Victoria
1. Take Blanshard St/Patricia Bay Hwy/BC‐17 N towards Yates St (go 2.3 km)
2. Turn right onto Finlayson St (go 260m) and look for parking lot entrance to Topaz Park on your right hand side.
OR
3. Additional parking also available by continuing straight on Finlayson another 250m
4. Turn right onto Quadra St (go 200m)
5. Take the 1st right onto Spruce St and follow for 110m to parking lot.

Volunteers needed!!!
We are currently looking for volunteers to help make the event Crosstastic!! Volunteers are key to COTR events and we are keen to get some new people out to help us set up, take down and run these awesome events!!
If you are in Victoria and would like to learn more about volunteering for Victoria based COTR events send me an email at scott@trekbikesvictoria.com I will gladly sign you up for sweet volunteer position.
We need help with:
Course Construction: Sunday Morning prior to the race, 7:30-10:00
Timers: 1 person for every race to help out…so sign up for a race you are not racing in 🙂
Kids Course Official: kids races are at 11:30am and 12:10.
Course Take down: If everyone pitches in it does not take long at all!

Food Truck

Indecent Risotto Food Truck is confirmed for the race. Cash always works best. https://www.facebook.com/IndecentRisotto/

Schedule

Please note that the schedule for this race is STRETCHED a bit more to allow for registration and data input as this is the first race and there will be a LOT of people and new systems in place. Number and chip pick up during the day will be restricted to those with the next event coming up. Ie. if you are an expert or a masters men….don’t try to get your number before the beginners. Even more reason to pick it up the night before at the Trek Bicycle Store, PRO CITY RACING headquarters 338 Catherine St in Victoria on Saturday from 5:30-8:00pm

2. Are you a YOUTH rider and do you want to race for FREE in 2017?

After amazing participation and response last year with their support of youth races. Quadra Island based Study-Build will again be supporting and paying for YOUTH racers (up to 19 year old) for COTR this year.

Here are the requirements:

The racer must participate in 7 or 8 of the eight races this year to qualify for free entries.
For the reimbursement at end of season the racer (NOT the PARENTS) will need to submit a request, (might be a simple google form)
Then we’ll mail them a cheque

While we LOVED the “enthusiasm” of the money mosh pit last year at Saanich. This will be a more reasonable way to do this and take a bit of pressure off the final awards.

3. What you need to get used to doing to race COTR in 2017

Just some fun bullet point information for you all!

ENCOURAGEMENT for your fellow racers.
Heckle your friends (if they can take it). Encourage all others ESPECIALLY the kids!
Bringing your race number to EVERY RACE
Making sure your Timing chip is on YOUR bike (not your buddies or your girlfriends)
Making sure your YOUR PIT BIKE timing chip is on the bike you are going to use as a back up.
Bring your license to EVERY RACE….or bring $10
Bring money for a freezie to the first race $1
Pre-register
Be responsible
Should not have to say this…..but no smoking at races by racers
Always wear your helmet when you are on your bike
If you are too-agro at a race. You get one warning. The second time you are done for the year.
This is grassroots…..NOT a Euro-World Cup. We are all here to have fun and do some racing.
You can’t take a random person’s bike if your’s breaks!
PLEASE…..please….SIGN UP A HEAD OF TIME. It makes it WAY easier for everyone.
Don’t but the timers when they are timing. It is hard enough.
Don’t linger at the finish line…..you will mess up the results.
If you DNF go to the finish line….but leave your bike AWAY from the finish.
Most importantly…..if you sandbag…..we will call you on it!!

Looking forward to a GREAT COTR 2017!!

4. OTHER CROSS HAPPENINGS ON THE ISLAND

Cross on the Rock is not the only thing happening on Vancouver Island for Cross over the next few months…..there is a LOT going on (at least until the days get too short to make any of this possible)

VICTORIA
In Victoria there is the Cross Club. 7 training “rides”.
Cross Club 2017, Victoria’s Underground Cyclocross Series Returns

Rain we need rain…. regardless it’s Cyclocross Season, so time to sharpen your CX skills!

B’s ride at 5:30pm

A’s at 6:00pm.

Details on locations will be emailed to the registered riders list each week.

Ride #1 and Kickoff is September 13
Ride#2 is September 20
Ride#3 is September 27
Ride#4 is October 4
Ride#5 is October 18
Ride#6 is October 25
Ride#7 is November 1
www.crossclubvictoria.com

COWICHAN VALLEY
First CX practice is a go for this Wednesday (tonight. August 30th) behind Quamichan high school (on Beverley) starting at 6:30pm. See you there – first race is in two weeks!! #crossiscoming”
cowichancx@gmail.com and Cowichan Cyclocross on Facebook

NANAIMO
Wednesday nights at Rock City Cycles. Cross ride starting at 6:00. Will adjust length based on daylight.

Thursday nights starting September 7th. Cross practices hosted by MIVA and run by Carey Mark. Carey3221@gmail.com . 6:00pm at Bowen Park off Wall Street. 5 weeks and re-asses based on light.

COMOX VALLEY
Wednesday Night cross practices. 5:30pm. Location will vary each week in either Cumberland/Courtenay/Comox. FB group for more info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/457383181299940/

ALSO IMPORTANT
Put October 15th on your calendar for the second year of the Cross Fondo hosted and organized by Tripleshot. 40km of backcountry trails. www.Tripleshotcrossfondo.ca Everyone that did this event last year said it was AWESOME!! They will have a table promoting the event at the race this Sunday. Stop by for more information!

5. REGISTRATION.

Remember….we are not “hand holders” at the races or before/after. Take some responsibility for yourself, your information and accuracy in what you are doing.

IF you e-mail us about the race day schedule even though it was on the page that you registered…..and on the web site…..we will not be happy.

If you register in the wrong category. FIX IT. Don’t e-mail us….go in and fix it.

In the meantime we will focus on the million details it takes to put on this race series!!

Here are the registration links.

2017 Series Page – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14156/2017-cross-on-the-rock-series
When you sign up for the first 7 races you get the 8th race for FREE!!

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 #3 with a Pro-City GP re-cap and a Tugboat preview.

the Council of cross signing off until Sunday (we will still be live on FB though).

Mazda – COTR – Newsletter 2017 #2 – Cleaned and prepped by Muc Off. #COTR2017