MUC OFF – Cross on the Rock 2023.
Newsletter #9 – No Laps to go!

The Series Final Edition.

Thank you for racing local and supporting Cross on the Rocks.
It is all of you that make this a unique and awesome race series!!

Last of the season notes:

• LOTS of activity on our socials as always.  Racer interviews.  Reels.  Photos….keep an eye on those through the 9 months of the year when there are no newsletters.  They will keep you up to date!
• While this is the last newsletter for the season we will try to put together a tiny survey for the series and send out next week.  We KNOW that for some reason EVERYTHING has a survey now (today we got asked to fill out a survey on how good BC Hydro is/is not….like we have a choice?) but we HOPE to get a good number of responses to share with sponsors and shape the direction of the series.  Keep an eye out for that please!
• Lost and found.  We have reunited a few people with their lost gear this week.  Pumps.  Shoes.  Shorts….all making their way to their owners.  We will have the bin one last time at the National Championships in the morning and then for the men’s elite races if you want to pick up or check the box over.  Last chance then it goes to good will, recycling or the landfill.
• We will bring some of the series awards that were not picked up at the awards to next weekend’s national champs.  If you did not get your award…..please check with us and we will try to get it to you!

1. Special thanks to our sponsors.

Our MAIN PRIZING SPONSOR with the Muc Off Cup, Prizing for all of the races and the final AND support at three events this season including organizing a water tanker for the final was Peter Creighton from HLC Bike.  Peter has supported our events since 2004.  We would not be the series we are without his support.  When you see him at events or at the bike shop ALWAYS thank him as he has earned it.

The Muc Off Tent always looks PRO

Hotel ZED and Accent Ann for great draw prizes and our MEGA grand prize.  A Great community partner that supports our series!

Super Masters Men’s Category Sponsors Jack Mar from Island Cycles on Quadra.  We hope to see Jack racing again one day but in the meantime he comes to the races to visit, watch, deliver prizes and socialize.  Jack is retiring from his bike shop so if anyone from the supermasters group wants to take on the opportunity of impressing this group with super prizes at our events please let us know.

Frontrunners who let me race and organize these events.  Cyclocross racers need to run so come see us for some runners, gym shoes, blunstones, Glerups or HOKA for people that need that extra cushion (cyclists).

Goodr Sunglasses.  We just got this GREAT sponsor this year through their Canadian Distributor only to find out that the distributor in changing for 2024…..darn it!

Wade Luksay from Riverway Dental sponsoring the kids Hot Lap prizing for the season again!  (And Wendy Simms for always keeping an eye out for what would be good prizing and within our budget every time she heads out for errands).

Kyle Denny from 11 Speed Coffee covering the Last Not Lapped (AKA most in need of coffee) and some series draw prizes.

Event Bike shop sponsors, Big Grin Bikes, Broad Street Cycles, Rock City Cycles, Cycle Therapy, Coal City Cycles and Trail Bikes.

Our race directors this year: Roy Kregoski, Brett and Tom, Corey and Sean, Roland, Matt and Mark, Patrick, Leslie and Shep.

Clubs: Arrowsmith Bike Club, Trail Bikes Club, Rock City Cycles Team, Broad Street Cycles, Cycle Therapy and MIVA

Awards: Roland Rabien, Paul Brend and Victoria Waterjet.

Stats, Results and Timing team: Patrick and Roland (again)

Web site: Brett and Roland (again).

The series is what it is because of these businesses and individuals.  We sincerely thank them!

2. CoweX Series Final Review

Patrick’s Photo Link from CoweX

Norm’s Notes:  Throughout the 17 season history there are certain races that are talked about over and over.  Previous to this year most recently it was the 2021 Atmospheric River during the master men’s race at the Muc Off Cup.  Previous to that there was the last race at Shawnigan Lake School with the downhill “WALL”.  In 2014 we had the Kona Kup which was held at Beban Park (We posted photos of this in the last newsletter).  14.5% of the field DNF’ed.  There was one race that trumped them all though.  In 2009 we held a race at Slugget Farms in Central Saanich called “Children of the Corn”.  It literally went through a corn field and the expert race was held in a downpour.  Pro City Cycles built an up and over/and under.  The under turned into a beer garden during the race.  It was a double header with the Bob Cameron Cross at Laryritz Park.  For anyone that raced that on that day….maybe lost a shoe that is still there in the field….they will remember it.  CoweX will take on that sort of memory.  We are SO LUCKY to have been able to race a rare heavy course like we saw last Sunday.  Most land owners would not like us so much but the Cowichan Ex. were OK with it!!  A huge opportunity to practice skills that we don’t normally get to do and a reminder that Cyclocoss is a sport that involves riding a bike AND running!!

Race notes from the race director Matt from Cycle Therapy:

Well that was fun!

Thanks everyone for joining us at the Cowichan Exhibition.  This COTR season was missing some mud so we decided to make up for it all at once!

Special thanks to our committed organizing team of Mark Law, Doug Merrick and Pete Stevenson.  Without your help and vision this even would have simply not happened.

Thanks to our course setup team of Mark, Doug, Pete, Trevor, Darren, Robin, Evan, Tim and my lovely wife Heather for standing out in the rain for hours setting up the course (I swear the weather report said it would be sunny).

Thanks to Heather and Sarah for running the registration once again.

Thanks to Emmett and Jemima for helping Patrick with manual timing (I will get more volunteers next year Patrick!).

Thanks to Peter Creighton from HLC Bike for coming out and putting that pressure washer to good use.

Thanks to Taco Revolution and Phat Bastard Eats for keeping us all fed.  Special thanks to Dan from Coffee on the Moon for coming out last minute and delivering free coffee!

Thanks to Cycle Therapy Bicycles and Mike from Trek for all the great draw prizes.

Thanks to the Cowichan Exhibition for allowing us to tear up your fields.

And last but not least thanks to Norm and the rest of the COTR team for trusting us to put on the series finale!  We hope everyone had fun!

Matt Grossnickle
Cycle Therapy

3. Series Winners
Each of our races have 10 categories BUT at each event there always the race within the races.  The series has 20 categories for overall victory.

There are the winners for the season in each category and their points.  Some of the categories were VERY CLOSE!!

Big congratulations to all the podium finishers for the season and a special shout out to Charlotte Tai who just started racing this season (had never raced anything before) and came out to all the Airhouse-Rock City Cycles practices to finish 2nd for Launch women!

Category

Broad Street Breakaway.  2023 Team of the year.

4. The SUPER GRAND PRIZE Winner.

Somewhere in our notes that are still in the registration box we have the NAME of the grand prize winner!!  I am sure at some point they will contact us.  In the meantime…..here is their photo.  I am sure someone knows who this lucky COTR racer is!!

Hotel Zed has been a huge supporter of our series over the years.  From their amazing cycling jerseys for their women’s club to providing room nights for draw prizes.  This year they have taken it up a BIG notch providing an AMAZING vacation in Tofino.  NOT at their super cool Hotel Zed but at their exclusive water front Hotel Zed Tofino Cottage located next to Hotel Zed.  4 Nights!

CHECK OUT THE AMAZING LISTING HERE

If you are traveling to any town/city where there is a Hotel Zed or Accent Inn and you need a place to stay.  Stay there!!