Venue support from Coastal Community Credit Union.
Good luck to everyone racing the Tripleshot Cross Fondo tomorrow!! If you are driving down island PLEASE take care. We just came back from Victoria and there is a lot of standing water and quite a few wrecked vehicles. The Cross Fondo is an amazing event with access to over 30 private properties. You can only ride it on race day so have a great race!!
LOTS of Notes for this week:
- Registration should be OPEN for Cowe X…..we are not sure what the hold up is with CCN? We will post on our socials and web site as soon as they get it open. It closes at the usual time of 6:00pm the night before the race.
- Ross Greenwood sent photos from Race #3 and Race #4 if you want to check those out.
- If you are not racing the Tripleshot Cross Fondo tomorrow BUT you want to race. You could head over to Surrey for the Junk Yard Dog CX Race.
- Ari Robinson took some self described “Mediocre photos” of the Masters and Open races. You can check those out here!
- Have you had a chance to check out Pelle’s 21 amazing minutes from the Launch and Intermediate races? This weekend is your chance!!
- MORE stuff from Twin City X. Check out The Jake Poppers POV from Intermediate
- Sign up for the MUC OFF CUP NOW!!!! Registration closes 6:00pm on Sunday and inevitably someone is going to forget!!
1. Cowe X Preview
Want to get FIRED up for CoweX? Start by watching Roland’s Video from 2022!
Location: Cowichan Exhibition Park – 7380 Trans-Canada Hwy, Duncan, BC V9L 6B1
-55 minute drive from Victoria
-33 minute drive from Nanaimo
-Right off the highway North of Duncan
Parking: (SEE THE MAP) There is a HUGE parking area. Look for the signs on the right immediately as you enter the exhibition. We have overflow parking if needed but doubtful it will be. Do NOT park where you should NOT park! Please do not drive up into the race venue to park as space up there will be tight.
Registration: If you need to register or switch your category it will be located at the Stratford Room. Washrooms will also be around the same building, try not to wear your muddy CX shoes into the bathrooms PLEASE. We are expecting A LOT of mud this weekend and the cleaner we leave the washrooms the better. There is also a second washroom located near the Exhibition Office that will be open.
Team Tents: See the attached map. The pits will be located close by the team tents as well.
Course: Think grass, hills, MUD, tractor pull, sawdust and some climbing (not quite Bowen). It will be a bit more of a traditional European style course with plenty of COTR flair thrown in for good measure, maybe even another epic whirly or two. As of right now we are thinking the field will be less of a quagmire then last year but we have hoses so rest assured there will be MUD!!. You will have to be there to see it. The run up will also remain from 2023/2023! There is some fresh work on the field that we will have taped off so please no riding on it!
Food Trucks: Our food truck has fallen through at the last minute and are looking for other options. If anyone knows of a food truck looking for events send them my way!!
Costumes: It is almost Halloween so we want to see everyone out dressed up to their best. We will have a best costume podium and prizes!
Warming Up: We are not the only group using the park that day so please refrain from riding around the taped off main grounds as we don’t want Cyclist’s riding around where cars are present.
Bike Wash: We will have a Muc Off pressure washer for racers to use and clean up afterwards.
Prizing: Prizing and awards will be provided by Cycle Therapy Bikes in Duncan, Eleven Speed Coffee, Cycles West. Hotel Zed and Muc Off!! Plus Riverway Dental for the Hot Lappers and kids races (HLC Bike and Pete also secured us some EVOC Waterbottles for the kids races for this one)
2. Race #4 Review. The MUC OFF CUP!!!!!!
From Race Director Corey:
Thanks to all the racers and their families that came out to the Muc Off Cup this year. I think we had just the right amount of rain this year! The race went smooth from set up to tear down. Thanks to the set up and timing crew volunteers that came out and to all the people that stayed to help tear down. As always big thanks to Pete Creighton and HLC for being the presenting sponsor with Muc Off and to Pete for coming out and cleaning bikes! Thanks to Patrick and Roland, and Medix for always keeping the consistency and safety at all Cross on the Rock races. Thanks to Sip and Sliders for the great burgers, fries and shakes. They brought extra and still sold out. Thanks to the City of Nanaimo. They helped keep the organization quick and easy! Hopefully not to much damage was done. One day we might get a few city employees out to race!! Special thanks to Norm for keeping this going. As life goes on, kids get older and commitments grow he is always there. Still getting decent results too!!! Thanks Corey and Sean and the Rock City Team
RANDOM Notes from Norm:
- Bowen park is one of our “home” races. We train there and get to race there. Very special! At the same time it is one of the races I think about the most as I want it to be GREAT. Not much sleep the night before. More stress leading into it. When it is done and everything has gone well….it is a HUGE relief!
- The 8th row of the Masters Men’s race had some of the HEAVIEST hitters of Masters Cyclocross to EVERY start that far back. 2 of them: Bob Welbourn and Jacob Rodgers were into the top 10 before the end of the row and ended up 1st and 3rd for the race. Derek Vinge ended up 7th powering through the field on a single speed. The 4th heavy hitter and COTR Alumni Brian Green ended up 13th. Some impressive rides!
- If you have not had a chance to check out Rock City Cycles social media from the race take a minute to go to their page. As well we posted an interview with Open Women’s winner and 3rd over all for COTR podiums (could pass Drew Mackenzie for 2nd if she shows up again this season) Emilly Johnston on our instagram and FB. We have at least one more interview to post so keep an eye on that!
- SO many people posted on their IG, Strava, FB after Bowen that it was their favorite version of Bowen and/or their favorite COTR course of all! So great to hear. We want to keep racing there so it is amazing to have such positive feedback!!
- See you at Cowe X
Bring a friend out to race the Cowe X course is one of the MOST TAME courses in the COTR series. Perfect for first timers or return racers!!
Parting Shot. The finish of Cowe X 2023 Masters Group shot. After all…..it is about the people and the racing!! (I never noticed the guy holding his bike up in the left part of this photo before!)
