COTR – Newsletter 2017 #5 – Powered by MAZDA then cleaned and prepped by Muc Off. #COTR2017
A MAJOR thanks to MAZDA for continuing their title sponsorship of the COTR series. Sean is bringing the CX5 out on Monday to Bowen Park for people to check out. Through the season they will be displaying different CX series vehicles at different races. Check them out.
The Warm Up
Photos of Coal Cross from Patrick: https://www.flickr.com/photos/palleus/albums/72157686832375150
Photos of Coal Cross from Colin Wilson: https://www.flickr.com/photos/25680586@N06/sets/72157686602239111
Photos of Coal Cross from Sean from Mazda: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dp1M8OZLOVwxAvMg1
Amazing Video Edit from Ted Hobby:
- Cross on the Rock Hats and T-Shirts (youth and adult) will be for sale again at the Kona Kup. Only while supplies last! (Special socks are on the way…..but only 60 pairs). (Cash only)
- Reminder that (Almost) mandatory pre-registration closes for Kona Kup at 8:00pm on SUNDAY night as the race is MONDAY
- Congratulations to COTR racer, Parker Bloom, on his two top 20’s a UCI races in Sacramento last weekend. Bummer you had to miss Coal Cross but we understand…..#nextlevelcx
- Get well soon to Masters racer, Brian Green, who experienced a BAD crash in training and will be out and on the mend for the next little while.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1. Coal Cross Review
2. Kona Kup Preview
3. Race Registration
1. Coal Cross Review
From race director Dave Nowak:
So I am just getting over the Coal Cross hangover today and I am still blown away by the sheer magnitude of that race. 10 years ago there was just over 60 racers at the first Cumberland Coal Cross in 2007, it was small enough that we could host the race at the No 6 Mine park. This race was HUGE with 402 racers registered and 360 racers starting.
Huge thank you to my co-director Chris Sykes for designing such an awesome course and all the work he did with the poster and hats. I sound like a broken record but we had such an awesome crew that it went off without a hitch. Although for such a flat course I have never seen so many destroyed derailleurs and dropped chains…
Thanks to: Hilary Grant, Michelle, My Mom, Emilie, Deb Webster, and Breckin for doing the back up timing. So pumped to have Mical Dyck, Carter Woods and Emily Johnston from Team Naked doing the beginners clinic. Registration crew was awesome! So good to have Sarah Johnston and Evan Loveless from UROC (AKA Mr. Registration) along with Gord Giesbrecht, who helped with registration at the first Coal Cross years ago. I have to thank Michel from Trail Bicycles for keeping the whirl-ee-whirl up and running during the race and my dad for watching the back section through the sand pit.
Saturday’s course crew was amazing. Tim Roberts’ section behind the BMX track was a work of art. The Trail Bicycles dads (Ken, Dean, Dan, Chuck, and Bryan) take instruction pretty darn well and know their way around a roll of flagging tape. Also so good to see Steve Grant and his boys out again pounding posts (and throwing down the next day).
I will also give a big shout out to Brett Whitehead and GMAC for putting on the CV Wednesday Night Cross practices. And a huge round of applause to everyone who took down the course post-race. I have never seen a course come down that quickly!
Finally I want to thank all the local sponsors:
Sew what I Sew, Blue Toque, Gladstone, Guerilla Pizza, Bibiliotaco, CVCollective, The Riding Fool, Cumberland Crate, the Rusted Tricycle B and B, Milano Comox, Eatmore Sprouts and the title sponsor Trail Bicycles, who have been supporting #cross in the valley since the very first race held in 2006.
See you Next Year!
Dave
Norm’s Notes:
Amazing to be back at Village park after a 3 year absence.
Course was again a masterpiece. The course designers this year have taken things up a notch.
Great weather….but a lot of people looking forward to racing in the wet and rain!
The second race of 2017 to make it to the top 10 toughest races. Coal Cross on paper looked “tame” but it slayed quite a few riders. Broken derailleurs. Mystery crashes in the opening straight away. Crashing while over-taking. Everyone had a good story of disaster….or near disaster.
OVER 100 Women and the biggest ever women’s expert category. AWESOME!!
3. Kona Kup Preview
Do you want to have a VERY good chance of winning a KONA Private Jake this Monday? Well you have to be PRE-REGISTERED for the race to start. Then you have to be at the awards. Do both those things…..and you will have a VERY GOOD chance of winning!!
Norm’s Notes:
The statistics tell an interesting and crazy tale. The 2014 version of the Kona Kup is ranked as the toughest COTR event EVER. While the 2016 event was ranked the EASIEST. Same race. Virtually the same course. Different conditions. Complete opposite ends of the scale of 75+ COTR events.
From the Race Directors:
Taco Revolution Food Truck will be back again this year. There were RAVE reviews about these guys last year so bring your appetite!
Course Description:
The Kona Kup is a true European cross course. It starts with a long wide open paved road before it heads into a switchback climb. The course incorporates a large grass area with tight turns but still has places to pass, a long stair run up and two sand sections. It has lots of elevation gain in a small footprint, no need for barriers on this course, it’s a lung burner.
Venue:
Bowen Park is a gem located in the heart of Nanaimo. There is quite a bit of parking close to registration which will be off Wall Street close to the volley ball courts. Additional parking can be found across Wall street at the Curling Club as well as in other locations in the park off Bowen Road.
This is a BUSY park on a BUSY weekend. Please be aware and respectful of other park users.
Team tents:
Team tents are welcome and there will be an area set aside for them on the lawn along the edge of the parking lot. We will be doing one row on the grass. Another row on the dirt.
First come first spots.
Drop and go. Don’t park by your tent…..’cause we will have to move you!
KONA KUP Race Day Schedule
PLEASE NOTE: We are extending our CUT-OFF time to 30 minutes before your race.
Make sure you are Checked in/REGISTERED and ready!
Registration Open 9:15 am
Beginner Clinic 10:00 am
Beginner Men (Including Youth U13 and U15) 10:45 am
Beginner Women (Including Youth U13 and U15) 10:46 am
Zoom Zoom Half Lap 11:30
Intermediate Men (Including U17) 12:00 noon
Intermediate Women (Including U17 and Masters Women) 12:01 pm
Lil Nutcase Kids Race 12:10 pm
Masters Men (40-54) 1:00 pm
Super Master Men (55+) 1:03 pm
Expert Men 2:15 pm
Expert Women 2:16 pm
Registration/Number Pick Up/Race day Procedure for Kona Kup
ALREADY RACED THIS YEAR: If you have done another COTR race this year you need to bring three things: Your bike number (attached to your bike). Your race number (either attached to your jersey or ready to attach). Your license or $10. Check in at registration. Show them your license or pay $10. Check your bike tag at a separate spot set up by reg. Good to go.
HAVE NOT RACED THIS YEAR: Head to registration. If you are pre-reg then you don’t need a reg form (otherwise you do). If you have a license you don’t need a license form (otherwise you do). Head to the counter. Show your license (or pay $10 and give them the cycling BC form). Pick up your bike number and your body number. Check your bike tag at a separate spot set up by reg. Good to go.
4. REGISTRATION.
Almost Mandatory Pre-Registration for the KONA KUP closes at 8pm on SUNDAY Night (NOT Saturday as is usual).
Kona Kup – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14149/2017-cross-on-the-rock-kona-kup
Cross on the Commons – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14150/2017-cross-on-the-rock-cross-on-the-commons
Days of Thunder #1 – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14151/2017-cross-on-the-rock-day-of-thunder
Days of Thunder #2 – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14152/2017-cross-on-the-rock-de-grove-prijs-van-fairgrounds
Series Championships – Hot Crossed Bunnies – https://raceroster.com/events/2017/14154/2017-cross-on-the-rock-hot-crossed-bunnies
The Council of cross signing off until MONDAY (we will still be live on FB though).
