Lost and Found

FOUND:

From Camp Assiniboia: a pair of gloves

From Whittier Park/CrossTastic: a pair of boots

From St Malo/BeachCross: a cap, a toque, a jacket

Contact me at gsewell at mts dot net.

Halloween at the Camp

The last cyclocross race before the End of the World is just days away. As a non-cup event, this event has a slightly more playful feel to it. Costumes, pumpkin barriers, and a few extra tricks and treats have everything to do with this.

Online registration is now open and closes on Saturday, Oct. 27 at midnight. On-site registration will be available, but will cost you 10 extra bones. Additional details can be found at the Red River Racing site.

CrossTastic

Next up is CrossTastic: Cyclocross Provincials and our last Open race of the season.

Details here.

Next Up

If you stayed away from St. Malo due to the weather kick yourself in the shin. Kick yourself in both shins. You missed an awesome awesome race. We get great cyclocross conditions (no not that crazy mud ball stuff you see on YouTube) where the temperature is perfect and the ground has just the perfect amount of give about once every year and that was it.

Next up is Southern Cross in Altona next Sunday and then Provincials on Sunday Oct 21 (note that the incorrect date was printed on some of the season passes).

Lost and Found

From Portage La Prairie and St. Malo:
Tights, jackets, cap. Email Gary at gsewell123@mts.net (without the digits) with a description.

Saturday

Finally we have real cross weather. Organizers are preparing the course today. Check back here early tomorrow for any last minute updates and please allow yourself extra time for travel.

From the organizers:
St. Malo is a go, as planned. Roads and course are in good condition and improving. Riders and spectators are reminded that there are limited places to get warm, so please dress Warmly.

Race Organizers: Ian Hall, Hal Loewen
Location: St Malo Provincial Park
Times:

• 9:00 – Registration and sign-in. Registration opens at 9:00 and closes 30 minutes prior to your event, please arrive in plenty of time to register for your event
• 10:00 – C Event: CX 4 male and female,  U13 male and female and U15 male and female racers with less racing experience, and MCA citizen. Duration: 30 minutes
• 10:45 – Kids Event: U11 kids and younger, U13 kids with less racing experience; male and female. Duration: 20 minutes
• 11:30 – B Event – CX 3 male, CX 1/2/3 female. Duration: 40 minutes
• 12:45 – A Event: CX 1/2 male. Duration 60 minutes
• See category breakdown and explanation here

Assembly and Seeding:
Riders in the C, B and A races will assemble 10 minutes before the scheduled race
start and will be called to the start line in seeded order. Seeding is based on placement
in the first three races of the 2011 season. Riders who have not raced yet will start at
the back of their group.
You must initial beside your name on the seeding list when you sign-in or else you will
start with the non-seeded riders.
Registration:

Register Online

Online Registration Closes Friday, October 5th @ 11:59 PM

Registration opens at 9:00 AM and ends 30 minutes before your event. You must hold a
UCI/CCA racing license, MCA citizen license, KOM license. Kids (U11) may race license free.
If you are registering in person please download the entry form and waiver, complete both and bring to the race. If you come to the race without forms completed you risk missing your race due to congestion at the registration desk.
All riders (including those with season’s passes) must hand in a waiver and show their
license to the commissaries.
Cost:

• $20 for CX 1, 2, 3, and 4 racers. Cash or cheques.
• $5 for citizen’s racers. Cash or cheques.
• Free for Kids (U11, U9 and under).

Cross Labs Finished for 2012

Please note that with the coming of October, Cross Labs have finished for 2012. Thanks for everyone coming out. We've given out all our secrets. See you in 2013.

MennoCross Results

Results for the adult races available here.

Move-Ups for CMU

The competition committee has reviewed the results of the first two races and recommended several riders for advancement from cx4 men to cx3 men and from cx4 women to cx3 women based on results in BOTH races. A couple of riders have also requested to move down from the A and B races due to illness, etc.
Move-ups:
Kurt Penno
David Hamm
Dave Bell
Greg Mickelson
Jason Howden
Hayley Warkentin

The goal is to create fields in the B and C events of similar size and ability. There may be another minor adjustment after CMU with some up and down movement.

Those changing categories will need to bring their old numbers and plate to exchange for new ones.

See you Saturday!

MennoCross

Race #2 in the 2012 CXMB Series:

There is another Open Race for unlicensed riders. A good opportunity to invite your friends who are curious about cyclocross.

Online registration and other details available at mennocross.ca.

Republic of Manitobah

Next up: Republic of Manitobah Cross in Portage La Prairie. Details here. You must have a race licence or citizen's licence to take part.

Breaking News - New Open Race

Generally to race in Manitoba you require either a racing or citizen licence from the Manitoba Cycling Association (or similar UCI Federation). At a select number of events the organizers hold an 'open race' that is open to members of the public/those without a licence.  We have such races at Dark Cross, CMU, Altona and we're excited to announce now at Whittier Park on Oct 21st as well. See each organizer's web site for details.

Please Pre-Register

Please Pre-Register!

Local cross races are a great deal no matter how you slice it, but please note race day registration is much more expensive than pre-registration for all groups including the open races!

You have three choices for registering:
1) Season Pass. 49 people have already taken their's out. It saves 1/3 over pre-registration and over 1/2 over race day registration and you're automatically registered into every fall race*. You can still get one before Dark Cross and before Republic of Manitobah Cross. $120. Cash only. See the post below.
2) Pre-register online. We'd rather make it cheaper and ease the chaos on race day.
3) Race day registration. It's 'cross, it's awesome, it's still a bargain, but race day is 50% more.

*Registration for End of the World Cross is separate. Pass also entitles you a 50% discount for End of the World Cross.

CrossLab Photos

Thanks to local photographer Stephen Anderson-Lindsay who came out and captured the fun at last night's session! See his photos here. If anyone would like higher resolution pics, feel free to contact him through his Google page. Riders aren't identified in the photos, but if anyone would prefer not to have their pic posted, let us know and it will be removed.

A Note About Online Registration

In case anyone missed it: one new development for this year is the move to online registration.

Online registration for most races is $20. On race day, registration goes up to $30. In case anyone is wondering, the organizers would much rather take in less money and have accurate and up to date start lists to work with on race day.

Those who register online only have to sign-in on race day. So register online and spend less time standing in line at the races.

Online registration typically closes the day before race day. Online registration deadlines will be specified for each race.

Online registration for DarkCross is available here. It closes on Friday, Sept. 14 at 11:59 pm.

Online registration for Republic of Manitobah Cyclocross in Portage la Prairie is available here.

Online registration information for other races is coming soon.

Cross Bike Rules 2012

This is an update of the 2011 post

As wth any sport, you must use the proper regulation equipment if you want to take part in competitions. Nobody cares if you use illegal clubs when you're learning to golf or an illegal bat when learning to hit or a motor in your bike as you head up Alpe d'Huez on your own, but use them in a competition and there's a problem.

Cyclocross has certain equipment requirements. They are there to promote safety and fairness. More importantly they are part of the challenge of cyclocross and one of the things that make cyclocross cyclocross and not mountain biking or road biking. In order to increase access to the sport we look the other way in the B and C races and allow riders to use a wide variety of equipment. However, if you compete in the A race (either by your own desire or you are moved there for competitive reasons) then you must use the proper equipment. It's a reasonable requirement for taking part.

Bike rules as passed in 2010 can be found here. It lists UCI rules and our rules for this year. You'll note they've been relaxed to allow both cat 3 and 4 to use non-compliant equipment.

2012 Category Lists

The 2012 Cyclocross Category List can be found here. Thanks for your patience.

The list documents your 'cross category and the corresponding event you will race in. Some riders have a choice of category due to injury, etc. For example: cx 1/2 or 3 M i.e. either cat 1/2 or cat 3. We will be making realignments after the first couple races. Please note if you pick cx1/2 now and later drop to cx3 you will not take your points with you.

Please take the time to look at the list. It only takes a few seconds. Every racer in cyclocross must compete in the category/event assigned to them. If you miss your assigned event you cannot take part in a later event and unfortunately you will forfeit your registration fee too.

When pre-registering, please ensure you register for the correct Event: A, B, or C. The online system does not have the technology at this point to ensure that you have registered for the right category or event. If you are a cx4 rider but register as a cx3 racer (B Event) the system will let you, but you will NOT be allowed to race the B Event. If you make a mistake, it's no big deal, just ensure you show up early before the event you should be in and the commissaires will make an adjustment.

What if my name is not on the list?
If your name is not on the list, then it is 99% likely that you are a cx4 rider and will ride in the C Event. If you feel you should race in cx 1, 2 or 3 you may apply to the cyclocross committee by contacting gsewell at mts dot net. See below for an idea of how to judge what category may be appropriate for you.

If you are an out of town racer who races cyclocross in another jurisdiction we're pleased to have you racing with us and happy to add you into the appropriate event.

If you are a citizen's licence holder you have no choice, you must sign up for the C Event.

Why do I have to worry about a category instead of just A, B, or C race?
Your cross category denotes your ability level. Because of field sizes and limited number of officials and volunteers we combine some categories into Events. How we combine those groups will change in the future. Your category though will remain consistent. Category is also transferable to other locations. A cx3 rider in Manitoba should be similar to a cx3 rider in Portand or Ohio. If you go there and tell them you race B they'll have no idea what you're talking about.

What do I put on my MCA licence?
If you've already bought your race licence, don't worry about it now. You will race according to the above list.

If you have yet to buy your licence;

If the category list says this...	then enter this on your licence...
Cx 1/2 M	Cat 2 cross
Cx 1/2/3 W	Cat 3 cross, unless you're a national team member, then enter Cat 1 cross
Cx 3 M	Cat 3 cross
Cx 4 M	Cat 4 cross
Cx 4 W	Cat 4 cross

Note that if you travel out of province in most jurisdictions you will be expected to race according to the category listed on your licence.

What are the criteria for moving up?
Generally, the criteria for moving up are consistent top 5 overall finishes in your EVENT regardless of category or gender. For example, if you are a cx4 M or cx4 W rider you'll need consistent top 5 finishes in the overall C event in order to be considered for moving up.

Don't some people sandbag?
The jump from one category to another can be difficult. That is particularly true of cx 3 M to cx 1/2 M. Consider that the winner of a race has been going flat out for the duration of the race. To move up and be competitive that person would now have to go even faster than their maximum and do it for even longer; in the case of the A Event 50% longer than the B Event. That's simply impossible most of the time.

What's an appropriate category?
Cyclocross requires different fitness and skill sets from road and mountain bike riding. Bike handling skill is important, but one also needs power. If you are a mountain bike rider you need to consider do I chase people down on the flats and uphills or do I rely on making up ground on the technical single track? There are no long stretches of downhill or single track to make up time in cross. As a road rider can you push the pace and ride off the front of your category or do you rely on being in the pack to be competitive? Grass is heavy and slow. The pack gives a huge advantage on the road, not so in cross.

If you're as fast as the equivalent of the leading Comp men in MTB you're probably cx 3 M or cx 1/2/3 W. If not, you should start in cx4. If you regularly push the pace in the cat 4 road races and have some MTB skill you're probably a cx 3 man or cx 1/2/3 female. If not, you're cx 4.

2012 Cyclocross Season Pass

The season pass has proven to be extremely popular and is offered again this year. They will be offered at the Belgian Club on September 12th and before the first two races. Cost is $120 ($115 at Belgian Club on Sept 12 only) and includes a souvenir pass.

The season pass covers entry to all of the fall races including Provincials plus gives a 50% off coupon for End of the World Cross. Race day registration for all 8 races is approximately $330. Online pre-registration which has to be done individually before each race is approximately $170. The pass means getting at least a third of the races for free. It also means automatic registration for all of the races, no more last minute rush to pre-register. As an added benefit, because cross is all about community, it helps the organizers because they can populate their rider lists ahead of time.

Cross Get Together, Season Pass and Number Night

If the turnout from tonight's Cross lab is any indication (49 attendees, over 70 before the provincial team moved on) it's going to be another incredible season.

Avoid the pre-race stress of waiting in line for your number by joining us at the Belgian Club on September 12th from 7 to 9 pm. Stop for a chat and a beer and pick up your race number ahead of time. You'll need your MCA licence or proof of purchase. If you can't attend or live out of town you can have someone else pick your numbers up. However, if they go missing you'll have to pay for new numbers.

Season passes also available (save on races, get into Provincials for free, and get a 50% off coupon for End of the World Cross). Cash only. If you can't attend or live out of town you can have someone else pick one up for you.

Note: New cyclocross numbers this year. No old numbers. Come by early if you've got a favourite old number. Also please note if you lose or forget your numbers you'll have to pay $20 for a new set.

Cyclocross Categories 2012

There are four categories in cyclocross*:   cx 1,  cx 2,  cx 3, and  cx 4. These are ability based categories with cx 4 being the easiest and cx 1 the most difficult.

We divide these categories amongst 3 different events as such:

A Event	B Event	C Event
cx 1 and 2 Men	cx 3 Men	cx 4 Men
		Citizen Men*
	cx 1/2/3  Women	cx 4 Women
		Citizen Women*
45 min + 2 laps	30 min + 1 lap	20 min + 1 lap

Race day usually starts with the C event, followed by a 'Kidz' race, then the B event, and then the A event.

If you are new to cyclocross you should start in either the citizen or cx 4 categories. Exceptionally strong riders may apply to the cyclocross committee to start in cx 3 men or cx 1/2/3 women. After a race or two if your ability warrants it you will be moved up.

Riders who raced cyclocross last season will be assigned a category based on last year's performance. All categories are getting more competitive. To keep categories competitive, safe, and fair some riders will move up while others will move down a category. By their nature the jump from C to B Event is fairly small. The jump from B to A is brutal. Moving riders down a category allows us to avoid pulling lapped riders. Don't take it personally if you are moved down. Three senior members of the cyclocross committee will be dropping down a category this year. Note that 'cross is an all out intense event. We don't move people up a category solely so they can have a longer race.

Category lists will be posted on this site soon. You may have moved categories! It is the rider's responsibility to check the lists and register for the appropriate event. Riders who fail to check the list and show up late for their race will not be allowed to participate in a later more difficult event.

*A 5th category is citizen category. The MCA offers a sort of 'try it out' licence called the citizen's licence which is good for one calendar year. The advantages are that it is cheaper than a race licence and the organizers offer reduced race fees to citizen's category riders as a way of introducing riders to cyclocross. The restrictions are that it is only available to those that have never held a race licence. It can only be obtained one time. Citizen's riders cannot take part in Provincial Championships (they can take part in all the other cross racers). Citizen's riders must race in the C Event and line up after the cx 4 men and women. Citizen's riders are not seeded. Citizen's riders are not eligible for prizes.

For insurance reasons you must hold an MCA race licence or Citizen's licence in order to race. 3 events; Dark Cross, Menno Cross, and Southern Cross are exceptions. These races have an additional 'open' race for riders without an MCA licence. The open race(s) will generally precede the C Event, but check each race's information. Update: We're pleased to announce that Whittier Park on Oct 21 will also host an open race.

When you register for a race licence you register as cx 1, 2, 3, or 4, not A, B, or C. A, B, and C are NOT catergories. They are simply events that group different categories of similar abilities together so we have nice fields and a schedule that is manageable for our volunteers. There are no age catergories for cross licences. As noted above lists will be forthcoming asap that spell out your category and event.

CrossLabs - Free Casual Cyclocross Practice

Everyone is welcome! Join us for a fun cyclocross practice session and workout that will mix skills and drills with games and challenges. All you need is a bike (any bike will do) and a helmet. Suitable for all ages and abilities.

When: Tuesday nights in September at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Canadian Mennonite University (North Campus), 500 Shaftesbury Blvd.

Cross Labs

The ever popular CrossLabs return starting next Tuesday September 4th at 6:30 pm and will run Tuesday nights in September and October while conditions allow.

Whether you're a complete beginner who doesn't even know what cyclocross is or just need some improvement in your technique come learn and improve cyclocross skills.

Kids 11 years old and up (with accompanying adult).
Teens
Adults

Locations and full schedule to come.

DarkCross

The first race of the season is just over three weeks away! Online registration will be available shortly. Please visit the DarkCross website for more information.

Note that there will be an Open Race for people who don't have MCA licenses. Other events with Open Races are MennoCross and Southern Cross.

New to cyclocross? Take a look at the Manitoba Cyclocross Racing Manual.

2012 Calendar

Updated Sept 14th.

Sept. 15 - CX Cup #1: DarkCross (Fort Garry Bike Club/Red River Racing)
Sept. 22 - Republic of Manitobah Cross (Junk Yard Dogs)
Sept. 29 - CX Cup #2: MennoCross CX Cup #2 (Fort Garry Bike Club/CMU Cycling)
Oct. 6 - CX Cup #3: St Malo (Olympia)
Oct. 14 - CX Cup #4: Southern Cross (ABES)
Oct. 21 - Cyclocross Provincials at Whittier Park (FOG Cycling)
Oct. 28 - Halloween at the Camp (Red River Racing)
Dec. 22 - End of the World Cross (Olympia)