Course Layout

The course is still being tweaked and will not be revealed until the day before the race. On the evening of Saturday the 24th I will post a google map of the course outline on this page.

In the meantime you can expect the course to be true to the fact that 'cross is a road discipline that combines both road and off-road elements.

To paraphrase the UCI regulations on cyclocross: A Cyclo-cross course shall include road, country and forest paths and meadowland forming a closed circuit of a minimum length 2.5 km and maximum 3.5 km that is a minimum of 3 metres wide throughout.

Careful consideration of the regulations and examination of numerous UCI races suggest the following elements are of prime importance:
- A wide contiguous section of pavement of several hundred meters in length (often the start/finish)
- Sections over both grassy fields and smooth established grassy paths and/or sections of dirt roads/paths and/or sections of forest roads/paths
- A limited number of obstacles requiring the rider to dismount and carry their bike
- A long/taxing run up over either stairs, grass, or sand
- A long/taxing climb
- These will be linked by high speed and slower turns, some of which may be off-camber
All of the above must be at least 3m wide. This promotes safety, the ability to pass, and flowing course design.

A section of mud or sand which the better riders can ride through is often a feature as well as one or more traverses along an off-camber section.

With limited resources in Manitoba it is not always possible to follow the UCI regulations exactly to the letter, but it is possible to follow the spirit of the regulations. For example, in Manitoba we often use an extra barrier to force a dismount before a climb since we have so few long climbs. Mountain bikes are prohibited in the top race in many jurisdictions because of the unfair advantage they offer on some parts of the course; climbs being one. We still allow mountain bikes in our A races, but the barrier at the bottom ensures that everyone has to run the hill. At Whittier there will be some single track. It will not be 3m wide throughout, but it also will not include any tight narrow turns greater than about 45 degrees. That will allow it to remain (relatively) fast and flowing as it would be if it were 3m wide. That works for me, but these are challenges that each race promoter has to make an individual decision on and will likely approach differently.