Race Day Schedule

The schedule hasn't quite been set yet. I'm trying to run a ladies race and run it just before the Elite men's races as opposed to the first race of the day. Wanting to and being able to are two different things though. Most of my registration volunteers are also racing and obviously they can't volunteer and prepare for their race at the same time. So it's a matter of numbers and timing. The schedule should go up Saturday night after I touch base with everyone in Altona.

Confirmed Schedule

11:00 course open

12:00 race 1 - U15M, U17M, 40-49M, 50-59M, 60+ men, citizen men (in 2 waves)

1:15 race 2 - kids fun race

1:45-2:30 course open

2:30 race 3 - all female categories

3:30 race 4 - junior men, U23 men, elite men, 30+ men

Although riders from a number of different age groups will race at the same time, you are really only competing against those in your age group. For example, although U15 men, 50-59 year old men, and 60+ men will all race at 12:00 there will be separate results for each.

CrossTastic VIII / 2016 Cyclocross Provincials Categories

*Please note: As Cyclocross World Championships and practically every country's National Championships take place in late January (except for Canada where you know a skinsuit at that time of year would be just a little chilly) we are effectively competing in the 2017 season. As a result
ALL CATEGORIES ARE BASED ON YOUR AGE AT THE END OF 2017.

For those of us that are getting a little more mature, please note the addition of some new age categories.

As a provincial championships all categories are based on age. You race against your biological peers. There are NO ability based categories.

Women (with UCI race licence):
U15
U17
Junior (17 and 18 year olds)
Senior/Elite (19-29 year olds)
Master 30-39
Master 40-49
Master 50+

Men (with UCI race licence):
U15
U17
Junior (17 and 18 year olds)
U23 (19-22 year olds)
Senior/Elite (23-29 year olds)
Master 30-39
Master 40-49
Master 50-59
Master 60+

Citizen's Licence:
Under new 2016 MCA regulations Citizen's licence holders may now take part in provincials, but please note must do so in the lowest category and are not eligible for championships or medals. You may, however, suffer as much, heckle as loudly, and eat as many of our European sausages as anyone.

Kids Fun Race:
Non championship kids fun race. Sorry, must have a KOM licence.

-Schedule and more details will follow soon - it will come up here as soon as it's nailed down. Course open to pre-ride ~11:00. First race ~noon.
-Online reg coming soon.
-It's cross. Races will go rain or shine.

New Age Categories for Provincials

We're excited to announce new age categories for master's racers!

We suddenly have a new crop of masters D men and masters C women. To accommodate, on the men's side we've matched the move of Nationals to include 60+ men. On the ladies side we've always been a leader in categories available to our racers and we continue to do so with the inclusion of 50+ ladies. Woot!

CrossTastic VIII / 2016 Cyclocross Provincials

CrossTastic returns to our traditional Sunday of the penultimate weekend of October.
CrossTastic VIII will take place Sunday, October 23, 2016.
Only riders with MCA/UCI licences may take part in Provincial Championship races - no open races. Remember that for cyclocross your age is the age you will be on Dec 31st of 2017.
Location: Whittier Park - 836 Rue St. Joseph
In true CrossTastic tradition there will be free food and drink for everyone: racers, volunteers, and spectators.

Details to follow.

Balance Sheet

Actual take	2965
clipboards	33.17
printing	15
Prizing	620
16x rolls of tape/flags	176.05
commissaire fees	210
medical (one shift)	30
Steve
volunteer food	124.58
water	10
wood stakes	61.7
development fee	590
race fee	108
group stakes	0
Jaron's kitty fee	0.00
Total expenses	1978.5
Net	986.5
	+500.00
	1486.5

Net take from the race was $986.50 and as promised I topped that up by $500. Thanks to Steve who donated his time and Darcy who donated his time for his medical shift. A total of $1486.50 has been donated to the nationals committee. Thanks for all your support!

Help Danick and Sophie

Tragically Danick's father passed away suddenly on Sept. 25th.

Have me deposit your prize money directly to the TimsHeartBeatsOn memorial fund to help Danick and Sophie and I'll personally match the amount.

More for Sale

2 sets of  alloy tubulars in great shape with new tubular tires. One Dugast, One FMB.
1 set Zipp 303s as new. Ridden twice in warm-up and that's it. Sad, but true. There's not even a mark on the hub body from the cassette.
Details to come.

Reviews coming

Wahoo KICKR vs Computrainer vs Elite Digital Qubo vs Kurt Kinetic vs CycleOps Fluid2
Tubulars vs Tubeless vs Clinchers
Discs vs Cantis

Anna, Ollie, and Danick

While we were busy playing at Whittier Anna (Elite W), Ollie (Cat 2) and Danick (Elite M) were tearing it up in Wisconsin at the TREK CX Cup. Results are here if you missed them.

Photos

My friends Alex and Greg were out taking photos Saturday. Check back later for a link.
Alex's photos here.
Greg's photos here.

If you have photos you'd like to share please send me a link or send the photos and I can create an album for you.

Lost and Found

1) Wheelset left in the pit
2) Hoodie
3) Jacket
4) Tights
5) Track pump
6) Men's shirt
7) Camera lens cap

If any of them are yours email me (gsewell at mymts dot net) with a description so we can arrange to get them back to you. If I don't hear within a couple of weeks the clothes will go to Goodwill.

The Cost Of Organizing

Maybe not the cost you anticipate. Yes it is expensive in terms of dollars to host a cyclocross race and extremely expensive in terms of hours needed, but here I'm talking about the physical cost of setting up the course and running the race.

Those organizers who commit to a well run race have always known that there is a physical and mental cost to be borne. We're all volunteers who do it because we love the sport and without professional organizers there's no way around that. We just accept that our worst race of the year will be our own, but how much is the handicap? This year I've used a power meter on my cross bike for the first time and the cost at least to me seems to be 30 watts. Not insubstantial.

Nationals

I'm pleased to announce we were able to raise almost $1500 for Nationals (almost $1000 from the race and as promised a matching amount of a further $500) PLUS also offer a substantial prize purse.

Prizing

Prize Purse:
$620

Depth of prizing:
One level per every 5 competitors (one per every 3 in women's) to a maximum of five deep.

CX 1/2 Men  (5 of 28  -  $60->$20)
Jason Wiebe
Chris Prendergast
David Hamm
Dylan Harris
Matthew Blenkinsopp

CX 3 Men (5 of 30  -  $40->$20)
Scott Snider
Kailen Shackleton
Trevor Ketler
Travis Malcolm
Bob Friesen

CX 2/3 Women (3 of 7  -  $40->$20)
Becca Mann
Charlene Guenter
Sonia Tessier

CX 4 Men (5 of 30  -  $30->$10)
Ron Neufeld
Cody Brown
Gord Dalling
Chris Harrington
Steven Hawrysh

CX 4 Women (4 of 13  -  $30->$10)
Cindy Brown
Zoe Penno
Miriam Huebner
Cheryl Koop


Look for Gary Sewell next weekend at Southern Cross.

Thank You

Thanks to all who came out and helped us achieve a Thanksgiving record!

My deepest thanks to co-organizer Jarret LaBuick, Tania Gottschalk, Dave Dorning, Seema Saini, and Dave Bartel who gave whole days or more and asked nothing more than just tell us what needs to be done.

Big thanks to:
- Chris Harrington, Tom Slymkevich, Daniel Enns, Darcy Beer for hours of help with set-up.
- our awesome registration crew: Michael Feldschmid, Alex Reinhardt, Mike Ducharme, George Kroupa, Leslie Anthony, Sheila Cailleau, Bonnie Penno, and Karen De Blonde.
- race commentator extraordinaire Steve Scoles
- medics Darcy Beer and Patrick Palfreeman
- commissaires Nicola Bistyak, Deanne Weibe, and Scott Wiebe
- Karl Thordarson of the City of Winnipeg
- and anyone else who chipped in with fixing tape, marshalling, or just being awesome

There is a tradition in the cyclocross community of helping tear down at the end of the race. If you're not helping tear down sometimes you're not really getting it. A huge thanks to all those that just jumped in to help; Darcy, Fernie, and especially Tom, Dave B, Marc Fournier, Seema, Albert Falk, and Cam McLaren who after a long day stayed a good couple hours after the race till everything was done.


We'll see you all next year at our traditional date on the penultimate weekend of October. I can't promise 25 degree weather, but we'll have our usual European flair with free wieners/sausages for racers AND spectators and as has been our tradition some fabulous draw prizes.

The timers had planned to use electronic timing, but ran into some technical difficulties.
Results sheets:
CX 1/2 Men
CX 3 Men
CX 2/3 Women
CX 4 Men
CX 4 Women
Citizen
Kidz

Gary Sewell
Race Organizer

Course Maps

Adult Course

Adult Start

Kidz Course

Pain Cave

It'll hurt. You'll love it.

Important Timing Information

There have been a number of issues with race timing lately.

The timers have asked that when you show up on race day to sign-in and show your race licence to the commissaires that you also bring:
1) your numbers
2) your helmet with the timing chip attached

This is for your benefit. Racers have been passing along incorrect information (race numbers and/or chip numbers) requiring the timers and officials to spend hours trying to adjust results. That is going to end. Incorrect number will equal no result. Make sure your effort is properly rewarded by bringing your chip and numbers along to the registration desk.

At 15 minutes prior to start time (5 minutes before seeding), riders will be asked to assemble by the timing structure to test that their chip is working and then will move directly to call-up by seeding. Note: this process will just ensure that your chip is being picked up by the timer. It won't associate the chip with you. That has to be done at the registration desk as above.

CrossTastic 2015 Race Info

We're keeping it tight and simple again this year in order to support Cyclocross Nationals. Get in, get some good hard laps in before Provincials and Nationals, tear down, and get out. All proceeds will go to Cyclocross Nationals and like last year I'll make a matching donation up to $500.

Links are up. Please note the race bible has been updated with new information on timing. See the bottom of the post.

Volunteers: We need race day volunteers please to work the registration desk from 10:30 to 12:30 and 12:30 to 2:30.
-We also need a medic, ideally from 11 until the end of the A event, but if someone could help from 1:00 until the end of the B event that would also help. We will supply a first aid kit. The medic will have a first aid area in a prime vantage point at the top of the hill. The odds of being called upon are slim. There is a $70 honorarium if someone takes the full shift.
-If you can help please email me at gsewell at mymts dot net

Registration: opens at 10:30 and closes 30 minutes before your race. Links to Waivers and Race Bible are below. EVERYONE will need to hand in a signed waiver. Please print out and bring a completed waiver to the race. It will speed things up for everyone.

Licenced Riders Only: All riders require an MCA/UCI race licence or citizen's licence. All rider's must show their licence to the commissaires and sign in.

Fee: $25 for all riders except Kidz Race. As per last year, net proceeds will go to support Cyclocross Nationals. No pre-registration. On site only. Cash only please (That means no cheques. Thank you.)

Schedule:
10:30 - registration opens
11:00 - course open for pre-riding*
12:00 - C Event
 1:00 - Kidz Race
~1:30 - course open for pre-riding
 2:00 - B Event
 3:00 - A Event

*if there is enough time between races pre-riding may also be allowed immediately following the C and B Events.
*cross has lots of cool people, but unless you're one of the volunteers setting up and have been cleared to do so pre-riding the course the day or morning before the course officially opens is never cool.

Categories:

Category	Event	Race Time	Race Day Fee*
Citizen Licence	C	12:00	$25
CX4 Men	C	12:00	$25
CX4 Women	C	12:00	$25
Kids (10 and younger)	Kidz	1:00	Free
CX3 Men	B	2:00	$25
CX2/3 Women	B	2:00	$25
CX1/2 Men CX1 Women	A	3:00	$25

*cash only please. Sorry no cheques, no credit cards.

Kidz Race is 1 or 2 laps of the Kidz course
C event is ~30 minutes
B event is ~40 minutes
A event is ~60 minutes

Safety:

You must wear your helmet whenever on your bike.

The race takes place in an active and open city park. Keep your head up at all times.

Next Year:
Next year we'll return to our traditional weekend on the penultimate Sunday of October and the full on BBQ will be back. We may even give away 5 bikes again!

Race Bible is here.

U18 waiver is here.

Adult waiver is here.

Carbon Ridley For Sale - ** SOLD **

Black Ridley X-Fire that served as my back-up bike.
Fits like a 54 road bike.
Carbon frame and fork. Ritchey carbon WCS seatpost. Crazy light EuroX Magnesium brakes. FSA KForce Light carbon crank set (172.5). 46/36 rings. SRAM Force carbon 10 speed groupo.

It's the little upgrades to make it faster or lighter that quickly kill you: KForce Light $900, EuroX Mag brakes $400, tubular wheels and tires $1000. Original build without the Zipps was just over $5500. The Zipps and pedals are not part of the sale. Saddle will be Fizik Antares.

$1775 with wheels (alloy tubulars with Sapim cx-ray bladed spokes and brand new Dugast Typhoons) or $1475 without. The wheels and tires themselves are worth $1000. Note the tires are 34mm which is legal in Manitoba Cross and so new I'll have to glue them up for you (which will take a couple of days before you can ride them).

For comparison a bare frame and fork are available on EBay right now (in a smaller size) for $1000 with shipping, not including import charges/taxes.

email me (gsewell at mymts dot net) if you have questions