Alberta Cross #7: East End Supercross

Bright and early Sunday morning Calgary awoke to frigid temperatures and several centimeters of snow. According to plan Keith came by to get us to the course for some last minute setup. The night before we had staked the course and the plan for morning was to run the ribbon (generously supplied by Maxxis) between the stakes, flag the straight sections and put up the sponsor banners. After a sketchy drive with plenty of sliding involved we arrived at Penbrook Meadows to discover that the one end of the course had been completely destroyed; stakes were broken and many of them stolen. I wasn't too pleased, but this is the city's east side (it was even spray painted on a fence bordering the course). I rallied the volunteer troops and set out in the blowing snow to rebuild the entire west end of the course. Several hours of pounding stakes, running ribbon and flag setting later the course was good to go and the Sport Men were set to test it as the first start of the day. As it turned out the inventive switchback offcamber sectors I had built proved too technical in the snow and had to been tackled on foot. The same was true for many on the deep pea gravel sections. I was happy that I had managed to turn a relatively flat and bland venue into a festival of technically challenging pain and suffering with every pedalstroke. I owe a great deal to the snowfall, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Despite the cold and snow over 30 riders came out in support of the event and to contest for valuable Alberta Cup points. Every race unfolded without trouble. I was very excited to see all of the smiling faces following each race, riders seemed to love the course and claimed it suited the unconventional conditions perfectly. The commisaires had shortened every race by 15 minutes which aided in more fun and less frost bite. Throughout the day I got the chance to witness some exciting racing with close finishes and new riders showing themselves at the front thriving in the slippery corners. When the Elite race finally rolled around I was punched. After a already long weekend I suited up and gave it everything I had left to try to defend my top four Cup position and build on my solid performance of the day before. Turns out I didn't really have anything left, at all. I suffered more than ever before this season and ended up in a very disappointing 10th. I was beat by people I had but over 3 minutes into the day before. I have new found respect for event organizers and course setup. It is an incredible amount of work and it takes a lot out of you. My substandard race performance was however offset by the feedback from the riders who attended. People were generous with the compliments and that was greatly appreciated after I had put so much into trying to create the best race possible.
I couldn't have pulled it off alone though and there are several people who need to be recognized. First off Keith Bayly, for providing inspiration in putting on the event, for hours of help setting up the course, for his expert design input and unwavering support of cross in Alberta. Keith has to be one of the brightest flames in the fire that is Alberta cross this year. He will have invested countless hours in pulling off all of the Calgary events this year, which is a record three events. He is in charge of provincials to take place this weekend, don't miss it, I have seen the course, it will be the race of the season! I also need to thank James Purdy for lending hours of his time to aid in course setup, coordinating volunteers, taking care of the ABA van and infusing the event with his positive spirit and desire for success. Then there are all of the other volunteers from Bicisport including C Sparls, Greg Y, Bobby V, Claude and Joanne, Evan, Nic and everyone else. They came through and did an incredible job in the driving snow to ensure the race went smoothly. My good friend Alex for rounding up the sponsors and ensuring virtually every rider in attendance walked away with a quality prize. Also a huge thanks to Andy at the ABA for advice and support, to Carrie with Calgary Parks for securing the venue on extremely short notice. Thanks to the riders who came out to support the event through their participation. Finally a thanks to the generous sponsors who donated prizes and banners including: Cycles Lambert, Devinci Bicycles, Maxxis (the brightest orange course marking tape ever), Louis Garneau (Sean Carter), Pedalhead Bicycle Works, Techno Sport, Metro Vino (fine French champagne for the winners in Elite men and women), Urban Baker and Regional 1 charter airlines.
Next year there will be another Supercross. Next year I will have longer than 2 weeks to pull it off. Next year it will be huge. Stay Tuned!

Alberta Cross Cup #6: Knobby Gobbler

The long climb along Bow Trail...we received strange looks from bewildered motorists.

Thanks to Finn for the photos

Following this weekend I was completely exhausted also factoring in the incredible amount of school catching up I have to do at the moment I apologize for the diminished quality and tardiness of the posts recapping the weekend.
This past Saturday saw the first race of the Calgary double header. Cool temperatures and frost made for interesting conditions on a technically challenging course with a multitude of tight corners and plenty of elevation change per lap.
The regulars took to the start guaranteeing a hard day of racing for all involved. From the start I was mid pack and within the first set of corners and first decent I had forced myself into the top 10 or so. I remember consciously dropping down low on the first offcamber decent to prevent riders I could hear behind me from getting to excited and passing me and through the corners I had to make some aggressive moves and lay off the brakes to move up. Coming along the first long climb I jumped across a gap and arrived safe and sound in the top 5 ready to contest the rest of the hour.
Heemskerk rode away early in his typical fashion. Not far behind him a group of 4 including myself continued to strengthen our advantage over the rest of the field until finally Friesen and I were the only ones left chasing the flying dutchman. Friesen was incredibly strong and on several occasions I was on the rivet just trying to hold his wheel on the climbs. With two laps to go I felt my seat coming loose again. The same problem occurred the weekend before and although I thought I had solved the issue it was back to haunt me. With the seat rattling around underneath me I eased up slightly so as to not risk breaking or loosing the seat altogether on remounts and climbs. Regardless of my mechanical challenges Friesen proved to be the strongest and pulled away in the final lap leaving me to suffer solo and roll into 3rd place.
I was happy with the way the race went, especially considering the stressful week prior and my morning ride downtown to get champagne for Sunday's east End Supercross.
Terrascape put on an outstanding event and the course design by Keith Bayly raised the bar another couple of rungs for course quality.
Following the race Bayly, Purdy and I hit up the East Side to start marking the course for the following day. Although we got the majority of the staking done in the couple of hours we were out there was much to still be done before the first start on Sunday.....

The time is now

After days of ultra productivity East End Supercross is going to be a reality. Juggling training, midterm exams, labs, phonecalls, meetings, group projects, research, contract signing, volunteer management, race promo and work (the money making kind...) has been a exercise in precision time managment and attrition, but its time to shine. Permits and insurance are all squared up, the hall has been rented and the last of the sponsor goods are trickling it to race headquarters 1007. Time for the big show. Two races to contest, a course to mark and a race to oversee. See you on the other side with a rundown of the biggest weekend in Calgary cross history.

Big time sponsors for East End Supercross

I am proud to announce the addition of Regional 1 charter airlines as another sponsor for this weekend's East End Supercross. Regional 1 provides charter air service throughout western Canada and the United States and is a valued addition to the success of what we hope to make Alberta's premier cross event.
Regional 1 joins Pedalhead Bicycle Works, Techno Sport, Louis Garneau, Cycles Lambert, Devinci Bicycles, Metro Vino, Total Distibution and Urban Baker as official sponsors.
View the official race poster HERE

Race Details

Bicisport Bicycle Club Presents:
EAST END SUPERCROSS
Sunday October 29, 2006
Location: Penbrooke Park, 6100 Penbrooke Dr SE Calgary, AB
Directions: From downtown Calgary follow Memorial Drive East turn right at 52nd Street & left onto 8th Avenue. Course is on the left just past 58th Street.
Course Description:
This course offers Alberta’s most spectator friendly course design. Classic cyclocross with tight chicanes, countless transitions and multiple ground surfaces all in a dry pond park setting.
Cost: $25.00. Day licenses are available.
Sign On: In the lounge at Penbrooke Meadows Community Hall. Sign on opens at 9:30 and closes 15 minutes prior to your event.
Schedule of Events:
Open Course Inspection 10:00 – 10:20
Sport 10:30 (40min)
Expert 11:30 (50min)
Women 12:45 (40min)
Elite men course inspection 1:30-1:50
Elite/Open 2:00 (60min)
Awards Ceremony at Penbrooke Meadows Community Hall Lounge at 3:15.
Please do not train on the course while races are in progress. Between races you may inspect the course, however please ensure you report to the start 10 minutes prior to your event for staging. Top 5 riders in Elite Men and Women categories will be called to the line based on Alberta Cross Cup points.
$25.00 Hot Lap Prime for first rider across the start/finish line after opening lap in all categories!
Cash prizes in all categories plus tons of swag from our generous sponsors.
Prize Purse (based on 90 entrants): Elite Men & Women $150-125-100-75-50
Sport & Expert $100-75-50-25-sponsor prize

East End Supercross!

Attention race fans. Book those motels, grab an extra skinsuit, double header cross action is coming to Calgary this weekend!
The 2006 East End Supercross presented by Bicisport is a go! The event will take place at Penbrooke Park in east Calgary on Sunday Oct 29th. Stay tuned to the ABA website for all of the dirty details.
I have to run, but for now rest assured the course will be super fun, the prize list is as good as I can make it ($150-125-100-75-50 for Elite) and with access to a community hall lounge you won't freeze too much if the weather is bunk.
Thanks to our event sponsors Pedalhead Bicycle Works, Techno Sport, Cycles Lambert, Louis Garneau, Devinci Bicycles, Urban Baker, Total Distribution and Metro Vino for making this race happen.
Also a huge thanks to Carrie with the City of Calgary for pulling through with such short notice for the venue.
More details to follow.

East End Supercross

Rumors have been flying as of late about me putting on a cross event next Sunday. Here is the up to the minute scoop.
I thought that I had secured Strathcona Tweedsmuir School for the race, however they contacted me this past Friday and told me it was a no go. They have recently upgraded their trail system and feared we would damage their investment. This is a completely legitimate concern and I understand fully, however the late ruling puts me in a difficult spot.
Fortunately I have some friends with connections and I should know by tomorrow morning if an alternative venue with Calgary Parks has been secured. I scoped out the park in question today and if we get the go ahead it is going to be like no race Alberta has ever seen before. I promise a pure bred cross experience that should bring us all back to the roots of the sport after straying the last couple of weeks.
I have secured numerous sponsors and I aim to have a solid prize purse as expenses with this new venue will be limited.
Stay tuned to pdotproductions and the ABA for details to be released soon. I want to make this happen and give back to a cycling community that has been incredibly supportive throughout my years racing in this province.
The fate of East End Supercross 06 is in the hands of the City of Calgary. May they make the right decision.
Stay Tuned!

Alberta Cross Cup #5: Canmore Cross

Round 5 took the provinces fastest cross riders to the breathtaking mews of Canmore. Nestled in the gateway to the Rockies organizers chose to make use of Canmore's world class cross country ski trails to challenge the riders in ways they never had been challenged before. This course was different, very different. Although not at all typical cross it offered incredibly high speed loose descends, long straight power sections and very little technical difficulty. The course surface was comprised of pavement and hard packed gravel with odd loose sand and dirt sections. It wasn't my style, but that is part of the challenge. High speed was the order of the day.
I started well finding myself in the second group just behind and early escaping duo of Heemskerk and Hopping. On lap two I lost my chain and misshifted a couple of times to throw my chain over and between my front chainrings, forcing me to slow dramatically to get my bike going again. This ultimately cost me the second group and I drifted back to 6th position which is were I finished on the day. The entire race I struggled to stay on top of a good gear and felt the power deteriorate with every lap. I was not happy with my performance and am now stepping back completely to make sure the body is ready for what should be a great double header on home turf next weekend.
The Elite Mens performance of the day award is not as easy to decide on this week, therefore I am giving it to two outstanding riders. First off Ryan Hopping (Red Bike) becomes the first person to beat Tim Heemskerk in Alberta cross (in a race Heemskerk finished), ever. Ryan turned up the turbo and went sub one hour dethroning Heemskerk and the undisputed king of Alberta Cross and take his first Alberta Cross Cup victory. Very nice. The second incredible performance was from a young man by the name of Brian Robinson (Bow Cycle). He went from a horrible start to blasting through the entire field to finish 3rd in his first Elite race. He was fresh off a winning Expert category campaign and took the upper ranks by storm making his Elite debut very memorable. Congrats to our two top performers this week.

Man Bag

From the fine fashion house of Louis Garneau comes the fall essential accessory for real men everywhere. Fresh from the runways of Quebec, this man bag offers high fashion with a contemporary edge leaving no one to ponder your style priorities. Light, practical, visible and high styling it is a must have item for the image secure man.

A Distasteful Force

On Friday October 13 I was riding in Springbank with a friend. It was a quiet afternoon in the country, the weather was incredible and conditions perfect for a brisk afternoon spin. Upon crossing over Hwy 1 I noticed an RCMP officer with a radar gun monitoring the Hwy 1 eastbound and admired his prime location for catching law breakers.
We proceeded along Airport Road and were just cresting the steep hill out of the gully when that same police cruiser we had just spotted only minutes before came up beside us with its lights ablaze and pulled us over. I was not sure what this officers deal was as we were riding single file and were completely in the right. He got out of his vehicle, stared us down and proceeded with the following unbelievable line; "Are you carrying ID? You need to. It is not a matter of if you will get hit riding this road, but when. And when you do get hit you will be killed. It's a dead wish riding this road." I was awestruck, but actually I knew it was coming. I was pulled over 2 years ago by the same officer and he dropped the same line then. He went on to lecture us on how we were a liability to drivers, how if there was an accident around us we could get sued as we don't belong on the road. He proclaimed how we did not belong on this road or any other without a significant shoulder and that he would not be pleased if he saw us again in the area. This proceeded for a good ten minutes and in that time frame another cyclist coming along the road had also been asked to join us and listen to this officers verbal abuse. As this was happening a friend of mine rode by in the opposite direction. I waved and smiled thinking it was ironic that I was pulled over on one of the few times I have ever seen him out on the road. As I politely listened with a big grin on my face the officer turned to me and remarked that I should get that smirk off my face or he was going to issue a "$175 ticket for breaking the rules". What is that supposed to mean? I had broken no rules, I was listening to his ridiculous speech without objection and minding my own business. I kept my mouth shut despite all the rage brewing inside from ultimately being harassed by this officer of the law. He eventually finished up and drove off ahead, I thought it was the last I would see of him.
As he drove away I was fuming. We had been intimidated to stop riding on this perfectly safe, lightly trafficated roadway by and individual with a transparent vendetta against cyclists. I had taken it all without protest and I felt violated of my rights as a citizen and cyclist using the road way as it is meant to be used. Cyclists share roads with motorists, we have equal rights and belong there as much as any motor vehicle. I was disgusted, but about to be absolutely sick....
Only about 2 km down the road we came to a 4 way stop. As we approached the intersection I slowed, checked all directions and upon only seeing one vehicle within about 500m proceeded to turn left continuing on my usual loop. As we rode away from the intersection I checked over my shoulder to see a vehicle in the distance behind us well on the other side of the intersection we had just come through just cresting a small rise. I thought there might be the slight chance of another officer in the area so I remained in single file formation and stayed well onto the shoulder. Only seconds later a police cruiser screeched to a halt infront of us and none other than the officer we had just spoken to only minutes before hopped out. I was outraged. I could not figure out why we were being stopped again, it was getting ridiculous. He had witnessed us fail to come to a complete stop (ei. foot down) at the intersection and proceeded to write us each a ticket for $287 for violation of a stop sign. Completely ridiculous. He had staked himself out on a road that leads to nowhere, essentially out of sight to try to catch us on something as he couldn't write a ticket the last time we met. My companion started to object and convey that he felt we were being victimized, but the officer replied he was patrolling Hwy 1 and it was pure coincidence he had seen us. This is a boldfaced lie as the road he came down was in the opposite direction of the highway and leads to nowhere. On top of that he would have had to turn his vehicle around in order to see us roll the intersection, it was obvious he was out to get us for something. Last time he had tried to intimidate we with a ticket that doesn't exist and now he was writing me up for something that was almost equally untrue. The truth is I did not put my foot down, and I did not come to a complete stop. The truth is also that I slowed to below 10 km/hr, and proceeded though a completely deserted intersection in the middle of the quiet countryside in an area were my line of visibility in all directions was at least 800m. To make matters worse as we stood waiting for our tickets we witnessed at least 5 vehicles roll the same intersection. Completely ridiculous.
I will appear in Cochrane Provincial court on November the 17th to fight this charge and launch my official complaint against officer number 25070, McFarlane of the Cochrane RCMP for harassment and discrimination. I hope to meet him again on those roads before my court date to strengthen my case. If you have been unfortunate enough to have encountered this same officer of Canada's national force and would like to join me in launching a complaint please let me know.

Alberta Cup #4: Red Deer Cross

Faster to just run.

Another weekend and another venture into the world of cross. This week we were treated to even more authentic cross conditions that last week with steady rainfall and an ultra muddy course. This years course was virtually unchanged from previous years with the exception of a long sandpit that had to be tackled on foot due to its length and the deep sand. The rest of the course offered plenty of muddy slog sections, a sandy runnup, a short steep ultra slick decent, a long road section and power sucking thick grass.
From the start I actually got the holeshot, but that was lost as soon as we hit the first mud about 100m in as I wasn't sure on the course and was very sketched out from riding in the mud for the first time in a year. Once I got my mind back in the game I was dangling off the back of the lead group and lost contact with them as we hit the technical muddy section on the first lap. From then on a gradually worked my way through the field, but failed to catch a fading Canning in the closing laps. I ended up in 6th place and walked away rather dissapointed with my performance.
After the race I felt way to fresh. I felt that I could not go fast all day simply due to my struggling in the mud. My legs felt the effort, but I never got my HR up and it didn't feel the same as the other races. I know I will come on much stronger for Canmore next weekend and then for the Calgary double header the weekend after that.
One note to make is that Webster is coming on exceptionally strong as the races go on. The mud suited him well and he slipped and slid to a 2nd place finish in what I feel was the performance of the day. The mud really stacked the results compared to the last few races making this years Alberta Cup very interesting aside from Tim in first place. I am now in third with Friesen only two points up in second place with the likes of Webster and Hopping only a couple of points off the pace behind me.

Secret Training

Under the cover of darkness I hit the pathways for a late evening spin. As things worked out today I was unable to do my scheduled ride during normal business hours due to various school related commitments.
As I made my way along this city's pathway network I set some shots of my solitary streak of light breaking the night's visual dull.

Cross gallery

In response to tjke wanting to see the Juventus cross course I was raving about I have compiled a short slide show showing me in most of the key features on the course.Enjoy

Cross to the Masses

It has been brought to my attention that the Edmonton Journal did a full story on the Hardcore Hop n' Hurl race and the sport of cyclocross a few weeks back. At least people in the provincial capital will know what we are up to now. We need a big splash in the Herald next to swing some local land owners. You can read the article HERE.

Alberta Cross Cup #3: United Cross

Rocketing towards the run on lap 1. That's me in 6th position. Thanks to BK for the nice overview of postioning in the opening lap.

Race number three in the Alberta cross series was the second race in this weekend's double header in Edmonton. The weather was a great deal warmer on Sunday with some welcome sunshine and the absence of the nasty wind of the day before. Yet again the organizers had prepared a perfect course to test the skills and fitness of the riders. Although this course felt more wide open than the day prior, it had numerous high speed corners, a well placed double barrier set, a runup and a tricky ridable steep incline.
For the second day in a row my start didn't fail me and I found myself in the top 3 from the gun. It helped a great deal that the officials called up the top 5 riders in the overall cup standings, being in third overall is starting to pay off. Despite the solid start I didn't quite have the punch of the day before and missed the break of the day that included Heemskerk, Friesen and Hopping. I found myself in a chase of about 8 riders hanging about 20 seconds off the pace. Up ahead Friesen had some unfortunate bike trouble and had to pull out and Hopping eventually choked under the incredible pressure Heemskerk was putting on the front of the race. After catching Hopping our group gradually dissolved leaving only a select 4 or 5 to contest for second as Heemskerk yet again proved to be out of reach. I focused on putting pressure on the group and riding smart. I tried to get a sense of who was strong in the group and where they were suffering and managed to play my cards well enough to shed everyone except Webster and Toth. Toth made the move of the day riding away with second place and Webster took me in a tricky incline where he was able to ride and I was forced to dismount. Those few seconds cost me 3rd place and I had to be content to coast in to 4th. The payout at this race was incredible and even with 4th I walked away with a couple of hundred dollars.
It was a fun event, very well organized, and doing well is making this season one to remember. I am still undecided as to whether or not I want to contest the national championships, but if the form continues to improve I made make the journey. Next up is event number 4 in Red Deer this coming Sunday. I need another top 3...

Alberta Cross Cup #2: Juventus Cross

I spent virtually the entire race out alone in the wind.

Stop number two on the Alberta cross circuit brought us back up north to Edmonton and the Juventus cross event. Under grey skies and light drizzle 29 riders took the start in a stacked Elite mens event. I had an excellent start this time around and found myself in the top 3 from the gun. Infact I never dropped further back in the field than third place the entire race. Immediately a select group of 5 formed as we sped over the incredible course Bidniak had laid out for us. This course has raised the bar for all organizers this year with its flow, technical bits and variety of challenges. It was a course that truly brought out the best and worst in all of the competitors. There were countless well placed chicanes, fast transitions and finesse sections that did not allow for small mistakes. I was feeling very smooth and powerful early on and found myself firmly in second position with 20s to a ripping fast Tim Heemskerk up ahead and another 20 seconds infront of a chase group of about 5. I managed to retain this position until 1.5 laps to go when a charging Nick Friesen managed to catch me and took me in a couple of transitions where I had difficulty clipping back into my pedals after a running section. In the finale he was stronger than I was, but I managed to hold off the chase group and stepped onto the podium at the end of the day in 3rd. I was happy with the way the race went. This time last year I was getting lapped by the likes of Heemskerk, this year I finished only one minute down on him. It was not a perfect race in that I made many small technical mistakes late in the race due to fatigue and being nervous of the strong chase behind me. I also had some bike troubles with not being able to ride in my 48 chainring on the front, I later found out I had bent two of the teeth right over.

It is great to be able to ride at the front of these events and even better to see the depth in the field this season. Everyone is riding at a different level this year it seems and with the better courses this season things are looking bring for cross in this province.

Thanks to Mike Sarnecki for taking some incredible shots. Unfortunately he is not competing this year due to an injury, in the past he has been one of the top cross riders in the province. All the best to him on a speedy recovery and a successful return to the top of the sport.

Suffer...

Top Heavy

An essential addition to your arsenal of cool weather riding duds. The "BUFF". This handy item morphs from toque to head wrap to everything in between faster than Cipo in 99. Practical, Euro and Ridiculous all at the same time, fitting the bill for fall cycling fashion.

Welcome Escape

This school year had been going very well. 4th year status means the ability to choose interesting options with limited restrictions and as a result I have a good assortment of varied and interesting classes. I like being stimulated, I like challenge, I like to learn. As of today that has completely crashed. There is one class this term that has gone from acceptable to ridiculous. It is in my home faculty of kinesiology and unless something drastic changes this could be the low of my university carrier. The level of inconsistency, smoke in mirrors deceitful teaching methods and unnecessary mystic is outrageous. After a couple of bad laboratory experiences with protocol and poor TA's, today's first midterm drove the negative themes home. This is an example of disorganization, absence of a clear vision and lack of priorities on the undergraduate level that I have never come close to experiencing previously. The underlying mood in the class is that undergraduates are an annoyance to the instructors involved. Their research history and expertise in the field are completely overshadowed by their disrespect for the undergraduate student community through poor testing practices and even poorer delivery of relevant information at all levels. "Unbelievable" in the words of Friesen describe it perfectly. Only about 15 months until I can leave this world of educational institutions behind me forever.
I will now channel my rage into this weekend's two cyclocross events taking place in Edmonton. Both events have a history of high quality organization and improved course designs should make for solid competition. The event on Sunday presented by United Cycle is offering a phenomenal prize purse by cross standards. This development is great to see in a sport that is truly booming in this province and should bring out the best of the bunch to contest.
In related news I have finally brought my cross bike up to basic standards with such added features as functional shifting and substantial safety improvements. Hopefully my "make broken parts work...sort of" techniques will exponentially translate to improved efficiency on the bike now that things do work as they should.
Also, if all goes well I will be making an announcement directly related to the depth of the Alberta cross racing calender in the coming days. Stay Tuned!

Spin in the Park: Capturing Autumn Moods

Went for a spin on Saturday morning along the Bow River to see what I could see. It turned out to be a magnificant morning and I captured it for your viewing pleasure. Full photoset HERE. Enjoy!

Flemish Culinary Delights: Spekuloos

This is one item I should have posted long ago as it is a staple of every day spent in Belge and everyday after a trip there as long as supplies last. On my latest trip I brought home 4 kg of these tasty little cookies.
Spekuloos is similar to gingerbread in flavour, although there are some subtle distinct undertones that truly make it unique. I find the Belgian version by cookie manufacturer Lotus to be very different from Dutch versions available here in Canada. Lotus makes its Spekuloos with a more well rounded flavour and richer texture. Spekuloos is great alone, but best dipped in a nice strong cup of coffee or for children or those less advanced in taste, in cold milk.

Overcoming Setbacks

Driving the Loco with Chris and Webster in tow.

Photo: Keith Bayly

This weekend's Bow Cycle "School of Cross" Alberta Cup was cancelled due to problems in securing the venue. The organizers managed to secure the same course at SAIT last year which proved to be a great course, but this year the contacts didn't pull through and the race had to be dropped. This is a very unfortunate turn of events as Alberta's cross season is relatively short as it is and to make it worse this is the second race cancellation this week as the Midweek Mayhem event was also cancelled for virtually the same reason. We are fortunate in this province to have a depth of talented and resourceful individuals willing and able to put on great events, however those with the real power, the land owners, are slow or unwilling to react to requests to use their space. I feel that as a cycling community we have perhaps jumped the biggest and most fundamental hurdle in getting a diverse range of race organizers established. Without them we would be completely lost, now we just have to work to create more of a public understanding of what out sport entails, the benefits it can have for the community and the minimal impact that a well designed cross course has on ground surfaces. Fortunately there are quality events from now until November, meaning deposits to the pain bank will come frequently enough.

Since this weekends race was cancelled, in perfect tune with what was stated above, one of the city's finest cyclocross course designers decided to organize a small gathering of enthusiasts to put in some quality time and fill the gap in the calendar. The idea was great and the venue chosen was exceptional. The course was well marked with flagging and a portable double barrier set to add to the authenticity of the event. The racing was short lived however as the resident groundskeeper, after initially giving us the go ahead, deemed the bicycle tracks to be too invasive for his liking. It was very understandable and justified as we were growing concerned ourselves. In the end about half of us did some laps of another course in the area to rip into the legs and lungs. This was followed for myself with a couple of extra hours on gravel and asphalt with Webster in Springbank.

The weather today was incredible and it ended up being as solid day on the bike despite the numerous setbacks. For now all eyes are on the Tuesday night race hopefully going ahead this week and then the double header events in Edmonton this coming weekend.