(by Peter)City Cycles Boxwood Criterium #4 160503

The threatened rain held off for tonight's 40 lap criterium and 23 starters, including 3 new cadets from Courtenay and a couple of independent seniors, lined up for the 7pm start. Perennial commisaire Peter McCaffery, aided by trainee official Julian from VIU announced that this was to be his final assignment (yeh – right!) and that following tonight's race, he would finally be retiring as a working judge and that future volunteering at MIVA's events would be on an ad hoc basis. The first few laps of the criterium went at an almost pedestrian pace – quite a change from last week's record speed of over 43kph - but the tempo soon increased as a number of breakaway attempts came from the visiting TAG youth riders and also from Nick Kupiak, Justin Mark (BRBC), James Sage (MIVA) and Daniel Wilson (Independent). Janna Gillick (ATAC) was also at the front for much of the time and actually took second in two of the intermediate sprints. The first three primes were won by Kupiak, who was clearly a cut above the other competitors and with 13 laps to go, the Broad Street Cycles rider finally managed to create a small gap of 9 seconds but he was hauled in within three laps and the bunch stayed together until the final sprint, with independent Tyler McCallen taking the 4th. Prime on the way. Nick timed his final effort beautifully and crossed the line a couple of seconds ahead of the main bunch, with nearly all the pack posting the same time and only four riders losing one or more laps. Although no-one reported abandoning the race, some riders didn't finish so any riders who quit the course, get in touch with Peter at pakamac@gmail.com So we can finalise the results. Thanks to our marshals and to those who set out the circuit in the absence of Iain Hay, who is recovering from his nasty crash last week. RESULTS: 1 Nicholas Kupiak Broad St. Cycles 01/10/03 s2 2 Isaac Van der Vliet TAG Cycling At 2” cad 3 Dr. John Lam MIVA st MA 4 James Sage MIVA st 5 Janna Gillick ATAC st W 6 st 7 Mike Sevcov Cycle Therapy st MC 8 st 9 Mike McCarney MIVA st MB 10 st 11 James Grant TAG Cycling st jun 12 st 13 Justin Mark Bike Race BC st s2 14 st 15 Sean De Pol MIVA st MB 16 Tyler McCallon Independent st S4 17 Bill McMillan MIVA st MC 18 Dr. Steve Crowley MIVA st MB 19 Robin Dutton Coal City Cycles At 31 “MA 20 Ayden Houle MIVA At 1 lap cad 21 Lee Zavarise MIVA At 1 lap MB 22 Trent Carter CVCC lapped cad 23 Devon Norris Cycle Therapy lapped S4

unplaced Mark Wieler? Rock City Cycles/MIVA MB Ben Katerberg TAG Cycling cad Kevin Park CVAA S3 Daniel Wilson Independent MB Mark Grant TAG Cycling Jun

(by Peter) COAL CITY CYCLES CRITERIUM 160419

A great day for the first REAL criterium of the series. 26 starters set off with no neutralised lap and stayed together for the first three laps of the thirty lap event.On lap four, Nick Kupiak (BSC) and Mark Wieler (MIVA/Rock City) grabbed a five second lead but by lap five Mark had been replaced by Sean Lunny (Rock City) and Justin Mark (BCBR) The trio maintained a small gap until they were swallowed up by the hard-working bunch.At the bell for the first of three intermediate primes, they were still at the front of the pack, with Mike Sevcov (Cycle Therapy), Mike Dawson(Pro City) and Shep Stewart (MIVA) right behind, followed by the pack.Meanwhile, several of the less fit and less experienced participants were starting to slip off the back of the bunch, all to be lapped before the endof the race.After the first prime, won by Mr. Kupiak, Gary MacGregor?r (CVCC) and Daryl Chase (Healthy Habits) attempted to escape the bunch but only Gary stayed out front for more than a lapand he too was absorbed by lap fourteen, To be replaced by Mike Hornland (Healthy Habits) next time around.By the halfway point, all remaining pack riders were together again andat the second prime MacGregor just managed to pip Mike Dawson on the line, with Dr. John Lam (MIVA) rounding out the top three.Immediately after the sprint, Nick, Justin, Gary and Mike launched aserious attack but the bunch reined them in within a kilometre and that'sthe way it stayed until the bell for the third prime at four laps to go.As the bunch rounded the bend onto Boxwood, Kupiak, MacGregor and  Lunny and  took off again but by the line, it was Kupiak, with Justin Mark  and Mike Dawson filling the consolation places.In the final three laps, Nick Kupiak consolidated his small lead, winning the race with a few seconds to spare. Sean Lunny took second and MikeDawson third, with fourth spot going to John Lam.followed by the remains of the pack.Thanks to marshals, to Iain for course set up and take down and to Coal City's Robin Dutton, who provided a new set of frame numbers.BTW, I had camera malfunction so need places from 5th. To 10th.Please email me with your probable placing plus who was immediately ahead and behind you.

Crit 1 in the Coal City Cycles Crit Series was held Tuesday April 12th. Prior to the race Janna Gillick hosted a Crit Clinic to review safety, race etiquette, and strategies to 17 riders. Big thank you to Janna for putting this on (and for wearing head to toe MIVA gear, literally) The race itself had 25 (ish?) participants, including most from the clinic prior, as well as crit sponsor Robin Dutton who bolted from work down the road and biked over. The weather had turned a bit nasty just before the start so it was decided in the name of safety that no points would be awarded for this race and no sprints as well. It's not worth crashing and getting road rash on the very first race of the season, thank you all for understanding the risks.

Thank you as always to Peter McCaffery for running registration and timing. thanks to Iain Hay and Patrick Burnham for helping set up, and to Tamara, Pascal, Autumn, Leslie and Monet for manning the corners and making sure car didn't meet bike.

As Iain said it was great to see so many newcomers out, and nice of Wake Luksay to bring a big crew from Courtney (including Youth Male Champion 2015 Evan Luksay).

Peter may still get a write up in of how the ride went perhaps. Again if someone out there is interested and willing, MIVA does need a timekeeper many of the races as this is Peters 6th (at least) year in a row of doing this. Please let us know.

See everyone next Tuesday at Boxwood!

It's almost here. The debut of the Coal City Cycles Crit Series on the famed Boxwood Course. Permits are in place, insurance is set. Volunteers, fans, and racers are all set to go at Peter's mark. Register online is recommended, then you just need to do a check in. The reg table will be open at 530pm.

Fee is $5. Unless you have a seasons pass like the cool kids, in which case you can just ride up check in and blow your heart up going in a 1.1km circuit.

Time: Race start is 630pm. There is a Crit Clinic from 6-630 however, so tonight the registration table will open early at 530pm at the usual spot by the Longwood.

Can you volunteer? Use this form to sign up we would really appreciate the help.  

For those of you wanting to try out crit racing, this is your best chance. Janna and others will be holding a half hour clinic prior to the Crit #1 race at 630pm. Online pre registration will assist us in getting numbers set.  There is NO COST to the clinic. Come give it a try! CRIT Series brought to you by COAL CITY CYCLES