Kyle Waring has done some beautiful posters advertising MIVA's series of races and also the Saturday club rides. They have been distributed to all the bike stores in Nanaimo and also to the three community sports centres at Beban Park the Aquatic Centre and Oliver Woods Centre. They are also in various locations in Victoria and the Comox Valley. However, the best advertising is word of mouth so please mention the club's activities to anyone who is in the least sports-minded. If a club member brings a new person out to a club ride or one of the races, free entries to the next two events.

Your editor was officiating the Mount Washington Hill Climb this past weekend. Unlike most hill climbs, this was a massed start event, with all categories except the juniors and cadets starting from the bottom and riding to the ski lodge 16.7kilometres up the hill. The start time was revised as there was a long board competition on the lower part of the hill and the cyclists were only able to use the course when the boarders broke for lunch. As soon as the word came that the course was clear, all participants set off together in a neutralised ride to the official start and then continued as soon as the flag dropped. By the time the first 5 kilometres were reached, there was a pack of four extending their lead over the other riders, who by now were spaced out all over the hill. meanwhile, the youth riders had started from a point just 9.5 kilometres from the top and they stayed pretty much together for the first half of their race.

In the senior race, the first three finished very close together, with Matt O'Hagan just pipping 3rd. category winner, Bruce Schlatter by half a wheel, with cat. 3 runner-up John Rogers just six seconds back. Tenille Hoogland won the women's category placing sixth. overall.

The fastest youth was James Grant and best female youth performance was by Jessica Reynolds.

Full results are here.

By the way, long boarding is a REALLY dangerous sport, with only a few hundred hay bales between the speeding boarders (up to100kph with no brakes) and serious injury. As we were coming back down after the hill climb, there was an ambulance with flashing lights and the crew loading a prone, still boarder on a body board into the back. Sure hope he was OK.

MIVA (Mid Island Velo Association is pleased to announce two Sunday criteriums on July 31st and August 21st. These events will be held on the popular Boxwood circuit in Nanaimo and are open to all holders of BC citizens licence or UCI licence. Categories are expert, intermediate and novice.

Registration opens 1pm, first race at 2pm. Each event will be approximately one hour duration.

BC upgrading points available. Entry fee $10, youth $5.

Several of the entrants named four of the top five but only one had Cadel Evans as the winner. Bill McMillan wins the MIVA jersey and bib shorts plus free entries in all MIVA events for the balance of 2011. Thanks to all who entered.

Results for the Thursday 40km individual time trial are on the results page. Note that one of the participants was relegated for drafting. Please remember that in a time trial you are competing against the watch and no drafting is allowed. There is a set procedure laid out for overtaking or being overtaken by another competitor. Thanks to Kit McCaffery for registration and to Phil Birrer for marshalling the turn.

No MIVA events next week.