MIVA is pleased to announce that the club is organizing three Sunday Criteriums for April 3rd., 10th. and 17th.

There will be three ability-based category races, and a short clinic for the beginning riders before the first race each Sunday.

The events will take place on the popular 1.1km Boxwood circuit in Nanaimo .

Registration opens at 12pm and first race is at 1pm. Entry fee for these events is $5 for members of MIVA (riders can join the club as full or associate members on the day) and $7 for non-members.

All riders must have either a UCI licence or a a citizens' licence issued by one of the provincial associations. Directions to the event:

From Island Highway, turn onto Northfield Road and turn right after 600 m. onto Boxwood Road ( just past Esso Station). Registration is in Purolator Parking Lot about 700m. from turn.

Overflow parking in La-Z-Boy parking lot or open area east of Purolator

MIVA's first event of the season is this Sunday's criterium on the Boxwood circuit in Nanaimo. In order to establish the high level of organization that the club will be known for, we need several volunteers to help with marshalling, registration, finish line and course set-up and take down. please contact organizer, Peter McCaffery at pakamac@gmail.com or 250 244 1597 if you are able to help.

My friend, Michael Barry, has been a professional cyclist for nearly fifteen years and is widely recognised as one of the "super domestiques" who do the grunt work to support their team leaders. For a taste of what it's like to lead the nomadic life of a pro in the peleton, go here.

Our vice president, Tony Winter, will be leaving us shortly to take up new employment in Victoria. Tony has done a lot for the club so far and his presence on our committee will be sorely missed. However, this presents an opportunity for an interested, hardworking individual to become part of our small group and to have an impact on MIVA's development as one of the top clubs in BC. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please submit your name to pakamac@gmail.co before April 6th. If you have any questions, please let us know and one of the committee can address your concerns.

If you are looking for good routes and circuits for training or just recreation, go here. The site will show routes created by others and it will enable you to create your own favourite routes for others to use. Unlike Advanced Google Maps Distance Calculator, you can indicate a few points on the road and the program automatically adjusts your line to fit the road.