Monday Development group ride from the NIC at 6pm. Come join one of our 3 groups! Tuesday Crit races on Boxwood - test your true grit factor. Race starts at 7pm.
Thursday is a short 40k Time Trial - learn to ride at a higher pace = sufferfest!
Volunteers needed! Sign up... https://www.webscorer.com/miva?pg=register
The weather finally cooperated. We had an excellent turn out this evening with 19 riders taking the start line. Comox Valley was well represented with six riders carpooling down for the race and putting in a strong showing.
It was a 35 lap, hold on to your toe straps, fast paced race. With no primes on the line to save up for it was a series of almost constant attacks with riders testing the waters and trying to make a break stick. Halfway through the race it appeared as though Sean Lunny and Nick Kupiak were going to get away as they opened up a lead of over 15 seconds on the main bunch. But with the wind picking up along the back stretch they were soon reeled back in to the main pack.
With the chances for a breakaway gone the pace appeared to remain steady as riders prepared to sprint for the finish with Gary MacGregor throwing his bike over the line for the win with Nick and James crossing the line a split second behind him.
Full Results and lap times here
Thanks as always to our volunteers without whom these races would not happen. Lesley, Brad, Larry and Ira who have all been entered again for a sweet new set of wheels.
MONDAY ride for all abilities - roll out of the NIC at 6pm
CRIT race on Tuesday **7pm Start** - WE HAVE "O" VOLUNTEERS right now which means no one is racing. Racers take your turn this week! Sign up link below. $5 or season pass
TIME TRIAL 20k on Thursday **7pm Start**- 2 volunteers still needed, sign up below. $5 or season pass.
Well the weather held out for the first race of the season. We had an excellent turn out for our first race. We had 29 riders on course including two new youth riders. Once again Janna with the help of Nick Kupiak ran a beginners clinic before the race. Tied up as I was at registration I missed it this year.
After two neutral laps (should have been 28) to try and warm up in the brutally cold wind the pack was off. With Nick making an early attack to test the waters, he was quickly reeled in by the main pack before attacking again on lap 6 and making it stick this time. After securing his break away by lap ten he settled into a steady pace and started picking off the riders that were falling off the main pack.
As everyone who was out saw we are running chip timing for the crits this year and as well for the time trials. So everyone who purchased a seasons pass got to the keep their number/chip which they will use for the rest of the season. Everyone else who signed up day of had to return their timing chip, and will have to sign in and register for a new chip next time they come out to race. (Just one more reason to get a seasons pass). We are not pro-rating seasons passes. You buy one or you pay five dollars to race.
Now, while everything went fairly well for the first run there a couple things to keep in mind. Number one being, that even if you have a seasons pass you still need to come to the registration desk and check in/sign on to be added to the race. Two show up early enough if you're a day of rider to allow us time to enter you in and assign a chip. (the odds of having your name spelled correctly go up substantially the more time you give us)
VOLUNTEERS once again, dangerously close to not having a race tonight. If we don't have people to marshall the corners we don't have a race. It's that simple. We hate having to harass you, we hate having to spam you on facebook. We don't want to have you park your bike and give up your race to stand there in the freezing wind wearing just your jersey.
To make it easier for everyone to plan their racing we are asking that you pre-register to volunteer. This way everyone can see if whether or not we need help and plan accordingly. I remember how bummed Nick was the night he came to volunteer last year and we already had six other people on the corners and he didn't even have his bike with him.
So a huge thank you to Derek Steele, Gary Argyle and Tamara Zavarise for stepping up and helping out.
In addition to be super awesome they also currently have a one in three chance of winning a brand new wheelset that the club is buying as a draw prize for everyone who steps up and volunteers.
Now for the only reason you've read this far... Results and Lap times
Great race everyone, see you next week.
We have an amazing club here in Nanaimo. We put on close to one hundred events each year requiring untold hours of volunteer time and labour. For that, I thank each and every one of you.
But it hasn`t always been smooth sailing. Too many times its been feast or famine. We either have no one to man the corners and are about to cancel the race or everyone shows up in their runners and we have no one to race.
This year we`re going to try something different.
First, for series points to count every rider must volunteer for at least one event.
Criteriums require a minimum of: 3 marshalls to man the corners. 6 marshalls or 2 per corner is preferred 1 volunteer to help with the lap board and spotting racers as they cross the line Time trials require 1 volunteer to hold riders at start and spot riders at finish line 1 volunteer to marshall the turn around
You`ll notice it takes a lot more help to run a criterium than a time trial, so if all you race are the time trials and you don`t want to miss one there is lots of opportunity to help out on Tuesdays.
Secondly, we`re asking that anyone who is able to volunteer for an event go to our webscorer page and register for the event you can help at. This way everyone can see whether or not we have enough volunteers and can plan accordingly. Most of you have already been looking ahead and planning your holidays and summer riding. So if you already know that you`re going to be taking it easy before Race the Ridge why not sign up and let us know you`ll help out.
Third, every time you volunteer to help out at a club event you will be entered for a draw prize at our AGM. We have been working with our local bike shops and will have a brand new wheelset and a Helmet/Shoe package up for a grabs in addition to any other swag we have managed to procure over the season for you.
