March 19th and 26th – The 2023 VCL season opens with back to back Sundays at the popular North Saanich Kermesse! Presented by Victoria Wheelers, Oak Bay Bikes and Brasserie L’ecole, this event is flat enough to be fast but still inclusive of those new to racing or building their form. The course is located about 5 minutes ride from the Swartz Bay ferry terminal, so access from the lower mainland is a breeze. All info for these events including links to the course map and profile, online registration (on site registration will also be available) and category details are available at the link below. There’s also a volunteer sign up link, so if you’re not racing but still want to support grassroots road racing, please consider volunteering. Thanks!
Victoria Cycling League 
Are there upgrade points available in this race?
Looks like no upgrade points. We are shooting to have one upgrade-eligible race each month, starting in April.
Can you clarify the start time for the different categories? Looks like 11:30 & 1:00pm on the registration page. Thanks
Start times are all 11:30 (will be a few minutes apart). Not sure where you see the 1:00 reference – I couldn’t see that. Perhaps that is a projected end-time, for volunteers.
Thanks for your response ð
This is what I was referring to:
Thanks 👍
This is the bit that left me unsure about the start time:
2023 VCL North Saanich Kermesse Sunday March 19th
Sunday, March 19, 2023 11:30 AM (GMT-7) – Sunday, March 19, 2023 1:00 PM (GMT-7)
Race day generally runs from 11:30 to 1:00…
I have never participated in one of these races before but have done multiple gran fondos. Will I have to join the novice race and then Cat up or can I join the B or C race?
I am new to this type of racing but have a lot of experience in group rides, fondos etc. Do I need to enter in the Novice race or can I enter the B or C race?
You can self-seen in C or B. Make sure you have your Cycling BC license.