Bonus Race!!

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

Exciting News – Bonus Race – Windsor Park

We are offering a bonus VCL Race on Sunday August 14 at Windsor Park. Cap-off the road racing season, tune your legs for Cross, and just enjoy a good hard day on the road. The race agenda is as follows:

Youth Clinic – 8am – 30 min

Open/Youth/C Group – 8:45-9:15am – Estimated 25 min + 5 laps

B Group – 9:30-10:30am – Estimated 45 min + 5 laps

A Group – 10:45-12:00pm – Estimated 50 min + 5 laps

Registration Fee – $20

Registration Link – https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=285290

Prizes and Primes offered courtesy of Phillips Brewing Company, Burnt Bridge Classic Gravel Fondo, and more.

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Newton Heights

My eyes glossed on the schedule, and I missed the fact that there is also a July 14th Newton Race – YEAH!!!!

Go, and make it worth the volunteers’ time! You will feel great satisfaction.

Alert – Maple Bay CANCELLED

With sadness we have to announce that next Sunday’s Maple Bay race is being cancelled. We, unfortunately, have fallen victim to the same issue many face – a lack of bodies.

So, we will see you at Newton for the July 27th (Wed) race, the Saturday July 30th Windsor Park Crit (my favourite), and then potentially the July 31st Observatory Hill Climb (if they open the venue up to group events).

ALERT – North Saanich Race Cancelled

Due to excessive debris on the course, and more falling as I type, tonight’s race has been cancelled for safety reasons.

Take the night off, sign up for Sunday’s race at Cherry Point, and gather up your candles and hard candy, and prepare the power outages.

I will sit and sigh that my 208lb carcass doesn’t get to dish out the pain to all the lightweights out there – lol…

VCL

Observatory

After a very long > two year closure, the Observatory grounds have now been re-opened to the public. Please see the official announcement below – please, please please adhere to the restrictions. Do NOT go above the stop sign during Mon-Fri business hours (7AM-5PM). Evenings and weekend are when we can make our way right to the top. Close the gate, be respectful, don’t ride past the stop-sign during the day, and be sure to thank anyone you see there for sharing the space with us!!

Hello All,

Well as we have been closed to Covid 19 for just over 2 years it is time to welcome back the public to our beautiful site. As of today at 9:15 the front gate will be open. Vehicle Gate opening times will be Monday to Friday 9:15-5pm. The man gate at the bottom will be open 24/7. This is subject to change as operational requirements dictate.

We have hired a licensed security guard who will patrol and monitor the public who are accessing the site. All requests and or directions from this guard are to be adhered to at all times. At no time will aggressive or abusive behaviour to anyone on site be tolerated. All rules of the site and road must be followed and respected.

Cyclists are to turn around at the first stop sign in the parking lot to the left as you hit the sign. There is ample room to maneuver and a nice stop in the lot to look at Mt. Baker. During working hours Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, this is the only approved turn around spot. Outside of regular working hours you can continue to the top for more spectacular views. I have included pictures of the stop sign and the turnaround area to the left. Please familiarize yourselves with this. I reiterate that this rule must be followed and no aggressive or abusive behaviour will be tolerated. Reminder that this is private property and by following the outlined rules we will hopefully be able to provide this privilege for years to come. There is no off road cycling allowed anywhere on our site.

Hikers/ Walkers please stay on the road/ hard pack as we have many areas that are currently under restoration / recovery. Many people walk their dogs on site.  If the dogs are under their owners control and do not chase the wildlife (deer) they are not required to be on a leash.  However if it is determined that the dogs are chasing wildlife or impeding staff in any manner then it will be mandatory to have them on a leash. Just so you know, that with the lack of people we have had up here, we have a huge influx of wildlife from deer, bears, racoon, eagles, hawks, and to many birds to name. We are still a Species at Risk site so again please stay to the hard pack so we don’t disturb the habitats of many. Removal of any plants, mushrooms, and or animals is illegal and will not be tolerated. Please take pictures only. It is also unlawful to feed the animals so, again, take pictures only.

If at any time you come in contact with staff or the guard please provide 6’ social distancing and or wear a mask. Covid is still out there and we wish everyone to remain healthy and safe at all times. I can’t stress enough to follow all signage, speed limits, and directions from security and staff. Once again, at no time will aggressive or abusive behaviour be tolerated.

NRC-Management

Monday Mailbox – Results, Reg and Standings

Thanks to the 16 warriors who tackled the always painful Neild Rd Hill Climb. Enduring brief periods of sun, light rain, heavy rain, and more sun, in addition to the elevation, it was a great way to spend 7.5-13 minutes (depending upon who you were). Results for the hill climb are available here, as are the results for the VCL Velodrome Event (done as separate races, then combined as a series for VCL points).

Overall VCL Standings are available here.

And finally, Registration is now live for this coming Wednesday’s Caleb Pike Race – reg early, and tell your friends, all the cool kids are doing it.

Thanks so much to John E, Bruce F and Ian for making the hill-climb happen – you guys are the best!!

T

Caleb Pike – Sunday May 1st

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, fingers crossed for a good-weather Sunday! The registration page for this Sunday’s Caleb Pike race is live – click here to register.

Racing Starts at 10:30 AM for A-Group, with B and C to follow with roughly 3-minute gaps.

Register online, make your way to the course, don’t forget your helmet and shoes, and get ready for a exciting morning of circuit racing.

Just a quick reminder that the Sidney TTs have officially been cancelled for all of 2022. Shortly after receiving verbal approvals, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure decided that construction conditions along the highway, and weekly racing in the same area were not compatible. So… we will due a little soul and site searching, and see if we can fill the gaps with something.

Finally, there are season Series Standings available on Webscorer. Click here to see the standings!

T

Velodrome Races this Wednesday

Apr 27th (this Wednesday) is the first of 3 VCL races at the GVVA Velodrome. To make it fair for riders on rental bikes, all riders will be gear restricted to max. 89 gear inch (46×14 on the rental bikes*).

On schedule will be Scratch race, Elimination race, and Keirin. Track opens for warm up at 6pm, first race begins at 630pm.

(you can find some videos from last year: https://www.facebook.com/westshorevelodrome/videos)

Those who have NOT ridden on our track or have prior track experience as well as those who want a refresher, please either a) show up early (~5-530pm) to get a run down, or b) sign up for a full Learn-to-Ride which we have one this Sunday https://gvva.bc.ca/learn-to-ride/ especially if you do plan to do more racing / training at the track (GVVA has weekly racing starting next month)

*those coming with their own track bikes, make sure you come prepared with gear options below 89″, examples: 49×15, 53×16, 57×17.

Registration information to follow shortly.

Upcoming Week – Registration Speedway and N. Saanich

Hello race fans, the registration pages for the next two races are now live. We have another Speedway race this coming Wednesday – click here to register. Then, we have the first North Saanich Race of the year on Sunday (24th) – click here to register.

For Speedway – start times are the same as for a few weeks ago. 5:30 sign-on with C-group starting at 6:00. The B-race will start at 6:30 and the A-Race at 7:15.

For North Saanich:
Beer! Frites! Belgian toothpaste! (hey mom this mud smells funny) Yes it’s that time of year again! @victoriawheelers and @oakbaybikes present the #northsaanich kermesse #vcl race next Sunday, April 24
⏱Sign on opens at 9:45 am and racing starts at 10:30 am for all categories
🥇A, B and C self-seeded VCL categories. As will do 16 laps (ca 80km), Bs will do 12 laps (ca 60km) and Cs 8 laps (ca 40km)

💲$20 for adults and $10 for youth racers
📝There will be online pre-reg available shortly, watch this space for a link. Or you can register at the race, please bring proof of licensing and a parent or guardian if you are underage and have not yet completed a VCL waiver
🛳This course is just 5min ride from Swartz Bay ferry terminal if you’re coming from the lower mainland
🍩Organizers rumoured to be negotiating a participation rewards program featuring highly coveted #sidneybakery treats
🪧If you or someone you know are able to volunteer your time for this event I would really appreciate you sending me a DM!

MIVA Update – Change of Scenery/Schedule

Spring is here!!

Despite this week’s unseasonal snow, the weather is beginning to warm up and we’re looking forward to getting back out on the road. Next week is when things really kick off and further down this email you’ll find everything that’s happening. First a quick update on racing this year.

A note on racing

Race season is fast approaching. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve put a finish line down on the pavement and the board has spent quite a bit of time discussing changes and ways to hopefully improve the experience and encourage more people to come out and have some fun.With that in mind we wanted to share a couple of the changes to the way we’ll be running the races this year.First off, if you look closely at the schedule, you’ll notice that the old formula of every Tuesday is a Crit and every Thursday a Time Trial is gone. This year we’re mixing up by throwing in some early season Hill Climbs, so remember to check the calendar/discord/facebook to find out where we’re racing each week.Secondly we’re going to be adding a B Race to the Boxwood criteriums. The B category is going to be for beginners who’ve never raced a criterium before, or aren’t sure they’ve got the fitness to keep up with the fast kids in the A’s.Third we’re going to change the format slightly. With running two races/night time is going to be a factor. So with that in mind we’ll be using a time limited format. B’s will race for 20minutes plus 3 laps. A’s will race for 25minutes plus three laps. So how many laps will you end up doing? That depends on how many people show up and how hard they push the pace. As the season progresses and we get more day light the races will get longer. But for now this will ensure that the B race will be done by 7pm and the A race by 7:30 so that no one has to ride home in the dark.Fourth, and this one is for the Tri-athletes in the crowd. For anyone interested we will be adding a timed run after each race so you can practice your transitions. When you show up let us know if you’re going to want to run and you’ll be assigned a wrist band. Finish your ride, change your shoes and kit and then head back out to stretch your legs. Distance for the run will vary from week to week as will the course from road run to trail depending on interest.

Season’s Pass

To make the most of race season we’d encourage you to consider a Season’s pass for $50 which will cover entry to as many Crits, TTs and Hill Climbs as your legs can handle. Alternatively, you can enter individual races for $5 each.Get your season’s pass here: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=273272

Next week’s events

We have a packed calendar for you next week, you can find all the details for this exciting first week of the season, and much more here:https://midislandvelo.ca/calendar?view=calendar&month=04-2022

Monday Night Development RideMonday, April 18, 20226:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m.***Please note new meeting spot for 2022*** We have moved the start point for this year’s group rides to the gravel parking lot near the intersection of East Wellington Road and Westwood Road. https://goo.gl/maps/99hi6WUrP7pxg31p9.This weekly group ride is offered in 3 different groups = 3 different speeds. This means there is a group just right for most people. It is important that you are competent on a bike but you do not need to be fast – yes it is a “no drop” ride.

Boxwood CriteriumTuesday, April 19, 20226:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m.2052 Boxwood Road Nanaimo, BCA criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 500 m to 1000 m with Boxwood being 1.1km.Crits are great fun, a tough workout and fantastic for building bike handing and group riding skills.We meet on Boxwood Road, just past the Longwood brewery.See notes on racing below.We will need 8 volunteers: sign up to volunteer here: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=273273

Time Trial clinic followed by 15k TTThursday, April 21, 20226:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m.1099 Nanaimo River Rd Cassidy, BCAfter a two year hiatus, we are excited to bring back the MIVA Time Trials Series which will pit riders against the clock, most Thursday nights along Nanaimo River Road. Riders can compete to win, or just to beat last week’s time. Points will be awarded at each race and totaled at the end of the series.Come join us at the race, whether you’re new to time trials or a seasoned veteran, the TT’s are sure to put a smile on your face.We will need 2 volunteers.

Spring Challenge 50k & 100kSaturday, April 23, 20228:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.Maffeo Sutton ParkWe hope you’re as excited as we are for the start of a new MIVA road season. Dust off your road bike and join us for a great ride to welcome in spring and get back on the road. We’re riding 50km or 100km routes, starting and finishing at Maffeo Sutton Park. Start times can vary depending on your anticipated ride time. The goal is to be finished between 12-12:30pm, recommended 8am for 100km and 9:30am for the 50km. After the ride feel free to grab a drink or eats at one of the nearby food trucks or establishments.Entry is free, but sign up here: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=273274

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