Pouring rain greeted the Cross on the Rock cyclocross race at Lake Cowichan’s Lakeside Park on Sunday, but for most competitors, that’s part of the fun.
“Cyclocross was born out of nasty conditions, so there is some masochistic appeal to riding in the sand and mud and rain,” said event organizer Grant Lestock-Kay of Duncan’s Cowichan Cycles. “And some definitely embraced that.”
The rain didn’t last all day, but what did fall definitely made a difference to the course, which included such terrain as the sandy beach, gravel roads and a boardwalk.
“It was definitely an interesting event with the turn of weather,” Lestock-Kay said. “We had a lot of rain in a small amount of time, so that made the soft areas extra soft and extra muddy. That would favour the more experienced riders.”
Lestock-Kay admitted that the Lake Cowichan stop, one of eight on the Cross on the Rock series and a new addition this year, was one of the more unique courses on the circuit, with more elevation changes and especially varied terrain.
“It was definitely a priority when I was trying to figure out the course,” he said. “In trying to put on a unique event, that was something I was conscious of.”
Some courses have more variety than others, and Lestock-Kay wanted his to be among the more interesting in that way.
“It’s good on a series like this to have some that are more level and smooth and some with more elevation gain and drop,” he said. “It rounds it out well.”
Early rider feedback suggests that participants enjoyed the Lake Cowichan event, although it wasn’t easy for everyone.
“A couple people definitely had to work hard to get through,” Lestock-Kay said.
Some 314 riders competed in the race, and 291 finished.
“Given the circumstances, I’m happy,” Lestock-Kay said. “For our first year, we were aiming for 300-400. We were on the low end of that, but in the range I was hoping for.”
Lestock-Kay is hoping to bring Cross on the Rock back to the Cowichan Valley again in 2019, and he will definitely consider returning to the same location.
“Lake Cowichan was very supportive about the whole thing,” he said. “They made it easy to put it on there”
While it’s not entirely unusual for cyclocross riders to wear costumes, the time of year made it more common on Sunday.
“Cyclocross is about being wacky and weird, so there are some people who sport costumes year-round,” Lestock-Kay said. “There were lots this weekend because it’s Halloween.”
Top-three results
Beginner men: 1. Devin Fawkes (Nanaimo), 2. Kip Manktelow (Comox), 3. Myles Pastuck (Cowichan Bay)
Beginner women: 1. Sarah Roberts (Cumberland), 2. Sabine Worsfold (Brentwood Bay), 3. Lindsay Burgess (Victoria)
Intermediate men: 1. Gabriel MacDougall (Victoria), 2. John Vanderveen (Campbell River), 3. Matthew Walker (Victoria)
Intermediate women: 1. Megan Racher (Campbell River), 2. Kristen Kit (not listed), 3. Jessica Dulong (Victoria)
Masters men (40-54): 1. Peter Mogg (Nanaimo), 2. Brian Green (Victoria), 3. Normon Thibault (Nanaimo)
Masters men (55+): 1. Wayne Lackner (Victoria), 2. Hugh Hart (Victoria), 3. Mark Overton (Nanaimo)
Masters women: 1. Tracey Egan (Victoria), 2. Leasa Gatchene (not listed), 3. Tanya Binette (Victoria)
Expert women: 1. Mical Dyck (Cumberland), 2. Emily Johnston (Comox), 3. Wendy Simms (Nanaimo)
Expert men: 1. Carter Woods (Cumberland), 2. Drew Mackenzie (Victoria), 3. Parker Bloom (Victoria)
Kids Zoom Zoom Half Track: 1. Addison Wolfe (Comox), 2. Zander Walsh (Comox), 3. Andreas Kellerhals (Victoria)
