The Early Entry Discount expires this Friday May 18^th. Enter now and save! Easy On-Line entry is available at www.pulseracing.ca. Any riders wanting a souvenir T-Shirt must also pre-order with entry by May 18^th.

The Courses for the event are designed to be fun, safe and still a good test of fitness and skill for all ages and abilities of riders. Riders will be competing on a 6 km course with multiple laps depending on category. The Course is marked and open for pre-rides as of May 17^th. Pre-rides only during regular Hardwood hours of operation and trail fees apply. Full event details available here.

Ontario High School and Elementary Mountain Bike Championships – Individual and Team Relay Races

Hardwood Ski and Bike and Scott Bicycles welcome riders from all over Ontario back for the 18th annual Ontario High School Mountain Bike Championships.

We look forward providing a fun and challenging day for all ages and levels of riders. Each cyclist may compete as an individual in the morning races and again as a school relay team in the afternoon. All school and riders are encouraged to bring other riding friends and athletes to fulfill “team” points for their school awards. Elementary School riders are also welcome to compete in a dedicated category.

School Teams School with 4 or more riders in an age category you qualify as a “team”.  While any number of riders may enter for your school, the first 4 riders who finish will be counted for your school team standing.

Team Awards:

Award Banners to first place teams in each of the High School categories, and a Banner to the Team Relay Champions.
Individual Awards: Medals to the Top 10 in each high school race and Top 5 in each elementary school race.

Team Relay: A Team Relay event composed of 3 men and 1 woman of any age categories. Each relay leg will be of 5 to 7 minutes, on a double track open course. This is meant as a fun and exciting event to show your school spirit and performance.

Draw Prizes: All pre-registered riders will be eligible for draw prizes. Be sure to check your number plate at registration to see if you have won a draw prize!

Eligibility*: All participants in the Championships must be currently enrolled full time in an Ontario elementary or secondary school. Regional qualifying meets are not required. Because this is not an OFSAA sanctioned event it is not mandatory to have a teacher accompany a team, but it is recommended that a coach or parent attend. Waiver must be signed by parent/guardian on site. Elementary riders min. age 10 yrs

 

ONTARIO CYCLISTS ANNOUNCED XC CANADA CUP EXPOSURE PROJECT

 Project will run May 17-29 in Quebec.

 (January 26, 2012) The Ontario Cycling Association (OCA) is proud to unveil the list of 12 Ontario cyclists who have been selected to attend the OCA Canada Cup Exposure Project in Quebec  from May 17-29, 2012.

The athletes will also take part in a National Team Development Camp in Bromont, QC. May 21-22.

Athletes Selected

Head Coach – Mike Garrigan – Toronto, ON

Mechanic – Gershom Morris – Barrie, ON

Asst Mechanic – Alina Sviridovitch – Toronto, ON

The OCA would like wish all Ontario athletes success at the upcoming Canada Cup Events.

The Ganaraska Forest is one of the largest forest regions in Southern Ontario that provides some of the best and unique mountain biking trails. The Marathon course has sections of long single track and fast flowing double track that offers the experienced mountain biker a technical challenge with some steep climbs. The shorter Half Marathon course is fast and fun with two long stretches of single track and less climbs than the Marathon course. The even shorter Microthon is an enjoyable, free flowing course that is perfect for riders who enjoy a short fast ride or for those entering in their first one lap event.

The Marathon race starts at 10am, whilst the Half Marathon and Microthon will begin at 11:30am. This year’s Long Sock Classic will also a feature a free Kid’s Race. Kids under the age of 10 are eligible to enter in this race. It will take place before the start of the Half Marathon, around 10:30am.

Each course offers a different challenge, so we encourage mountain-bikers of all ages and abilities to register for this event.  Pre-registration closes Thursday May 17 at midnight. To register, please visit www.ontariocycling.org. or www.XCMarathon.com

If you are serious about mountain-biking, or just want to have a relaxing ride out in the forest…then the Long Sock Classic is the ride you’re looking for!

Long Sock Classic Event Information:

When – Sunday, May 20^th

Time – 8:00am – 5:00pm

Where – Ganaraska Forest Centre (10585 Cold Springs Camp Road, Cambellcroft)

For more event information please visit www.XCMarathon.com

The 12.3 km narrow road circuit takes the riders through a windy and hilly venture through rural farmland and a picturesque landscape. The main feature of the course is the steep hill climb of Saylor’s Hill that offers a magnificent view of the Niagara escarpment once at the top of the hill. Saylor’s Hill serves as the finishing straight that, in the past, can make or break a racer’s hopes of tasting success. It is also the perfect setting for spectators to see the racers come up the hill as they battle for position as they cross the finish line.

Riders that are new to the sport of cycling are encouraged to register and race in the Sportif Category. This is an entry level category that allows the average rider to experience our O-Cup Road Races without having to purchase a full licence. If you are not yet a licenced member of the OCA, we encourage you to join the St. Catharine’s Cycling Club (or your local OCA club), or visit www.ontariocycling.org to purchase a membership.
For OCA road racing veterans, this race takes place on a very challenging course that will test your skills and fitness. Some sections provide strong head winds and other parts of the course will produce solid cross winds. This race is pre-registration only and closes on Thursday, May 17th at Midnight. If you are interested in racing in the Niagara Classic, please visit the “Event Registration” section the OCA website.

The 14^th Annual Niagara Classic is sure to be one of the more memorable O-Cup Road Races for the year, so get on your bikes to the racing event you won’t want to miss.

14^th Annual Niagara Classic Race Information:

When – Sunday, May 20^th

Time – 8:30am to 5:30pm

Where – Effingham St. & Tice Rd., Pelham

For more race information please visit http://www.stcatharinescc.com/

This new media stream is a great step in increasing the profile and awareness of the sport of cycling within our province. These HD quality videos will show case our OCA sanctioned event and bring them to life to the general public. The OCA are also excited to be able to provide a new way of interacting with our members, cycling community, and the people of Ontario.

To follow our videos, subscribe to OntarioCycling on either Youtube or Vimeo.

Happy viewing!

As a committee we are extremely happy with the number of events on the calendar this year. We are also pleased with the range of races that will have athletes participating all across the province.

Currently on the below schedule we have 12 Citizen level races, 8 S-Cups and 1 Provincial Championships, totalling a record 21 Cyclo-Cross events over the fall and into the winter.

We have structured the weekends with a Citizen race on the Saturday and a S-Cup on the Sunday. We have tried to make both races as close to each other as possible so we hope the membership takes advantage of racing both of the days!

Please note that the below schedule is subject to change.

The day was filled with close finishes highlighted by a photo finish in the beginner famale category. Kristen Whorley just edged out Danielle Hayes by .14 of a second to take first place! The youth categories also had their fair share of thrills with only 4.2 seconds separating the top three riders in the peewee boys.

The elites followed suit with the theme of the day by having close races in their respective categories. A back and forth race in the female elite category eventually led to Cayley Brooks taking home the gold. The elite men also had a nail biter with only 1 second separating Peter Glassford and Mitchell Bailey going into the 5^th lap. Eventually Peter was able to pull away in the final lap to win first place.

Congratulations to all the riders who came out and we hope to see you at the next Onatario Cup on June 3^rd  in Hardwood!

The stopping of a race is not our desire yet enforcement challenges can lead to that outcome. This challenge  can be mitigated if the racers, teams and the group as a whole stay to the right of the yellow line at all times. If there is compliance with the rule then races will not be stopped.

The OCA and our officials will be at the race fully prepared to deal with yellow line/centre line violations as required. It would make for a far better event if our members make the decision to follow the rule and peloton peer pressure ensures compliance.

The Niagara Classic course does not have a yellow line on the majority of the circuit so racers will need to stay to the right of the roads centre line. This will make it challenging for all and we will provide additional information on this with a posting next week.

Jim Crosscombe

Executive Director, Ontario Cycling Association

Yellow Line Rule from a racers perspective:

Rules in sport are designed to keep the playing field even, so when you break a rule to gain an advantage over your fellow competitors, then clearly the integrity of the event and the result are compromised.

As riders we need to be mentally prepared to deal with the temptation to cheat and stay on the right side of the road and right side of the rules. There is no glory in a tainted victory just ask Andy Schlek or any fan of the Tour de France.

-Bruce Bird, M1

The beautiful Oro-Medonte country side has proven to be a great setting for such a race, and there is no doubt that this year’s race will be just as fun for the kids involved and an enjoyable day for the whole family. The race course is a 6km loop on new pavement that features hilly sections, wide open flat terrain and safe corners. There will also be a BBQ firing up some hot food for your pleasure and a Free Skills Clinic after each category race. These skills clinics are designed to test out the kids’ cycling skills through a short course that provides a series of sharp turns, obstacles, and lines. Prizes will be given to the top 3 contestants who complete the course the fastest and without knocking over any of the obstacles.

Kids aged 9-16 of all cycling abilities and experience are encouraged to register for the 3rd Annual Barrie Youth Cup through the “Event Registration” section of our website, and please remember that online registration closes on Thursday, May 17 at Midnight. Event organizers will be allowing day of registration at this year’s race, however there will be an added cost. If you are not yet a licenced member of the OCA, we encourage you to join the Barrie Cycling Club (or your local OCA club), or visit our website to purchase a membership. It’s gearing up to be an entertaining day for the whole family!

3rd Annual Barrie Youth Race Information:
When – Saturday, May 19th
Time – 9:30am to 1pm
Where – 2221 Old Barrie Rd West, RR 2 Shanty Bay, ON

More information about the 3rd Annual Barrie Youth Race please visit: http://www.barriecycling.com/youth-race/