Racers took to Vernon鈥檚 DND Fields for a full day of heart-pumping cyclocross (CX) action on Sunday, Oct. 1.
The race, dubbed, The Burn in Vernon, was a part of the B.C. Interior Cyclocross calendar, running for its 12th year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beginner friendly sport and race discipline. Once the gun goes off, everyone is going at the same time,鈥� said Steve Gaucher, an organizer of the event. 鈥淲e tell all our racers to bring all their friends. You get some spills and people take some tumbles so it is entertaining to watch.鈥�
CX is a blend of road and mountain biking. Think of a road bike but with treaded tires, like a gravel bike. The races are spectator-friendly, consisting of numerous laps of a course that encourages racers to hop off their bikes and carry them up and down obstacles.
鈥淭hrowing your bike on your shoulder and running up hills, makes it more exciting than your typical road race,鈥� Gaucher explained. 鈥淲e like to call it steeplechase but for bikes.鈥�
It is one of the few sports where bad weather is encouraged, as Gaucher mentioned the wet, muddy atmosphere elicits falls and tumbles.
鈥淭his being a carry on from the summer road season, we anticipate that conditions will get a little bit sloppy, cold and rainy, although we haven鈥檛 had a lot of cooperation from the weather in that respect.鈥�
Despite an influx of bike purchases since the pandemic, it has been a struggle to maintain and increase participation in the sport, something that has baffled Gaucher.
鈥淲e are having disproportionate difficulties in the Interior, as the coast, Alberta, and Ontario are not having the same participation problems, which we are hoping to change.鈥�
There are three more races on the CX calendar in the Interior. Sunday, Oct. 22, racers will be at Mariposa Park in Penticton, and the following week is a doubleheader of action, at Knox Mountain in 麻豆精选 on Saturday and Sunday, Oct 28 and 29.
鈥淔or people who are new to the sport or don鈥檛 have a compatible bike, you are still open to race, in the open and youth categories,鈥� Gaucher said. 鈥淣o one is taking it super duper serious and no one is going to be shamed for not having the newest and coolest bike so its a great sport to try for beginners.鈥�
More information can be found at bcinteriorcross.ca.
Below is a list of the podium placers at The Burn, where 38 racers took part:
Open Category
Andres Jaramillo (first), JP Viljoen (second), Mike Pearson (third).
U13 Men
Mattie Lane (first), Killian Russell (second).
U13 Women
Grace Szabadi (first), Holly Szabadi (second).
U15 Women
Emily Lane (first).
U17 Women
Brooke Bates (first).
Masters Women
Lina Augaitis (first), Helena Coney (second), Marta Green (third).
Single Speed Men
Chris Angermann (first), Joe Wessel (second), Brad Denison (third).
Intermediate Men
Michael Rullkotter (first), Eric Deare (second), Chris Angermann (third).
Masters Men
Aaron Weiss (first), Jamie Sprules (second), Alex Lane (third).
Elite Women
Helena Coney (first), Kira McClellan (second).
Elite Men
Aidan Oliphant (first), Tyson Green (second).
READ MORE: North Okanagan Knights blown out by 麻豆精选 Chiefs
READ MORE: Okanagan athletes get national call for Pan Am Games
