tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26873909485548309742024-03-12T19:45:27.620-07:00The 2008 Bearspaw OpenPresented with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-60534074706940815852008-08-15T07:31:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:53:53.122-07:00Post-mortem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2743450910_f71c109e2f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3047/2743450910_f71c109e2f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It's now been just over a week since the first running of the Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary, and I'm starting to feel like I've recovered from the whole organizational thing!<br /><br />On the whole I think that the race went really really well. Lots of great feedback about the race course, with several people telling me that it's perhaps one of the best in Alberta. It's certainly different! It was also pretty safe, with only one relatively serious crash. Luckily the outcome was (as far as I know) some road rash and a chewed-up jersey. Racers seemed to cope with the heat (+32c I think) pretty well, although I noticed from the Commissaire vehicle that quite a few folks need to work on getting their bottles in the feed zone!<br /><br />For sure we had some organizational cock-ups, but nothing too major and we'll have 'em ironed out for next year. More on this subject in a later post.<br /><br />I know that the RCMP thought that it was a great event also, and the internal feedback I'm getting is very positive. We've a had a very brief discussion about next year's event already, and I'm hoping to sit down soon with them to do a full review of this year's event and to schedule a kick-off meeting for 2009.<br /><br />Some quick notes on "lessons learned" as a first-time organizer:<br /><ol><li>Find out who your Chief Commissaire is and get him/her involved early. Carol Mayne was the Chief of the Open, and I can't say enough about how awesome she was to deal with</li><li>Talk to the ABA. Lots. Again, easy to deal with them and they were quite helpful</li><li>People in Alberta register at the last second. Try not to panic when only a handful of folks have registered a week and a half before the event. Next year I'm going to try and alleviate this in 3 ways: A. No race-day registration, B. Publish field limits, and C. Have some great early-bird registration incentives</li><li>Work on making your race more of an "event" than just a race. The "Dinner & a Bike Race" concept worked well, and I think it's going to be way more awesome next year</li><li>Try to find a race course with shorter loops so that the spectators can stay interested</li><li>Get your permit WAAAAAAAY early and then start talking with local residents/businesses. Give them lots of notice and information, and don't forget to invite them out to the event. You will sleep better at night having 'em on your side<br /></li></ol>There's a lot more I have to say on lessons learned, and I'll do a post about this subject soon. These are just the highlights that are sticking in my mind right now.<br /><br />Running this event was a ton of work, and it was a whole lot more stressful than I could've imagined when I told the Midweek Mayhem board of directors "A race? Sure, ya, I'll handle that." In the end, though, it was great to develop something that people are looking forward to coming back to next year.<br /><br />We've got some great ideas on how to make the event better for next year, including some potential changes to the race course to make it even better. Stay tuned.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-73442563697053851862008-08-15T07:28:00.000-07:002008-08-15T07:31:36.974-07:00Race Report<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2743449184_1bc829df6f.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2743449184_1bc829df6f.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2743444608_e27e8d954e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2743444608_e27e8d954e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p>The inaugural running of the Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP – A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary took place yesterday in the NW of Calgary on a challenging new course for the Alberta peloton. The tough course was made just a little bit tougher with temperatures in the low 30’s throughout the day and blistering sun.</p> <p>As expected, the 1k+ Campione Cycles Climb proved to be the decisive obstacle of the day for all races. On each ascent of the climb the gates would swing open at the back of the pack and a selection made of the strongest and smartest riders. After cresting the top of the Campione Cycles Climb riders then had to cope with a technical trip through the rolling and narrow back half of the course, where many battles were played out for position at the front – crucial for the tough corner leading into the base of the climb after the fast descent down 12 Mile Coulee Road.</p> <p>The first races of the day were the Alberta U15 M/F Provincial Road Championships. The men’s race saw Samuel Beaudoin from Juventus CC out of Edmonton taking the win over Ben Marquart (Independent, -0:20) and Robert Dunn (Independent, -3:54). The women’s race was taken by Andrea St. Germain (CMC/Bow Cycle) over Zoe Dahl (CMC/Bow Cycle, -0:44). All competitors in these races are to be congratulated on the exceptional sportsmanship observed out on the course. In such tough and hot conditions, and on such a challenging course, it was excellent to see these athletes treat each other with such respect. They set an example that the rest of the peloton should strive to match! Congratulations to all of you!</p> <p>The next start of the day featured a large combined field of Elite Open B (Categories 4/5), Open Masters Men, and the U17M Alberta Provincial Youth RR Championship, racing 10 laps of the 5.3km course. As expected, it was primarily a race of attrition as several riders would be splintered off the back of the race each time up the Campione Cycles Climb until the race stabilized with a main group of 8-10 riders out of approximately 35 starters. As the main pack settled in Open Masters rider Stephen Kenny (Speed Theory) executed a perfectly timed solo attack, quickly getting down to business and establishing a lead of 30 seconds while the main group tried to figure out how to react. As the race wore on Kenny grew his lead as the chasers were sporadically working together to reel him in. With a couple of laps to go it was pretty clear that Kenny wasn’t coming back barring a mechanical or issues with the heat, and the pack began to race for second place. In the end the Speed Theory rider won by a commanding 1:04 margin, a tremendous feat given the conditions and the length of time he was out on his own. </p> <p>The U17 Provincial Championship finish was tight with Graham Courtney (Synergy Racing) taking the win over Mac Garvin (CMC/Bow Cycle) and Kris Dahl (CMC/Bow Cycle), all finishing with a time of 1:26:10.</p> <p>Open Masters, and the overall win for the field, was taken by Stephen Kenny (Speed Theory) after his epic solo move. Blaine Richter (ERTC/Revolution Cycle, -1:56) and Yuri Lipkov (Bicisport, -1:59) rounded out the top 3.</p> <p>Open B saw Torrian Watson (Bicisport) taking the the win over Christopher McCue (CMC/Bow Cycle) and Tom Charlton (CMC/Bow Cycle).</p> <p>The Open Women and JR Women Provincial RR Championship combined field was won by the aggressive riding of Nik Volger (Independent) who came all the way from Revelstoke BC to exert her will over the field. Second in the Open Women was Tori Fahey (Deadgoat, -7:09), with third place going to Sandra Yaworski (Speed Theory, -8:20).</p> <p>The JR Women Provincial Championship saw Samantha Grover (Juventus CC) winning over Jessica Kissel (Bicisport, -3:00) and Lauren Lankester (CMC/Bow Cycle, -6:41). The U17 Women’s Provincial Championship was won by Caeli Barron (Synergy Racing) over Alison Beveridge (Bicisport, -1 lap) and Gina Kissel (Synergy Racing, -1 lap). </p> <p>The main event of the day was the Elite Open A race (Categories 1/2/3). Alberta’s own Team H&R Block was extremely well represented in the field with 11 riders, and were clearly looking to exert their strength over a field that included strong riders such as Jamie Sparling (Trek Red Truck, p/b Mosaic Homes), Dan and Jon Wood (ERTC/Revolution Cycle), Dan Skinner (Total Restoration), and Shawn Bunnin (Bicisport) to name just a few.</p> <p>From the start Team H&R Block started sending riders up the road until a break of 3 containing 2 of their own riders (Mark MacDonald and Chris Devries), along with Jamie Sparling (Trek Red Truck, p/b Mosaic Homes). The break hovered at 30-45 seconds for several laps, and looked to be almost getting absorbed more than once until Sparling would move to the front and start riding some strong tempo with MacDonald. As the race came into the final few laps the combination of the heat and difficulty of the repeated trips up the Campione Cycles Climb caught up with MacDonald as he dropped back to the main field. On the final lap it was Dan Wood (ERTC/Revolution Cycle) bridging to the 2 leaders as they headed up the climb. Devries took the sprint out over Sparling and Wood (both S.T.) and the field was led home by Shawn Bunnin (Bicisport) and MacDonald (both at 0:05).</p> <p>Congratulations to all riders from the Midweek Mayhem Cycling Association! It was a tough course and a tough day, and it was great to see fast, fierce, and safe racing in all events. Thanks also for your cooperation in creating a great impression on the local community; it will really help us in securing this new race course again for next year. Another word of thanks to Campione Cycles (<a title="blocked::http://www.campionecycles.com/" href="http://www.campionecycles.com/">http://www.campionecycles.com/</a>) for sponsoring the Campione Climb, and to the RCMP for providing traffic safety and control services. Their presence on the roads contributed to a safe day. Thanks also to the Olympic Oval Youth Cycling Development Program parents for putting on a fantastic meal for all participants as part of the “Dinner & Bike Race” event. We look forward to seeing you all out there next year!</p><p><a href="http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca/bearspawopen/results.xls">Results available here</a><br /></p>noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-15921696384580023142008-07-14T12:05:00.000-07:002008-07-14T12:10:35.102-07:00Race Website & Facebook GroupAs we get closer to race date, please be sure to keep checking in at the <a href="http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca/bearspawopen.html">2008 Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary race website</a>.<br /><br />We have also created an event in the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2397618093">Midweek Mayhem</a> Facebook group: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21903101077&ref=mf">click here for the event</a>.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-71107281395526210092008-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:002008-07-14T11:16:39.146-07:00Registration Now Open!Registration is now open for the <a href="http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca/bearspawopen.html">2008 Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca/bearspawopen/bearspawopen_reg.html">Please visit the Midweek Mayhem website to register, purchase meals for "Dinner & a Bike Race", or make a donation to Youth Cycling.</a><br /><br /><strong>Please note that your meal for Dinner & a Bike Race is included with your race registration.</strong> Also, although we are not charging an entry fee for Alberta Youth Provincial Road Race Championship entries, we are requiring that participants purchase a meal for Dinner & a Bike Race.<br /><br /><em>FYI, there is currently a slight discrepancy in information about pricing for Dinner & a Bike Race. Meals purchased seperately will be $12.00, not $10.00. We will update the information on the Midweek Mayhem website as soon as possible.</em><br /><br />Registration payments will be made via PayPal. You do not require a PayPal account to pay, there is a "continue" option which allows you to skip creation of a PayPal account. When you have completed payment, please click the provided link. This will return you to the Midweek Mayhem website where you will provide details such as which event you want to race in, License #, UCI Code, Team, Emergency Contact, etc. <strong>You will also need to provide your PayPal receipt ID,</strong> which you can find in the confirmation email that PayPal sends when payment is completed. If you have any questions or problems, please email us at midweekracing[at]gmail.com.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-35703081124411596982008-07-12T08:03:00.000-07:002008-07-14T11:49:03.729-07:00Dinner & a Bike RaceThe Midweek Mayhem Cycling Association would like to welcome all spectators and participants to join us at Race HQ on event day for "Dinner & a Bike Race", a fundraising BBQ for the Calgary Olympic Oval's youth Cycling Development Program. Come out after work to watch the Open A and Open B races while enjoying some tasty food and the spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains across the Bow River Valley from the start/finish area.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Menu</span><br /><ol><li>Beef on bun (or vegetarian alternative)</li><li>Corn on the cob<br /></li><li>selection of salads<br /></li><li>dessert<br /></li><li>refreshment<br /></li></ol><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-size:85%;" >(subject to change)</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pricing<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Meal is included with your race registration</span>. Pricing for the meal only will be $12 for non-racers, and meals will be able to be pre-purchased through our online payment system. There will be limited quantities of meals available for people wishing to purchase on race day. Please pre-purchase to avoid disappointment!<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><br /></span>noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-45907962308613144182008-07-12T07:38:00.001-07:002008-11-13T03:46:50.160-08:00UpdateWe're less than a month away from the inaugural running of the race, and we've got some news!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary<br /></span>We're excited to announce that the RCMP has come on board with the race, and that the event will now be known as "The Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary". The RCMP is hiring, and will have recruiting staff on-site at Race HQ throughout race day. Forget ordinary. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police offers meaningful work, vast opportunities, the chance to serve across Canada and a career like no other. Visit <a href="http://www.rcmp.ca/" target="_blank">www.rcmp.ca</a> for more details on a career nowhere near ordinary with the RCMP. Be sure to keep an eye out for the new heritage edition retro highway patrol cruisers and Harley Davidson motorbikes as part of the race caravan on course. The Mounties will also be providing traffic safety services, and will have lots of displays at the Race HQ expo area. They will also be installing 2 speed trap display signs on the course, 1 on the 12 Mile Coulee Road descent, and 1 on the fast rollers on Hamilton Dr., so we'll be able to communicate speeds back to the festivities at Race HQ.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Campione Cycles Climb</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3k303WHn2egf3VDtG18QR0j82NAhlz_J2EML2sPfKEsqwnwv5TuKKEATIwi5NbTtog3L7tTCUyhNQuYeKhAQI-JxUGUPwFReMV8680qp9rE6RpdFMSIxk2x58C4UKAc8uSxCyYBtnhs/s1600-h/campione.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3k303WHn2egf3VDtG18QR0j82NAhlz_J2EML2sPfKEsqwnwv5TuKKEATIwi5NbTtog3L7tTCUyhNQuYeKhAQI-JxUGUPwFReMV8680qp9rE6RpdFMSIxk2x58C4UKAc8uSxCyYBtnhs/s200/campione.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222148305807553298" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.campionecycles.com/">Campione Cycles</a> has signed on with The Bearspaw Open, presented with The RCMP - A Career Nowhere Near Ordinary, as the sponsor of the Campione Climb to the finish. The Campione Climb goes from the exit of Corner 3 all the way to the finish at Race HQ on Nagway Road, and will be the decisive obstacle of the race. Stay tuned for a possible "Campione KOM" competition within the race.<br /><br /><p></p><blockquote><p>Established in 1996, <a href="http://www.campionecycles.com/">Campione Cycles</a> is the final version in a long line of bicycle stores. The product of four generations in the bicycle industry, Campione can trace its lineage back to the province of Trentino in Italy, and parallel to the expansion of professional road racing in Canada. </p> <p>We are a brick and mortar bicycle company with stores in Vancouver and Calgary. </p> <p>Campione Cycles remains 100% family owned and operated. </p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-5742669099101341192008-06-19T13:23:00.000-07:002008-06-19T13:28:04.227-07:00Sponsorship OpportunitiesLike any other race or event out there we are in the process of seeking additional sponsorship. If you are interested in becoming involved with Le Circuit please let us know. As a first year event we understand that it's difficult to see what the actual ROI in associating with us will be, but we do have some numbers/metrics that could be of interest.<br /><br />If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact us at midweekracing@gmail.com and ask for a copy of our Sponsor and Expo package.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-78344714948885756742008-06-18T08:21:00.000-07:002008-06-18T08:31:33.813-07:00Call for VolunteersWe're coming into the final stages of race organization now that we're less than 8 weeks away from race day. Like any other race, we're going to be depending on volunteers to make everything happen. As such we're looking for some good people to help us deliver a race of exceptional quality for the athletes, and a great experience for spectators.<br /><br />If you are interested in helping out, or know someone who is interested in helping out, please get a hold of us at midweekracing@gmail.com.<br /><br />If you are planning on racing Le Circuit and are able to provide a volunteer, or are willing to volunteer yourself, we will be announcing an entry-fee discount policy in the next few days.<br /><br />Volunteers will be well taken care of with food, drinks, and (hopefully) a bit of swag.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-55365813306014731332008-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:002008-06-18T08:21:36.879-07:00Big Announcement Coming SoonAs things start to fall into place for race day on Thursday August 7th we're getting ready to release at least one big announcement in the next week or so. Hint: It's related to the schedule of events/categories, and it's really going to help the race live up to its name...<br /><br />Stay tuned!noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-30868196425505098022008-06-16T08:16:00.000-07:002008-06-16T08:28:03.521-07:00Press Release #1Calgary, Alberta — June 16th, 2008) The Midweek Mayhem Cycling Association of Calgary is proud to present the inaugural running of “Le Circuit de Mayhem”, a new road cycling circuit race on the Alberta cycling scene.<br /><br />Taking place on Thursday August 7th as part of the new Calgary Bike Week race series, Le Circuit will run on a challenging 5.3km loop in the Northwest of Calgary based out of the Bearspaw Lions Club on Nagway Road.<br /><br />Midweek Mayhem is also proud to announce that along with being a part of the Alberta Road Race series, Le Circuit will play host to the 2008 Alberta Youth Championship Road Race. The Youth Championship and Alberta Road Race Series events are expected to attract some of the top cycling talent from Alberta, Saskatchewan, BC, The Yukon, as well athletes from the Northwestern USA.<br /><br />Le Circuit is a not-for-profit event in support of the Alberta Provincial Cycling Team. Midweek Mayhem’s mandate is to promote weekly cycling race series in Calgary in order to help grow the sport of cycling in Alberta. As such, donating proceeds from Le Circuit to the Provincial Cycling team is a way to continue working towards our organizational goals, and to ensure that racers’ money is re-invested in the sport.<br /><br />More information will be available soon, including the Technical Guide, but keep checking the race blog for<br />periodic updates at http://mayhemrace.blogspot.com. Please also refer to the Midweek Mayhem Cycling Association website at http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca .<br /><br />Quotes:<br /><br /><blockquote>"The Alberta Bicycle Association is delighted to have such a wonderful event hosted in Calgary. This event is an outstanding opportunity for Alberta to host some of the best cycling talent in Canada”<br />- Kipp Kauffman, Executive Director of the Alberta Bicycle Association.</blockquote><br /><blockquote><br />“The support of the Alberta cycling community (and) the Midweek Mayhem Cycling Association of Calgary with events like “Le Circuit de Mayhem” creates important development opportunities for youth cycling in Alberta so that young athletes may compete against peers of their own age. The donation of race proceeds to the Provincial Cycling team continues to support the efforts of our dedicated young athletes towards gaining the experience, knowledge and skills they need to succeed and reach their goals.”<br />- Jayson Gillespie, Head Coach of the Alberta Provincial Cycling Team</blockquote>noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-60952480895314625192008-05-09T11:15:00.000-07:002008-05-26T13:17:01.901-07:00Unveiling "Le Circuit"I'm proud to (finally) officially introduce "Le Circuit" for the inaugural running of Le Circuit de Mayhem! It's been a long time coming, and everyone here at Midweek Mayhem is pretty excited! Our goal was to produce a race course that will prove to be challenging to ride, selective enough to reward aggressive racing, and great for spectators. Oh ya, and all within the Calgary city limits.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115177580997825212429.00044e25cd8ac21df6813&t=p&ll=51.152801,-114.267833&spn=0.016299,0.021586&output=embed&s=AARTsJoA-COHRI67HQmULj4quUjXoytKAw"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115177580997825212429.00044e25cd8ac21df6813&t=p&ll=51.152801,-114.267833&spn=0.016299,0.021586&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><br />What we've delivered in response to those goals is a <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115177580997825212429.00044e25cd8ac21df6813&t=h&z=15">5.3km long loop around the Bearspaw Golf & Country Club</a>. The start/finish and race headquarters will be at the Bearspaw Lion's Club on Nagway Road, just a few meters north of Hwy 1A between 12 Mile Coulee Road and Bearspaw Road. Travelling in a clockwise direction, racers will turn right off of Nagway Rd onto Hamilton Dr, following it North and East around the golf course until a right turn takes you plunging South down 12 Mile Coulee Rd. At the bottom of 12 Mile Coulee racers will make a fast tricky right sweeping corner back onto Nagway, and will then immediately climb more than 100 feet in just over a kilometer to the finish line.<br /><br />Here's some information on the major features of the course:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Climbing:</span> there is several hundred feet of climbing on each 5.2k lap of the course. The climb to the start/finish will, in particular, be selective as races wear on. Riders will need to fight for position coming into the last corner in order to be at the front and avoid the gaps that are sure to open up at this point. While it's not particularly steep, this climb is deceptively hard when tired, especially when you factor in the prevailing strong westerly winds in this area.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Final Corner:</span> As mentioned above, racers who want to have a chance of winning this race will need to be working hard to maintain position at the front coming into this challenging corner. There's something of an optical illusion at play as you approach the entrance that makes it appear much tougher than it is. Riders who can trust their cornering skills at the front should be able to make it through without scrubbing too much speed. Those who are wallowing in the middle to back of the field will likely be almost doing track stands while they watch the leaders rocket away up the climb with the help of the speed they carried. Be out of the top 10 at your own risk - you could be out of the race!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Rolling terrain, curvy road:</span> If you are racing from the front you could well be able to turn small gaps into long breakaways. This course has the potential to get out of sight of the main field, and "out of site" often becomes "out of mind". A 30-40 second gap might well be enough to be gone and never seen again! As such, we absolutely think that smart racing will mean just as much as strong legs on this course.<br /><br />We believe that we've delivered on our goal of developing a challenging selective race course that is great for spectators. The winners on this circuit should truly be the smartest and strongest riders in the bunch. We look forward to seeing you on August 7th!noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-49613186279247368892008-05-09T09:32:00.000-07:002008-05-09T09:41:33.005-07:00Alberta Provincial Cycling TeamA couple of weeks ago the organizers of the Calgary Bike Week races got together over some beers to talk about how everything was coming together and various scheduling issues.<br /><br />After the main part of the meeting was over I had a chance to talk with Scott Kelly (Road/Track/Cyclocross coordinator from the ABA) and Jayson Gillespie (Alberta Provincial team coach). I mentioned that as a not for profit event we were looking for somewhere to send proceeds from the race (if any, trying not to be too optimistic here!), and that I was hoping that I could forward any profits to the ABA in order to keep the money in the sport. They were both super-cool with that, and after some quick discussion we decided that we could earmark the money to support the Provincial team. This helps meet Midweek Mayhem's goals of supporting/developing racing here in Alberta, along with the race organization desire to keep money/proceeds in the sport.<br /><br />(<a href="http://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/team/road.php" target="_blank">More information on the Alberta Provincial Cycling team</a>)noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-49663049842234318452008-05-09T09:22:00.001-07:002008-05-09T09:31:04.321-07:00Race HQ & race announcer!<span style="font-weight:bold;">Race HQ:</span><br />Forgot to mention in the previous post about the Permit that I have also got the Race HQ site booked. It's an excellent facility, with lots of capacity, a great paved area for expo stuff (more on that later!), wireless internet, and it's perfectly situated at the top of a >1km grinder climb for the start/finish. There's also a great large deck for post-race festivities if required!<br /><br />As with info on the race course itself and some other organizational details, I'll be posting more complete information when the Permit is officially completed. Stay tuned!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Race Announcer: introducing Sean Carter!</span><br />We're excited to announce that <a href="http://critninja.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sean Carter</a> (local racer, <a href="http://veloplzn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Veloplzen club</a> big-wig, all around good guy) has graciously accepted our offer to be the cornerstone of our race day announcing/commentary team! Trust me, his enthusiasm and knowledge is going to bring a little something special to the race. We're stoked! Look for some Q&A with Sean as we get closer to the race date...noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-68051932866363510472008-05-09T09:06:00.000-07:002008-05-09T09:21:44.988-07:00Organization update #3 - the PermitAs a first-time race promoter it's been a bit overwhelming when looking at all the tasks that have to be completed in order for the race to be a "go". As mentioned previously, the first hurdle is getting insurance lined up. Thankfully this is a pretty simple process, and it's quick too. It's all taken care of, so hurdle #1 is dealt with.<br /><br />Getting the insurance in place is critical as it's a requirement before the City will even consider giving you a special event roads permit. And that permit is beyond critical, as quite simply it all boils down to "no permit, no race". <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Road Permit:</span><br />I'm happy to report that it looks like the permit has now gone thru most of the City's internal processes/sign-offs. In the end I had a bit of back and forth with the Calgary Police Service's traffic boss as we discussed what the requirements would be from their perspective for a safe race course. It's a bit nerve-wracking dealing with this stuff, as you can almost hear the cash-register in the back of your mind as the Sergeant adds more cars/constables to the list, but I quickly realised that he was truly interested in a safe race course. At no point did I think he was trying to rack up OT for CPS members. In fact, I really got the impression that he was acting as a partner, and that he was trying his best to make things affordable for me.<br /><br />At any rate, it looks like we've come to an agreement on policing requirements for the race that is super reasonable. We also agreed to slightly novel arrangement for police services. I'll talk about it more, but I'm going to wait until I have the permit in my hands with all sign-off's in place! <br /><br />All in all, I've been really happy with how the City has been working with me and helping to make sure that this race goes off safely. I've heard a lot of horror stories, but my experience to this point has been that if you go there in with a positive attitude and are willing to listen to what they have to say, you're going to sail thru the process. These people have TONS of experience dealing with different events taking place on City roads. Treating them as resources/partners instead of regulatory hurdles is a smart move.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-41886313738614282802008-03-29T13:09:00.000-07:002008-03-29T13:24:46.215-07:00supporting youth racingAs a new race promoter there's a few things that I'm really keen to establish with the Circuit de Mayhem race. Key amongst them is a policy that youth racers (Junior, Cadet, Minimie) will not pay to race in my event. <br /><br />As a Masters aged athlete, I'm a strong believer that we're the ones that need to give back in order to grow the sport and provide the means to follow the Long Term Athlete Development Model from the novice to elite ranks.<br /><br />In order to help facilitate the "kids race free" policy, when online registration for the race opens up I'll be adding an option for people to fund a youth race entry. I hope that some of you will consider this option, keeping in mind that the race will be running not-for-profit. I'll post more details as they become 100% firm, but depending on how the sponsorship search goes your donation would either directly finance a race entry into this race, or be pooled and donated back to the ABA earmarked for Junior racing.noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-63126962320807974552008-03-28T18:08:00.000-07:002008-03-28T18:24:52.190-07:00Organization Update #2Things are ticking along nicely with the early stages of race organization. I think we're on track to getting something special on the roads on August 7th! <br /><br />I was up in Edmonton this week for work and managed to drop in to the ABA to meet Scott Kelly (the road, track, & cyclocross coordinator) to chat about what I've got in mind for the race and to make sure that A) it's in line with what they're trying to build for Calgary Bikeweek, and B) I'm not on crack.<br /><br />As it turns out, it would appear that I'm not on crack. Thank goodness. It would cause some issues with my employer if I was.<br /><br />As it also turns out, I'm even more stoked about putting on this after meeting with Scott (and Monica and Kipp). I think that the Bikeweek has some real support up at the ABA, and it seems like they are very willing to help as much as they can with organization and support. The Tour de Bowness is looking huge for this year, and our event (along with the regular Midweek Mayhem Tuesday night crit) is going to (IMHO) do a great job of keeping athletes in town for the week between the TdB and the Wild Roses crit and the ITT provincial champs.<br /><br />I'm also hoping that in the next few weeks we can make some progress in getting the Circuit de Mayhem involved with the Youth Championships! Stay tuned for updates on this front.<br /><br />In other organizational news, I've got some solid results coming in on the sponsorship front. Nothing to announce officially yet, but hopefully I can start sending out some press releases soon! <br /><br />Finally, I've got the permit process started with the City of Calgary. They've been excellent to deal with, and have been more than willing to provide some sound advice. Thanks very much, City of Calgary, and especially John at the Roads Engineering department!<br /><br />Keep checking back...noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-47189591960608629352008-03-18T09:00:00.000-07:002008-03-18T09:12:47.287-07:00Organization update#1So where does the Circuit Mayhem stand as of today? <br /><br />Everything is still tentative, but certainly things are becoming more solidified. I've currently got 2 potential race locations. I'm in touch with the City of Calgary Roads Department about permits for Option #1 (preferred option), and I'm feeling reasonably confident that we should get approval. The course for this option is pretty cool. Slightly over 5k per lap of rolling pavement with a nice little climb to the start/finish, and a super technical >90 degree right-hand corner leading into the climb off a high speed downhill straightaway. This technical feature will place a premium on being at the front of the race and bike-handling skills. <br /><br />Option #2 is outside of the City in the Bragg Creek area. I've started getting into contact with the Province in regards to the roads I want to use for this course. The MD (Municipal District) were my initial point of contact, and they were super to deal with. I've also been in touch with the RCMP's Southern Alberta District HQ, and they have also been very positive to work with. I'm hoping to have a better feel for the chances of using this course within the next week or two.<br /><br />As an aside, the <a href="http://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/" target="_blank">Alberta Bicycle Association</a> (ABA) has published an excellent <a href="http://www.albertabicycle.ab.ca/pdfs/Guides/2008%20Race%20Organizer%20Guide.pdf" target="_blank">resource guide for race organizers</a> this year. It's got great information and some solid planning ideas. It's been invaluable to me so for, and I can't recommend it enough. Check it out if you have any aspirations of hosting a race!noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2687390948554830974.post-29302131894019287272008-03-18T08:48:00.000-07:002008-03-18T08:59:25.740-07:00Welcome to Circuit de Mayhem '08Greetings, and welcome to the first edition of the Circuit de Mayhem!<br /><br />CdM is a new race this year, hosted by the <a href="http://www.midweek-mayhem.ca/" target="_blank">Midweek Mayhem Racing Association</a>. Midweek Mayhem is a long running Calgary weekly race series which includes Crit throughout the late Spring and all Summer, plus a Cyclocross series in the Fall. MMRA is an organization that is set up outside of the "normal" cycling club structure so as to be a neutral host of weekly racing that all of Calgary's clubs and Independents can take part of.<br /><br />The CdM has come into being this season as a result of the superweek of racing taking place this year in conjunction with Calgary Bike Week. Scheduled to take place on Thursday August 7th, CdM helps fill a 10 day span which includes the Tour de Bowness stage race, the regular Mayhem Tuesday night races, the Wild Rose criterium, and the Provincial ITT/TTT champs in Canmore.<br /><br />We're still in the planning process, and as a first-time race organizer it's all a bit daunting. One of the reasons I chose to create this blog is to document the process of race organization for others to draw on in the future. Please keep checking back to follow up on the trials and tribulations of race organization! Mayhem is sure to ensue...noel.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17835134264179111286noreply@blogger.com0