Thursday Anticipation

1) Grass Track Fridays

The next event on the calendar is the special edition of Grass Track Fridays next Wednesday. In case you haven't heard, grass track racing it is the next big thing. So cutting edge is it that only the coolest of the cool kids have shown up so far. But even the cool kids enjoy the company of others. Come out and see what all the fuss is about. Good times guaranteed.


Gianni the Grass Track Czar provides the following information:

A fun cyclocross (or mountain, or road racing) training opportunity brought to you by the Manitoba Union of Cyclocross Riders (MUCR)

At Betrand Arena - Bertrand @ Ritchot
No entry fee
No prizes
Track open for warm up at 6:30, training races start at 7 sharp
Mixed program of long and short, team and individual events
Any MCA member over 16 years of age can ride (only general membership required, not a racing license), OR...
Fun to watch (bring a blanket/chair, bug spray, noisemaker of your choosing...)
Beer at the Belgian Club afterwards (around 8:30, they only take cash)

Contact: Gianni

2) Operación MUERTO

Hot on its heels is the WhitesHELL Enduro, which is the third assigment of Operación MUERTO.


This is what we at the FGBC call an off-the-grid race. It is unsanctioned, unsponsored, and unsupported. No bureaucracy. No commercial interests. No insurance. There is no entry fee. And there will be no prizes. It is all about the good times. And perhaps the not-so-good times. It's about pushing yourself. And being pushed. But the important point to emphasize here is that you will be entirely on your own. Bring whatever you think you will need to get yourself through the race. And maybe a bit more. We will pass through the campground at about the half-way point of the race. You can leave food, drinks, and supplies for yourself there. The course will also pass by several convenience stores where you can purchase more food and drink if necessary.

As for the course, it will begin at West Hawk Lake campground. It will head to Ingolf, probably on the road, and do a lap of the Ingolf trail. From there, it will head back to WHL and proceed via the Trans Canada Trail to Falcon Lake. It continues, via the road, around the lake to the Falcon Lake trails for more climbing and tricky stuff. Then we head back to WHL for the finish and post-race conviviality.

Bill is heading out with a group to recon the WHL to Falcon portion of the course next Monday. We don't have an exact overall distance yet, and won't have one until the day before the race. But expect to ride somewhere between 110-120 kms.

There will be a sizeable group of us are camping at the West Hawk Lake campground, section F. Some of us will even be there already on Friday night. I don't know if there are any more sites left. But the smart thing to do is book a site. The pre-race party on Saturday night promises to be a highlight of the weekend.

Speaking of Operación MUERTO, check out the overall standings after the first two assignments. It is all pretty close.

It also needs to be noted that there has been a change with the fourth assignment. Originally scheduled for August 30 at Aessessippi, it will now take place on August 16 at Birch. And it will be an eight hour race. Also, since it is unclear whether the Fall Classic will meet the MUERTO criteria (i.e., not an endurance race), it has been taken off the calendar. That leaves us with four races in the series. We are half-way done.



3) Cyclocross

It is not too early to start thinking about cyclocross. In fact, it is never too early to think about cyclocross. But the 2009 season is just around the corner. It begins in just over a month and a half, on August 30. There was a MUCR meeting last week. We are working on some big things to make what is already a great series of races even better. Stay tuned for more details.