Another Spoke for Outdoor Folk
Photo by Marc Doucette
Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club XCM Canadian Championships
By Abigail Heron
Just like Freddie Mercury once sang, bicycle races are coming your way. The XCM Canadian Championships are back and taking over Kinsmen Park once again. The tried and true host for races since 1998, Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club is bringing you these back to back days of cross country marathon madness. The event has it all—whether you’re ready to ride for hours on end in the fight for first place or prefer to get your thrills a different way—you know—while stationary, supporting the athletes from the sidelines.
There are two categories that make up this event: Canadian Challenge and Canadian Championship. The former has four sub-groups, ranging from 15-40km—or a few easy, breezy laps around the block as some would call it. Those that come out on top in these races are crowned local champions. Participants in the more intensive latter of the two leagues can choose between 60 and 90km, though the 90km race is exclusive to those 19 and over. This race’s winner is dubbed the Canadian champion and goes on to compete on the national stage in Basel, Switzerland.
Photo by Tim Banfield
“I think the challenge is there, and people like to challenge themselves,” says David Valente, President of Black Sheep Mountain Bike Club. “Pushing themselves to their limit of how many kilometres they can go under a certain time limit— that’s why it’s called marathon style.”
Photo by Marc Doucette
More experienced competitors are invited to watch the Mini-Miner races Friday evening and then attend the after-event, featuring a speech from Olympic cycling medalist, Curt Harnett. With that, each level of biker—veteran or novice— feels encouraged and has the opportunity to learn. “Its a sense of community,” says Valente. “A big family oriented kind of thing too, going out in big community groups, helping kids learn and parents can be right there behind them.”
Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club XCM Canadian Championships take place August 21-24 with registration closing on August 19. The event is a popular favourite amongst outdoor enthusiasts in town but always has room for more people and of course, a lot of fun. “We're all about having fun; that is literally our biggest thing,” says Valente.
Visit blacksheepmtb.com for more details.