CYCLOCROSS DAMAGE
Cyclocross championship organizers have agreed to pick up the cost of repairs to muddy tracks left behind at Nicholls Oval
More than 400 cyclists competing in the Shimano Canadian Cyclocross Championships left their mark on Nicholls Oval last weekend, but event organizers agreed beforehand to cover the cost of the damage, a city official said Wednesday.
At least some damage to the turf was anticipated because of the wet weather, said Terri Lynn Johnston of the city’s recreation division, which books the facility. Landscaping repairs will be completed after a parks supervisor assesses the site in the spring, she said.
The event included practice runs last Friday and competition on Saturday on a 3.5-kilometre loop through Nicholls Oval, the Rotary Trail and Rotary Park. Cyclocross is a hybrid of mountain bike and road racing.
Bicycles left wide muddy trails throughout the site, including one that divides the broad embankment near the Nicholls Oval stage, while visitor’s vehicles left long, narrow holes now filled with leaves and frozen water.
The championships met and exceeding expectations, race director John Hauser told The Examiner as medals were handed out Saturday evening.
“The weather this weekend, although cold and miserable by some standards, has been fantastic for cyclocross. It really has been top notch. This is Canadian cyclocross weather – snow, ice, mud and super entertaining,” he said.
Abbotsford, B.C.'s Michael van den
Ham, 26, won his second consecutive national title in the elite men's division with a time of 59:56, beating Geoff Kabush by 4.02 seconds.