2014 Shimano Canadian cyclocross championships: In-depth look at the course

Canadian Cycling Magazine‘s Bob Bergman scoped out the course of the 2014 Shimano Canadian cyclocross championships the day before the title races. Bergman is Ontario’s 2013-14 Master C (50-59) champion and was third at nationals in 2012 and 2013 in his category. He, like many of the riders, likes the course set out in Winnipeg’s The Forks. It’s a route that’s more than the sum of its parts, and those parts add up to a challenging circuit. The technical features—run-ups, sand pits, ramped stairs—build on one another quickly and will wear down riders. Since the weather forecast is for more sun, the course will be dry and fast.

Bergman was struck by the different terrain that appear on the course. “There are a lot of textures,” he said. “There’s a lot of cobblestones, there’s pavement, there’s gravel. It’s constant surface changes, which makes it tricky to figure out what tire pressure to run.”

Check the video for Bergman’s analysis. Then, in the next video below, ride along with Bergman through key features of the course, via Contour’s Roam 3 camera.