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Canada’s year-round cyclocross facility hosts its first race

Cross on the Rock makes a muddy landing at Jordie Lunn Bike Park in Langford, B.C.

Cyclocross racing made a muddy debut at the Jordie Lunn Bike Park over the weekend. Cross on the Rock’s Broad Street Cycles GP is the first race to be held at the park, which includes Canada’s only year-round permanent cyclocross facility since it opened in early 2021.

As you would guess from its namesake, the late-Canadian freerider Jordie Lunn, the park contains more than cyclocross trails. Cross on the Rock made use of a wide range of the park’s available terrain. The expected wide, fast sections were mixed in with technical singletrack corners, steep climbs and run-ups and a climb up the Velosolutions pump track’s “snake run.” With heavy overnight rain, racers were also treated to several deep sections of peanut butter-thick mud, deep puddles and slippery roots.

Despite intermittent heavy rains – also known as perfect ‘cross weather – over 330 racers toed the start line on Sunday. Categories ranged from Kids Zoom Zoom Half-Track through Launch, Intermediate, Open, Masters men and women and even Super-Masters.

Hard-fought elevation gain and demanding descending left racers tired, but smiling. Logan Sadesky (RMCC) and 15-year-old Sarah Roberts (Easton-Liv) rode away with the Open men and women’s wins. Sadesky took a solid win and was joined by Evan Russell (TaG Cycling) and Parker Bloom (Broad Street Cycles). Gillian Carleton (Broad Street Cycles) and Frederica Blouin-Comeau (Oak Bay Bikes Racing) joined Robert’s on the women’s podium after a close-fought race that saw all three finish within 30 seconds.

Jordie Lunn Bike Park is a community-focused venue named in tribute to the Canadian freerider that passed away in late 2019. It combines facilities for all ages and cycling abilities together in one place. This ranges from wide multi-use paths to beginner and intermediate-friendly singletrack to a two-level asphalt pump track and dirt jump lines ranging from beginner to a Darren Berrecloth-built pro line. It officially opened to the public in late May, 2021.

Cross on the Rock wraps up this Sunday, Nov. 14 at Beban Park in Nanaimo. Local riders will have a week off to recover. Then 2021 Canadian Cyclocross national championships brings three days of racing back to Langford at Bear Mountain.