Cycling in Canada: Get a feel for how cyclocross is done in Alberta, right from the saddle

If you’re like us, you might just be the tiniest bit excited that cyclocross season is here and cooking. And yes, that was definitely an understatement.

Next weekend, between Oct. 23 and 25, the Canadian Cyclocross Championships of 2015 bring Canada’s annual gravel-riding calendar to a climax, when competition rolls out at The Forks in Winnipeg. Elite men and women hit the course on Saturday and Sunday, with the event’s marquee race kicking off on Saturday, following Friday’s Kick Cancer Cylocross Derby and preceding Sunday’s Grand Prix of Cyclocross. Presented by Volvo, it’s a three-day festival of all things ‘cross that will see the country’s top riders crowned.

Meanwhile, there’s still a week to go before then, which means you may be sitting on pins and needles waiting to see some graceful, powerful, laser-precision cyclocross riding — assuming you haven’t already. From the east coast to Ontario to British Columbia, the country has been on fire the last several weeks with some of the world’s best, most highly-skilled riders owning the ‘cross course. The best part about that, if you haven’t seen any of it first hand, is that there’s plenty of exciting video footage to document it all.

This video, for one, was shot in Hinton, Alberta and published to YouTube this week, giving an immersive POV-level view of the cyclocross experience straight from the saddle. Take a look, get the feel for the speed of the Hinton Bike Park loop, and mark next weekend on your calendars, cyclocross fans.