Video: On board at the 2014 Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross at the Forks in Winnipeg

It’s getting closer. If you’re in Winnipeg, you might already be feeling it in the air: the electric anticipation of the Canadian cyclocross calendar’s number one domestic event.

Kicking off tomorrow, the Canadian cyclocross calendar’s key event rolls out at The Forks in Winnipeg, when the country’s top ‘cross riders descend on its sandy course to vie for the discipline’s top domestic honours. This year, riders like Michael van den Ham, Mike Garrigan and Geoff Kabush will be a part of the event’s white-hot roster, representing a tough, relentless field of competition that will keep the competitors themselves at the edge of their saddles.

With the rising profile of cyclocross in Canada, too — something Kabush himself noted in a recent interview with Canadian Cycling Magazine — Winnipeg has become something of a national shrine to a wildly popular sport, whose appeal owes itself to the versatility and inclusiveness of the discipline. Road riders, cross-country bikers, urban cyclists, pros and rookies alike can all get involved, and the mix of tough, uniquely-talented cyclists makes for a thrilling tempo of competition. Perhaps more than in any other cycling discipline, riders and spectators feed off one another, the frenzied enthusiasm of the crowd driving a competitor’s pedals.

Canadian Cycling Magazine will be bringing the action via our social media portal and race reports, once competition starts Friday, Oct. 23. For now, take a look at how that tempo of competition feels from the saddle, with a look back at October, 2014’s edition of the Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross, one of the overall event’s annual competitions.

See you in Winnipeg!