Cross on the Rock returns to Cumberland, B.C., with Coal Cross

Cyclocross kicks into high, muddy gear for Vancouver Island riders when Coal Cross, part of Cross on the Rock, returns to Cumberland, B.C., on Sunday.

Registration opens at 9:15 a.m. at Cumberland Village Park, with the first competition getting underway at 10:45 a.m.

Several classifications—beginner, intermediate, masters, expert, junior, youth and kids—will compete on a course that, this year, has been tweaked a little to make things a bit more interesting. While the details are being kept hush-hush intentionally until race day, the course, organizers say, will offer a range of twists, turns, straightaways, and as always, huge elevation gains. Some tricky off-camber sections, too, will be a part of the Coal Cross mix.

Beginner men will start at 10:45 a.m., followed by the women a minute later at 10:46 a.m. At noon, the intermediate men get underway, with the intermediate women—including under-17 and masters competitors—starting out at 12:01 p.m. Masters men 40-54 will ride at 1 p.m., followed by super master men—55 and older—at 1:03.

Finally, the event culminates with the expert men race at 2:15 p.m., followed by expert women at 2:16 p.m.

Pre-registration is $15 for beginner and junior, youth, intermediate and expert classifications, or $25 for same-day registration. For intermediate, masters and expert riders, pre-registration is $25, or $35 on the day of. Kids, of course, ride for free.

Coal Cross is followed on Oct. 9 by Kona Kup, the next instalment of Cross on the Rock, at Bowen Park, Nanaimo.