Re: Postponement of BC Road and TT Provincial Championships originally scheduled for August 7th and 8th.
Cycling BC is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Local Ride Racing in order to host a rescheduled BC Provincial Road Race Championship on August 15th, 2021 on the infamous Hatzic Valley Road Race Course. This change to the BC Championships calendar follows Escape Velocity Cycling Club’s recent announcement that they would be forced to postpone the event originally slated for August 7th and 8th as a result of delays in obtaining the required road use permits. Cycling BC has consulted with members of the road racing community while assessing all available alternative options. The Hatzic Valley Road Race was selected due its ability to provide a challenging and safe race experience during a time window that is closest to the originally scheduled date which will enable racers to get the most out of their training during the summer months
The Hatzic Valley east of Mission, BC has served as the location for BC Road Provincials as recently as 2015 and is a selective 18.5km course worthy of a championship event. The August 15th race will host Elite, U23, Masters, and Junior championship categories as well as non-championship races for Cat 4 and novice racers. Local Ride Racing will be communicating with racers who were previously registered for the event in order to provide instructions on how to change their registration to the most appropriate championship category for which they are licensed to participate in*. Registration is available at www.localride.ca and an updated tech guide will be provided shortly. Cycling BC will be working with our network of event organizers in order to identify a replacement for BC Time Trial Championships as well as additional youth race opportunities.
British Columbia bike racers have seen a quick return to competition since the province announced it’s 4 step Restart Plan in May. As of July 1st, most outdoor sporting events have been able to proceed without restrictions and a renewed interest in cycling has resulted in participation that surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Despite this return to “normalcy”, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause challenges for event organizers who work tirelessly to navigate event permitting processes that are considerably more complex and slow moving than in prior years. As a result, our calendar of sanctioned events remains very fluid as we respond to changing schedules. We would like to thank our members for their patience while we work with organizers to confirm event dates and details. We acknowledge that last minute changes impact everyone’s training and travel plans. We regret that in some cases changes to scheduled events will result in some individuals not being able to participate.
Cycling BC would like to thank Local Ride Racing’s Barry Lyster for quickly adapting the Hatzic Road Race event in order to accommodate the requirements of a Provincial Championships race. We would also like to thank the executive, staff and volunteers from the Escape Velocity Cycling Club who continue to deliver exceptional cycling events in the Lower Mainland.
*Note that a Cycling BC Provincial Race license or a UCI License from Cycling BC or an equivalent federation is required to participate. “Ride”, “Cycling for All” membership, or domestic licences from other provinces will not be accepted. Racers from out of province are welcome to participate but residency in BC and a Cycling BC License must be confirmed in order to be eligible for a provincial title. Racers wishing to compete in masters (ages 35+) categories must be licensed as a master racer.
Upcoming Local Ride Racing events
Thornhill Road Race – August 1st
BC Provincial Road Race @ Hatzic Valley – August 15th
Rock the Ridge – August 28th
JailHouse Rock – August 29th
Pumpkin Cross – October TBC
Upcoming Escape Velocity Cycling Club events
Seymour Challenge – August 14th