2009 Canadian National Cyclocross Championships

So, Ed and I decided we should try again to watch 'cross nationals - though there were 2 major differences this year compared to last year: 1) weather - below freezing temperatures with snow, and 2) our 4 month old daughter with whom we'd had no prior experience yet out in the snow and cold. Chloe got a brand-new snowsuit the day before and we were set to go. Except that it took more time than expected to actually get her into the snowsuit and then be able to properly tighten up her carseat, so we missed the start of the womens' and juniors' race (we knew it would be too long a day for Chloe if we'd even tried to watch the U23 race).

First thing we noticed when we arrived was that the course had changed a bit from last year, and even included a sandpit - through the playground! I thought perhaps this was the Canadian way (ie. low-cost when cyclocross isn't exactly the #1 sporting event around) but found out later that there's actually a new UCI rule preventing "artificial" sandpits from being incorporated into cyclocross courses.

So, after watching a few laps at the sandpit, we headed for the finish line in time to see Kris Dahl (Team Alberta) win the Junior mens' race, and Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain-Maxxis) win the womens'. Sydor, at age 42, is apparently the first Canadian to have won national titles in the 3 disciplines of MTB, road and cyclo-cross (though Christian Meier had previously won in 3 different disciplines: road, track and cyclo-cross).
Finish line (not many people there during the actual race as there were more exciting spots to watch - but definitely far fewer this year due to the weather)

Canadian Junior mens' champ Kris Dahl

Canadian Womens' champ Alison Sydor

Junior Mens' podium

Womens' podium - Pepper Harlton (2nd), Alison Sydor (1st), Natasha Elliott (3rd)
(note that defending womens' champ Wendy Simms did not compete this year as she recently had a baby).

Then we watched the start of the elite mens' race before going inside the clubhouse to warm up (our aging concrete velodrome is in this park so there is a cycling club's clubhouse next to it - proposal to replace the velodrome with an indoor one is currently stalled mostly due to NIMBY syndrome but that's another story).


We then alternated between warming up in the clubhouse (for Chloe's benefit) and watching near the other new and exciting course feature this year - a flyover scaffolding-ramp (our more limited mobility meant we couldn't go to our favourite up and down section from last year). Defending champion Geoff Kabush

Slippery corner where there was a lot of congestion on the first lap (and apparently crashes in previous races on the first lap as well).

Eventual repeat champion Geoff Kabush

Kabush being interviewed by Canadian Cyclist (I recognized the interviewer's voice from other video interviews on their site)

Elite Mens' podium - Derrick St. John (2nd), Geoff Kabush (1st), Aaron Schooler (3rd)

And then we went straight home to warm up. Chloe did very well, initially she fell asleep but then she was looking around and didn't seem to complain about the cold at all. The cold weather made taking photos a lot more difficult - had to pull off the glove to press the camera button and it wasn't very comfortable!