SUNDRE – The lead organizer of the annual Snakes and Ladders Cyclocross at Snake Hill said come sleet or slow, the conditions makes for a more interesting challenge.
The event’s third edition on Saturday, Oct. 21 brought out 73 cyclists of all ages with their cyclocross bikes, which despite being ridden on what might be considered more of a mountain bike style terrain actually resembles more closely the racing bicycles used in road racing.
“Things went really well,” said Felix Lee.
That was despite some wet weather the day leading up to the race itself, which made setting up the course a bit more challenging, said Lee.
“But having it a little muddy in places for race day was nice,” he said.
“Cyclocross is traditionally like a winter sport in Europe,” he said. “Poor weather is sort of the hallmark of the racing. So, it’s nice to have it a little wetter, a little muddier; it’s just a different kind of challenge.”
“If there’s one race that can deal with bad weather, it’s this one,” he said.
For that reason, he expressed gratitude to the municipality for authorizing the race to proceed regardless of the conditions.
“One of the really important things for me with this venue, is that the town allows us to run this race no matter what the conditions are,” he said. “In Calgary and Edmonton, if it’s the least bit wet and things might look muddy afterward, it’s a no-go.”
That can lead to wrenches getting thrown into the gears of the most meticulously laid out plans for a race should a turn in the weather result in a cancellation. But that’s not been a concern for the race in Sundre, he said.
“Racers know that no matter what the weather (brings), we’re a go,” he said.
This year, Lee decided to introduce a new element to the course: a tricky winding path that snakes down the tobogganing hill’s partial half-pipe.
“We added that into the race,” he said. “It’s just something we don’t get to see very often – if ever – in cyclocross racing. So, I thought it was a fun feature to add.”
There was also the added benefit of bringing the racers down along the grassy portion of the east side of Snake Hill near the public parking lot.
“It gave more people the opportunity to see the race,” he said. “Because the nature of Snake Hill obviously is that it’s very difficult to follow the race in the trees.”
Although Snake Hill might not lend itself to being as exciting for spectators, the racers seem unable to get enough, he said.
“It’s also something that makes it very unique,” he said about all the trees on Snake Hill.
“From a racer’s perspective, when you’re riding through the forest like that, it’s a very different experience than Calgary or Edmonton, where you’re just out in an open park,” he said.
“People who always say it’s a really hard course because Snake Hill is very hilly – the course has a lot of climbing in it – they still keep coming back because it’s a unique venue that they really enjoy.”
There were seven abilities-based categories for men and women as well as a youth race, he said.
The number of racers was down a little bit from last year, but Lee said “that was not unexpected” as the original date had been pushed back a bit and registration for other similar events seemed to be down across the board.
“Before I brought it to Sundre, we were in Red Deer and we experienced the same kind of difficulties there with slightly lower registration,” he said, adding there naturally isn’t a comparable population base such as the larger cities.
But participant feedback overall remains good, and the minor decline in registered racers certainly hasn’t dissuaded him from pushing forward with a fourth annual instalment next year.
Lee praised both the Sundre Bike n’ Ski Club and the Town of Sundre for lending their support in helping ensure the race goes off without a hitch.
