Canada’s national cyclocross competition has a 25-plus year history. The 2014 Shimano Canadian Cyclocross Championships is the first edition to run as a three-day full-blown festival similar to big American events like Providence. On October 24 the Kick Cancer Cyclocross Derby launches the weekend with new programming in the shape of community races and clinics. Serious competition ensues with the Canadian Cyclocross Championships on October 25 and Manitoba Grand Prix of Cyclocross international UCI C2 race the next day. Title sponsor Shimano will provide neutral support throughout the weekend.
The Forks in the heart of Winnipeg hosts the three-day festival. This popular gathering place showcases shopping, dining, and cultural attractions in a waterside park setting. Gravel paths, deep sand, grass, pavement, cobblestones, and riverfront furnish elements for a dynamic and fast course. One section winds through a marketplace selling strong coffee, warm pastries, and international fare from empanadas to spring rolls.
Riders will experience a circuit with an in-town feel similar to venues in the Belgian motherland of cyclocross while introducing the sport to thousands of individuals. Upwards of 30,000 people visit The Forks on its busiest days.
