No matter where you stood at the cross race in Cumberland, you could hear stoked kids yelling at riders to “hit the jump!”
The youngsters were yelling themselves hoarse throughout the day, but would erupt in cheers every time a rider went up and over the two foot kicker. It was one of the most popular parts of the course for spectators, since there’s nothing like seeing a lycra-clad bike rider jump a few feet into the air in order to gain a second or two on the competition. But one thing about a race like this is that there are plenty of places to cheer for — or heckle — your favourite riders. Whether that was the hairpin turn with extra special handups, the death spiral to catch many riders all at once, the finish line to watch the sprint, there was tons of room to get up close and personal with the riders.
It was a great time, and I’ll definitely be lining up to start next year.
In the meantime, enjoy the video and photos!
Part of this was originally published in the Comox Valley Record