Get out your calendars. DarkCross returns to the Red River Co-op Speedway on Sept. 7, 2013.

Check back soon to see what’s in store for this year’s event.

The results are in and it’s time to announce the winners of Shot in the Dark–the first annual DarkCross photo contest! With over 60 photos submitted it was no easy task picking a winner. Three professional cycling photographers–Chris Milliman, Kristof Ramon, and Joe Sales–generously shared their well-trained eyes and served as judges to select the final three winners as well as several honorable mentions.

So without further ado, we offer our congratulations to Timothy Dueck on winning first place and a Contour GPS video camera from Don’s Photo! Timothy’s photo of the start line was a unanimous hit with our judges.

Here’s what Joe Sales had to say about his winning photo: “I love this picture.   It shows me the venue, the landscape, the mood, the racers, and the fans.   Looking at it full screen sealed the deal.  I can see the kids lined up at the back of the pack, and the bank of the oval.   It is full of context and gives me a feel for the event.  I can also smell the pre-race tension as the officials give final instructions.  It helps that its a stunning sunset and the photographer  has everything in focus so my eyes can see off into the distance.   I also like that it shows all the racers as a big group.  For me the start is a special moment because it emphasizes the shared part of cyclocross and puts everyone on equal footing as members of the group or cult or whatever.  A cross fan from anywhere in the world can look at this picture and know DarkCross is the place to race in early September.  Any magazine doing a feature on your event would (or at least should) choose this picture for a two page spread.  Winner.”

Second and third place was a tight battle between two fantastic photos with very different styles. Congratulations Nik Pham on winning second place and a $100 gift certificate at Don’s Photo! Nik’s photo of Daniel Enns running up the legendary Wallace and Wallace grandstand surrounded by screaming fans was noted by the judges for capturing the character of the venue and spirit of the event, with particular note given to the riders in the background. Nice touch Nik!

Following closely behind is our final podium winner, Brandon Bertram! His photo of A-racer Dave Coughlin after the race was the only film submission we had.

High-speed black and white film and cyclocross racing at night, what could be better? The cracked surface of the dirt track, course tape, and body language worked together to tell the story of what racing DarkCross feels like. Brandon’s photo was also noteworthy as it was one of the few submissions that wasn’t taken during a race. Instead Brandon concentrated on capturing the exhaustion and emotion felt by racers after the event. As Joe Sales said, “This is a rad photo. He looks tired..” Way to go Brandon and congratulations on third place and a $100 gift certificate from Don’s Photo.

Honorable Mentions:

With so many great photos, picking the winners was no easy task. Our judges provided us with several honorable mentions:

• Stephen Anderson-Lindsay
• Dylan Hewlett
• Dan Speechley
• Kyle Thomas
• Stefan Isfeld
• Thomas Epp
• Paul Verwymeren
• Tami Giesbrecht

DarkCross raises the bar for cycling events on the prairies.

$4000 purse and dozens of prizes from Mad Alchemy Embrocation, Dugast Canada, Banjo Brothers, Jägermeister, and zone41 theatre divvied up by Manitoba’s finest cyclists.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winnipeg, MB – September 17, 2012 – Reports began flooding in via Facebook and Twitter just after midnight on a gorgeous late-summer prairie night. DarkCross had taken the bar for a cycling event in Manitoba and sent it heavenward.  With the Red River Co-op Speedway transformed into a fast and flowing 3 kilometre course that utilized every inch of the facility, a huge crowd of cow-bell toting fans, the imposing Qualico Homes Flyover, the now legendary Wallace + Wallace grandstand run-up, old school sounds from DJ Riddim, and two sets from Winnipeg’s best new rock band, The Vibrating Beds, it was a night few will soon forget.  Speedway General Manager Blair Bodley echoed that enthusiasm, saying “the atmosphere was unlike anything we see during the course of the summer and if you missed it, you need to be there next year.”

Danny Bubis, President of Cat 1/2 Race sponsor Tetrem Capital Management added, “In all my years cycling in Winnipeg, never have I seen an event with that level of fan and rider participation. It was exciting for everyone.”

Racers were equally impressed with DarkCross. David Coughlin, who spent three years racing pro cyclocross in Belgium, had this to say, “In Europe the courses are spectator driven. They love fast and twisty courses with sand pits, flyovers, deep muddy run-throughs, and lanes that get close to the beer garden. In many ways, it is the fans who propel you through the race. DarkCross felt exactly like this sort of race—especially running up the grandstand through the crowd, with the cowbells, the yelling, and the rapid fire camera flashes. I came out the top of it flying high. The course design was fantastic, with open technical corners, varied terrain, and excellent flow.”

David Coughlin on the Wallace + Wallace grandstand Run-up
(photo: Mark Reimer)

The excitement of the races matched the excitement of the event as a whole. The Cat. 1/2 Mens Race was not decided until the late in the last lap. Last year’s second place finisher, Don Sawatsky (Woodcock Cycleworks), attacked as they exited the dirt track oval for the final time and held on to take a narrow win over Daniel Enns (FOG) and Craig Penner (FGBC). Anna Schappert (FGBC) easily won the Tétro Design sponsored Womens Cat. 1/2/3 Race, finishing just a few seconds behind Cat. 3 Mens winner Jake Allaire (MB Dev. Team), in his Snider Orthotic Design and Epp Siepman Engineering sponsored race.  The Cat. 4 Womens race – sponsored by Manitoba Egg Farmers – was Haley Warkentin (MB Dev. Team) and the Klassen Concrete sponsored Mens Cat. 4 race winner was Kurt Penno (MB Dev. Team).  More than 100 raced in the Kids and Open races.

“DarkCross 2012 . . . what an event!” said James Buhler of title sponsor Wallace + Wallace Fences.  “Starting off with perfect weather and a great crowd, the course was thoughtfully designed to use as much real estate as possible—the varied terrain providing racers with ample opportunity to showcase their talents. Congratulations to all of the organizers and riders who created another cyclocross race that will be memorable for years to come.”