Jean-Richard Cormier, a regular at the Atlantic Cycling Centre, rides his offroad unicycle on a snow-covered Gregoire Street in Dieppe. See photo from the Times and Transcript.

We take a few minutes to send our best wishes to all for 2009! Many kilometres, bike trails, jumps and laps around the velodrome... and most importantly, all the accomplishments on two wheels!

Looking for a last minute gift for the cyclist in your family? Check out our Apogée line x-mas sale. Order while quantities last!

At a time of year where cycling is cooled down, Sussex's Christian Meier is living on his highest cloud yet. Last week, along with his good friend, Svein Tuft, they spent some time at the Garmin-Chipottle training camp. Follow their experiences on the Biking Bros Blog. Christian also made the news earlier this week on popular cycling web site Velo News. We wish Christian the best of luck in his future career.

Sport NB hosted its 15th Annual Pitney Bowes Sports Awards Saturday November 15th in Caraquet. The event celebrates the best in New Brunswick sporting community and had a special highlight of the 2008 Olympic & Paralympic Games. The successful season of the Sussex cyclist, Christian Meier, was marked by a nomination as New Brunswick’s Comfort Inn male Athlete of the year. Over unfortunate team complications he had to go through this season, Christian still managed to claim the elite men road race national title, a first ever by an Atlantic rider. A few weeks later, Symmetrics was announcing his transfer to the Garmin-Chipotle cycling team. Lately, this team announced its ProTour status for 2009, so the future looks great of the New Brunswick native. The successful nomination of Christian Meier, made in partnership with Velo NB, marks a second year of success in a row for the National Cycling Centre – Atlantic Canada at this gala. Last year, the Caisse populaire Dieppe was named sponsor of the year by Sport NB. PITNEY BOWES SPORTS AWARDS RECIPIENTS Comfort Inn Female Athlete of the Year: Kelsey McNeil, Salisbury, Figure Skating Comfort Inn Male Athlete of the Year: Christian Meier, Sussex, Cycling Female Coach of the Year: Kathy Grenier, Cocagne, Figure Skating Male Coach of the Year: Don Ryan, Maugerville, Wrestling Aliant Team of the Year: Baseball New Brunswick Canada Cup Team Official of the Year: Nancy Morrison, Quispamsis, Softball Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award: Gilda MacAdams, Haneytown, Figure Skating Outstanding Media Coverage: Peter Assaff, Northern Light - Bathurst Corporate Award: McInnes Cooper - Fredericton Spirit of Sport: Melissa Briggs, DSL de Drummond, Figure Skating Lifetime Volunteer Achievement: Ed Dunham, Fredericton, Baseball President Award – Female: Geneviève Lalonde, Moncton, Athletics President Award – Male: Carson Marcoux, Balmoral, Fencing Sport New Brunswick Honourary Member: Jean Guy Robichaud, Caraquet

The Cyclesmith Cycling Club is organizing the 2008 NS Cross Provincial Championships on Sunday December 7 in Halifax (Seaview Lookoff Park) and have assembled a tonne of products and prizes and will be offering a rather large cash purse for the open category (based on registration but hopefully around $500 cash!). There is quite a bit of interest here from the elite riders, and would love to have the hot shots from NB and PEI come out to the event, to make it a better show down! Click here for more information and event poster. Registration are also possible on-line.

November 10, 2008 - Thirty one riders came out in spring-like conditions to race the muddy course of the Dieppe Mud Cross in the Rotary Park, St. Anselme. Highlights of the day included having three young local riders, Julien Rousell, Marc Evers and Frederic Landry all come out to ride. Riders came from as far away as Halifax for this race. Series leader Stuart Wight was there to defend his lead despite having had four wisdom teeth removed on Friday – he was seen sporting a very swollen face and was overhead to have said, “Well, you don’t pedal with your face!” Apparently he was correct since he again took second place in the race and was the only rider in the field who managed to avoid being lapped even once by race winner Ryan Belliveau. The top junior men’s rider for the day was Lucas McCulloch from Pictou County Freeriders. The course was soaked and slow going from the heavy rains the previous day but all riders were sporting big grins under the mud cake. Big thanks go out to the Park staff who provided a hose for post race bike and rider cleaning. The series wraps up next week – Nov 16 in Island View, NB with the inaugural Pie Cross Race there are strong rumours of delicious pies for prizes – details at www.velo.nb.ca Results Open Women 1. Michelle Chase (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 2. Melanie Bordage (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 3. Caroline Belliveau (Giant Bicycles, Dieppe) Open Men 1. Ryan Belliveau (Atlantic Cycling Centre, Dieppe) 2. Stuart Wight (Hot Tubes, Riverview) 3. Jean Richard Cormier (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 4. Brian McKeown (Radical Edge, Fredericton) 5. Shaughn Smith (Bike Works, Saint John) 6. Charles Cormier (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 7. Ben Bschaden (Cyclesmith, Halifax) 8. Mike LeBlanc (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 9. Mark Mosher (Darling’s Island Racing, Saint John) 10 Guy Pellerin (Giant Bicycles, Dieppe) 11. Andrew Arsenault (Radical Edge, Island View) 12. Don Ricker (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) 13. Jon Spinney (Sea Level Cycling, Saint John) 14. Josh Lamkey (Fitworks, Moncton) 15. Ian Dennis (Mike’s Bike Shop, Sackville) 16. Rene Julien (Mike’s Bike Shop, Moncton) 17. Lucas McCulloch (Pictou County, Pictou) 18. Jean Guy Cormier (Radical Edge, Fredericton) 19. Philippe Theriault (Mike’s Bike Shop, Dieppe) Citizen Men 1. Garth Millar (Saint John) 2. TJ Worden-Rogers (Moncton) 3. Rob Arseneau (Fredericton) 4. Brad Fulford (Sussex) Citizen Youth 1. Julien Rousell (Dieppe) 2. Marc Evers (Dieppe) 3. Frederic Landry (Dieppe)

Nov. 9, 2008, at Dieppe Rotary Park. All welcome, come try it out! Mountain bikes are allowed. Info on “What is Cyclo-Cross?” and rules at Velo NB web site. 11:00 am event will last 3/4 hour plus 1 lap for men/women in Open, Sport, junior men, U17, and any Citizen racers. Registration on-line or on-site (check for signs) from 9:30am to 10:30 am. The cost is $15. Bring your VeloNB race plate if you have one. Race goes rain, snow or shine. The Dieppe Rotary Park offers incredible cross conditions. The course will be similar to 2004 Cross Nationals and only marked on Sunday. Awards about 12:15 pm. Draw Prizes. Important Note: If you do not have a Velo NB/ CCA license you must purchase a Citizen Entrance on site for $20,00. This allows the purchaser to particpant in a Velo NB sanctioned race in the Citizen category. No points will be awarded to riders purchasing a Citizen Entrance. - Information contact Jeff Currie at 506-855-5384 - Sponsor: Mikes Bike Shop Cycling Club - Event sanctioned by Velo NB

Applications are being accepted for a limited number of openings. This program is developed to let riders go up the competition latter of the Canadian Cycling Association’s Long Term Athlete’s Development. Better described as the entry door to the Canadian National Cycling Team, this program gives you the opportunity, with the National Cycling Centre – Atlantic Canada, to think the Olympic way. For the last 8 years, this cycling program has been one of the most successful ones in Canada. A strong part of the acceptance of any athlete in this special program is based on potential, attitude, aptitude, results and last but not least, goals of the athlete. This program does not work with no desire to pursue a dream. Dead line for application is November 14th. Complete details of the program can be found here.

With Mike LeBlanc and Derrick Keith tied in first place with one race to go, we certainly expected a great finish to the 2008 Mike's Bike Shop Cup. The evening was certainly warm for cross (+16), but the heavy rain and wind certainly made it look like a typical northern Europe cross race... with the exception of the Halloween costumes! One thing for sure, Melanie Bordage, still mathematically in the race for the top podium step, had no intention of letting the two leaders battle it out on there own. She rode the race of her life and took advantage of the handicap system to take the last of the 18 stages of the 2008 Tuesday night series. The question was on everyone's mind, would the 100 points awarded for the victory be enough to make it to the top? By the smallest margin ever, those 100 points were enough to take the series by 5 points! At the same time, Bordage became the first women to win the Mike's Bike Shop Cup. To win the series, she had to battle things out from May to October on cycling's 6 event series: cross country, time trials, criterium, track, BMX, and then cyclo-cross. The local series was once again a great success in 2008, and the best part of it is still to come. The profit raised throughout the summer will now be donated to a special charity on behalf of our winner. After her podium, she was so surprised of the outcome that she needed to wait to decide to which charity she would like to donate in the community. A later announcement will be made on that effect, and we will also announce the amount at that time. After the event, we also held out annual “skid” contest, and for the second year in a row, Jean-Richard Cormier took the win in that event. Various prizes were also offered by the organizers, but the one to note was the National Cycling Centre’s Head Coach award. Every year, the Centre’s Head Coach is given the chance to offer one, or more special award to riders of his choice. Like last year, the coach’s choice went to young riders who competed throughout the summer with the experience Tuesday night warriors. The selection ended on Marc Evers and Julien Roussel. Two local young riders who went through the Centre’s Peter Wedge Program and who now represents the future of cycling in our community. Last night’s photos, courtesy of Don Ricker Photography, can be seen here. Here are the results of week 18: 1. Melanie Bordage 2. Marc Evers 3. Julien Roussel 4. Caroline Belliveau 5. Marc Andre Deslaurier 6. Jean Leger 7. Michelle Chase 8. Sacha Leblanc 9. Stuart Wight 10. Jean Richard Cormier 11. Mike LeBlanc 12. Jeff Currie 13. Charles Cormier 14. Derrick Keith 15. Don Ricker 16. Guy Pellerin 17. Rene Julien 18. Philippe Theriault 19. Craig Harper Final General Classification after 18 weeks : 1.Melanie Bordage 885 2. Mike LeBlanc 880 3. Derrick Keith 865 4. Jean Richard Cormier 800 5. Michelle Chase 690 6. Julien Roussel 665 7. Charles Cormier 580 8. Stuart Wight 570 9. Derek LeBlanc 470 10. Patrice Boudreau 380 11. Alain Goguen 370 12. Don Ricker 370 13. Denis Hebert 360 14. Ian Dennis 355 15. Pablo Vergera 335 16. Sasha LeBlanc 310 17. Rene Julien 305 18. Philippe Theriault 285 19. Mark-André Deslaurier 285 20. Caroline Belliveau 280 21. Marc Evers 280 22. Keith Godfrey 275 23. Francois Maltais 255 24. Jeff Currie 230 25. Josh Lamkey 225 26. Ryan Belliveau 225 27. Conrad Belliveau 220 28. Krista Koval 190 29. Zuzana Ecerova 180 30. Andre Hebert 170 31. Ron LeBlanc 160 32. Paul Goobie 150 33. Stephane Bouchard 145 34. Pierre LeBlanc 135 35. Guy Pellerin 135 36. Jean Leger 125 37. Daniel Leger 100 38. J B Roy 90 39. Terry Tomlin 90 40. Justin Mallet 90 41. Maxime Larochelle 80 42. Miguel Bujold 75 43. Jeremy Hebert 70 44. Marc Boudreau 65 45. Josh Thibodeau 65 46. Adam Black 65 47. Pierre Leblanc 55 48. Sherry Mercer 50 49. Bill Goobie 35 50. Jean Guy Babineau 35 51. Jon Spinney 35 52. Sean Ritchie 25 53. Craig Harper 25 54. Frank LeBlanc 20 55. Denis Doucet 15

FREDERICTON – Sport NB will be hosting the 15th Annual Pitney Bowes Sports Awards Saturday November 15th, 2008 at the Carrefour de la Mer in Caraquet. The event will celebrate the best in New Brunswick sporting community with a special highlight of the 2008 Beijing Olympic athletes, coaches, managers, and mission staff. “The event is a great opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of our athletes and coaches and to thank the countless volunteers that invest their time in sport”, stated Jason Dickson, Executive Director. The Pitney Bowes Sports Awards also provides an occasion for Sport NB to promote and fundraise for one of its programs, KidSport™. KidSport™’s objective is to assist children of families facing financial obstacles to participate in community sport programs and to provide children with the opportunity to achieve physical, social, intellectual and moral development through participation in sport. This year just over $60,000 was granted to approximately 500 children to provide them with the opportunity to participate in sport. PITNEY BOWES SPORTS AWARDS FINALISTS: The following categories contain finalists with the recipient being named at the Pitney Bowes Sports Awards: Comfort Inn Female Athlete of the Year: Katie Campbell, New Maryland, Karate Kelsey McNeil, Salisbury, Figure Skating Krista Betts, Bass River, Wrestling Comfort Inn Male Athlete of the Year: Christian Meier, Langley, Cycling Jackson Wood, Oromocto, Figure Skating Vince Cormier, Fredericton, Wrestling Male Coach of the Year: Don Ryan, Maugerville, Wrestling Paul Oliver, Saint John, Karate Official of the Year: Don Mazerolle, New Maryland, Karate Nancy Morrison, Quispamsis, Softball Lifetime Volunteer Achievement: Don & Ruth Hawkes, Fredericton, Swimming Ed Dunham, Fredericton, Baseball Mike Keating, Fredericton, Baseball Investors Group Volunteer Sport Administrator Award: Bev Adams, Rusagonis, Softball Gilda MacAdams, Haneytown, Figure Skating Spirit Award Louis Savoie, Dieppe, Swimming Melissa Briggs, DSL de Drummond, Figure Skating The President Awards are presented to the athletes that exemplify the spirit and future of sport in New Brunswick. President Award – Female: Geneviève Lalonde, Moncton, Athletics Katie Campbell, New Maryland, Karate Melissa Briggs, DSL de Drummond, Figure Skating President Award – Male: Carson Marcoux, Balmoral, Karate Louis Savoie, Dieppe, Swimming Miguel Raymond, Kedgwick Sud, Judo PTNEY BOWES SPORTS AWARDS RECIPIENTS: The following awards will be presented to the recipients listed below at the Pitney Bowes Sports Awards: Team of the Year Award: Baseball New Brunswick Canada Cup Team Female Coach of the Year: Kathy Grenier, Cocagne, Figure Skating Outstanding Media Coverage: Peter Asaaf, Northern Light - Bathurst Corporate Award: McInnes Cooper, Fredericton Congratulations to all finalists and recipients! To purchase tickets to the event please contact Sport NB at marketing@sportnb.com or 451-1341.

Weather was perfect for racing and the track was soft and smooth. Here are the results... Group 1 - 1 - Julien Cormier 2 - Maxime Cormier Group 2 - 1 - Nicholas Cormier 2 - Justin LeBlanc Group 3 - 1 - Julien Roussel 2 - Vincent Cormier Group 4 - 1 - Jean-Richard Cormier 2 - Marc-Andre Deslauriers Photo album from Don Ricker photography. A big thanks to everyone who came out and to Don and Michelle for taking such nice pics. We're already planning for 2009, so stay tuned for next year...

Hey everyone...its almost that time of year....BOO CROSS! This will be the third year in a row we have done this. Its always a good time. So, before the adult Mike's Bike Shop Cup race at 6PM, we want to do the traditional kids race on the playground. I could use a couple volunteers to dress up, help decorate and hand out some candy. This is also a notice to bring the kids! This race will start sharply at 5:30 with ours following at 6:00. ALL WEATHER DEPENDANT OF COURSE. If rain, we may set up a "not quite so scary" ghost walk inside. Guess we have to wait and see. Adult race will go rain or shine of course!

Well, the 18th and last week of the 2008 Mike's Bike Shop Cup will not only be interesting because of its Boo-cross pre-race event for the kids, but also for the overall standing! Last night, as Ryan Belliveau nipped Stuart Wight on the line, the attention was lower down on the GC. Mike LeBlanc has now caught up to race leader Derrick Keith and they are now tied in the series. The winner will have the honor to pick the charity event towards which the money raised through out the season. Last night's photos, courtesy of Don Ricker, can be seen here. As for the results with the handicap system: 1 Michelle Chase 2 Marc Evers 3 Julien Roussel 4 Rene Julien 5 Melanie Bordage 6 Caroline Belliveau 7 Adam Black 8 Ryan Belliveau 9 Stuart Wight 10 Mike LeBlanc 11 Patrice Boudreau 12 Jean Richard Cormier 13 Charles Cormier 14 Derrick Keith 15 Philippe Theriault General classification after 17 weeks: 1 Derrick Keith 840 2 Mike LeBlanc 840 3 Melanie Bordage 785 4 Jean Richard Cormier 755 5 Michelle Chase 630 6 Julien Roussel 585 7 Charles Cormier 550 8 Stuart Wight 520 9 Derek LeBlanc 470 10 Patrice Boudreau 380 12 Alain Goguen 370 11 Denis Hebert 360 13 Ian Dennis 355 16 Don Ricker 350 18 Pablo Vergera 335 14 Rene Julien 295 15 Philippe Theriault 280 19 Keith Godfrey 275 22 Francois Maltais 255 17 Sasha LeBlanc 255 28 Josh Lamkey 225 20 Ryan Belliveau 225 21 Conrad Belliveau 220 34 Mark-André Deslaurier 215 23 Caroline Belliveau 205 33 Jeff Currie 195 24 Krista Koval 190 25 Marc Evers 190 26 Zuzana Ecerova 180 27 Andre Hebert 170 38 Ron LeBlanc 160 29 Paul Goobie 150 30 Stephane Bouchard 145 31 Pierre LeBlanc 135 32 Guy Pellerin 120 35 Daniel Leger 100 36 J B Roy 90 37 Terry Tomlin 90 39 Justin Mallet 90 40 Maxime Larochelle 80 41 Miguel Bujold 75 42 Jeremy Hebert 70 43 Marc Boudreau 65 44 Josh Thibodeau 65 45 Adam Black 65 46 Jean Leger 60 47 Pierre Leblanc 55 48 Sherry Mercer 50 49 Bill Goobie 35 50 Jean Guy Babineau 35 51 Jon Spinney 35 52 Sean Ritchie 25 53 Frank LeBlanc 20 54 Craig Harper 20 55 Denis Doucet 15 Everyone's welcome for next week's last MBS Cup of the season. The event starts at 6:00 PM (Tuesday) in Dieppe's St-Anselme Park. Details of the Boo-cross event to be released shortly.

The Telegram (local St. John's newspaper) did a really good job on an article about cycling on Saturday. Worth picking up if you are in town today; for all the non-Newfoundlanders it can be found here.