Cyclists from across Ontario to converge on North Bay this weekend

Hundreds of riders from across Ontario and beyond will be hitting the asphalt -- and the dirt -- in North Bay this weekend as the city hosts Cycle North Bay.

"A first-of-its-kind affair, Cycle North Bay features a series of events that will showcase multiple facets of the cycling world," organizers said in a news release.

Those facets include the 2022 Provincial Criterium Championships, 2022 Provincial Road Championships, High Performance Youth Road Races, Youth Mountain Bike XC and Women’s Mountain Bike Exchange.

“Cycle North Bay is the result of a number of organizations coming together to combine their own distinct events under a single banner,” promoter Greg Rawson, of Performance Driven Sports, is quoted as saying in the release.

“North Bay is going to be a hotbed of activity for elite and amateur athletes from across the province. We’re extremely excited.”

The Criterium Championships, which is the showcase event of the weekend, takes place along Voodoo Crescent on Sunday.

Crit for short, the Criterium is a mass-start race in which riders lap the course at break-neck speeds for an hour or longer depending on age and category.

“Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend," Rawson said.

"Crits are exciting events to watch, even for those not familiar with the sport … The races are announced by a broadcaster who also introduces athletes and explains race strategies.”

Hundreds of riders from across Ontario and beyond will be hitting the asphalt -- and the dirt -- in North Bay this weekend as the city hosts Cycle North Bay. (Supplied)

On Saturday, the Woman’s MTB Exchange takes place on at the Laurentian Escarpment. It's part of a program that connects riders in Ontario, facilitating social rides at different hubs across the province. It provides an opportunity to make new riding friends, develop skills and explore different trail networks in a group.

High performance youth road races take place Saturday and Sunday. Youth ages 8-17 will compete Saturday in a hill climb on College Drive followed by an individual time trial on Larocque Road. Participants will then compete in a Criterium on Sunday morning on Voodoo Crescent.

Youth participants will also have the opportunity Sunday to take part in a Mountain Bike XC clinic and short format Mountain Bike XC race hosted by Angry Johnny’s Racing at the Three Towers Trail Network on Tower Drive.

The weekend wraps up with the Provincial Road Championships, which get underway early Monday. Riders will compete on a 15-kilometre circuit that starts at the Corbeil Park Hall in East Ferris, follows Corbeil Road to Derland Road and loops back to the Corbeil Park Hall via Highway 94.

For more information, including registration and technical guides, click here.