Mud, trails and sweat: CrossFondo turns Saanich into a cyclist\u2019s playground<\/p>\n
Published 5:00 pm Sunday, October 18, 2026<\/p>\n
Combine cycling with hiking and you get cyclocross, a sport that takes riders through mud, dirt and rough terrain.<\/p>\n
On the morning of Oct. 18, nearly 300 cyclists gathered at Saanich\u2019s Layritz Park for the 10th annual Tripleshot CrossFondo.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s event drew 290 riders aged 11 to 81, who took on either a 45-kilometre or 25-kilometre route through the backcountry of Saanich and Highlands.<\/p>\n
Race organizer Joanna Fox said about 80 per cent of the routes run along trails and private property, offering riders a chance to explore the region\u2019s landscapes while minimizing traffic-related risks.<\/p>\n
Launched more than a decade ago, the event was created to raise money for young ones interested in cycling. Today, it is the Tripleshot Cycling Club\u2019s largest annual fundraiser, with proceeds supporting various grassroots programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to keep the fees of our youth program affordable, so we look to raise funds and get grants,\u201d Fox said. \u201cEssentially it goes to fund our certified coaches who on average have 25 to 30 kids per year aged 11 to 17.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event has grown considerably since its early days, when it attracted 117 riders. It now draws nearly three times as many participants, Fox said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say it\u2019s become so popular that a lot of riders only ride gravel now,\u201d she said. \u201cCyclists like being in the woods better. They don\u2019t want to be on the roads with the traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenging terrain, which includes steep climbs, mud and rough trails, Fox said the event welcomes riders of all experience levels. Rather than a competitive race, she described it as a community ride focused on enjoying the outdoors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do call it an event or a ride, it\u2019s not a race,\u201d she said. \u201cWe don\u2019t take times, (riders) can time themselves if they like.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just want people to enjoy the ride and have fun out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fox encouraged both newcomers and experienced cyclists to take part in next year\u2019s event and bring friends along.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see a lot of smiles coming across the finish line,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen parents and children crossing the line together, a grandmother and her grandson. These are all special moments and it\u2019s just about enjoying being outdoors and having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event is supported by 140 volunteers and more than 50 landowners who open their properties to riders for the day.<\/p>\n
For more information about the event and the Tripleshot Cycling Club, visit tripleshotcycling.ca.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mud, trails and sweat: CrossFondo turns Saanich into a cyclist\u2019s playground Published 5:00 pm Sunday, October 18, 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":938203,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,82],"class_list":["post-938202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=938202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/938202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/938203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=938202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=938202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=938202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}