BC Bike Race #6 and #7 - The finish
The outdoor recreational capital of Canada (Squamish) hosted the BC Bike Race for the last 2 nights and served up the full meal deal of bountiful BC singletrack to racers. From punishing grunty climbs to “wooohooo”ing bermy downhill bliss, there was something for every rider on the Day 6 course. Some would call this the Squamish highlights tour, as the course consists of the Gearjammer and Test of Metal courses combined.BCBR Competitors were blessed with a break in the weather for this day as the rain was just substantial enough to dampen the dusty trails and wash away some of the heat from the air. With perfect temperatures, stellar trail conditions, and a well-designed course, this could be a contender for the unofficial “riders’ favourite stage contest that exists between Course Managers.
There was certainly no shortage of hoots, hollers and elated racers as the day progressed. John Ramsden, of Steed Cycles Dark Horse racing described the ups and downs of the day, “For every climb you get a wicked descent!” “Yesterday was the best day – until today,” said Kevin Smith of Team Skyline. A vast number of racers seemed to agree – to simply ride and enjoy the singletrack seemed to be the Squamish stage mantra.
Today’s top story on the trails is the incredible course time set by team mates Andreas Hestler and Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain Bikes). Two days ago, the Rocky Mountain Bikes team incurred a 1 hour time penalty for being more than 2 minutes apart on course. Yesterday, Hestler suffered bad luck with a snapped bolt halfway though the stage, which caused him to withdraw from the race (they had a solid lead at that point in the race). Today, things were different.
“Some days you show up at the race and your legs don’t,” commented Hestler. “Today, my legs showed up…finally!” Hestler is a firm believer in the power of the human body to adapt to the conditions in which it exists – especially when it comes to stage mountain bike races. His own fitness evolution over the past 6 days is living proof of Hestler’s theory. “I just kept getting stronger all week, and at last my legs showed up!”
BCBR staff were thrilled to have ‘Dre’, their own Director of Marketing for this race, take the podium this afternoon. Hope are high for a repeat performance by Hestler and Plaxton on the Whistler course on Friday.
Although they are unable to claim title to the leaders’ jersey, Team Rocky Mountain Bikes buried their competition today with a hefty 6 minute gap between them and their second place team. The leaders’ jersey went out to Team Kona’s Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks, who have a commanding 41 minute lead over last year’s BC Bike Race champions Chris Eatough and Jeff Schalk.
The remaining category standings stack up essentially the same way as they have since Stage 1. The powerhouse women’s pairing of Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (Taint Slo) claimed the stage and leader’s jersey yet again, increasing their overall category lead to almost 3 hours. Wendy Simms and Normon Thibault (Kona – Riding in Memory of Denis Fontaine) have dominated the Mixed category and took top honours and leader’s jerseys, as did Andrew Handford and Pat Doyle (Different Bikes / Deadgoat Racing) in the Veterans 80+, as well as Brian and Bruce Johnson (Double Shot) in the Veterans 100+.
With 6 Stages already complete, riders are gearing up for their 5th and final Stage in Whistler. On tap include such classics as Upper and Lower Far Side trails, River Runs Through It, Cut Yer Bars and the Lost Lake Trail system.
Current riders are already asking when they can sign up to come back next year. For those and all other interested riders, Registration 2009 officially opens at 12 noon at the BC Bike Race website. Based on this year’s registration demands, organizers anticipate an early sell-out.
It's hard to believe that just 7 days ago, racers stood at the Shawnigan Lake start line in nervous anticipation of the 550+ kilometer adventure that awaited. Seven days later, it's all over but the recovery!
After one last, delicious breakfast in Squamish, provided by BCBR Catering Manager Rick Slowski (owner of Tommy's Catering in North Vancouver) and his incredible crew, racers geared up and hopped onto a string of buses for the quick ride north to Whistler.
Speaking of delicious breakfast - one of the most important aspects of a seven-day stage race is fuel. Racers need to replenish lost nutrients and stock up on soon-to-be expended calories every single day without fail. The daily menu for BCBR was carefully planned and coordinated by Rick and his staff with these important considerations in mind. That was the easy part. For the seven days of BC Bike Race, Rick and the catering crew started meal preparations at 2:30am every day. And, in many cases, they were lucky to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep before their unbelievably early wake up call.
The demands of preparing, presenting, serving and cleaning up from a meal for close to 650 people are almost unfathomable unless you've been there and done that. Without the catering staff, the BC Bike Race would have no fuel...no fuel for the racers to complete each stage and no fuel for the organizers to prepare each stage. This is just a wee tribute to the unsung heroes of the BC Bike Race - Rick, his wife Trish, and all the foodies!! They provided racers and staff outstanding meals with outstanding service and always with absolute grace under pressure. Many thanks, many times over.
And now, back to the final race day action!
The final start line of BCBR 2008 was in the village square at Whistler Creekside - nestled at the foot of Whistler Mountain. With 6 long days of racing behind them, BCBR competitors had to dig deep right out of the start gate on this day as almost 300m of vertical - translating into at least 15 minutes of climbing - welcomed them to the course.
As the saying goes, riders had to 'earn their turns', and the investment in the uphill grind paid off in the reward of Whistler's best singletrack offerings. By the time racers hit the undulating 3km of trail running alongside the Cheakamus River, grins had spread from ear to ear. Without a doubt Whistler singletrack offers not only beautiful trails with a ridiculously high fun factor, but also stunningly captivating sights and natural features.
The day would be hard-fought for many riders in the pack, but the reward of crossing the finish line at Spruce Grove park would make it all worthwhile.
Top stage finishers of the day, Seamus McGrath and Chris Shepard (Team Old School), powered through the course in 3:01:06. Not many surprises in the remaining categories: top Women were Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (Team Taint Slo) in 4:01:24; top Mixed were Wendy Simms and Normon Thibault (Team Kona - Riding in Memory of Denis Fontaine) in 3:37:23; top 80+ changed up with winners Dave Harrison and Matt Luhn (Team Grip It & Rip It) in 3:35:49; and, top 100+ were Andy Klumb and Brent Erikson (Team Bicilibre) in 4:41:34.
The final awards banquet was held high above Whistler village at the Roundhouse on Whistler mountain. A 30 minute gondola ride unveiled spectacular views of the valley as it carried racers up the mountain. After an amazing dinner, the stage awards and overall category awards were handed out. When all was said and done, the top category winners were:
OPEN MEN
1. KONA - Kris Sneddon & Barry Witz 25:58:24
2. TREK VW MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM - Chris Eatough & Jeff Schalk 26:19:17
3. FLIGHT CENTRE - Tim Bennett & Adrian Jackson 26:40:33
OPEN WOMEN
1. TAINT SLO - Sara Bresnick-Zocchi & Kelli Emmett 32:08:16
2. HELLY HANSEN VANCOUVER ISLAND - Kristenn Magnusson & Lisa Ludwig 35:40:23
3. LINDQUIST - Katie Lindquist & Amy Harris 36:07:32
MIXED
1. KONA - RIDING IN MEMORY OF DENIS FONTAINE - Wendy Simms & Normon Thibault 29:10:27
2. MONA VIE CANNONDALE.COM MIXED - Matt Ohran & Sue Butler 31:12:16
3. SPIKE SHOOTER - Mark & Katie Compton 31:19:53
VETERANS 80+
1. GRIP IT & RIP IT - Dave Harrison & Matt Luhn 30:36:54
2. DIFFERENT BIKES/DEADGOAT RACING - Andrew Handford & Pat Doyle 30:38:41
3. SPIKE SHOOTER - Mark Thompson & David Overstreet 31:16:27
VETERANS 100+
1. DOUBLE SHOT - Brian & Bruce Johnson 36:38:39
2. BICILIBRE - Andy Klumb & Kent Erikson 37:53:27
3. HARBOUR AIR - Greg MCdougall & Graeme Fitch 43:10:58
It was an incredible week of racing and adventure for everyone involved - racers and staff! Interest is already stirring for the 2009 event, as online registration opened at noon on July 5th and the first eager teams have signed up for the challenge. See you next year - June 28-July4, 2009!
For all the press photos from the BC Bike Race click here.
There was certainly no shortage of hoots, hollers and elated racers as the day progressed. John Ramsden, of Steed Cycles Dark Horse racing described the ups and downs of the day, “For every climb you get a wicked descent!” “Yesterday was the best day – until today,” said Kevin Smith of Team Skyline. A vast number of racers seemed to agree – to simply ride and enjoy the singletrack seemed to be the Squamish stage mantra.
Today’s top story on the trails is the incredible course time set by team mates Andreas Hestler and Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain Bikes). Two days ago, the Rocky Mountain Bikes team incurred a 1 hour time penalty for being more than 2 minutes apart on course. Yesterday, Hestler suffered bad luck with a snapped bolt halfway though the stage, which caused him to withdraw from the race (they had a solid lead at that point in the race). Today, things were different.
Dre Powering through it.
“Some days you show up at the race and your legs don’t,” commented Hestler. “Today, my legs showed up…finally!” Hestler is a firm believer in the power of the human body to adapt to the conditions in which it exists – especially when it comes to stage mountain bike races. His own fitness evolution over the past 6 days is living proof of Hestler’s theory. “I just kept getting stronger all week, and at last my legs showed up!”
BCBR staff were thrilled to have ‘Dre’, their own Director of Marketing for this race, take the podium this afternoon. Hope are high for a repeat performance by Hestler and Plaxton on the Whistler course on Friday.
Although they are unable to claim title to the leaders’ jersey, Team Rocky Mountain Bikes buried their competition today with a hefty 6 minute gap between them and their second place team. The leaders’ jersey went out to Team Kona’s Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks, who have a commanding 41 minute lead over last year’s BC Bike Race champions Chris Eatough and Jeff Schalk.
The remaining category standings stack up essentially the same way as they have since Stage 1. The powerhouse women’s pairing of Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (Taint Slo) claimed the stage and leader’s jersey yet again, increasing their overall category lead to almost 3 hours. Wendy Simms and Normon Thibault (Kona – Riding in Memory of Denis Fontaine) have dominated the Mixed category and took top honours and leader’s jerseys, as did Andrew Handford and Pat Doyle (Different Bikes / Deadgoat Racing) in the Veterans 80+, as well as Brian and Bruce Johnson (Double Shot) in the Veterans 100+.
With 6 Stages already complete, riders are gearing up for their 5th and final Stage in Whistler. On tap include such classics as Upper and Lower Far Side trails, River Runs Through It, Cut Yer Bars and the Lost Lake Trail system.
Current riders are already asking when they can sign up to come back next year. For those and all other interested riders, Registration 2009 officially opens at 12 noon at the BC Bike Race website. Based on this year’s registration demands, organizers anticipate an early sell-out.
It's hard to believe that just 7 days ago, racers stood at the Shawnigan Lake start line in nervous anticipation of the 550+ kilometer adventure that awaited. Seven days later, it's all over but the recovery!
After one last, delicious breakfast in Squamish, provided by BCBR Catering Manager Rick Slowski (owner of Tommy's Catering in North Vancouver) and his incredible crew, racers geared up and hopped onto a string of buses for the quick ride north to Whistler.
Speaking of delicious breakfast - one of the most important aspects of a seven-day stage race is fuel. Racers need to replenish lost nutrients and stock up on soon-to-be expended calories every single day without fail. The daily menu for BCBR was carefully planned and coordinated by Rick and his staff with these important considerations in mind. That was the easy part. For the seven days of BC Bike Race, Rick and the catering crew started meal preparations at 2:30am every day. And, in many cases, they were lucky to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep before their unbelievably early wake up call.
The demands of preparing, presenting, serving and cleaning up from a meal for close to 650 people are almost unfathomable unless you've been there and done that. Without the catering staff, the BC Bike Race would have no fuel...no fuel for the racers to complete each stage and no fuel for the organizers to prepare each stage. This is just a wee tribute to the unsung heroes of the BC Bike Race - Rick, his wife Trish, and all the foodies!! They provided racers and staff outstanding meals with outstanding service and always with absolute grace under pressure. Many thanks, many times over.
And now, back to the final race day action!
The final start line of BCBR 2008 was in the village square at Whistler Creekside - nestled at the foot of Whistler Mountain. With 6 long days of racing behind them, BCBR competitors had to dig deep right out of the start gate on this day as almost 300m of vertical - translating into at least 15 minutes of climbing - welcomed them to the course.
As the saying goes, riders had to 'earn their turns', and the investment in the uphill grind paid off in the reward of Whistler's best singletrack offerings. By the time racers hit the undulating 3km of trail running alongside the Cheakamus River, grins had spread from ear to ear. Without a doubt Whistler singletrack offers not only beautiful trails with a ridiculously high fun factor, but also stunningly captivating sights and natural features.
The day would be hard-fought for many riders in the pack, but the reward of crossing the finish line at Spruce Grove park would make it all worthwhile.
Top stage finishers of the day, Seamus McGrath and Chris Shepard (Team Old School), powered through the course in 3:01:06. Not many surprises in the remaining categories: top Women were Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (Team Taint Slo) in 4:01:24; top Mixed were Wendy Simms and Normon Thibault (Team Kona - Riding in Memory of Denis Fontaine) in 3:37:23; top 80+ changed up with winners Dave Harrison and Matt Luhn (Team Grip It & Rip It) in 3:35:49; and, top 100+ were Andy Klumb and Brent Erikson (Team Bicilibre) in 4:41:34.
The final awards banquet was held high above Whistler village at the Roundhouse on Whistler mountain. A 30 minute gondola ride unveiled spectacular views of the valley as it carried racers up the mountain. After an amazing dinner, the stage awards and overall category awards were handed out. When all was said and done, the top category winners were:
OPEN MEN
1. KONA - Kris Sneddon & Barry Witz 25:58:24
2. TREK VW MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM - Chris Eatough & Jeff Schalk 26:19:17
3. FLIGHT CENTRE - Tim Bennett & Adrian Jackson 26:40:33
OPEN WOMEN
1. TAINT SLO - Sara Bresnick-Zocchi & Kelli Emmett 32:08:16
2. HELLY HANSEN VANCOUVER ISLAND - Kristenn Magnusson & Lisa Ludwig 35:40:23
3. LINDQUIST - Katie Lindquist & Amy Harris 36:07:32
MIXED
1. KONA - RIDING IN MEMORY OF DENIS FONTAINE - Wendy Simms & Normon Thibault 29:10:27
2. MONA VIE CANNONDALE.COM MIXED - Matt Ohran & Sue Butler 31:12:16
3. SPIKE SHOOTER - Mark & Katie Compton 31:19:53
VETERANS 80+
1. GRIP IT & RIP IT - Dave Harrison & Matt Luhn 30:36:54
2. DIFFERENT BIKES/DEADGOAT RACING - Andrew Handford & Pat Doyle 30:38:41
3. SPIKE SHOOTER - Mark Thompson & David Overstreet 31:16:27
VETERANS 100+
1. DOUBLE SHOT - Brian & Bruce Johnson 36:38:39
2. BICILIBRE - Andy Klumb & Kent Erikson 37:53:27
3. HARBOUR AIR - Greg MCdougall & Graeme Fitch 43:10:58
It was an incredible week of racing and adventure for everyone involved - racers and staff! Interest is already stirring for the 2009 event, as online registration opened at noon on July 5th and the first eager teams have signed up for the challenge. See you next year - June 28-July4, 2009!
For more information: www.bcbikerace.com
For all the press photos from the BC Bike Race click here.
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7 Comments
- 2 0
brule
(Jul 8, 2008 at 17:30)
This really does look like an amazing event and if I wasn't so lazy I'd like to one day be able to simply survive something like this. Congrats to all the participants!
- 0 0
Graeme99F
(Jul 10, 2008 at 12:05)
^^^ its also $2000 per person. but if you are foreign then its totally worth checking out b.c.
- 0 0
boostin
(Jul 8, 2008 at 23:15)
That race looks epic.....I love it and that they are covering it on pink bike!!!
- 0 0
onterribleftw
(Jul 8, 2008 at 18:36)
race of a lifetime for sure!
- 0 0
TheBigEarl
(Jul 8, 2008 at 22:01)
im not really in xc but the new trek fuel x looks sick for a xc bike.
- 0 1
Enzo-gg
(Jul 9, 2008 at 2:45)
my parents will not agree me to ride in a forest,actually,there isn't any forest in a Chinese city...
- 0 0
nishnash
(Jul 8, 2008 at 17:36)
i wanna
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