By Andrew Mitchell
The inaugural B.C. Bike Race got underway in Victoria on
Canada Day and will wrap up in Whistler Saturday, July 7 after covering roughly
525 km of road, gravel trails and singletrack on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine
Coast, and Sea to Sky.
The first stage was roughly 112 km, finishing in the
Cowichan Lake District. The Trek Volkswagen Mountain Bike Team, Chris Eatough
and Jeff Schalk, posted the fastest time of four hours, 22 minutes and 32
seconds for the stage — just five seconds ahead of Rocky Mountain Bikes’
Andreas Hestler and Kevin Calhoun. In third, with a time of 4:24:46, were
Manuel Prado and Jason First, riding for La Ruta de los Conquistadores and
Sho-Air. La Ruta is one of the toughest three-day stage races in the world, and
is a partner of the B.C. Bike Race.
From Whistler, Team Chromag-Sram — Julian Hine and Kevin
Phelps — placed seventh out of 35 teams in the Men’s Open category with a
time of 5:06:28.
On the women’s side, Karen Eller and Carolin Rahner of Scott
/ Trenga took a solid lead with a time of 5:35:30. North Vancouver’s Cynthia
Young and Michelle Newton of Shore Girls Don’t Cry, were second in 5:45:45,
while the Jenerators, Jennifer Keefer and Jen Sawrenko, were third in 6:12:35.
The Whistler team of Emmat Smith and Sarah O’Bryne were
fourth in 6:20:31.
In the Mixed category, Lesley Clements and Matthew Bodkin of
Whistler placed second in 5:06:24, just three minutes back of the lead time set
by David Harris and Lynda Wallenfels. Third place belonged to Hillary Harrison
and Ryan Watts of Pemberton, finishing the first day in 5:20:47.
In the Veterans 80 category (combined age), the team of Rod
Dagneau and Whistler’s Mike Charuk was fourth in 5:18:23. Keith McIvor and
Kevin Smith were ninth in 5:35:16, Paul Nicholas and Henric Meldgard were 17
th
in 6:08:41, and Greg McDougall and Graeme Fitch were 18
th
in
6:11:56.
Day two was 115 km, and took riders further north, to Port
Alberni.
In Men’s Open, Eatough and Schalk built up their lead to
almost six minutes, with a total two-day time of 8:56:38. Hestler and Calhoun
remained in second with a time of 9:02:40, while Prado and First held onto
third place, but dropped back considerably with a time of 9:42:24.
Team Chromag-Sram held onto seventh place with a time of
10:31:57.
In the Women’s Open race, Karen Eller and Carolin Rahner
held onto their lead with a two-day time of 11:42:32. Cynthia Young and
Michelle Newton did make up some time on that stage, and have a two-day time of
11:52:12. Jennifer Keefer and Jen Sawrenko held onto third, while Emma Smith
and Sarah O’Byrne of Whistler were fourth in 12:54:30.
Lesley Clements and Matthew Bodkin dropped off the lead
pace, 26 minutes back of David Harris and Lynda Wallenfels. They remained in
second overall in 10:48:27, well off the lead time of 10:19:31. Hilary Harrison
and Ryan Watts gained some ground, and heading into day three were third in
10:59:45.
In the Veterans 80 group, Mike Charuk and Rod Dagneau held
onto fourth in 10:43:53, just over 15 minutes back of third place. Keith McIvor
and Kevin Smith stayed in ninth in 11:34:38, Paul Nicholas and Henric Meldgard
moved up one spot to 16
th
in 12:22, and Greg McDougall and Graeme
Fitch dropped back one spot to 19
th
in 12:47:36.
The B.C. Bike Race will arrive in Whistler on Friday, July
6, after following the Cheakamus Challenge route from Squamish as far as
Function Junction. From there the race will follow the Lower Sproatt Trail,
Beaver Pass, River Runs Through It, Alpe d’Huez, Billy’s Epic and Rebob before
finishing at Meadow Park. That stage is 75 km, and offers some of the most
technical riding of the B.C. Bike Race.
On Saturday, riders will do a circuit of trails in the Soo
Valley before cutting back onto Kill Me Thrill Me. Riders will also do the
north part of Comfortably Numb, before biking back to the Green Lake Loop to
Lost Lake Park. Riders will complete the Zappa Trails in Lost Lake Park, before
the finish line.
While the seventh day is the shortest, at just 25 km, it’s
also one of the most challenging with Kill Me Thrill Me and Comfortably Numb.
The day after the 2007 race is finished, entries for the
2008 B.C. Bike Race will be accepted. That race will run from May 26 to June 1.
For more information, daily results, and registration for
2008, visit www.bcbikerace.com.