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Briefs: Orecrusher rolls on Saturday

Sign up for the Orecrusher mountain bike race this Saturday, May 14

There's still time to sign up for the Orecrusher mountain bike race this Saturday, May 14 - the first Sea to Sky epic ride/race of the season and the first event in the Hell of a Series.

This year the race is a little different with competitors doing three laps of a much longer course (13 kilometres) through the Cheekeye Fan trails across from Don Ross Secondary, where the race starts and finishes. Organizers have also decided to skip the usual running "Le Mans" start and do a rolling start similar to the Test of Metal where you seed yourself based on how fast you think you'll finish the 40 km route.

While the race is still relatively flat compared to other races, more of the route is on singletrack than before and there's nowhere to rest.

Because it's still a lap event, riders will pass through the start area twice, which is a good opportunity to pick up food and water bottles and do any minor repairs - an element that race director Armand Hurford wanted to keep as the first race of the season. "It's still the only lap race in the Hell of a Series, and it's a good intro to that kind of marathon racing because you're not out in the middle of nowhere, you're in a contained environment where you pass through the same area a few times... and it's a little less intimidating."

Registration is available online at www.orecrusher.ca for $40. Day of race registration is available at Don Ross Secondary from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with an 11 a.m. start. The number of entries is limited to 250.

All proceeds from the race will be split between the Outdoor Leadership program at Don Ross and Team Squamish.

 

Team Whistler rider take on Fondos

The Italian term "GranFondo" literally translates to "big ride" and Team Whistler riders took on several different big rides recently.

In the Gran Fondo Moab, Whistler's John Blok completed the 100 km ride - which included 1,800 metres of climbing - in 3:44, followed by Todd Allison in 3:51, Mike Rogerson in 3:55 and Brenda Baker in 4:05.

Other Whistler riders in the group include Pete Stace Smith in 4:15 and Grace Blok in 4:45. Elizabeth Rogerson and Gary Baker both had trouble in the race, a flat tire and stomach cramping respectively, but both made it to the finish before the time expired.

On the other side of the U.S., Team Whistler's Tony Routley finished the Gran Fondo New York in 5:15 and won his category, despite taking a wrong turn that added 10 minutes to his time. His result qualifies him for the Giro category in the Whistler race in September.

 

Sunshine Coaster - the real results

The website for the Sunshine Coaster played a trick on Pique last week, hiding the 2010 results behind the links for the results from 2011. While it might have been nice to take a trip down memory lane we apologize for the mistake.

In the cross-country event, Squamish riders Neal Kindree and Brandi Heisterman both won their elite categories, Kindree with a time of 2:10:34 and Heisterman in 2:35:00. Michael Robinson of Whistler was sixth in Elite Men in 2:22:00.

Whistler's Jean-Philippe Boulais placed second in the 20 to 29 male category with a time of 2:54:03.

In 30 to 34 Male, Dan Thwaite placed fifth in 3:10:31.

Trevor Hopkins was second in 35 to 39 Male in 2:43:10, with Pemberton's Russ Wood and Terry Evans - no doubt in training for the May 28 NimbyFifty - were fifth and sixth with times of 2:55:10 and 2:59:37 respectively.

Squamish's Matteo Abel was second in 40 to 44 Male in 2:28:19, with Matt Bodkin in sixth in 2:48:15, Dean Linell of Pemberton in seventh in 2:48:15 and Squamish Michael Roblin 17th in 3:56:13.

Whistler's Dr. Cathy Zeglinski won the 45 to 49 Female race in 2:52:35, about 50 minutes faster than the other rider in her group.

In Gangster Female, Lauren Rosser of Squamish placed first by almost 21 minutes, with Team Squamish teammate Kristin Drygas in third.

Squamish's Quinn Moberg and Mo Lawrence were first and second in Gangster Male in 1:36:52 and 1:46:53 respectively. Also from Squamish, Nicholas Bruce was fourth in 1:48:50.

Whistler's Mahon Lamont won the Youngster Male category in 1:58:13, over six minutes faster than Rhys Verner of Squamish. Luke Di Marzo of Squamish was third, Ethan Toom fifth and Michael Kilby sixth.

The downhill results were up to date, and the complete results are available online at www.sunshinecoaster.net.

 

Last weekend in May will be a busy one

There are four major events in the corridor in the final weekend of May, May 28 and May 29, and you should make it a priority to do at least one of them.

On Saturday, May 28 the Whistler Tri Club is hosting the Kids of Steel Triathlon and the adult Try-a-Tri race. Both events start in the pool and finish with a run on the Valley Trail, with a road bike in between - bike courses depend on your age group. The adult race includes a 300-metre pool swim, followed by a 14 km bike on Alta Lake Road, followed by an out-and-back four km run.

For more information and registration for both the kids and adult races, visit www.whistlertriclub.ca.

Also on Saturday is the second annual NimbyFifty in Pemberton, a 35-km race on the most iconic trails in the area including the killer 101-switchback "Big Nimby" climb. This year it's also the second event in the Hell of a Series, which includes the Orecrusher, North Shore Bike Fest, Test of Metal, GearJammer and Just Another Bike Race. For more information and registration visit www.nimbyfifty.com.

On Sunday, locals can choose between the 20th annual Whistler Valley Trail Run, which has five and 10 km courses, and the Crud 2 Mud downhill.

The Whistler Valley Trail Run starts at 9 a.m., and early registration is available at the Run With It Store from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on race day. This is an off-road event, taking place on gravel trails in Lost Lake Park.

For more, visit www.whistlervalleytrailrun.org.

The Crud 2 Mud is a classic Whistler Blackcomb event that includes a giant slalom ski/snowboard race, followed by a mountain bike downhill race from Olympic Station to Whistler Village. You can race it solo or with a team member. For more, visit www.whistlerbike.com.

 

B.C. Snowboard hosting Whistler selection camp

On May 14-15, B.C. Snowboard will be hosting a selection camp for the provincial freestyle, recruiting riders for slopestyle and halfpipe.

Candidates will be 15 years of age by December, will have competitive snowboard experience, and should be able to demonstrate fundamentals like riding regular and switch, board control, jumping, rotations, etc. Previous experience with coaching, either at the provincial, team or club level is welcome, as is gym and fitness training experience. You should also have an interest in competing at the national level.

The team operates year-round, and is based in the corridor between Whistler and Vancouver. You should be able to hit the large features in the Blackcomb Park, ride halfpipe and freeride.

Athletes that qualify can expect fitness and trampoline training through the summer, glacier riding June and July, four or five days a week on the snow from November to May, and to travel to four-to-eight competitions during the 2011-2012 season.

For more information and registration, email Head Coach Adam Higgins at 604-902-3154.

 

Bike Park opens Demo Centre

It's just two weeks away from the start of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park season, and crews are breaking their backs to clear the snow from the trails.

This week, the park also announced the creation of the bike park's Official Demo Centre, which will offer riders a chance to ride some really high-end bikes from manufacturers like Cove, Giant, Kona, Scott, Santa Cruz, Devinci, Trek and Lapierre, which riders can book out for an hour-long spin or a multi-day demo.

The new centre will be located at the base of the mountain in the Carleton Lodge.

For more, visit www.whistlerbike.com/rentals/democentre/index.htm.

 

B.C. Bike Race price increasing May 18

The cost of taking part in the 2011 B.C. Bike Race will go up after May 18, from $1,899 for the eight-day, seven-stage race to $2,099. Visit www.bcbikerace.com to secure your spot.

Some of the recent announcements for the race include the participation of Brian Lopes, who's best known for downhill and four-cross races but has been known to destroy the occasional distance race as well.

If you're worried about being in shape after a long winter and slow start to the season, race director Andreas Heslter has put together a free six-week training program that's available on the website.