BC Bike Race officials would love to come back to Crofton in 2024.
After the first three days of the 2023 event with base camp set up at the Crofton Ball Fields, BC Bike Race co-founder Andreas Hestler was singing the praises of the community.
B次元官网网址淚 think the Crofton (Cowichan Valley) venue has blown peopleB次元官网网址檚 minds,B次元官网网址� said Hestler.
And with 603 racers representing 35 countries, thatB次元官网网址檚 significant for mountain biking and tourism, he indicated.
B次元官网网址淭hese people come here to experience the legend of B.C. mountain biking,B次元官网网址� explained Hestler. B次元官网网址淚 think theyB次元官网网址檙e being served the best mountain biking possible.
B次元官网网址淭he weatherB次元官网网址檚 hot, the ridingB次元官网网址檚 hard. ItB次元官网网址檚 a smorgasbord. They want a lot and our job at the BC Bike Race is to curate the experience. Right now, IB次元官网网址檇 say everybodyB次元官网网址檚 absolutely loving the Cowichan Valley.B次元官网网址�
CroftonB次元官网网址檚 Maple Mountain was the site for the first dayB次元官网网址檚 prologue and racing on the third day, with trails on Mount Tzouhalem utilized in between before base camp was packed up Thursday morning and reestablished at Cumberland for the final days of racing in Nanaimo, Campbell River and Cumberland.
The BC Bike Race seemed to move on as fast as it came in, but not before hundreds from around the world left with a great impression of what the Cowichan Valley has to offer.
The average rider spent between 3-6 hours per day on the course and the average age of the 85 per cent male field was 39-55.
Cris Horton of Black Canyon City, Arizona B次元官网网址� north of Phoenix B次元官网网址� was above both those standards, but kept pushing through the extreme heat. Horton, 65, and his son Jason Horton, 46, of Muskegon, Michigan, were on the course for six hours and 12 minutes Wednesday.
B次元官网网址淲e were just out there too long,B次元官网网址� Cris Horton conceded. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a tough trail. It beats you up pretty good.B次元官网网址�
But they both had nothing but good things to say about the experience of riding here.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a great event,B次元官网网址� said Jason. B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 put together well.B次元官网网址�
Cris said he only started mountain biking eight years ago at age 57 and opportunities such as this were limited due to travel restrictions from COVID the last few years, but B次元官网网址渉ere we are finally getting to do it.B次元官网网址�
A back injury also only gave him a couple of weeks to train for the BC Bike Race despite waiting so long to do it for the first time.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e done other stuff, but not like this,B次元官网网址� Cris indicated.
B次元官网网址淭his is pretty intense,B次元官网网址� added Jason.
CrisB次元官网网址� other son, Brandon, 37, of Granite Bay, California was also in the field, giving the three family members scattered around the U.S. a chance to get together.
B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 exactly what this is for,B次元官网网址� said Jason. B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 get to do a lot together.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淓verybodyB次元官网网址檚 been nice, a lot of good people here,B次元官网网址� concluded Cris.
There were countless other stories just like that from within the race, as the ultra competitive mixed with relative newcomers and created a camaraderie thatB次元官网网址檚 become the eventB次元官网网址檚 trademark.
After two years in the Okanagan before COVID restrictions were eased to open up the entry more readily again, Hestler and co-founder Dean Payne were glad to have the Island showcased for the full seven days this time.
The race differs every year, but Hestler said they would like to incorporate Crofton into the schedule again for the 2024 event that starts two calendar days earlier on July 1 and ends on July 7.
B次元官网网址淲e love this, look at this venue,B次元官网网址� he raved.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 such a lovely community to land after a stressful travel. You have great mountain biking. If the community will have us and host us, weB次元官网网址檒l stay for a long time.B次元官网网址�
A full economic impact study will be done as a follow-up to the race and delivered to North Cowichan council, Hestler indicated.
He added everything is done in their power, at least, to ensure thereB次元官网网址檚 as little disruption to the community as possible with the base camp on the fields. With racers being so tired, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 dead quiet by nine oB次元官网网址檆lock,B次元官网网址� Hestler pointed out.
The BC Bike Race kicked off its 17th year back where it all began on Vancouver Island. Riders had a short dip last Monday into the singletrack on Maple Mountain for the opening prologue that may have looked short on paper with 7.8 kilometres on the clock and a total of 13.4 km, but that distance isnB次元官网网址檛 the same as time on the trail.
Quinton Disera and returning BCBR champ Katerina Nash from Truckee, California finessed the technical aspects better than the rest to earn the early lead in this yearB次元官网网址檚 racing.
The scene shifted to Mount Tzouhalem Tuesday for a full 39.9 km of racing (32.6 km on the clock).
Nash had to work hard for her victory, but successfully shook off Evelyn Dong and AlbertaB次元官网网址檚 Eva Poidevin.
On the menB次元官网网址檚 side, Disera and New ZealandB次元官网网址檚 Craig Oliver were separated by only three seconds in the prologue and more time on the clock only made the racing closer. The two World Cup racers traded leads all day and Oliver ended up taking the stage win by a razor-thin 0.02-second margin but Disera retained the yellow leaderB次元官网网址檚 jersey.
On Day Three back at Maple Mountain, Oliver took over the lead in the open menB次元官网网址檚 event with four seconds of separation on Peter Disera, QuintonB次元官网网址檚 brother.
Nash remained the womenB次元官网网址檚 open leader with a 47-second lead over Dong of Park City, Utah.
Final results and complete information on the race can be found .
don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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