BC Bike Race

BC Bike Race is much more than the challenge of the ride…it’s about everything experienced along the way – spectacular scenery, fascinating culture, interesting people, and tantalizing tastes. The stages of BC Bike Race wind through nine beautiful west coast communities, each showcasing unique qualities and elements that make British Columbia a world-class destination for athletes, adventurers and tourists alike.

Day Zero – North Vancouver

The beautiful North Shore is the starting point for your epic journey in BC Bike Race 2010. Here you will complete the registration process and then experience the BCBR Prologue.

The Prologue is Tour de France style: a fun 20-30 minute rally on amazing North Shore singletrack to ease your nerves and get you in the groove. No mass start, and nothing crazy technical…just a chance to open up your legs and dial into the experience that lies ahead!

The warm community of Lynn Valley in North Vancouver is your host at the end of Day One.

Stage One – Nanaimo – Parksville

We’ll leave beautiful Lynn Valley in North Vancouver, to head for Horseshoe Bay where you’ll experiene your first ferry ride of the race – to the historic and picturesque city of Nanaimo, the gateway to Vancouver Island.

From Nanaimo, you’ll make your way through some incredible singletrack and finish just metres from the ocean in the beautiful seaside village of Parksville. Boasting one of Canada’s finest climates, Parksville is an outdoor enthusiast’s delight – beaches, lakes and mountain bike trails abound. With six provincial parks within 30 minutes drive, Parksville is a favourite destination!

Stage Two – Cumberland

From Parksville we’ll relocate to the Comox Valley, the recreational capital of Vancouver Island.

Here you’ll find diverse terrain including rich forests, rolling foothills, raging rivers, and beautiful pacific beaches. And, an amazing network of inspiring single track trails awaits you. The sister cities of Comox and Courtenay are nestled in the valley, along with Cumberland. As arts and culture thrive in this region, there is every opportunity to stimulate your senses with gourmet food, creative crafts, and music, museums, theatre and festivals. Recharge and revitalize!

Stage Three – Powell River

*NEW FOR 2010*

A ferry ride directly across the Straight of Georgia from Courtenay/Comox brings you to the warm, friendly community of Powell River on the Upper Sunshine Coast.

Accessible only by sea or air, BC’s spectacular Sunshine Coast is an outdoor enthusiast’s delight. Experience the creations of local artisans and unique heritage of First Nations peoples, soak up the spectacular scenery and bask in the mildest climate in Canada.

Your day’s adventure both starts and finishes in Powell River and we are stoked to introduce these incredible trails to you!

Stage Four – Earls Cove – Sechelt

Your first 30kms from Powell River to the ferry will be on buses. Kick back and enjoy the scenery then we’ll get you to the ferry crossing to Earl’s Cove. Then it’s race time, right outta the ferry terminal, with roughly 60km of road and trail which bring you to the community of Sechelt, your Stage Four host, teeming with arts and culture.

Stage Five – Sechelt – Langdale Ferry

Wake up to some of the most polished, elaborate singletrack trail networks on the coast! Pass through beautiful Roberts Creek as you ride from Sechelt to Gibsons and on to the Langdale Ferry Terminal.

The seaside village of Gibsons lies southeast of Sechelt and is home to a delightful, bustling harbour. Much like its Sunshine Coast siblings, Gibsons has the best of west coast scenery, with sweeping sea-to-summit views. Explore the working harbour, wander through the village, and discover the restaurants and artist studios.

Depending on your finish time in Langdale, you’ll be on one of three ferry sailings to Horseshoe Bay.  Regardless of which ferry you catch, you will enjoy a bus ride from Horseshoe Bay up the famous Sea-to-Sky Highway to Squamish, the recreation capital of BC, and your rest stop for the next two nights.

Stage Six – The Best of Squamish

Situated at the head of Howe Sound and surrounded by mountains, scenic Squamish is quickly gaining the reputation as Canada’s Outdoor Playground. Hikers, climbers, paddlers, bikers and surfers galore flock to Squamish for its vast array of activities. This stage starts and finishes in this beautiful community and offers up the best trails of two legendary singletrack races combined – the Test of Metal and Gear Jammer. This one will not disappoint!!!

Stage Seven – Whistler – All Classic Singletrack

We’re making a few changes to the Whistler course for 2010, but rest assured it will be an incredible journey through some of Whistler’s first and original singletrack trails. This final day, your victory lap, will reflect a parade of awesome singletrack that is he hidden gem of Whistler!

A world-renowned destination for first-class skiing and mountain biking, Whistler Village is tucked at the base of both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Amazing restaurants and quaint shops tempt you when you’re not taking advantage of the spectacular terrain in the area. What a finish to 7 incredible days!

*Race route subject to change

To register and find out more check out www.bcbikerace.com

By Gary Kingston, Vancouver SunJune 26, 2009 9:25 AMIn cycling’s venerable B.C. Superweek, which will be slightly less super this year with no Tour de Gastown, the road racing through Delta and White Rock goes by such classic terms as prologue, criterium and hill climb.

But before some of North America’s best pavement scorchers take to the streets July 10-19, a whole other group of elite cyclists will be attacking some of B.C.’s most notoriously gnarly mountain bike trails.

They’ll be trying to stay upright on such handle-bar rattling tracks as Screamin Demon, Severed, Buggered Pig, Black Hole and Powerhouse Plunge.

It’s called simply B.C. Bike Race, a seven-day mountain bike stage race that starts Sunday on the North Shore and includes stages on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast before winding up in Whistler.

B.C. Bike Race is in just its third year, but has quickly become one of the most well-regarded mountain bike stage races in the world, rivalling the Cape Epic in South Africa and the Trans Alps in Europe.

Close to 400 riders, from pros to recreational enthusiasts, have ponied up the $2,250 entry fee, which covers meals created by local caterers in each community, base camp tenting, B.C. Ferries transfers, secure bike storage, daily awards and more.

“It’s the only race in the world where ferry crossings are part of the event,” said media manager Dave Howells.

About 25 to 30 pro riders are expected to take part. While a solo division has been added this year, most of the pros will be riding as two-person teams.

Kris Sneddon of Sechelt, who races in North America for Team Kona, won the men’s event last year with Kona teammate Barry Wicks, an Oregon native.

“A lot of people want to come up and do it, just want to experience that sort of epicness,” said Sneddon. “[Wicks] had raced World Cups on Grouse, but he’d never been to Vancouver Island. Everywhere we went, he was pretty much blown away.”

The first two years, the race, also billed as ‘The Ultimate Single Track Experience,’ began on Vancouver Island. This year, for the first time, a stage will be held on the North Shore trails with a 30-kilometre trek along the trails of Mt. Seymour, Mt. Fromme and into the Lynn Valley.

“Guys are going to go crazy with the stuff on the North Shore,” said Sneddon. “They’ll be blown away how technical it is. I haven’t ridden [Stage 3] Cumberland, but I got a chance to go over this year’s Nanaimo stage and that blew me away. It’s fast and flowy and not ridiculously steep. It’s going to be super fun.”

Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, who finished fourth at the Beijing Olympics, is making her B.C. Bike Race debut this year, partnering with Czech Olympian and Team Luna teammate Katrina Nash.

“Being a post-Olympic year, people are wanting to try something new. I know a lot of the trails, they’re just so amazing and this is something I really wanted to do.”

Pendrel is competing even though the event concludes just a week before the mountain bike nationals in Quebec, which are followed by two World Cup stops in that province.

“It’s a little closer to nationals than is ideal and not having done one of these before, I don’t know if my legs will feel totally flat or okay. It’s going to make it hard to be at 100 per cent at nationals, but hopefully for three weeks later at the World Cup, I’ll be in incredible shape.”

As a team of two, Pendrel and Nash have to remain within two minutes of each other during each stage.

“Some days one of you will be feeling stronger than the other and I’m sure that will reverse, so a lot of it is helping each other with pacing, giving each other a push.”

And trying to stay civil.

“Last year, a couple of teams had little arguments and break downs in the race,” said Sneddon. “It was sort of comical watching it happen. ‘Geez guys, get along.’”

gkingston@vancouversun.com