2026 BCBR: Stage 6 Nanaimo – Presented by Mosaic

A cider sprint!

Nash rolls with the highs and lows of BC Bike Race.  

Katerina Nash may be the undisputed queen of BC Bike Race but Day 6 showed even royalty can have an off day.

“I finally exploded,” Nash said with a laugh after the finish. “Honestly, teh recovery for somebody my age is much slower. I’ve been managing it pretty well, but today was rough. From the first pedal stroke, I knew I wasn’t on it. I made a few silly mistakes, which added to a bit of frustration, but I still pedalled as hard as I could. Hopefully I recover some strength for the last day.”

Nash does, in her defence, have more years to her name than the two women ahead of her on the standings, combined. When we talked with Nash after her stage win at Hammerfest, she joked that feeling good on Day 4 might cost her on Day 5. The consequences were delayed by a day, but Nash, ever positive, still sees room in the logic for a rebound.

“If my theory works, I didn’t feel good today so tomorrow will be better!”

That approach is one every racer would do well to keep in mind as they gear up, physically and mentally, for one more day of racing.

Five-way sprint explodes men’s race at Big Bang Cidery

This year’s BC Bike Race has delivered the most, closest finishes of any edition in 20 years. Five of six stages have ended in sprint finishes. In Nanaimo, five of the fastest men arrived at the finish line at Big Bang Cidery together, making sure the finish line venue lived up to its name.

Early on, it was Justin Peck putting on the pressure.

I couldn’t really tell what Nino and Peter wanted to do, but Justin was making the pace pretty hot on every climb which … I don’t love that personally, so I was just trying to survive out there,” said Santa Cruz’s Tobin Ortenblad. “I was just barely holding on on every climb, I was gapped off pretty often. But, coming back in toward the finish, there was a long pretty mellow gravel road and I could get back in.”

To go from getting gapped to taking the stage win requires some serious mental strength. When did Ortenblad start believing the win was possible?

Mentally, I was good all day. The climbs had bits of gravel road between them where I could recover a bit. So after about two sections of composing myself and climbing well, I knew that if the racing stayed like that, I could do it. The power of good self-talk, I guess.

Still, sprinting against Nino Schurter and a trio of very strong riders requires not just fitness, but some serious race craft.

“I think we all thought the finish was going in a big square around the orchard and we’re getting ready to out-manoeuvre each other. When we turned in, it went right off the road and straight into the sprint. When I saw that, I made up a spot before the turn and then barely got by Carter. It worked out for me, so I’ll take it.

Nieuwesteeg was also looking for a slightly different finish. The Fernie, B.C. local started his week with a sprint against Nino and Peter and today looked like a second chance.

“When we turned into the orchard, I was looking for another turn. I knew I wanted to be on the front coming into the finish. When I saw it was a straight shot, I hesitated and that split-second hesitation let Tobin sneak up.”

After Nanaimo, Ortenblad sits sixth overall.

“I’d really like to sneak up into fifth,” the Santa Cruz racer admits. “We’d have to break Max [McCulloch] again, which is not impossible. He looked like he was hurting today, which bodes well for me. So we’ll have to see if I can sneak by him, but I’d have to have a really good day. I’ll just try do whatever I did today.”

Max McCulloch did have a rough day in Nanaimo, yo-yoing off the back of the lead group and eventually conceding enough time to Justin Peck to drop from fourth overall. Tomorrow’s tomorrow, though. What’s Ortenblad’s favourite day so far?

“I won today, so it’s hard to say it wasn’t my favourite. But I’d still say Day 3, in Parksville, was really good dirt and just really fun descending there.”

Up ahead of the fray for the top five, Carter Nieuwesteeg’s been holding down a solid third place on GC. While he couldn’t take the win in Nanaimo, third on a podium with Nino isn’t too bad, either.

“It’s been crazy, honestly. This year’s been exciting. Pete and Nino are locked in up front, obviously, but it’s been cool to have such a dynamic race. And just to ride with those guys,” the Fernie local said before his podium. Most days, Nieuwesteeg’s held onto the top two for most of the day before fighting his way to the finish alone. That can be a painful tactic, but the Giant racer doesn’t seem to mind.

“Some days are longer than others. Most of the days, it’s come down to the last climb, where I’m able to survive the hits most of the day before falling apart. Some days they’re just out descending me. Pete’s having a phenomenal week, but the fact that Nino can just ride blind with Pete is absurd.”

For the Fernie rider, returning after a few BC Bike Race finishes, two days stand out in this year’s route.

“I think the rainy Cumberland day, and also Parksville super sick. But even some of the descents today in Nanaimo, were just burly and your bobbing through these big jumps, it was awesome.”

Frischy thriving at The Ultimate Singletrack Experience

Nino Schurter isn’t the only iconic Swiss racer taking on this year’s BC Bike Race. Thomas Frischknecht, 90s cross country star, mentor to Schurter and current Scott-SRAM team manager, is also taking the chance to get back between the tape in the men’s 50+ field.

Six days in, Frisky is loving the BC Bike Race experience.

“This is the next level of trail riding on Vancouver Island. I think I’ve travelled quite a bit riding all kinds of places and this is the top ranked riding I’ve experienced. It’s a bit different to races I usually do, the Swiss Epics and I’ve done 11 Cape Epics, that kind of stuff. There it’s more physical and less technical. More racing. Here it’s more proper technical riding and less racing. It’s fun.

The Scott-SRAM squad is on Vancouver Island as part of Schurter’s retirement tour after a historic career on the World Cup circuit. To make the trip a little special, the team’s staying in a house boat, looking out on Mount Tzouhalem, Maple Mountain and Cowichan Bay.

“We are travelling 200 days a year,” Firschknecht explains. “I booked that place just because it looked interesting to me. Better than staying at the Best Western! It’s something we won’t forget”

Despite the perfect location, Frischknecht has yet to spot any local wildlife.

“No, unfortunately not. We had another place outside Cumberland in Courtenay and I was always sitting and looking out at the ocean, but no whales.”

There’s still one more day. Despite the lack of whales, the legendary racer is enjoying his BCBR experience.

“We’re having a wonderful time here. The people are cool, casual and we’re all here for the same thing: Riding trails. It’s a good vibe, I love it.”

Well, you can’t get a much better endorsement than an icon of the sport. If you haven’t registered for 2027 yet, maybe you should?

The grand finale: A final Day 7 grand finale of BC Bike Race on the fine slopes of Maple Mountain  

While the day’s racing ended with a bang, racers filtered out of the finish straight into a more tranquil section of Big Bang Cidery. Cool shade, tasty eats and a full bar of cider grown on the very rows of trees racers had leaned their bikes up against. It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic end for a day of thrilling racing.

There’s still one more day of racing to go in this, the 20th and final BC Bike Race in its original format. Maple Mountain is sure to deliver a spectacle worthy of the occasion. With 44.8 km on tap, and 1,079m of elevation gain and loss, it’s a big one. Along with the main climb up Xylem, racers will get one last serving of BC gnar on Maple Syrup before flowing down Phloem and making their way back to basecamp for the final finish line. One last big hurrah, let’s go!

This isn’t just an end, though. BC Bike Race is already looking forward. To 2027, and a new format for this Ultimate Singletrack Experience. But also to tomorrow, when the first annual BC Bike Fest kicks off in North Cowichan. Three days of celebrating mountain bikes of all kinds, from the Rolling Thunder XC to enduro, eMTB and the MegaVolt, and even a downhill on the iconic slopes of Mount Prevost that overlook this week’s second base camp. If you’re not here now, or this weekend, make sure you are next year. Registration for the 2027 BC Bike Race is open now.