Day 2: Victoria Rocks!

Racers woke up to a bluebird day at Double Dutch Farm jazzed for more of the technical trails that Victoria is known for.

But before they could hit the trails, everyone needed to pack up their BCBR duffle bags in preparation for moving to our next Basecamp an hour north in the seaside town of Crofton.

By the time most racers got off course late morning or early afternoon, our speedy crew had moved most of the tents and gear that make up the BCBR basecamp and were reassembling it in our new “home”.

Morning on the farm.

Racers staying in our tents packed up their stuff after breakfast in preparation for our move to Crofton immediately after Stage 2 was complete.

Sponsor of the day, Crankbrothers, provided pumps for our red shirt crew to make sure everyone had the perfect tire pressure before they headed out on course.

At the start line, emcee Brett Tippie kept racers entertained as they waited patiently for their start wave to get the green light. He showed his trademark wisecracking wit as he interviewed racers from each wave, keeping the energy high and the nerves as low as possible in a race situation.

The final wave of racers passes under the BCBR start/finish arch, ready for an encore of Victoria’s techy climbs and descents.

ON COURSE

Racers rip through the corners.

Victoria’s varied terrain gave racers a lot to smile about, from the uber flowy Torpedo run to the more common janky downhill on Northridge and Sidewinder.

Want the full story on today’s stage and how the pro riders performed?

READ TERRY MCKALL'S RACE REPORT

FOX TIMED DOWNHILL

Today’s stage finished with the Fox Timed Downhill of the day, back this year after a long hiatus. While racers were encouraged to push themselves a little on this segment, the technical terrain peppered with tight corners demanded that everyone dig into their MTB skills to keep the rubber side down.

YOUTH RACERS

New this year, we lowered the minimum racer age to 16 and this father-son team took advantage of the opportunity to race together. Hear their story in our Day 2 highlights video below.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE FARM…

No fence can keep these goats from a sweet grassy snack.

While we’re sad to say good-bye to Double Dutch Farm and their adorable goats, we can’t wait to share our Queen stage with this year’s racers. Day 3 will feature Mount Tzouhalem and Maple Mountain in the Cowichan Valley. A distinctly different flavour than Victoria, racers are in for a treat tomorrow!

Words by Carmel Ecker
Photos by Deniz Merdano, Jens Klett and Carmel Ecker

DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO

FOLLOW THE PROS VIDEO

Follow Andew L’Esperance and Sean Fincham of team Maxxis Rocky Mountain, and Tyler Clark, Canadian Cyclo-Cross Champion, tackle the BC Bike Race Stage 2 at the Hartland Mountain Bike Park in Victoria BC. Watch the speed, marvel at the technical challenge!