After two long and hot days of riding on Maple Mountain, racers got a bit of a break in both the weather and the distance on Day 3, presented by Crankbrothers.
Today was cooler on course with a high in the mid-20s rather than the low 30s and racers definitely appreciated that gift from Mother Nature. Everyone seemed perkier and there was a lot of stoke at the finish line.
“Best day so far” was a common refrain.
Though the day was shorter than stages one and two at 24.7 kms, it was no less challenging as racers climbed 992 metres through the day.
Our course team really gets into the spirit of things. When everything is going well on course, why not hang out and cheer like crazy?
BCBR President and Founder Dean Payne, gives eBCBR racers their own briefing and starts them an hour after everyone else to minimize their interaction with other racers on course.
Racers loved today’s Fox Timed Downhill segment on flow trail Bumblebee.
A Snapshot of local Indigenous Culture
Today, we sent racers into the dense network of trails on Mount Tzouhalem, named for a legendary 19th Century leader and warrior in the local indigenous community.
That made it fitting that, after the racing was done, everyone was treated to an interactive performance by the Cowichan Tzinquaw Dancers, an intergenerational dance troupe whose members range in age from 2 years to early 70s. They have been honouring the traditional Quw’utsun dances and songs from the Cowichan Valley since the late 1970s.
The dancers have shared their culture at several BC Bike Races and were happy to come back.
“I think the biggest thing for our group is just to show what we are, who we are, show what we have to, to share,” said Andrew Peter, who led the group through the performance.
Of their four dances, the Friendship Dance was a big hit. At the start, several dancers went into the audience to invite someone into the dance. After a short round of dancing, everyone dancing invited more people to join.
“So many people enjoy that part,” says Peter. “We end up doing that one I think almost every time we’re out.”
Party while you ride
While the pro riders and other podium contenders blast through the course hoping for gold, silver or bronze—read about the race part of the race here—other racers take advantage of the party that always happens at the aid station.
With music, costumes, water and real food, like watermelon and pickles, it’s where us mere mortals can refresh and socialize just a bit before tackling the next climb.
Our Aid Station Maven, Shannen, chats with racers. For her b-day, she decided to wear her bee costume!
Our medical team sets up a remote base by the aid station each day so they can quickly respond to emergencies on course. With riders experiencing nothing more than bumps and scrapes today, they were a little bored.
Bye for now to the Cowichan Valley
This was our last day in the Cowichan Valley and as a thank you for hosting three stages here, the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society (CTSS) has received $10,000.
That money “goes back into maintaining trails above and beyond any wear the race does on the trails,” says Matt Grossnickle, former CTSS President and owner of local bike shop, Cycle Therapy.
But the cash injection is only one benefit of having BC Bike Race here. He says simply having a well-regarded international event here also gives the trails society added clout when asking for ongoing support from the local council.
“Businesses are busy, hotels are busy, the bike shop is busy. It’s great!”
Having the world’s eyes on this area while people from 37 countries race here makes it an attractive riding destination for non-racers from around the world.
In 2018, a group of riders from Switzerland came to the area two weeks after the race and said the face that BC Bike Race had a stage here was the reason they came to check out the trails.
“We have world class trails and when the world shows up, we get to show them off.”
Tomorrow, we make a stop in Nanaimo for Stage 4 before carrying onto our second and final basecamp of this year’s race in Cumberland. See you there!
Words by Carmel Ecker
Photos by Deniz Merdano and Dave Silver
