Day 6 and 7 BCBR final update

Day 6 and 7. Day 6 was in Squamish, where Carrie and I spent 4 days before the race riding in the rain sussing out the trails which the race follows. After a good day in the saddle the previous day, I decided that is the day I could go out and hammer and leave nothing to shape on the course, in hope to gain some lost time from the previous wrong turns. We had a plan that I was going to ride with a hydration pack and all my food for the day, so I would start a little heavier than most the front pack riders. As these guys are running as light as they can, carry just gels and one water bottle on the bike and possible a small bottle in their jersey. For me I have found on the longer stages to have the Camelbak has been good (yes a little heavier). Just for the fact that the trails are so engaging and there is so little opportunity to grab your water bottle and sip that much needed water. The pace at the front is so furiously fast at all times, you just don’t get a chance to grab the bottle. Also I lost a bottle on day 2 hammering down the Enduro segment, which left me little dehydrated post race.

Day 6 : 110% was plan with only one day left after this stage. Ride through the 2 water stations not stopping to grab food or water just keep the head down and try gain time on the guys in front of me! As the gun went off the pack set off at the usual time trial pace up road to the gravel fireroad which quickly splits the pack. The starts are hectic as the 550 riders are broken into 12 starting groups of 50 based on your overall time. Obviously I am in the 1st group the “Red dot group” which means we have the top 50 punters all gunning at the start for a decent position. I haven’t stressed too much about being first on the line in the groups, as the pace is so fast out the blocks the hierarchy quickly gets sorted out as you hit the first hill which is within the first 5 km, then the pack just blows apart. I have just made sure that within the first 2km I am nicely jammed in behind the pros trying to draft as much as gravel road allow. At this point I am maxing out for the next 10km as I can stick with the Pros/top dudes (which is normally a pack of 12 of us). In the pack we are now getting to know each other and riders strengths, which is good as some guys are super strong on the climbs and flats but loose heaps of time on the techie single track trails. So it is important to position yourself correctly in the pack to make sure you don’t get dropped as you hit the first section of single track. Once we hit the 15-20km things start blowing apart in the pack, as for me I have been redlining for +- 45min’s and the attacks start to surge pace. So the pack will break up and I have found myself in a smaller pack of 4-5 normally the same guys, setting our own pace. Then came the first Enduro- PseudoTsuga; a 2km pump, flow burms singletrack with double jumps and some loose corners. The Enduros have become a bit of a focus to me, so I made sure I was first into the trailhead and then let the fun flow downhill to pops out of at the water station. First water station came up and sure enough the guys stopped so I hammered on through to their dismay. And 1km up the road Carrie, Simon and Alex where eagerly awaiting with a water bottle. It was a smooth transition over to a new water bottle and was quickly back into the hurt box all by myself, no one but me and my pain! So it was head down and hammer time. The 20km’s I just rode in the red, my heart rate was at around the 154-163 bpm, the trails were well suited to me, as they were techie, rooty, tight turning singletracks (Powerhouse plunge, Hoods in the woods to Far side). I rode all by myself till Carter and the German gladiator (on a hardtail) caught me at the 40km mark with 8km to go, at this point I put down the gas on a tight single track and Carter and I broke zee German. With 4km to go the lactic had set in my legs after the big push we hit the last little climb, which left me feeling like I was riding backwards. Carter past me and I didn’t have the legs to hang on to his tail up the climb. But after the climb with 2km to go I went into time trial mode knowing the finish was only 5mins away. So it was head down and turn those cranks over hard and in a big gear. Before I knew it I could hear the crowd at the finishline BUT couldn’t see any pink/red ribbon marking the course. Yes I had missed a turn AGAIN 1km from the finish, there were some arbs sitting on the side of the road which I yelled at them in total panic “ have you seem any riders?” and they just looked at me as if I was some doped cyclist on a bender. So I turned around and rode back for 3 mins up the road to find a junction and raced along it to the finshline. I crossed the line obviously in such a state after pushing so hard for 3hrs and then the panic buttons all still engaged. To see three guys already across the line who were behind me the whole race was a sad feeling. I had worked so hard that day and taken risks to gain the time which I need to move up to top 10. Although I crossed the line in 11th position (which is an awesome result) I was bummed as should have/could have finish in 8 or 9th which would have been the first time I had cracked the top 10 finish. But that is racing and lessons are always learnt in the most stressed position. Still I knew that day I had given everything I could and left nothing on the course and had the legs after 6 days of hard racing to gain on my competition. It’s a good feeling when your legs are getting stronger and the guys around you are fading.

The final stage: Day 7 Whistler: The final day 25km’s, you would think that this would be a breeze after racing double that every day for 6days prior. But I was warned this was not an easy day in the saddle. The first climb was straight up and downhill run for 5km, the down a hectic but super fun downhill run with huge berms and 6ft jumps on it. I was cautioned not to hit the jumps too hard on a XC bike. The start was once again hectic as everyone knew it was there last chance to gain that position they wanted. I start rows back in the start shoot as everyone was early into the box wanting a good position. So I had 40 people to pass on the start to get to my normal top10 position, I even at this point waiting for the start said to Carrie, I am too far back in the group! The gun when off and the red group sped off and within 20m from the line some muppet when down next to me and he hit the ground hard with his bike bouncing up and lodging itself behind the rear wheel and my frame. I quickly stopped, threw his bike off mine and raced off to find I had been dropped by the front pack. I fought so hard up “Easy does it” the 5km uphill, passing guys I hadn’t even seen all race, I passed Dre and he commented “why you back here?” so I fought harder, slowly I started recognizing guys I had been riding with for 6 days. I found myself on Carters wheel again knowing that if I am on his wheel I am in the top 10. So sat there all the way down “ Crank it up” which was such a blast going down, as we popped out the track my mate Luke was there with the camera. But I was more focused on Carter who was making a sneaky inside turn on the leaders of the team’s race the Rocky Mountain factory team’s inside. So as we turned I tried to make a tighter turn on their inside only to find myself eating dirt and blood pouring out of my arm and off Carter went up the hill at EPO pace. I hope Luke got the shot of me eating dirt!

The next 17km’s was hammer down, use all the fuel in the tank. No stopping just ride the fastest you can ride to the end. Things went well as blood poured from my arm and through the last Enduro segment which I was now lying 8th overall in, I was focused on following the pink ribbons and getting through the stage to finish this amazing race. I passed Carrie cheering me on in the final stretch of the forest and on to cross the line in the top 10 in 7th place.. It was a good feeling knowing that I had the capability to be in the top 10 and finally getting a smooth race, well as smooth as it goes in mountain biking. I got the finishers belt buckle and T-shirt to show, but the real reward is self-accomplishment. Knowing you can do something, setting goals and gathering mental images that you will keep for life is cool. The BC bike race travels across the most amazing landscape and touches undoubtedly some of the best MTB singletrack in the world! For me it is a proper MTB race that sets the mountain bikers from the roadies, you need skills through the techie sections and it never hurts quite as much working to gain time when you are focused on the challenges of the track not just the pain in your legs. Most stage races aka Cape Epic/Joberg2C is about doing a lot of open fire road km’s, the BCBR takes you to the best singletrack Canada has to offer every day and leaves out the boring stuff to pack in the cherries to 7days of awesome riding. Our experience of the BCRC was gold, from travelling with a great bunch of mates, making new friends for life to having the RV at our disposal we currently didn’t want to leave, we could have carried on doing this for a long long time!