BC Bike Race - The Pacific Traverse - NE

Canada, July 1-7, 2007

Schedule Preview Start List

Schedule

Race 1 - July 1: Victoria - Cowichan Lake District, 112km
Race 2 - July 2: Cowichan Lake District - Port Alberini, 115km
Race 3 - July 3: Port Alberini - Comox Valley, 83km
Race 4 - July 4: Comox Valley - Powell River - Earls Cove - Sechelt, 60km
Race 5 - July 5: Sechelt - Gibsons, 55km
Race 6 - July 6: Squamish - Whistler, 75km
Race 7 - July 7: Whistler, 25km

Preview

By Karl Etzel of Ride424.com, from Victoria, BC

Getting all the racers and bikes from downtown Victoria to Sooke
Photo ©: Karl Etzel

Racers gathered from all across Canada and the US today in Victoria, British Columbia, one day before the start, for "Day Zero" of the inaugural BC Bike Race – Pacific Traverse. Modeled after other classics of the endurance mountain biking scene such as Trans-Alp and Trans Rockies, BC Bike Race follows a stage race GC format for seven days across Vancouver Island and onto the mainland, wrapping up at the year-round playground of Whistler on July 7.

Although in its first year, the staff of BC Bike Race has worked hard to ensure that racers are well taken care of and all the details are looked after. General Manager Kevin Thompson told the racers assembled at the Victoria Convention Center for the kick-off meeting, "Our goal is to make you feel like you are participating in the 25th anniversary race, not a first year event." Racers marched through a well-laid out series of steps to check equipment, get signed in, take care of camp and meal details, and of course collect some swag.

Racers compete on teams of two, and teammates must stay within two minutes of each other the entire time. This fosters the sense of camaraderie and adds a dimension to the race tactics that does not exist in most cross-country or endurance events. Unique to this event, teams of four may also participate although they send out only two racers at a time.

This will be home sweet home
Photo ©: Karl Etzel

Tomorrow's Stage 1 takes the racers over 108 kms, with one major 400m climb early on in the first section of the course, followed by roughly 15km of singletrack in the middle and a long fast stretch at the end to bring racers to Lake Cowichan where the traveling tent city will await them.

Gorgeous blue skies and warm temperatures greeted the racers arriving in Victoria today, and more of the same is called for tomorrow. Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for daily updates and photos as we follow the event over 500 kms.

Photography

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Karl Etzel /www.ride424.com

Racers go through the registration process and get ready.
Getting all the racers and bikes from downtown Victoria to Sooke for the race start involves a large truck with the entire fleet of bikes.
Traveling with a bike always requires last minute adjustments, and the folks at Obsession Bikes are on hand all week to provide tech support to racers.
This will be home sweet home for the athletes all week, as tents are set up every night at the stage end. Besides running a race, organizers are keeping a small village going for a week.