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BC Bike Race - SR
Canada, June 28-July 4, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Stage Next Stage
Stage 6 - July 3: The Best of Squamish, 65km
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Squamish hosted the BC Bike Race for the last two nights and served up the full meal deal of BC singletrack to racers. From punishing, grunty climbs to "wooohooo"ing bermy downhill bliss, there was something for every rider in stage six. Some would call this the Squamish highlights tour, as the course consisted of the Gearjammer and Test of Metal race courses combined. Some, but not too much rain dampened the dusty trails and washed away some of the heat from the air, making for perfect temperatures and good trail conditions.
Although no longer contesting the GC after some tough circumstances, team-mates Andreas Hestler and Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain Bikes) won the stage. Two days ago, the team incurred a one hour time penalty for being more than two minutes apart on course. Yesterday, Hestler suffered bad luck with a snapped bolt halfway though the stage, which caused him to withdraw from the race when the pair had a solid lead at that point in the stage.
"Some days you show up at the race and your legs don't," said Hestler. "Today, my legs showed up…finally!" Hestler is a firm believer in the power of the human body to adapt to the conditions in which it exists - especially when it comes to stage mountain bike races. His own fitness evolution over the past six days is living proof of Hestler's theory. "I just kept getting stronger all week, and at last my legs showed up!"
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BC Bike Race staff were thrilled to have "Dre", their own Director of Marketing for this race, take the podium this afternoon. Hopes are high for a repeat performance by Hestler and Plaxton on the Whistler course on Friday.
Although they are unable to claim title to the leaders' jersey, Team Rocky Mountain Bikes buried their competition today with a hefty six minute gap between them and their second place team. The leaders' jersey stayed with Team Kona's Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks, who have a commanding 41 minute lead over last year's BC Bike Race champions Chris Eatough and Jeff Schalk.
The remaining category standings stack up essentially the same way as they have since stage one. The powerhouse women's pairing of Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (Taint Slo) claimed the stage and leader's jersey yet again, increasing their overall category lead to almost three hours. Wendy Simms and Norman Thibault (Kona - Riding in Memory of Denis Fontaine) have dominated the mixed category and took top honours and leader's jerseys, as did Andrew Handford and Pat Doyle (Different Bikes / Deadgoat Racing) in the Veterans 80+, as well as Brian and Bruce Johnson (Double Shot) in the Veterans 100+.
Stage 7 - July 4: Whistler, 47km
With six stages already complete, riders are gearing up for their seventh and final stage in Whistler. On tap include such classics as Upper and Lower Far Side trails, River Runs Through It, Cut Yer Bars and the Lost Lake Trail system.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Dave Silver Photo /www.davesilverphoto.com
- Day five had even more testing singletrack to offer.
- Teams tried to stay close together on the twisting trails.
- Giant trees dwarf the riders through forest sections.
- Watch that rock.
- Keeping the bodyweight back is never a bad idea.
- For every climb, riders were rewarded with an awesome descent.
- The trails had a mixture of natural and man-made features.
- Today's route took in the Gearjammer and Test of Metal trails.
- Rain had dampened the dusty trails to produce perfect conditions for riding.
- The jersey wearers with one stage remaining.
Results
Men 1 Andreas Hestler and Max Plaxton (Can)/(Can) Rocky Mountain Bikes 3.15.39 2 Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks (Can)/(USA) Kona 3.21.37 3 Manuel Prado and Marvin Campos (CRc)/(CRc) La Ruta / Sho-Air / Economy Car Rental 3.22.26 4 Tim Bennett and Adrian Jackson (Aus)/(Aus) Flight Centre 3.24.53 5 Chris Eatough and Jeff Schalk (USA)/(USA) Trek VW Mountain Bike Team 3.30.36 Women 1 Tanya Hanham and Kari Ferlatte (Can)/(Can) Big Ring Racing-Fresh Air Experience 5.35.33 2 Emily Chastain and Kirsty Exner (Can)/(Can) Kirs N Em Bikes 5.43.51 3 Elizabeth Vollmer and Cristina Begy (USA)/(USA) Miss Mavericks 6.04.20 4 Kathleen Negraeff and Cheryl Giffin (Can)/(Can) West Side Moms Like Dirt 6.09.33 5 Jodi Siever and Cathy Graham (Can)/(Can) Double Trouble 6.11.41 General classification after stage six Men 1 Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks (Can)/(USA) Kona 22.49.56 2 Chris Eatough and Jeff Schalk (USA)/(USA) Trek VW Mountain Bike Team 18.53 3 Tim Bennett and Adrian Jackson (Aus)/(Aus) Flight Centre 36.52 4 Jason Sager and Bart Gilliespie (USA)/(USA) Mona Vie Cannondale 46.51 5 Manuel Prado and Marvin Campos (CRc)/(CRc) La Ruta / Sho-Air / Economy Car Rental 50.09 Women 1 Kathleen Negraeff and Cheryl Giffin (Can)/(Can) West Side Moms Like Dirt 23.46.38 2 Sara Bresnick-Zocchi and Kelli Emmett (USA)/(USA) Taint Slo 2.28.11 3 Kristenn Magnusson and Lisa Ludwig (Can)/(Can) Helly Hansen Vancouver Island 2.38.36 4 Katie Lindquist and Amy Harris (USA)/(USA) Lindquist 4.13.48 5 Michelle Newton and Alex Watson (Can)/(Can) Steed Sistas 4.28.36 Full results Coming!
