BC Bike Race
The Perfect End to a Roller-Coaster Journey
News Release/Harlan Price / 09.07.2012
The BC Bike Race closed at a party on the finishing line at Whistler’s Olympic Plaza lawn with the sunshine reflecting off the remaining summer snow of the surrounding mountain peaks. As riders crossed the line, getting hugs and medals, their tears mixed with the sweat and dust caked on their faces from the fastest final stage ever at the BCBR. As the riders lazed around in the lawn enjoying their post-race euphoria, stories of the week and more hugs were shared between people who had never met a week earlier.
After one of the most challenging BCBR race weeks for both riders and crew, the relief of riding in the sun on a course that was completely dry was the perfect end to a roller-coaster journey. Incredible racing and riding distinguished this sixth year from the previous five, as the rain and leaders from earlier in the week transitioned on the final day to sunshine and new protagonists fighting for the peak of the podium.
Many stories emerge in a week of racing and each rider has to manage their personal challenges and expectations. For some it’s terrain that differs drastically from their home trails, and with riders from 33 different countries the singletrack varies as much as the languages. The large Belgian contingency has very little technical terrain but plenty of wet weather.
Riders from the countries of Africa like, Egypt, Namibia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and the United Arab Eremites have arid desert landscapes that vary greatly from the deserts of Arizona in the US. Even Canadians from the central and eastern regions are learning a new riding style. What they all have in common is that they came to the BCBR specifically to ride trails unlike anything else in the world.
Men’s Epic Solo Race
2012 was by far the most exciting men’s solo race in history. Returning 2x Champion Chris Sheppard of the Rocky Mountain Factory Team was staring in the face of younger riders who had a hunger difficult to contain. Squamish star Neil Kindree of Specialized/EMD and Barry Wicks of Team Kona were saddled up to the buffet to load up on stage wins and the ultimate sweet taste of victory. The rest of the field was strong but still pups fighting for the scraps as the leaders tore into each other every day.
Never in the history of the BCBR has the first three stages ended in a sprint with the same three riders only separated by a second or two each day. Wicks took the first two stages virtually tying Kindree. On stage three in Powell River Sheppard earned a stage taking the sprint and going home only two seconds down on the general classification.
The longest stage, at 62 km, from Earls Cove to Sechelt established Barry Wicks as the favorite when he went on an early flier and earned a minute and a half over Kindree and sank Sheppard to a four and half time deficit. The next day from Sechelt to Langdale, Kindree fired back a memo letting the world know it wasn’t over , when he more than erased his time deficit and put on the Golden Fleece for the first time with a slim 5 second lead over a fading Wicks. The racers favorite stage Squamish saw sunshine while Wicks fell apart more as he couldn’t get his body to respond after five hard days of racing. Again Kindree took the win and seemed to be the new race favorite as he pushed Sheppard 3:45 back into his seat.
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