BC Bike Race 2023 - Back to the Coast - Mountain Bike Blog Post

BC Bike Race kicked off its 17th year with a return to Vancouver Island, back where it all began. Riders had their first sample of the iconic west coast greenery with a short dip into the singletrack on Maple Mountain for the opening Prologue.

Racing in the Green Zone was frenetic over the first three days, with new names rising to challenge returning champions. On the men’s side all three stages saw winning margins of four seconds or less as Craig Oliver battles it out with Canadian brothers Quinton and Peter Disera.

Remi "the Semi" sending the gnarl — Remi Gauvin, Remi "the Semi" sending the gnar! *Margus Riga*

Men

After three days of racing, 2023 BC Bike Race is turning into a battle between Craig Oliver and the Diseras. Which Disera brother the New Zealand racer is up against seems to change every day, though. In the Prologue and on Mount Tzouhalem, it was Quinton. On Maple Mountain, Peter led the attacks.

“Yeah, man, one of them tries to kill me one day, the next one tries to kill me the other,” Oliver said of his Disera duel with a laugh.

If the brothers are working as a team, they weren’t letting much on.

“We’re competitive, but if he can nail it down, that’s good. If I get stronger throughout the week, it’s good,” Peter admits, adding, “Just as long somebody walks away with it.”

Crofton, host to day 1, 2, 3! *Jens Klett*

After two burly days of racing, Quinton dropped down the standings as his brother and Oliver duked it out on the way up to, and down from Maple Mountain summit.

Sitting quietly in third is 2021 BC Bike Race winner, Andrew L’Esperance.

“It’s my first time back to what I consider the original BCBR. The organization did a great job putting on a great event in the Okanagan but I think this is the BCBR so it’s special to be back here,” L’Esperance says

Carter Nieuwesteeg, on the podium last year, and multi-time BCBR winner Geoff Kabush are in fourth and fifth. If the fireworks at the front of the field get as hot as this week’s weather, another implosion could open the door for any of these favourites. For Kabush, the Island Roots run deep.

Rock rolls, and mini-slabs punctuated the day *Margus Riga*

“I really love going back to all the places I rode as a young kid, and I’m excited to head back to Cumberland where I first started,” the veteran Canadian racer said ahead of Monday’s start.

Geoff Kabush, methodically moving forward, a legend at work! *Dave Silver*

Remi The Semi revs up for the long haul

Another rider that was attacking the descent from Maple Mountain was none other than Rocky Mountain Race Face enduro pro, Remi Gauvin. Remi “The Semi” launched down Maple Syrup’s steep chutes and rock faces to land a solid eighth-place finish on Day 3 and now sits 11th overall.

Navigating his opposing strengths with the largely XCO field has required some tactics and some tact. He’s been trying to hang with the cross country whippets to get a clear a run as possible at the descents.

“They’re getting out of the way. They know who I am and that I can go a lot faster than them on the descents, so they’re very respectful,” Gauvin says, adding with a laugh, “I’ll get out of their way on the climbs and they can get out of my way on the descents.”

Remi 'the Semi' making short work of the technical *Dave Silver*

Women

Katerina Nash is back at the BC Bike Race for the first time in four years. The California-based Czech rider has picked up where she left off, in the leader’s jersey, but not without a strong challenge from a new group of contenders.

“We definitely have a good competitive field. Evelyn is riding really strong. It’s great to see Eva, and have a young rider in there. She’s quite sendy on the downhills,” says Nash. “I’m just really excited to be back at BCBR, it’s been four years. I do love the riding here. So many people want to travel from around the world to ride these trails, so I’m pretty stoked.”

Young Canadian Eva Poidevin and U.S. racer Evelyn Dong are have both pushed the past BCBR champ to tight finishes on all three days of racing in the Cowichan Valley. Mount Tzouhalem proved to be the only course where Nash could create meaningful separation. On Day 3, Dong and Poidevin tracked her up and almost all the way down Maple Mountain.

Caroline Dezendorf has some needed focus *Margus Riga*

“Eva took it out real hard today, that was more like an XC start. But I thought, Katerina’s just going to ride up to us because she’s smart and didn’t go out super hard. Sure enough, she rolled up,” Dong said of her race on Day 3. “After the first descent,it was just me and Katerina. She knows the trails here real well, so I was just trying to follow her. It’s cool just seeing what she does on a bike.”

Again, it is a past champion sitting fourth that could throw a wrench into the current standings. Sandra Walter returns to BC Bike Race after winning last year in the Okanagan.

“The trails here are awesome. Last year was really fun too, a different flavour,” says Walter, adding “I’m looking forward to more familiar turf here with rainforest-type singletrack.”

Sandra Walter, not afraid to go 'Steep and Deep'! *Dave Silver*

Basecamp completes the return to “The Ultimate Singletrack Experience”

BC Bike Race’s week-long event doesn’t stop when racers cross the finish line. The return to camping means the return of Basecamp and all of its amenities. Along with wellness, a beer garden, live DJ’s and 250 tents, Basecamp is about making racers feel at home. This year, that included helping American racers celebrate Independence Day here in Canada.

Tent city, home for you and ,,, your bike??!! *Margus Riga*

Day 2 started with Johnny Rock calling riders to the start line by blaring the Star Spangled Banner from a trailer top in the middle of the tent village.

Jonny Rock hitting all the hight notes *Margus Riga*

Many riders marked the day by racing in their U.S. kit, as Rebecca Fahringer wore to a top 10 finish or, in the case of Wisconsin/Minnesota team VanVan Overland Kollectiv, a pair very American matching bald eagle and Stars and Stripes jerseys.

Stars and Stripes - July 4th *Margus Riga*

“We’re here, man! Everyone’s back home celebrating for us, they’re all partying right now.” said Thomas Olek of his Fourth of July celebrations. The stoke was still strong, despite showing signs of a heavy dirt sample. “Oh, I went down, yeah. I was minor, I walked away so I’m not really concerned. But I went over the bars.”

“If you don’t have a little blood on you, were you even riding?” added his teammate, Calvin Dumer

The next day, it was a more local team turning heads with their race outfits. Zoe Dawson and Sara Archer were enjoying the sweet taste of Maple Syrup on Day 3 in matching pink tutus.

“We wanted to have fun. Everyone seems pretty serious and, in Squamish, it’s just something the ladies do when we race.” Sara explains, with Zoe adding “It was definitely more fun rocking the tutu. People were nicer to us, too.”

The team thrived on Maple Mountain’s technical sections, finishing second in the Open Women’s Team of 2 category. After a successful debut, the apparently high-performance outfits could make a return later in the week.

“Yeah, I think so. Whenever it feels like it’s going to be a suffery day,” Sara starts, “The tutus make it less suffery,” Zeo finished. “They’re very light actually,” Sara explained, with Zoe adding “The airflow is amazing!”

On Thursday, BC Bike Race relocates to Nanaimo for the day. A 35.5 km course, with just a 3km neutral return, will squeeze in a vertical gain, and loss, of 1,034 metres. Westwood Lake and the South Benson trails promise long, continuous descending on fast, occasionally rough trails, connected by the occasional punchy, steep climb.

With the shift to Nanaimo trails, BCBR Basecamp is also on the move. The tent community travels north to settle into Cumberland for the remainder of the week.