Cross-country racers will head into Powell River’s backcountry on Sunday, March 20, for the second event of the Vancouver Island Mountain Bike Race Series.
This is the first year that the series has staged an event in Powell River, a development spawned from the success of last summer’s BC Bike Race Powell River stage. The series, which began March 13, stages nine cross-country races this year and competitors earn points over the course of the season at each race to compete for top spot.
Russell Brewer, Powell River Cycling Association president and BC Bike Race organizer, said the series is a less formal version of the BC Cup and a whole lot of fun. Organizers contacted the association and local race organizers after hearing of the success of BC Bike Race and wanting to expand their own event.
“This race is here because of what we expected to happen from the BC Bike Race: people going back and saying ‘hey, you should check out the trails over there,’” said Brewer. “I think we’ll see more of that over the next couple of years.”
The race will take place over a 6.6-kilometre route that starts from Paradise Exhibition Park (home of the Open Air Market), goes along Enchanted Forest Trail, down Blue Trail, around the north tip of Hammil Lake and up Siesta Trail back to the park. Locals are welcome to sign up for the one race and not have to worry about entering any others. The cost to register is $20 and bikers can enter in various skill level categories which will determine how many laps of the route are to be completed.
Brewer said there are plenty of opportunities and good areas for spectators to come out and watch the race as most of the route is easily accessible. There will be a couple of local racers taking part, including John Rapp, and crowds are more than welcome to come out and cheer from about 1 to 4 pm.
Brewer expects this to become a yearly event for the community, along with the BC Bike Race and a third, locally organized race currently in development. That race is expected to have its inaugural run this fall. Organizers are playing with the idea of making the event a combination road and mountain bike race and hope to attract more out-of-town bikers.
Brewer said that from talking to local bike shops he has already heard about more people coming to town to ride. Many of the competitors in these events also come early to pre-ride the course, boosting the local economy at the same time.
“There’s a lot of support for tourism obviously and this fits into that,” said Brewer. “I think it was just a matter of getting the word out and letting people know what’s here and then once that builds on itself it’ll take off without us having to do much.”
For a map of the course readers can visit the
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