Another legend is the region where the BC Bike Race takes place. Freeride mountain biking was born in British Columbia. The heroes of yesteryear took it a bit easier on the climbs and sought a bit more air on the descents, but riders are still flying down the trails that this year’s field is riding.

The stages are roughly the same length as Olympic cross-country races in the World Cup—the discipline Nino Schurter has just completed. The difference is that he and his competitors are riding seven such races over seven consecutive days.

The first stage in Cumberland has already been completed; Nino is enthusiastic about the trails, while his competitors say he was taking in the scenery and chatting during the climbs while they were pushing themselves to the limit. The first stage ends in a three-way sprint, which local and former World Cup racer Peter Disera wins ahead of Schurter. Thomas Frischknecht rides 11th in the 50+ category.

But the most successful were two other legends: The Enduro Twins Caro and Anita Gehrig win the first stage in the Team of 2 category by a clear margin. They also take the downhill race, finishing in 4th (Caro) and 5th (Anita) place. As befits twins, a half-second separates them after 6 minutes of riding.

Results from Day 1

BC Bike Race