Race Preview: B.C. Bike Race-The Pacific TraverseFor participants in the inaugural edition of the B.C. Bike Race-The Pacific Traverse, a seven-day mountain-bike stage race from Victoria to British Columbia, it’s best not to dwell on the stats.
With the race set to begin at 9 a.m. Sunday morning in the town of Sooke, just outside of Victoria, there’s no need to over-think the 510 kilometers of classic B.C. terrain that lies ahead. Mulling over that 8000-foot climbing day later in the week would just be jumping the gun. Just how many hours will it take to complete the first stage, a 112-kilometer ride that features a 1,500-foot climb just 12 miles into this marathon week? The answers will come soon enough.
Over the last few weeks, details about the July 1-7 B.C. Bike Race have trickled out, and the 250 or so entrants are either licking their chops or turning in their sleep.
The B.C. Bike Race is the creation of Dean Payne, an experienced organizer of adventure races in British Columbia. To plot out the course, a clockwise circuit that begins on Canada Day near Vancouver and concludes with a final-day time trial at Whistler on July 7, Payne turned to three-time TransRockies champion Andreas Hestler.
Not since such televised masterpieces as MST3K and MXC has there been such an amazing TV show as the Ninja Warrior Challenge. In fact I’d bet somebody else’s first born that those Dancing With The Stars pansies can’t last ten seconds in the Ninja Warrior obstacle course. This is the veritable pinnacle of televised athleticism. I even heard a rumor that NWC was going to bump ballroom dancing out of the 2008 Olympics except for the whole Manchurian invasion back in 1931—which was led reportedly by, you guessed it—ninjas!
