Squamish, the place near and dear to many MTBer’s hearts, was the setting for Day 6 of the BC Bike Race. A big day of climbing was in store, with over 1900 meters of climbing across the 53 km course.
Wake up call via a dying chicken call (Photo: BCBR)
It was one last day of sleeping in a tent for me and by this point of the event, many racers have departed for the luxury of a clean bed and flush toilet spoils that a hotel room provides. So my tent mate and I split up (amicably at least) and had a tent each for ourselves. It was so HOT in Squamish, well over 30 degrees, so I’m pretty sure I could have cooked a mean flatbread pizza in my tent. But luckily, once the sun went down, so did the temperature, and I enjoyed one of my best nights sleep soloing in my tent.
Pretty bikes all in a row
On this queen stage of BC Bike Race, legs really twinge and people who haven’t already, start to crack. I started out way better than yesterday, and my legs felt good again. I maintained my pace and didn’t go too hard at the start because Squamish is a long day in the saddle. Ridding ahead of a few of my competitors I’m trying to best, I ended in a good group (Andreas, Dwayne the local strong guy, and a couple of German riders from the Rocky team) and we clicked away the kilometres until the fun bermy trail called Half Nelson where I was dutifully dropped.
The second half of the race I spent riding on my own and with a few guys that were having really good days as they came up on me and passed even thought they’d had been racing behind me all week. I was feeling pretty good, so these guys were having really good days.
Another dusty day in the books
Riding solo for a while, I had a chance to really reflect on this experience and re-confirm how much I love to race my MTB. Pushing myself to my limit day after day is such an awesome experience. Sadly this journey is coming to an end but there is always a new adventure around
My family picked me up after the finish, and I gave the girls a tour of basecamp with all it’s amenities, shower trucks, water station, Bears Den, and the toilets…you know, all the necessities.
Liesje and Myla visiting my basecamp
The final day is set for Whistler. We have an awesome condo rented in Creekside, away from all the noise of the village, and with Air Conditioning! It is super hot in Whistler right now, so I feel like a king with my A/C.
Thanks for Reading,
Mike
