The 20th and final edition of the BC Bike Race is officially underway on Vancouver Island, and this year’s stacked field has already delivered two days of tight racing on some of the best singletrack Canada has to offer.
Representing Kona aboard their Hei Hei’s are Ethan Pauly and Hannah Simms, with both riders getting off to strong starts against a seriously competitive international field.
"Day 1 in Cumberland started with a long 10 km gravel road climb that quickly spread the field out. From there, the course dropped into a brand new trail before continuing onto loose, rocky black trails for the first descent, followed by the flowy classics of Vanilla after a series of switchbacking climbs.
Day 2 brought the racing to Campbell River. Snowden Forest delivered true XC-style riding with no long sustained climbs and plenty of fast open singletrack that kept riders on the pedals all day. Hannah rode on the front of the lead group of four women throughout the stage and narrowly missed the win in a four-way sprint finish.
The overall standings remain tight after two exciting days of racing, with plenty more big stages and incredible trails networks still to come.
So far, the Hei Hei has been the perfect setup, feeling fast and confident through the rough descents while feeling more dialled with every stage." - Hannah Simms
Day one saw Ethan ride consistently to finish sixth place, less than three minutes behind the race leader, while Hannah narrowly missed the podium in a sprint finish for fourth place, finishing under two minutes off the lead.
"The first two stages were insane, so fun to be ripping on the iconic island single track. The fitness has been really solid, and I’m really happy with how I am riding. There is a lot to learn technically and I feel myself getting faster each day." - Ethan Pauly
Stage two brought more classic Vancouver Island trails and more strong riding from the Kona duo. Hannah would step onto the podium with an impressive third-place finish and now sits just a single second off third place in the overall standings. Ethan continued his steady ride through the GC battle and currently sits seventh overall heading into the next stages.
With five days still remaining and plenty more legendary BC Bike Race singletrack ahead, we’re excited to see how the final edition of this iconic race unfolds.
Photos: @blackbird_works
