Sheppard and McQuaid do the same in solo categories
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Racers awoke to a cool, damp North Vancouver morning as they prepared for their journey to the BC Bike Race Stage 1 start line in the port city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The grey weather didn't dampen racers' spirits, as this day earmarked the first full-length stage in the 2010 event.
An interesting element of the BC Bike Race is its four ferry crossings to get from stage to stage, and Monday morning's voyage with BC Ferries across the Georgia Strait marked their first of the week. Racers walked off the ferry in Nanaimo and right into the start line area, where their bikes were organized and waiting to roll beneath the giant inflatable start/finish line arch with the official crack of the starter pistol.
Nanaimo RCMP members led the 8km neutral start out of the Langdale ferry terminal. A few quick open road climbing kilometres beyond and riders entered the Abyss trails area. The Abyss has been described by riders as a mini Canadian version of Moab. Once through the Abyss, riders went up for a few kilometres, hit some singletrack at the top and did a big loop in that area. After transitioning, racers enjoyed a trail called T-Bar - an old school trail.
The course directors put together a course that flowed really well. For the final 25km, riders did a big circumnavigation around the base of Mt Dumont and had a lengthy climb followed by some beautiful flowy singletrack.
In the two-person men's team's category, Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks (Team Kona) finished first in the stage in a time of 3:14:16. They also lead the overall.
Mixed team Geoff Kabush & Catharine Pendrel won stage 1 in 3:35:04 and continue to lead the overall.
Women's team Brandi Helstermen & Cathy Zeglinski joined the other top teams in winning the stage and being at the head of the general classification.
Solo winners for the day include Melanie McQuaid 3:58:35 and Chris Sheppard in 3:11:10. Both also top their categories in the the GC.
The BC Bike race welcome back Norm Thibault and Wendy Simms, who took some time off after becoming proud parents. Wendy was born and raised in Nanaimo, as was Melanie McQuaid, so these trails could provide those two some serious home field advantage.
McQuaid, who doesn't normally ride these types of singletrack trails as part of her X-terra training regimen, is owning the solo women category and remains top female finisher overall.
"It was an amazing course! So much fun!" said McQuaid after finishing stage 1.
Stage 2
An early trip down the road to Cumberland where 70km of singletrack await Epic riders. Cumberland is a historical mining town and if you look closely out on the trails, you can see the remnants of mining years gone by.
Stage 1 Results
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Solo men
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Chris Sheppard (USA)
3:11:10
2
Jason Sager (USA)
0:03:06
3
Colin Kerr (Can)
0:05:40
4
Erik Tonkin (USA)
0:06:42
5
Ben Thompson (USA)
0:09:01
6
Cory Wallace (Can)
0:11:36
7
Manuel Prado (USA)
0:17:57
8
Greg Day (Can)
0:22:57
9
Ron Ellis (Can)
0:23:54
10
Evan Plews (USA)
0:25:43
11
Peter Butt (Aus)
0:29:26
12
Jon Firth (Can)
0:29:28
13
Josh Ibbett (GBr)
0:29:35
14
Harlan Price (USA)
0:30:18
15
Warren Ellis (Can)
0:30:27
16
Andreas Hestler (Can)
0:39:19
17
Stuart King (GBr)
0:45:22
18
Erik Keniston (USA)
0:46:35
19
Jon Hayes (GBr)
0:46:51
25
Jay Balabas (Can)
0:52:52
20
Justen Winster (Can)
0:52:55
21
Gian Malaer (Swi)
0:54:01
22
Duncan Mackenzie (Can)
0:54:04
24
Jonathan Kerr (Can)
0:54:06
23
Andy Rigel (USA)
0:54:18
26
Justin Claridge (Aus)
0:57:30
27
Elliot Long (Can)
0:59:45
28
Neil Gledhill (Aus)
1:04:19
29
Simpson Colin (Can)
1:06:28
30
Regan Pringle (Can)
1:08:05
31
Blake Harlan (USA)
1:12:26
32
Ryan Labar (USA)
1:12:45
36
Erik Bakke (Can)
1:19:43
33
Paul Spencer (USA)
1:22:16
34
Steve Mitchell (Can)
1:23:18
35
Mathieu Laberge (Can)
1:28:56
37
Rafael Negron (PRc)
1:35:14
38
Ryan Wilkinson (Can)
1:35:39
39
Colby Weber (USA)
1:36:41
40
Gareth Boyd (RSA)
1:36:43
41
Matthew Hale (USA)
1:37:04
42
Allister Darichuk (Can)
1:39:23
44
Matthias Ruzek (Swi)
1:46:43
43
David Scheer (Can)
1:48:24
45
Tim O'Rourke (GBr)
1:55:23
46
Drew Rohde (USA)
1:58:42
47
Trevor Nicholson (Can)
2:05:54
48
Guillaume Dumas (Can)
2:13:06
49
Gunter Braem(Bel)
2:13:48
50
Justin Mcpherson (Can)
2:19:35
52
Jesse Smith (HKg)
2:21:11
53
Ted Gabriel (GBr)
2:21:14
51
Eric Mckeegan (USA)
2:22:04
56
Andrew Armour (Can)
2:24:08
54
Stephen Maher (USA)
2:25:49
57
Kevin Turner (GBr)
2:27:26
55
Francis Le Brun (Aus)
2:28:42
58
Dave Devisser (USA)
2:30:06
59
Dirk Kotze (Can)
3:01:50
60
Johan Vandewiele (Bel)
3:15:16
61
Matthew Smart (Can)
3:34:05
62
Cory Lanovaz (Can)
3:34:06
63
Chris Courtice (Can)
3:45:47
64
David Rodriguez (PRc)
3:50:12
65
David Johnson (USA)
5:16:14
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Solo women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Melanie Mcquaid (Can)
3:58:35
2
Katy Curtis (Can)
0:13:16
3
Ingrid Rolles (USA)
0:16:36
4
Jennifer Schulz (Can)
0:19:06
5
Carena Dean (Can)
0:24:34
6
Karen Trueman (Can)
0:33:28
7
Angela Sucich (USA)
0:38:36
8
Natalie Pronovost (Can)
0:38:50
9
Shantel Koenig (Can)
0:40:15
10
Debra Mucha (Can)
1:22:40
11
Sarah O'Byrne (Can)
1:26:36
12
Claire Garcia-Webb (Aus)
1:36:28
13
Isabel Van De Voorde(Bel)
1:55:50
15
Jessica Fewless (USA)
2:58:48
14
Marie Bursinger (Can)
2:59:34
16
Kate Simmonds (GBr)
3:44:47
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Solo Master Men
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Elias Van Hoeydonck (Bel)
3:37:04
2
Ted Russo (Can)
0:07:29
3
Simon Pulfrey (Can)
0:08:21
4
Paul Thomasberg (USA)
0:10:05
5
Craig Bartlett (Can)
0:15:56
6
Craig Gillett (Can)
0:16:14
7
Gordon Ruder (Can)
0:16:26
8
Rod Dagneau (Can)
0:21:00
9
Derek Milne (NZl)
0:26:59
10
Doug Richards (Can)
0:27:13
11
Marc Cousineau (Can)
0:28:53
12
Philippe Meylemans (Bel)
0:35:06
13
Angus Nesbitt (USA)
0:35:07
18
Michael Brewster (Can)
0:35:09
14
Greg Heyes (Can)
0:35:46
15
Matthew Handford (Can)
0:37:36
16
Erik Cramer (Can)
0:37:42
17
Scott Rolles (USA)
0:37:45
19
Thomas Tetz (Can)
0:41:02
20
Craig Marshall (Can)
0:42:14
21
Marcus Waterreus (Can)
0:42:20
22
Andrew Caputo (USA)
0:42:23
23
Urs Guentensperger (Swi)
0:44:31
24
Ian Daffern (Can)
0:45:47
25
Tom Ebbern (Can)
0:45:58
26
Richard Sawiris (USA)
0:47:49
27
Jeff Odom (USA)
0:48:43
28
John Ramsden (Can)
0:49:07
29
Chris Mckillican (Can)
0:49:52
30
Brig Seidl (USA)
0:52:43
31
Robert Bleeker (Aus)
0:54:20
32
Matthew Blunn (Aus)
0:54:21
33
Pieter Vuylsteke (Bel)
0:58:10
34
Mark Husken (Can)
0:58:31
35
Bill Glore (USA)
0:58:52
36
Darren Leslie (NZl)
1:00:30
37
Greig Gjerdalen (Can)
1:05:10
38
Reed Melton (USA)
1:06:40
39
Rick Metzger (Can)
1:07:37
40
Bruce Johnson (Can)
1:08:25
41
Graeme Tuck (Can)
1:11:32
42
Greg Burghardt (Aus)
1:11:48
43
Craig Mclaren (Can)
1:12:08
44
David Moody (USA)
1:19:40
46
Ross Phillips (Can)
1:23:42
47
Glen Pendry (HKg)
1:29:28
48
Jeffrey Frank (USA)
1:32:25
50
David Meban (Can)
1:34:22
49
Richard Dustan (Can)
1:34:44
45
Isaac Stokes (USA)
1:34:50
51
Dan Swanson (Can)
1:36:56
52
Bruce Nash (Can)
1:41:27
54
Michael Kehler (Can)
1:47:35
53
Jan Beliën (Bel)
1:47:55
55
Paul Labissonniere (Can)
1:49:33
58
Ian Sandover (Aus)
1:51:05
57
Dan Wray (Can)
1:52:05
85
Dj Brooks (USA)
1:52:19
56
Joel Johnston (Can)
1:53:07
61
Patrick Leary (RSA)
1:55:08
59
Andy Mckean (Can)
1:55:37
60
Beat Zimmermann (Swi)
1:56:06
62
Joseph Krznaric (Can)
1:57:08
63
Steve Swenson (Can)
1:58:35
71
Marco Ovalles (Mex)
1:59:28
66
Jorge R Schiller Azcona (Mex)
1:59:29
64
Ken Fallaver (Aus)
2:00:27
65
Henry Yau (Can)
2:01:21
67
Howie Hall (Can)
2:06:27
68
Anthony Ocana (Can)
2:09:46
70
Jeff Mcpherson (Can)
2:16:54
69
Jose Diaz (PRc)
2:17:06
74
Colin Cole (Aus)
2:18:18
72
Ben Tice (Can)
2:18:43
73
Kerry Richards (Aus)
2:18:54
75
David Price (Can)
2:19:59
76
Leo Vinckx (Bel)
2:22:16
77
Jan Zwijsen (Bel)
2:34:15
78
Reginald Jager (RSA)
2:35:04
79
Benjamin Kauffmann (PRc)
2:37:43
81
Paul Godman (Can)
2:40:45
80
Juan Benitez (Can)
2:40:46
83
Jose Ramirez (USA)
2:46:20
82
Jan Vissers (Bel)
2:52:43
84
Ian Van Der Walt (RSA)
2:54:42
86
Alejandro Barrios Gomez (Mex)
3:00:40
87
Ramon Vega (PRc)
3:04:30
88
Michael Mccloud (USA)
3:08:14
89
Michael Hersey (USA)
3:11:44
90
Terry Amyott (Can)
3:27:48
91
Eric Cheung (USA)
3:32:14
92
Greg Vannucci (USA)
3:37:37
93
Christopher Barclay (USA)
3:53:58
95
Bart Viaene (Bel)
4:03:06
94
David Hope (Can)
4:06:00
96
Charlie Rosado (PRc)
4:06:27
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Solo Master Women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Lisa Le Poole (Can)
4:32:04
2
Penny Cameron (Can)
0:24:56
3
Laureen Coffelt (USA)
0:34:46
4
Nicky Phear (USA)
0:37:05
5
Brenda Morawa (USA)
0:41:36
6
Carthy Chan (Can)
1:13:44
8
Dee Holzman (USA)
1:21:55
7
Denise Roman (Can)
1:25:01
9
Mary Mark (Can)
1:35:54
10
Laura Knight (USA)
3:12:16
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Men duo teams
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Kona - Kris Sneddon (Can) & Barry Wicks (USA)
3:14:16
2
Dcm 1 - Branden Stewart (RSA) & Max Knox (RSA)
0:02:43
3
Rocky Mountain Factory Team - Marty Lazarski (Can) & Stefan Widmer (Can)
0:03:40
4
Team Squamish - Kelly Servinski (Can) & Dwayne Kress (Can)
0:10:22
5
Simson - Drew Simson (Can) & Hugh Simson (Can)
0:31:12
6
Team Osprey Hydraulics - Simon Williams (Can) & Mark Williams (Swi)
0:38:05
7
Andrew Robinson - Andrew Robinson (Can) & Wai-Ben Wong (USA)
0:53:26
8
Ryders Eyewear - Mike Traslin (Can) & Andy Traslin (Can)
0:57:28
9
Verticale De La Terre - Graham Christensen (USA) & Randy Opp (USA)
1:07:14
10
Bromance - Lars Andrews (Can) & Sean Staniforth (Can)
1:07:49
11
Moneybuttons Racing - Daniel Gifford (USA) & Eric Comeau (USA)
1:21:04
12
Gravel - Chris Gravel (Can) & J-R Bouchard (Can)
1:24:38
13
Firefly - Pieter Smith (RSA) & Francois Millard (USA)
1:42:08
14
Team Rager - Neil Van Geest (GBr) & Jeremy Thom (GBr)
1:42:57
15
Matthew Hillhouse - Matthew Hillhouse (Can) & Peter Macphie (Can)
1:51:00
16
Team Sanchez - Jay Isaacson (USA) & David Mai (USA)
1:57:50
17
Izlakar - David Izlakar (Can) & Joe Czempoyesh (Can)
1:58:59
19
Fulkerson - Mike Fulkerson (USA) & Robert Gaffney (USA)