The rich, blue Pacific ocean painted a spectacular backdrop for the stage 3 start/finish, marking the most picturesque Base Camp area of the 2010 BC Bike Race. Powell River is a new addition to the race, and it could quickly become a favourite.
The people of Powell River rolled out the red carpet, from generous support by local businesses to cheering school kids lining the race route on their lunch break, the community epitomized warm, small town BC hospitality.
The midday, beachside rolling start was uniquely exciting: every 90 seconds, groups of 50 riders flowed down a gravel path, through the start line arch and into the woods. Each group spun through the gauntlet of spectators furiously clanging cowbells as a show of support. It was reminiscent of the race route excitement of alpine events at Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics and set an overall festive tone that perpetuated throughout the day.
Top finishers continued to set a blistering pace and had nothing but rave reviews about the spectacular singletrack course organized by local father-son team of Wayne and Russell Brewer and backed by the local cycling association and 50+ on course volunteers. Wayne and the BOMB squad have built and maintained countless kilometres of world-class singletrack in the area that's been off the mountain biking radar until today.
The leading duo teams all continued their victorious ways with Kona's Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks winning the men's duo category in 2:31:39; Team Northlands Medical Clinic's Brandi Heistermen & Cathy Zeglinski first in the women's duo category in 3:38:58; and Rocky Mountain-Maxxis/Luna's Geoff Kabush & Catharine Pendrel the first mixed team category in 2:51:54. All three teams lead their respective general classifications.
Jason Sager (Team Jamis) topped the solo men's category for the day in 2:29:31, and Melanie McQuaid (Team Specialized) won another women's stage in 3:02:37
Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain Bikes), just over a minute behind Sager, hangs on to the solo overall men's lead in 8:37:07, and McQuaid is still atop the women's leaderboard at 10:35:55.
The tightest battle for the coveted leader's jersey is currently brewing in the solo masters men's category. Simon Pulfrey took today's stage win in 2:52:24 and wears the yellow jersey going into stage 4 with an overall cumulative time of 10:00:08. Meanwhile, Ted Russo is a mere five seconds behind overall.
Race day wrapped up at the evening dinner with a host of dignitaries welcoming BC Bike Race participants and staff to Powell River. Most touching was a blessing bestowed upon the group by Tla'Amin (Sliammon) First Nations Elder Honourable Dr Elsie Paul,
"This is a prayer that is said whenever someone went on a journey by land or by sea. And I understand that you've undertaken quite a journey to be here." In the Tla'Amin language, Dr Paul connected the room full of BC Bike Race participants and crew together through a warm and sincere prayer for a safe continued journey.
Coming up: Stage 4
More Sunshine Coast is on tap. With the ocean waves lulling racers to sleep, visions of Sechelt singletrack will dance in their heads. More purpose-built trails await BC Bike Racers after they blast through the start line nestled into the scenic BC Ferries terminal in Earls Cove.
Stage 3 Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo men
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Jason Sager (USA)
2:29:31
2
Chris Sheppard (USA)
0:01:06
3
Colin Kerr (Can)
0:04:38
4
Cory Wallace (Can)
0:06:33
5
Ben Thompson (USA)
0:07:08
6
Manuel Prado (USA)
0:09:37
7
Greg Day (Can)
0:10:30
8
Ron Ellis (Can)
0:12:46
9
Harlan Price (USA)
0:17:08
10
Blake Harlan (USA)
0:17:11
11
Evan Plews (USA)
0:19:05
12
Josh Ibbett (GBr)
0:24:05
13
Jon Firth (Can)
0:25:08
14
Warren Ellis (Can)
0:26:13
15
Erik Tonkin (USA)
0:29:28
16
Peter Butt (Aus)
0:29:44
17
Duncan Mackenzie (Can)
0:32:22
18
Erik Keniston (USA)
0:32:33
19
Justin Claridge (Aus)
0:33:27
20
Gian Malaer (Swi)
0:36:46
21
Stuart King (GBr)
0:37:31
22
Elias Van Hoeydonck (Bel)
0:37:54
23
Jay Balabas (Can)
0:38:25
24
Andy Rigel (USA)
0:39:42
25
Jon Hayes (GBr)
0:39:54
26
Andreas Hestler (Can)
0:42:38
27
Elliot Long (Can)
0:42:44
28
Erik Bakke (Can)
0:43:40
29
Jonathan Kerr (Can)
0:43:57
30
Allister Darichuk (Can)
0:46:49
31
Justen Winster (Can)
0:48:15
32
Steve Mitchell (Can)
0:49:35
33
Simpson Colin (Can)
0:51:10
34
Neil Gledhill (Aus)
0:52:59
35
Ryan Labar (USA)
0:54:50
36
Regan Pringle (Can)
0:57:03
37
Gareth Boyd (RSA)
0:57:47
38
Paul Spencer (USA)
1:02:10
39
Rafael Negron (PRc)
1:07:43
40
Ryan Wilkinson (Can)
1:09:03
41
Colby Weber (USA)
1:11:17
42
Matthew Hale (USA)
1:13:44
43
Eric Mckeegan (USA)
1:14:01
44
Mathieu Laberge (Can)
1:16:06
45
David Scheer (Can)
1:18:04
46
Guillaume Dumas (Can)
1:19:57
47
Tim O'Rourke (GBr)
1:23:24
48
Ted Gabriel (GBr)
1:43:04
49
Stephen Maher (USA)
1:44:44
50
Trevor Nicholson (Can)
1:44:57
51
Jesse Smith (HKg)
1:46:34
52
Dave Devisser (USA)
1:50:08
53
Andrew Armour (Can)
1:50:21
54
Francis Le Brun (Aus)
1:51:53
55
Justin Mcpherson (Can)
1:57:58
56
Marcus Henry(Can)
1:58:40
57
Kevin Turner (GBr)
2:01:59
58
Drew Rohde (USA)
2:06:13
59
Dirk Kotze (Can)
2:14:36
60
Gunter Braem(Bel)
2:15:25
61
Matthew Smart (Can)
2:18:47
62
Cory Lanovaz (Can)
2:19:23
63
Matthias Ruzek (Swi)
2:23:29
64
Johan Vandewiele (Bel)
2:36:35
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Melanie Mcquaid (Can)
3:02:37
2
Katy Curtis (Can)
0:15:05
3
Ingrid Rolles (USA)
0:15:11
4
Jennifer Schulz (Can)
0:18:04
5
Carena Dean (Can)
0:24:13
6
Karen Trueman (Can)
0:28:20
7
Shantel Koenig (Can)
0:32:10
8
Natalie Pronovost (Can)
0:32:23
9
Angela Sucich (USA)
0:38:40
10
Isabel Van De Voorde(Bel)
0:58:04
11
Sarah O'Byrne (Can)
1:12:42
12
Debra Mucha (Can)
1:19:36
13
Claire Garcia-Webb (Aus)
1:40:37
14
Kate Simmonds (GBr)
1:59:40
15
Marie Bursinger (Can)
2:20:12
16
Jessica Fewless (USA)
2:35:18
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo master men
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Simon Pulfrey (Can)
2:52:24
2
Ted Russo (Can)
0:01:14
3
Paul Thomasberg (USA)
0:03:00
4
Michael Mccloud (USA)
0:05:02
5
Craig Gillett (Can)
0:07:59
6
Craig Bartlett (Can)
0:13:38
7
Rod Dagneau (Can)
0:14:38
8
Marc Cousineau (Can)
0:17:49
9
Matthew Handford (Can)
0:18:27
10
Gordon Ruder (Can)
0:19:20
11
Derek Milne (NZl)
0:22:09
12
Scott Rolles (USA)
0:22:35
13
Doug Richards (Can)
0:22:43
14
Greg Heyes (Can)
0:25:15
15
Angus Nesbitt (USA)
0:25:22
16
Tom Ebbern (Can)
0:26:28
17
Jeff Odom (USA)
0:28:00
18
Philippe Meylemans (Bel)
0:29:15
19
Michael Brewster (Can)
0:30:33
20
Erik Cramer (Can)
0:31:07
21
Pieter Vuylsteke (Bel)
0:31:43
22
Greg Burghardt (Aus)
0:32:12
23
Craig Marshall (Can)
0:33:09
24
Andrew Caputo (USA)
0:33:33
25
Chris Mckillican (Can)
0:34:41
26
John Ramsden (Can)
0:34:44
27
Ian Daffern (Can)
0:35:47
28
Urs Guentensperger (Swi)
0:35:59
29
Bill Glore (USA)
0:36:44
30
Thomas Tetz (Can)
0:37:02
31
Richard Sawiris (USA)
0:38:12
32
Matthew Blunn (Aus)
0:40:27
33
Mark Husken (Can)
0:40:43
34
Greig Gjerdalen (Can)
0:41:48
35
Reed Melton (USA)
0:42:36
36
Bruce Johnson (Can)
0:43:30
37
Graeme Tuck (Can)
0:46:34
38
Howie Hall (Can)
0:49:22
39
Brig Seidl (USA)
0:49:30
40
Craig Mclaren (Can)
0:50:45
41
David Moody (USA)
0:51:09
42
Robert Bleeker (Aus)
0:51:33
43
Darren Leslie (NZl)
0:58:40
44
Rick Metzger (Can)
1:02:00
45
Glen Pendry (HKg)
1:03:02
46
Paul Labissonniere (Can)
1:06:01
47
Ross Phillips (Can)
1:08:15
48
Bruce Nash (Can)
1:09:55
49
Andy Mckean (Can)
1:10:26
50
Anthony Ocana (Can)
1:13:18
51
Joel Johnston (Can)
1:16:47
52
Joseph Krznaric (Can)
1:19:03
53
Dan Swanson (Can)
1:20:20
54
Richard Dustan (Can)
1:21:09
55
Jan Beliën (Bel)
1:21:35
56
Jeffrey Frank (USA)
1:21:58
57
Steve Swenson (Can)
1:22:05
58
Michael Kehler (Can)
1:22:25
59
Isaac Stokes (USA)
1:25:23
60
David Meban (Can)
1:26:20
61
Patrick Leary (RSA)
1:27:05
62
David Hope (Can)
1:32:20
63
Beat Zimmermann (Swi)
1:32:36
64
Kerry Richards (Aus)
1:33:34
65
Colin Cole (Aus)
1:34:36
66
Dj Brooks (USA)
1:36:59
67
Ken Fallaver (Aus)
1:41:12
68
Jorge R Schiller Azcona (Mex)
1:43:48
69
Jan Zwijsen (Bel)
1:45:19
70
Henry Yau (Can)
1:46:32
71
Reginald Jager (RSA)
1:46:51
72
Jose Diaz (PRc)
1:48:10
73
Dan Wray (Can)
1:49:16
74
Marco Ovalles (Mex)
1:51:40
75
Ian Sandover (Aus)
1:53:43
76
Marcus Waterreus (Can)
1:54:54
77
Jeff Mcpherson (Can)
1:56:11
78
Ben Tice (Can)
1:56:44
79
David Price (Can)
1:57:06
80
Torben Jensen
2:00:01
81
Michael Hersey (USA)
2:05:04
82
Leo Vinckx (Bel)
2:06:12
83
Juan Benitez (Can)
2:20:27
84
Terry Amyott (Can)
2:22:29
85
Benjamin Kauffmann (PRc)
2:26:32
86
Jan Vissers (Bel)
2:28:28
87
Greg Vannucci (USA)
2:28:49
88
Eric Cheung (USA)
2:28:56
89
Ramon Vega (PRc)
2:29:41
90
Paul Godman (Can)
2:32:39
91
Alejandro Barrios Gomez (Mex)
2:58:12
92
Bart Viaene (Bel)
3:17:36
93
Charlie Rosado (PRc)
3:53:13
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Solo Master Women
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Lisa Le Poole (Can)
3:44:01
2
Nicky Phear (USA)
0:10:27
3
Laureen Coffelt (USA)
0:10:32
4
Penny Cameron (Can)
0:15:03
5
Brenda Morawa (USA)
0:30:29
6
Carthy Chan (Can)
0:46:15
7
Mary Mark (Can)
1:00:47
8
Denise Roman (Can)
1:04:17
9
Dee Holzman (USA)
1:14:29
10
Laura Knight (USA)
2:11:40
11
Anne Mikse (Bel)
Row 10 - Cell 2
12
Jacquelynn Jadin (USA)
Row 11 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Men duo teams
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Kona - Kris Sneddon (Can) & Barry Wicks (USA)
2:31:39
2
Rocky Mountain Factory Team - Marty Lazarski (Can) & Stefan Widmer (Can)
0:03:04
3
Team Squamish - Kelly Servinski (Can) & Dwayne Kress (Can)
0:13:08
4
Dcm 1 - Branden Stewart (RSA) & Max Knox (RSA)
0:13:22
5
Simson - Drew Simson (Can) & Hugh Simson (Can)
0:25:26
6
Andrew Robinson - Andrew Robinson (Can) & Wai-Ben Wong (USA)
0:31:04
7
Team Osprey Hydraulics - Simon Williams (Can) & Mark Williams (Swi)
0:32:59
8
Ryders Eyewear - Mike Traslin (Can) & Andy Traslin (Can)
0:46:18
9
Bromance - Lars Andrews (Can) & Sean Staniforth (Can)
0:50:44
10
Verticale De La Terre - Graham Christensen (USA) & Randy Opp (USA)
0:53:07
11
Moneybuttons Racing - Daniel Gifford (USA) & Eric Comeau (USA)
0:59:13
12
Team Rager - Neil Van Geest (GBr) & Jeremy Thom (GBr)
1:06:01
13
Swooth - Isabel Van De Voorde (Bel) & Rob Bruyndonckx (Bel) &Jef Wouters (Bel) & Gunter Braem (Bel)
1:15:32
14
Firefly - Pieter Smith (RSA) & Francois Millard (USA)
1:17:35
15
Izlakar - David Izlakar (Can) & Joe Czempoyesh (Can)
1:17:37
16
Gravel - Chris Gravel (Can) & J-R Bouchard (Can)
1:19:11
17
Golden Gears - Morgan Rosvold (Can) & Greg Long (Can)
1:23:00
18
Spun Studios - Jonathan Matlock (Can) & Jeff Chandler (Can)
1:27:17
19
Fulkerson - Mike Fulkerson (USA) & Robert Gaffney (USA)
1:27:53
20
Matthew Hillhouse - Matthew Hillhouse (Can) & Peter Macphie (Can)
1:29:59
21
Team Sanchez - Jay Isaacson (USA) & David Mai (USA)
1:34:55
22
Natural High - Ryan Krauss (Can) & Dan Giberson (Can)
1:39:43
23
On The Rivet - Troy Meives (USA) & Jim Chapman (USA)
1:39:50
24
Scumbags - Stuart Taylor (USA) & Scott Guillaudeu (USA)