Squamish's Neal Kindree is one of three riders locked in an epic battle for the lead in the seven-stage B.C. Bike Race (BCBR).

Kindree and Barry Wicks were locked in a dead heat after the cross-country mountain bike race's first three stages in Cumberland, Campbell River and Powell River Sunday through Tuesday (July 1 to 3), with Chris Sheppard just two seconds behind the co-leaders.

All three days' races in the Epic Solo Men division featured sprint finishes involving the three. On Monday, the three traded the lead multiple times during the day, with Wicks edging Kindree at the line for the stage win on each of the first two days. After three days and approximately 140 kilometres of racing, Wicks and Kindree both boasted cumulative times of seven hours, 11 minutes, eight seconds, with Sheppard just three seconds behind at 7:11:10.

Kindree placed third overall at last year's BCBR, with Sheppard taking home first place.

Canadian Wendy Simms, the 2012 Test of Metal winner, raced to a lead of more than an hour over second-place Melinda Jackson of Australia after three days in the Epic Solo Women's category. Simms' cumulative time was 8:43:13, while Jackson's was 9:55:20. Hannah Thorne of New Zealand, who was second after the second stage, fell to fourth after the Powell River leg.

Competitors were set to race on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday and Thursday (July 4 and 5) before coming to Squamish for a 37.5-kilometre Stage 6 on Friday (July 6). The race wraps up in Whistler on Saturday (July 7).

For more information about the race, including up-to-date results, please visit www.bcbikerace.com