On The Edge Race Club (OTE) was a force to be reckoned with at the B.C. provincial mountain bike championships last weekend in Squamish.
This event is a one-day, winner-take-all championship as opposed to the B.C. Cup provincial race series still underway.
The cross-country portion was held on Saturday. The Gear Jammer, as the race is called, allowed racers to experience some of Squamish's finest and most technically challenging single track. The race started at Alice Lake Provincial Park and, after 50 kilometres, finished in downtown Squamish. Some of the best riders in B.C. were present, including OTE and their youth development team.
The heat proved unbearable at times, with steep slow climbs combined with exhausting technical trails taking their toll on numerous riders.
Matt Cottrell, who finished strong at the Canadian nationals in Quebec two weeks ago, has trained hard over the last year. His fitness combined with his technical skills suited this course. He finished first in Jr. Expert, beating several elite riders.
Matt has a busy month ahead of him. He will be attending two Canada Cup races and the Canada Cup finals before attending the B.C. Cup Championships at Mt. Washington in late August.
Katherine Short, U15 Women, and Brett Wildeman, Jr. Sport Men, both rode well, finishing first in their categories. Sean Stanhope, U15 Men, was second. The rest of the team, youth and adults alike, were pleased with their effort.
The Gear Jammer was also the fourth and final race of the B.C. Cup Marathon Series. The first race was the local Rat Race in May. The series and the Rat Race were organized by local riders Rod and Tanya Campasano. Ruedi Schnyder's seventh-place finish in Elite Men allowed him to finish second overall in the series.
On Sunday the B.C. downhill championships were held in Whistler. The course was steep, dry and sketchy, resulting in numerous falls. Micayla Gatto finished first in U17 Expert Women.
Micayla, who also races road and cross-country, did not race the Gear Jammer saving herself for Sunday's event.
Full results from the weekend are in the Sports Ticker on page C5.
All the riders have worked hard this year. They worked with and followed their coaches' training plans. During the winter they spent time in the gym at either Cross Trainers in Gibsons or Kinetic Fitness in Sechelt that both support these young athletes. They spent hours on trainers, cross-trained playing other sports and put in hundreds of kilometres on the road in all kinds of weather building their base. Their positive attitudes and results speak for themselves.
OTE is a non-profit society promoting competitive cycling of all kinds on the Sunshine Coast. If you would like to know more about the club, leave a message at 604-885-4888.
