The Sunshine Coaster Mountain Bike Race saw 162 cross-country riders and 200 downhill racers take to the trails in Roberts Creek April 30 and May 1.
Last Saturday, top competitors from across the Lower Mainland descended on the Creek vying for the title of cross-country champion. They were joined by a handful of Coast racers who were familiar with the area, but unfamiliar with a number of new trails built specially for the event, resulting in more of a level playing ground.
Racers crowded into the starting chute and a sea of helmets was seen bobbing up and down as bikers jockeyed for position in the 45-km race right off the start.
Once out of sight from the starting line, racers were faced with a tough course full of steep climbs and twisty turns meant to separate the real racers from the casual bikers.
Elite male Neal Kindree of Squamish proved his skill and handily won the event with a time of 2:10:34. Second place went to Ricky Federau of Chilliwack with a time of 2:13:48 and Colin Kerr of Lions Bay secured third with a time of 2:18:17.
Kindree had not tackled the local race since his win as a junior five years ago due to a fracture that has kept him from the sport he loves.
"So this is my first year back, and I got some good results," he said.
The Squamish racer found the course difficult, but satisfying.
"It was a good course, a really hard cross-country course with steep uphills and good twisty trails. It was relentless. It kept your heart rate up," he said.
For those who found the 45-km course a little daunting, a 28-km course was offered, and 60 of the 162 cross-country racers opted for the shorter course.
In the shorter race, Quinn Moberg of Team Squamish took first with a time of 1:36:52 and his teammate Mo Lawrence took second with 1:46:53. John Connor from Salmon Arm secured third with 1:48:02.
Day two of the mountain bike race saw 200 racers show up for the downhill course, which was tweaked by local trail builder Lewis Robinson and the crew from Capilano University's mountain bike operations program.
Organizer Sue Duxbury said many more racers wanted to try the downhill course, but she decided to cap it at 200 to save the trails from overuse and possible destruction.
Lots of locals entered in this race, and two Creekers took home the first and second best times on the course. Dylan Dunkerton killed the competition with a time of 2:48.30 while fellow Creeker Curtis Robinson took the second best time at 2:49.80. The third best time of 2:53.52 was clocked by Dean Tennant of Victoria. Local Sechelt girl Holly Feniak was the fastest female on the course with a time of 3:11.39.
Full results with winners in each age category are available on the Sunshine Coaster website at www.sunshinecoaster.net and all local results are posted in the sports ticker on page 46.
Duxbury credits the success of the two-day racing event to the volunteers and sponsors who all answered her call for help this year.
"This community is just amazing. I've got 62 volunteers this year, and without their help there wouldn't be a race. And all the merchants I asked for help stepped up to support me. Nobody that I asked for support turned me down," she said.
"I'm just a co-ordinator. If all these people didn't do what they do, it wouldn't work. They make me look good."
