Sunshine Coast mountain biker Forrest Riesco captured third place in junior expert and a spot on the podium at the Bromont Canada Cup race June 25 in Quebec.
The race marked the second time Forrest was travelling with the Cycling BC downhill team to Quebec, and his result was the best one yet. He also finished among the top 30 in pro men.
"The track was previously a World Cup track and it definitely showed in the speed and difficulty," he said. "The race was on Saturday, so we only had one day of practice on the course on Friday and a few runs Saturday morning. It was by far the most fun course I've ever ridden, and riding and training on it with some of the best riders in Canada made it even more fun.
"With help and support from the other riders on the team, it made finding lines and hitting some of the big hits a lot easier."
He said race day was very good as both coaches Mark Bunyan and Cory Leclerc helped him out with pre-race warm ups and some tips and tricks.
"My race run was almost perfect," he said. "I stalled up in one corner and got a bit loose on a bridge drop, but came across the line with the biggest smile on my face, according to Cory. I was very stoked with my placing and it was a good confidence booster coming into nationals at Panorama."
Gibsons Harrison Duxbury-Sleep also had a great race, finishing 28th in junior expert men, and said it was a memorable experience.
"When we had all finished our runs, I don't think anyone was unhappy with the day, because the course was just that much fun," he said.
Dempster getsno decision
Gibsons Ryan Dempster earned a no decision in the Chicago Cubs 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on June 24.
The right-hander pitched six innings, allowing four runs, two of them earned thanks to a Cubs' error, on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. The game was tied 4-4 when Dempster left, but the Cubs pushed across a pair of runs, and the bullpen kept the Royals at bay.
Dempster was slated to pitch Wednesday night against San Francisco, looking to improve on his 5-6 record.
Ball hockey
David Arduin, Will Gye and Rob McFarland, who all grew up on the Coast, helped lead their team to the division finals of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada four-on-four ball hockey tournament in Vancouver held over the June 4 weekend.
The Coast boys lost a close 2-1 game to the two-time defending champions. The Coast team will get an invitation to the national finals this fall in Ontario.
