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Summer is the time for stage races on the road and now, on gravel. Not wanting to be left out, mountain biking got in on the stage race fun at the 2019 BC Bike Race.

Held every year in July for the past 13 years, the BC Bike Race is a week-long, seven-stage race that takes place on mountain bike trails northwest of Vancouver, BC. Riders bounce around from island to island on the BC Ferries before finishing the week on the famed trails of Squamish.

New this year was a 4km prologue to determine call-ups for the first stage. The week-long race is scored as a time-based omnium, with cumulative times added up over the eight days of racing.

The start of another day of BC Bike Race racing. © Margus Riga / BC Bike Race

The start of another day of BC Bike Race racing. © Margus Riga / BC Bike Race

Solo Women

Much like the Lost and Found Gravel Grinder, the BC Bike Race is another annual tradition for Katerina Nash (Clif Pro Team). Nash won the GC in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and she headed north to BC looking for her 4th overall title in 2019.

Nash has been dominant in most of her wins, racking up wins of upward of an hour in the GC standings. The only exception was 2017 when her then-teammate Maghalie Rochette took her down to the wire in a narrow 53-second win for Nash.

This year, Nash picked up her fourth GC win with a winning margin of 32:49.

“I’m happy. My bike finished with the same set up that I started the race with. There were a few stages where I wish I had a different front tire but I was too tired to change it,” Nash said. “After coming back to BCBR numerous times I know the stages pretty well and I know the pacing.”

Katerina Nash wrapped up her 4th BC Bike Race GC win in 2019. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Katerina Nash wrapped up her 4th BC Bike Race GC win in 2019. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Nash’s closet competition this year was another cyclocrosser in Courtenay McFadden (Pivot – Maxxis p/b Stan’s NoTubes). McFadden wrapped up second overall after the final stage, although it did not come easy.

“My legs were smashed after yesterday. I could barely stand up in the shower,” McFadden said after finishing. “This even was much harder than I expected.”

Courtenay McFadden had a strong BC Bike Race, finishing second in the GC. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Courtenay McFadden had a strong BC Bike Race, finishing second in the GC. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Jena Greaser (Gear Hub Sports – Canadarail.ca – Rocky Mountain) rounded out the GC podium. Other notable ’cross and gravel results include Serena Gordon in 7th overall and Emily Werner in 14th.

Top 25 results for the Solo Women GC are below.

Solo Men

The Solo Men’s GC came down to a battle between two Canadians in Felix Burke (Rocky Mountain) and Geoff Kabush (Yeti – Maxxis – Shimano). The 2 battled wheel-to-wheel through the first 5 stages, with Burke holding a slim 3-second advantage on Kabush with 2 stages left to go.

Felix Burke and Geoff Kabush battled throughout the week at the BC Bike Race. © Margus Riga / BC Bike Race

Felix Burke and Geoff Kabush battled throughout the week at the BC Bike Race. © Margus Riga / BC Bike Race

Then, the decisive Stage 6 along the Sunshine Coast happened. Burke smashed the stage, winning by almost 2 and a half minutes and finishing 3:33 ahead of Kabush. Burke went on to win Stage 7 to secure his GC win.

“I knew that if I could build up a lead that I could hold onto it. I’m super stoked, now it’s time to party,” Burke said after wrapping up his win.

Kabush took second overall, and Kerry Werner (7Mesh Kona) finished the GC in third.

Geoff Kabush chases after race leader Felix Burke. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Geoff Kabush chases after race leader Felix Burke. © Dave Silver Photography / BC Bike Race

Other notable results include Payson McElveen (Orange Seal Off-Road Team) in 4th, Michael van den Ham (Kazlaw – 100% – RaceFace) 7th and Tim Johnson in 18th.

Top 25 results for the Solo Men GC are below.

Mixed Team

The solo riders were not the only cyclocrossers in BC last week. ’Cross teammates Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) and Kaitie Keough (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) teamed up to race the Mixed Team category. Probably not surprsingly for anyone who follows cyclocross, the duo won their category by an hour and 44 minutes.

Keough commented on the relatively new experience of racing mountain bikes, “I didn’t really mountain bike before this summer. BC Bike Race has been like a crash-course in technical riding.”

Open Women Top 25: 2019 BC Bike Race GC

PlaceNameTotal TimeGap
1Katerina Nash18:39:460.00
2Courtenay McFadden19:12:35+32:49
3Jena Greaser19:43:40+1:03:54
4Ada Xinxo20:01:26+1:21:40
5Charlotte Davies20:11:56+1:32:10
6Laetitia Roux20:23:45+1:43:59
7Serena Gordon20:43:51+2:04:05
8Karen Hill21:03:05+2:23:19
9Katrina Engelsted21:09:49+2:30:03
10Cornelia Hug21:15:56+2:36:10
11Chloe Cross21:34:01+2:54:15
12Kara Lapoint21:57:18+3:17:32
13Sarah Moore22:16:14+3:36:28
14Emily Werner22:42:23+4:02:37
15Alison Rhoads22:43:09+4:03:23
16Caitlyn Kneller23:11:50+4:32:04
17Andrea Schwartz23:47:07+5:07:21
18Meghan Newlin24:09:19+5:29:33
19Kelsey Serwa24:21:39+5:41:53
20Claire Demarquet24:21:46+5:42:00
21Janelle Brown24:40:21+6:00:35
22Jacqueline Jenkins27:14:00+8:34:14
23Rebecca Carew27:23:50+8:44:04
24Erin Frazer27:56:40+9:16:54
25Lyndsey Smith28:04:25+9:24:39

Open Men Top 25: 2019 BC Bike Race GC

PlaceNameTotal TimeGap
1Felix Burke15:43:460.00
2Geoff Kabush15:48:51+5:05
3Kerry Werner16:02:36+18:50
4Payson McElveen16:12:22+28:36
5Jon Odams16:20:38+36:52
6Sam Schultz16:34:40+50:54
7Michael Van Den Ham16:49:20+1:05:34
8McKay Vezina17:10:11+1:26:25
9Davis Ross17:23:27+1:39:41
10Sam Owens17:29:18+1:45:32
11Keagan Bontekoning17:32:31+1:48:45
12Ben Iles17:32:48+1:49:02
13Tristan Haycock17:38:43+1:54:57
14Joel Cooper18:01:52+2:18:06
15Nic Smith18:05:58+2:22:12
16Jacob Hull18:13:03+2:29:17
17Jan Mateju18:35:40+2:51:54
18Tim Johnson18:38:05+2:54:19
19Joan Febrer18:39:43+2:55:57
20Robin Oster18:44:08+3:00:22
21Lukas Sustr18:55:23+3:11:37
22Miroslav Rybacek18:56:14+3:12:28
23Logan Tacoma19:00:42+3:16:56
24Jimmy Awad19:06:39+3:22:53
25Daniel Halpain19:15:54+3:32:08