Stage 3: Nelson (Smallwood Trails, Bear Spring Eco Retreat)

The Race within the Race:

Here’s the deal: Each day has a chip-timed downhill section, usually in the four-to-12 minute range, and results are posted at day’s end, both for the segment and overall GC. Being BC, these are proper enduro stages—steep, rooty, rocky. 

But these descents don’t seem to phase the leading women who are regularly posting DH times that are better than most of the men, even (ahem) several of the elite men. Women’s DH leader, Sonya Looney, enjoys a three-minute advantage over second place Shantel Koenig. Jena Greaser has been within a handful of seconds of Looney on the descents, even besting her on the opening two stages overall, but suffered a broken pedal today during stage 3 and a scratched as a result. But with back-up pedals in her beleaguered Honda Element, know that Greaser will be back at it tomorrow. 

We had the chance to ride today’s timed downhill sector, Bigwood, twice. First while “fresh” fairly early on in the stage and then again near the end. But it was the second go that counted. It’s a fast, engaging trail on rich soil but littered with roots and rocks and tight switchbacks before giving way to a pedally section at the bottom. A solid section of trail that felt plenty rowdy at race-pace. If Bigwood, a “blue trail”, were anywhere outside of BC, it’d be a solid black.

Anyway, we were much relieved to hear Peter Disera—who’s a close second in the overall standings behind his brother, Quinton—say that yesterday he had to stop mid-timed-downhill to shake the pump out of his forearms. He reckoned the five-second stop was net-positive as it allowed him to rally with a somewhat fresher set of arms. The post-race story today, told under the shade of the tents at the finish line, carried the same theme as yesterday: arm pump and big grins. -JW & CD

GC Timed Descents after three stages:

Women:

Sonya Looney: 19:55

Shantel Koenig: 22:53

Amber Steed: 23:17

Men:

Peter Disera: 17:01

Jamie Bartlett (who dominated stages 1 and 2): 17:09

Quinton Disera: 18:01

Quote of the day:

“BC bears are chill. They’re not all caught up in the rat race like Alberta bears.” 

-Trevor Knight (14th inTimed Descent GC) while trying to calm nervous racers who fear grizzly encounters.