BC Bike Race Day 4: Hammerfest

After three hard days of racing, the 20th BC Bike Race ventured into the unknown.

Hammerfest is a classic Vancouver Island trail network but one that the race had yet to visit. The unknown has a way of being unpredictable, with few racers really knowing what they were in for. This potential plot twist arrived at a crucial juncture, with the 2026 BCBR crossing the half-way mark through this week’s racing.

As the old saying goes, sometimes you’re the hammer, sometimes you’re the nail. With nearly as much elevation as yesterday’s Cumberland queen stage crammed into fewer kilometres on course, Hammerfest hit some racers hard, just as the cumulative fatigue of three days of battling B.C.’s best singletrack did. As lush lower forests gave way to exposed, alpine-esque trails and arbutus bluffs, tire choice and smooth lines became crucial decisions. For others, the combination of sustained climbing and punchy elevation gains, were a knock-out blow.

Nino Schurter drops the hammer 

In the men’s race it was, again, Nino Schurter going on the offensive. While Tobin Ortenblad was able to get position and restrain the G.O.A.T. for part of the lower climbs, once Schurter had open trail in front of him there was no holding him back. The Swiss rider crested Hammerfest’s high point with a 15 second gap on his closest rival, the resilient Peter Disera.

“I did what I could but I didn’t get lucky like I did yesterday in terms of closing the gap on the descents. Every little punchy rise after that main downhill, he was standing and hitting it so hard,” Disera said after the race. “I held that 30 second gap for like 40 minutes. Eventually he squeezed out a little more.”

After Day 4 racing, Schurter earns a 48.7-second lead over Disera, the week’s first real separation in the men’s field.

“We knew this was going to happen eventually. Now it has, so I can relax, which is nice,” Disera said. Even after a rough day at the office, the Canadian was stoked on a day spent touring Parkfest’s finest singletrack. “Hammerfest is sick. I mentioned it to Dre [Hestler] last year that this place is super underrated. Feedback so far is that this place is super sweet.”

Ethan Pauly thriving on B.C. trails 

Not far back from the battle for yellow, local Vancouver Island road and gravel racer Ethan Paully’s been mixing it up with the leader’s on the climbs all week. While everyone’s been hard pressed to hold Nino’s wheel on the descents, Pauly’s holding an impressive eighth overall after attacking Hammerfest’s steep climbs to finish seventh on the day.
“It’s been fun using my road fitness on the climbs. The descents have been savage,” Pauly said of his first BC Bike Race experience. “I’ve noticed right away that through the week my skills have been improving a ton.”

“One big thing for me is not hitting the descents out of breath. Now, when I hit the top I hold back just a little bit. I think that’s a basic skill everyone knows except for me,” Pauly added with a laugh. “That’s been huge.”

Racers are racers though. When your fitness lets you climb with the top guys, it’s hard to hold back. Has the urge to use that road fitness to chase the top pros been hard to resist?

“100%. The first day, I was entering the trails with Nino, Carter and Peter. I learned very quickly that I have to set my own tempo a little bit. Then just focus and attack the trails.”

Has a few days at BC Bike Race converted Pauly from drop bars to flat bars yet?

“I’m pretty full-on mountain biking this week, I think! I’ll keep working on the skills and we’ll see what’s to come.”

Without a doubt, anyone that finishes BCBR is a certified mountain biker. Now we just have to convince him to park the gravel bike in the garage for good and come back to BC Bike Race next year.

Katerina Nash makes a bid for the crown

Hammerfest delivered a serious blow to the women’s standings, with Katerina Nash breaking the race up on the extended climb and eating into Ruth Holcomb’s lead. .

“She just flew up that climb and I couldn’t keep up,” Holcomb said after the stage.” I really enjoyed the lower trails today, the fresh cut sections and the timed DH were so good. The climb, I’ll be honest, I didn’t love. But we got to the top and it was a good ride down.“

For Nash, it’s the first BCBR stage win after the 2025 year of dominance from Sandra Walter.

“I’m excited to take the stage win, I don’t think I’ve won a BC Bike Race stage in a couple of years. The group is strong and pretty close this year which makes it super exciting,” Nash said. The unofficial queen of BC Bike Race was thriving in the new location. “I didn’t know what was coming, which was nice. I didn’t have that memory, remembering dying up any of these hills from past years, so it was all fresh.”

A day earlier, it was the Santa Cruz racer opening up time on the field in Cumberland. The back and forth is making for thrilling viewing for the fans.

“Yeah, I got some time yesterday, she definitely pulled back some time today. There’s a lot of time left, so I’m just taking it day by day. It’s just been really fun racing with her. She rips and she’s someone I’ve looked up to for a long time.”

After the win, and time gains, Nash has an eye on the overall but, for now, is focusing on tomorrow.

“It is what it is, we’ve still got a long way to go. I’m just trying to recover from day to day. I felt pretty good today, which means I probably won’t tomorrow,” Nash said with a laugh.

Hannah Simms moves into GC podium position

Behind Nash and Holcomb, the overall standings blew apart. Hannah Simms moved up past Sandra Walter while Maghalie Rochette’s rollercoaster BCBR continued with one of the day’s many flat tires.
Simms was thriving on Hammerfest’s mix of steep climbs and tight, twisting descents.

“It was really fun, the trails were so awesome. I think Parksville is a really underrated destination. I’ve done the Island Cup races here a few years ago, but I had no idea there was so much more up top,” Simms said after the ride.

Despite loving the trials, Simms admitted she was, like many, also feeling the fatigue.

“I had a slower start today and just kind of chipped away on that super long climb. When we hit the descent, it brought me back to life. It was so much fun. I just got in the groove, knowing the worst part was over for the day. That helped me mentally shift things.”

Simms’ strategy, and stoke, are a good strategy for anyone else contemplating how they’re going to make it through the week.

“I’m definitely excited for the trails the next three days, when we go to Duncan. And then just eat all the carbs,” Simms added with a laugh.

BC Bike Race moves south to Cowichan Base Camp

While hump day at Hammerfest hit some racers hard, it came with good news. If you made it through today, you’re now closer to the finish line than the start. And BC Bike Race has three stellar venues on tap for the latter half of the week.

That starts with a tour of the legendary trails of Mount Tzouhalem on Day 5. A shorter stage, at just 21.5km, any visit to the Tzou will still test riders fitness. But the reward for climbing A Grand Traverse is a thrilling mix of old school gnar and new-school flow. Rocky Ridge, Danalyzer, then Double D, Resurrection and a thrilling end on the Fox Timed DH of the day: Bumble Bee. What a way to finish a day.

2026 BC Bike Race Results: Day 4 – Hammerfest

Open Women
1st. Katerina Nash 2:16:01.3
2nd. Ruth Holcomb 2:17:49.1 (+1:47.8)
3rd. Hannah Simms 2:18:48.3 (+2:47.0)
4th. Sandra Walter 2:20:18.6 (+4:17.3)
5th. Chloe Cross 2:32:01.7 (+16:00.4)

Open Men
1st.  Nino Schurter 1:44:25.7
2nd. Peter Disera 1:45:14.1 (+48.4)
3rd. Carter Nieuwesteeg 1:50:20.3 (+5:54.6)
4th. Tobin Ortenblad 1:51:09.8 (+6:44.1)
5th. Justin Peck 1:51:25.5 (+6:59.8)

Day 4 – Overall Standings 

Open Men
1st. Nino Schurter 7:06:05.2
2nd. Peter Disera 7:06:53.9
3rd. Carter Nieuwesteeg 7:17:05.7
4th. Max McCulloch 7:21:32.3
5th. Justin Peck 7:23:04.0

Open Women
1st. Ruth Holcomb 8:55:10.2
2nd. Katerina Nash 8:58:03.9
3rd. Hannah Simms 9:03:30.6
4th. Sandra Walter 9:04:37.5
5th. Maghalie Rochette 9:21:25.8

Fox Timed DH    

Men
1st. Peter Disera 1:39.8
2nd. Nino Schurter 1:39.8
3rd. Max McCulloch 1:41.0
4th. Geoff Kabush 1:41.2
5th. Lars Buengen 1:44.1

Women
1st. Katie Spittlehouse 1:50.5
2nd. Katerina Nash 1:51.3
3rd. Carolin Gehrig 1:52.0
4th. Anita Gehrig 1:52.0
5th. Celeste Pomerantz 1:58.6