BCBR delivers Maple Mountain madness on Canada Day

Stage 2- Maple Mountain / Cowichan Valley - CANADA DAY - Shimano 
36.8km - 990m elevation

The 19th BC Bike Race kicked into high gear on Tuesday with the first full stage of racing on Maple Mountain. After some sorting out of positions over a prologue, racing remained tight on Tuesday, with just 2.2 seconds separating the top three men after 36.8km and 990m of elevation change.  

Dueling champions 

On the women’s side, Sanda Walter claimed a Canada Day win for the host nation. The 2022 BC Bike Race winner jumped out to an early lead, then used her skills to make more time on  the technical jank of the double-black-rated Maple Syrup flow. 

“Today went excellent! I wasn’t sure how I’d feel, but I was feeling positive after yesterday. Basically from the start I just started going a bit harder and noticed no one stayed with me so I just kept it up and rode fast.” 

Walter’s early advantage will be cause for concern among the top women. It mirrors her path to victory three years ago. 

“I’m a fast starter,” Walter says, considering her strategy for the rest of the week. “Hopefully I can hold it. I haven’t checked yet exactly how big my lead is yet, but yeah, now I have to maintain that.” 

Chasing Walter are two more BC Bike Race returning champions. Katerina Nash sits just over three minutes behind after two stages of racing. In third, Maghalie Rochette fought to minimize losses, looking to be recovering from a prologue crash and, like many, battling heat as much as her competitors. 

“It was super fun trails, today. Personally, I felt a little off, just not feeling super good. I tried initially, but I didn’t want to overheat so I tried to limit the damage and still wasn’t going fast. So I thought I would just use it as a recovery day and go for stage wins the other days. A little bit of a shift, but you’ve got to listen to the body. I don’t know if it was yesterday’s heat or the crash, or a mix of both. But it was an awesome day. BC Bike Race is about more than the race, it’s about everything else, too. 

After losing double-digit minutes of time Tuesday, Rochette is eyeing up all paths to success at BC Bike Race. 

“I don’t know about the lead, but there’s so many opportunities to have a great week in so many ways, even competitively, so I’ll probably just go for stages. But who knows, you never know what can happen, so I’ll just try my best every single day and we’ll see what happens.”

A strategic showdown on Maple Mountain 

As soon as the field hit the base of Maple Mountain, a lead trio separated themselves from the rest. Matthew Wilson was on the front, but with the Forward Racing Team duo of Andrew L’Esperance and defending BCBR champ Sean Fincham glued to his wheel. That pressure only added to the sweltering heat in the Cowichan Valley on Tuesday, but Wilson held on to take his first BC Bike Race stage win, if only by a narrow 1.8 seconds.  

“I figured, being a shorter stage, I probably wasn’t going to be able to get away from them,” Wilson said after the finish, “But I just rode hard up the climb and was able to get to the main descent of the day on the front and there wasn’t much room for passing so I was able to hold the lead all day.”

Wilson takes the stage win and sits second overall, behind Fincham but between  the two teammates. With five more days of racing remaining, the Kiwi is prepared for a strategic battle for the lead. 

“I’m definitely aware that they’ll work together, given the chance. Riding against teammates, I just have to keep an eye on them, really, and try not get blocked in,” says Wilson. As for the legendary BC trails? “After yesterday, I've got used to the way the trails roll out there, but I’m also looking forward to a faster, smoother day tomorrow.”

Behind, the Forward Racing duo, who finished 1-2 in the 2024 BC Bike Race, had an hour on course to learn more about Wilson, their new challenger. 

“He was feeling good today, I think, and wanted to set the pace. We let him go for it and thought we’d follow. It’s a long race and we’re just kinda figuring each other out,” said Sean Fincham. Andrew L’Esperance added, “Matt was riding well out there, and climbing strong.” 

With it being Canada Day, though, neither of the locals were willing to gift the Kiwi the win and made him work for it the whole day. 

“I tried,” said Fincham. “But it’s just a steep downhill singletrack the whole way from the top. So there was just nowhere I could pass… safely.” 

All three riders do know each other from racing on the LifeTime Grand Prix but those are, L’Esperance says, very different races than the BC Bike Race. So, after two days, do the Forward Racing teammates have a plan for how to use numbers to their advantage. 

“Tomorrow’s stage is actually, I think, quite challenging,” says L’Esperance, hinting that tomorrow’s racing should be as heated as today, even if the forecast calls for some relief from the sun. “The way the course designer mixed all the Tzouhalem trails up. So we’ll just ride hard and see what happens.” 

Team’s making the dream work 

While racing with teammates can be an advantage, racing as a team of two brings a distinct set of challenges. One duo working well together are Colorado’s Mia Aseltine and Jimme de Haan of the Netherlands. Leading the Open Mixed Team of 2 and riding together as team Spicy McNuggets, Aseltine and de Haan started their day in the leader’s jersey and extended their lead over a big day on Maple Mountain. 

“Today was fire! I felt it was better than yesterday and we were together almost the whole time,” says Aseltine, “except for the downhill.” 

“Yeah, I take a bit of time on the downhill, then I wait up so we can do most of it together. Today was so good, the second time on the same mountain. Much better than yesterday when you’re heart rate is way up there after the climb. And the technical on Maple Syrup? It’s so fun!” 

Do the duo have an official formula for their team-racing success so far BCBR?

“Good question! We just kind of take it day-by-day and if one of us isn’t feeling great the other waits,” says Aseltine. “We basically have a no drop rule. In a way. Kind of.” 

“Just shout if you need the other to slow down,” de Haan adds.

“Communication is key,” Aseltine concludes. 

How did the Dutch-U.S. pair end up racing as a team? 

“We actually met at BC Bike Race in 2023,” says de Haan, “then she contacted me when she won a free entry and…” 

“...And he couldn’t resist my charms,” Aseltine finishes, with a laugh. 

“That’s true,” admits de Haan.  

Their reunion will continue on Day 3 on the trails of Mount Tzouhalem. The 24.7km distance sounds shorter than today’s serving of Maple Syrup but, with just under 1,000m of elevation gain, it packs a punch. Tucked into the “Cinnamon Roll” of Tzou trails laid out for racers are some winding climbs, punchy old-school tech and some of the fastest, flowiest trails of the week. A day of contrasts, a well rounded sampling to put together another day at The Ultimate Singletrack Experience. 

Day 2 Results - Maple Mountain 

Open Women
1st. Sandra Walter 1:12:02.9
2nd. Katerina Nash 1:14:32.7 (+1:57)
3rd.  Maghalie Rochette 1:26:28.7 (+2:09)
4th. Usha Khanal 1:29:43.0 (+4:13)
5th. Chloe Cross 1:33:34.1 (+4:50)

Open Men

1st.  Matthew Wilson 57:55.9
2nd. Sean Fincham 57:57.7 (+1.8)
3rd. Andrew L'Esperance 57.58.1 (+2.2)
4th. Peter Disera 1:00:39.6 (+2:43.7)
5th. Geoff Kabush 1:01:40.0 (+3:44.1)