Listen to Cush's interview with singlespeed competitor Tim Dougherty who rides for Bear Naked Cannondale/ Bad Idea Racing. Press play to listen in.
STAGE 3 od the 370-mile epic took riders from Port Alberni to Cumberland
By Mike Cushionbury
While today was shorter than the previous two it was just as, if not more, brutal. We rolled out of Port Alberni at 9 a.m. and were greeted by wet trails after a night of showers. A paved roll out hooked into the historic Log Train Trail. It was a tight doubletrack with stream crossings that wound through the forest. It was here, right off the bat, that the Rocky Mountain team, lead by Andres Hestler, attacked and set the pace in an attempt to break the VW-Trek team. Two other teams went with while Bicycling followed in the second group, putting distance on the field until Damon flatted. And that set the tone. Mistake number two: don't treat an 82k stage like it's a STXC race. We chased in the wet for just over 50k on logging trails in Comox Valley to the major climb. Here the price was paid. It was a 5k hike-a-bike that climbed up like a wall of riverbed. Halfway up I was staggering like a drunken sailor, barley able to move forward, totally blown from the earlier effort. Once over the mountain (about an hour later) it was more logging road all the way to Cumberland. Now, you think a pair of SoCal boys can ride semi-tough BC woods with wet roots, rocks and bridges? I couldn't ride it, I couldn't walk it, heck, I could barely see it through my crossed eyes: Entering "forest dump" we hit Soggy Biscuit, Matt's Trail, Black Hole and Space Nugget. I slogged through, got passed by a few local boys but held off two more chasing teams to the finish.
At the front, Trek/VW won yet again with Jeff Schalk setting the pace on the climb/hike-a-bike and gaining ground on all comers. La Ruta/Sho-Air put in a fine effort putting the screws to Rocky Mountain all the way to "forest dump." Local skill allowed Rocky to bridge and win the sprint for second. According to Hestler, VW/Trek is definitely the strongest team here. La-Ruta/Sho-Air overcame some infighting after getting lost on day two to prove itself a threat for a stage win if the opportunity comes, something leader Manual Prado has passionately said they're shooting for.
Riding a seven-day stage race changes your perspective. We've raced three days already, putting in huge efforts and still getting up the next day to do it again (at home, after a race I take a rest day followed by two easy days). I suit up each morning, aching from the last day. My thighs burn, even while sleeping. My back is tight and my left wrist has an over stressed muscle that hurts too bad to pull up my socks. No matter, tomorrow is a 58.5k march that I can't miss. Neither can the rest of the teams. Some are here to place high, some just to finish. But we all share a will to continue no matter what. It doesn't matter that the showers in Cumberland are ice cold. Or that I have a malfunctioning hub body that will be fixed by the race support mechanics at $50 an hour labor.
We have a late start tomorrow thanks to two hours of ferry rides to Earl's Cove Ferry Terminal.
For full results go to BCBikeRace.com.
Mud-splattered 2007 national cross champ Tim Johnson post race.
Katie Compton after her fourth consecutive U.S. cyclocross natinal championship.
Kristin Boni from Broomfield, CO won the B-Women's Race.
This picture kinda' says it all. It was a cold day of racing.
