Results now available here from the first event in the Island Cup Mountain Bike Race Series at Harland Park in Victoria.

Reports:

• Here’s one from from Sarah Seads, who competed in the women’s intermediate category. Sarah took a nasty fall during her first lap but managed to get back onto her bike and finish the race.
• And another from Mical Dyck, an elite cyclist who finished second in the elite women’s category.

Vancouver Island’s first cross country mountain bike race is this weekend at Victoria’s Hartland Mountain Bike Park. Details are as follows:

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Registration for the 2010 edition of the Orecrusher mountain bike race opens in just a few days at noon on March 6th.

The 2010 Orecrusher XC is a lemans-style start, multi-lap classic XC through the Cheekeye Fan single-track trails of Brackendale. The event is held annually to raise funds for the Don Ross Secondary School’s Outdoor Leadership Program.

Check out http://www.orecrusher.com to sign up for this year’s race!

The 2010 TransRockies mountain bike events have recently been granted S2 status by the International Cycling Union (UCI). This makes the TR and TR3 only the second mountain bike stage race in North America to gain this status.

S2 status means that elite riders who race in the events can gain world ranking points that count towards competing for national team places and ultimately the 2012 Olympic games in London. A total of 2500 UCI points will be up for offer and are expected to attract top riders from around the continent.

For more information on the TransRockies mountain bike events please visit http://www.transrockies.com/.

Vancouver Island has been home to many classic mountain bike races over the history of the mountain bike, and they invite you to join them for many more years of racing. If you’re a first timer, seasoned pro or just out to have some fun they would love to see you experience mountain bike racing on Vancouver Island.

The 2010 Island Cup Series will run between March 14th and October 31st.

For more information please visit
http://www.islandcupseries.com/.

If you would like to become a sponsor of the Island Cup Series, please visit: 
http://www.islandcupseries.com/index.php/contacts/.

The Vancouver Mountain International Film Festival is hosting a Mountain Biking Evening tonight at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theater.

Doors open at 6:30pm and the show begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $17 in advance and $19 at the door. For more information call 604.984.4484 or visit www.vimff.org.

The evening will feature the following multimedia presentations and films:

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From CyclingBC – The 2010 cross-country and downhill BC Cup Series has been announced and will feature 7 of the best races throughout the province in each discipline.  With Champions being named in each age category and cash prizing for the pro/elites, the Series is gaining momentum!  Check out each series below for further details.

This year will see several changes. Rules have been adjusted slightly, for example the Finals will not be mandatory, and new races have been added. The Rat Race no longer exists and has been replaced by the Sunshine Coaster, and the Junkyard Dog XC is back on the calendar after being absent for 2009. In addition BC will host 2 national downhill events.

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From Cycling BC – Do you enjoy being on your bike, teaching new skills, and are hard working, enthusiastic, patient and have great people skills with an interest in leading and teaching large groups? If this describes you, please click to read the document below!

Cycling BC is currently hiring mountain bike instructors from all over the lower mainland to deliver, lead and teach our new “Learn to Ride Mountain Bike” curriculum.

Click here to view the job posting.

For Immediate Release Jan 10, 2010

Victoria BC, – Seamus McGrath and Andreas Hestler in cooperation with Big Mountain Adventures and BC Bike Race launch ‘Performance Cycling Camps’.

Two seven day training camps will be held in Victoria: March 28-8 and 8-15.

With over 45 years of experience between two celebrated athletes; 3 Olympics, multiple National Titles, countless World Cups and a couple of BC Bike Race wins, Andreas and Seamus know a few things about preparing for a cycling season. Join Performance Cycling Camps to set the foundations for a successful race season or a platform for lifelong cycling success. (more…)

You snooze, you lose!

The ever popular Test of Metal cross country mountain biking race sold out yesterday in a record time of 24 minutes and 54 seconds. Bruce McGregor of Lion Bay grabbed the first entry, just 40 seconds after registration opened at 6pm PST, while Bruce Spicer managed to squeak in with the final entry just 24 minutes later.

If you missed out on registration there are other opportunities available. The Test of Metal is the first of 5 races that make up a Cycling BC Marathon Series titled Hell of A Series. Information on these and other 2010 events can be viewed on the Cycling BC Mountain calendar here.

Registration for the 2010 Test of Metal opens tomorrow (January 1st) at 6:00 pm PST. As with past years registration is expected to sell out quickly.

About the Test of Metal:

“The 15th Annual NSCU Squamish Test of Metal cross-country mountain bike race covers a 67-kilometre course with over 1,200 meters of climbing and 35 kilometers of single-track. It’s an unforgettable day for everyone involved from the organizers, over 300 volunteers, thousands of spectators and of course the 1000 riders who begin their day with a mass start at Brennan Park, Squamish. For those in the saddle the unrelenting course will take the fastest just over 2 hours, the average competitor 3-4 hours and the humans 5-6 hours.”

To register visit the Test of Metal website – http://testofmetal.com/

This is a reminder that registration for the 2010 Test of Metals opens for locals only on December 1st at 6pm at www.testofmetal.com.

A local is defined as anyone who lives between Furry Creek and Darcy, BC. Registration will remain open until 6 p.m. December 5^th or until all 200 local spots are filled.

The North Shore Mountain Bike Association (NSMBA) is holding its annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 10th. They are inviting anyone to attend who has an interest in mountain biking and/or trails on the North Shore. The meeting begins at 7pm and will be held at Jaycee House, 1251 Lillooet Rd, North Vancouver.

Organizers of the BC Bike Race have recently unveiled a revised course for next year’s race. Last year the seven day mountain bike stage race went from Vancouver to Whistler with stops on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Squamish.  For 2010 changes to the course include increased singletrack, a prologue on the North Shore instead of a full stage,  better logistics, and a stop in Powell River.

For more information on the BC Bike Race and on the new course changes including 2010 stage videos visit bcbikerace.com.

There is less than a month left to get a GUARANTEED Test of Metal spot! Join Team Diabetes and get your coveted place at the start line ahead of everyone else. In return for raising just $600 for the Canadian Diabetes Association, team members receive

• Guaranteed Test of Metal registration
• Team Diabetes cycling jersey
• On-line, personalized fundraising page and tools
• Race day support and other great benefits!

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The Whistler Off Road Cycling Association is reporting the availability of guaranteed spots for next year’s Test of Metal Mountain Bike race in Squamish. All you have to do is sign up to be a member of Team Diabetes. As a team member you’ll receive guaranteed Test of Metal registration, a Team Diabetes cycling jersey, fundraising tools, race day support and other benefits – all in return for raising $600 for the Canadian Diabetes Association.

At this year’s event over $47,000 was raised in support of the Association.

For more information on Team Diabetes and to sign up visit www.diabetes.ca.

VeloNews.com – Seamus McGrath and Chris Sheppard left no doubt as to who owned the strongest set of legs at the 2009 BC Bike Race, winning the final day into Whistler to clinch the race’s overall prize. The two Canadians attacked the field on the day’s opening fire road climb and never looked back, finishing clear of the second-place Monavie-Cannondale squad of Matt Shriver and Ben Sonntag to take their fourth stage of the 2009 race.

“We wanted to do it up in style,” McGrath told VeloNews. “Me and (Sheppard) are the grizzly old veterans at this race. We wanted to put it to the young guys.”

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The BC Bike Race is over with participants finishing the 7th and last stage in Whistler this morning. Results are posted here.

So far two participants have posted regular updates from the race. Kim Steed on his blog here, and Selene Yeager on her blog here. If you are at all interested in the race and in perhaps trying it out then these are good posts to check out:

• VeloNews – A BC Bike beat down – The fifth day of the 2009 BC Bike Race saw a sizable line of riders queue up outside the Obsession Bikes bike maintenance tent at the finish line in Langdale…
• Playing Outside – Rock Steady: A summary of my 2009 BC BIKE RACE experience – I just got home last night from my 3rd edition of the BC BIKE RACE. My race partner Jeff Riemer and I raced again as TEAM HELLY HANSEN VANCOUVER ISLAND, but we also rocked our bike sponsors colours from STEED CYCLES and ARROWSMITH BIKES. The course was amazing this year, and while it was shorter the added singletrack really took a toll on the riders…
• Kim Steed – BC Bike Race- Day 1 on the Shore! – The start of the 1st stage of the BC Bike Race today was incredible. I have never been part of such a big biking event.
• Selene Yeager – A Rough Start – it’s been a long time since I’ve had a bad day. Too long. And eventually, well, you’re due. I was worried about Stage 1 of the BC Bike Race. And as it turned out, rightly so…
• Selene Yeager – BC Bike Race Day 2: Ouch – another day in paradise here at the BC Bike Race. Despite a pretty difficult day yesterday, I awoke feeling like I was ready for today’s 70 kilometer stage, which promised fewer death defying downhills (at least that was true)…
• Selene Yeager – Playing Hurt – As you’ve learned so far, in just two days here in BC I managed to blow myself out, tumble off a 5-foot bridge, and simultaneously taco my rear wheel and crack a couple of ribs…
• Kim Steed – BC Bike Race- Stage 4 – Here we are after Day 4’s 70k punishment! We started in Earls Cove and worked our way to Sechelt
• Kim Steed – Stage 5 – Great day on the Sunshine Coast for BCBR! The weather was hot and dry as we worked our way southeast to Langdale from the finish of yesterday’s stage.
• Kim Steed – Stage 6 – Today’s ride was a mix of Test of Metal and the Gear Jammer course in Squamish…
• Kim Steed – Stage 7 Done!! – The final stage of BC Bike Race was in Whistler with the start and finish at Creekside. Off the line we went up, up and yes, more up…

Mountain bikers, from novice to Olympians, pay $2,250 to explore trails on Vancouver Island, Sunshine Coast and North Shore in seven-day trek

Results from Saturday’s Test of Metal Mountain Bike Race in Squamish are now posted here. Congratulations to all 958 competitors who finished. And to those who DNF’ed (including yours truely), there’s always next year…

Here are the writeups we’ve found so far:

• Playing Outside – Monkey Off My Back – Breaking Three Hours at the TEST – I’ve raced the Test of Metal so many times I’ve lost count, and barring the first two years in which my goal was to simply finish, I can remember wanting to finish under 3hrs. The Test, in my opinion is one of the best organized and community supported races on the planet.
• John Ramsden (Steed Cycles) – Test of Metal 2009 – The Test of Metal 2009 went off on a perfect day in Squamish June 20. Almost 1000 riders finished the race. Conditions could not have been better for racing…
• Tall for a Girl – Test of Metal – So I am technically not supposed to race anymore. My doctor said its too risky with the elevated heart rate and dehydration issues. But he did say I was still allowed to train, just at a lower heart rate…