from: Manuel Prado, La Ruta / Sho-Air / Economy Car Rental
7 days, 3 podium finishes and 5th overall. 4 Flat tires, 1 faulty Co2, 2 broken chains and a broken derailleur hanger: when you think about it, it is all a numbers game. But the reality is that the 2008 BC Bike Race was more than just numbers. Warm weather, plenty of fast riders, great food, awesome times with new and old friends, the best singletrack in the world along some of the best scenery Canada has to offer. This is what makes this race one of the best stage races out there.
Day 1 arrived, and all the teams were ready; the pressure was evident at the start. Ten minutes into the race, and most of the top teams were on the side of the road fixing their bikes, as we had just gone by a freshly cut hay field. It seems like we were hired to carry the hay out of the field to the finish in Lake Cawichan 85k away. Some teams were running to their mechanics to replace their derailleur and some pulled their tools to repair the clogged drive trains. I got lucky since day one as my bike came intact from the hectic start as well as the rock and roots that broke many other riders’ equipment. All I did was to wash my full Shimano XTR-equipped Specialized Epic and put chain lube each day of the race, but my team mate Marvin Campos was not so lucky. His cassette had come loose after so much hay accumulated between the cassette lock ring and the frame. We ran to the race mechanics, and a Hispanic friend we had met the day before was waiting with tool in hand for us to fix the cassette. I remained totally cool knowing that most of the top teams were also having trouble, and by that point I knew I had good legs to chase all day.
Four-hundred people later we were on track and passing riders by the dozens. The first single track was in front of us, but we could not charge at it full speed as the 300+ people were pretty much walking at that point since there were so many more riders in front. I have to admit that at that point I thought we were never going to catch the front of the race ever. As we exited the single track, the big climbs of the day were here, and I was having a great day with great legs. At this point, we started to see familiar faces, and we knew that the top teams were near.
By the time we got to the top of the biggest climb, we were in the top 5, not bad after having had to pass 400+ riders. 30k to go and no more climbs, we knew that our patience had paid off. Defending champions were also chasing hard; they caught us, and we worked together for the remaining 20k of the race. At the end we went for an exciting sprint finish to the line to claim the last podium spot of the inaugural stage of the 2008 BC Bike Race.
I was a bit upset about how we lost so much time at the start of day 1, but at the same time I knew that a start like that had the whole field spread out in big time gaps along with testing some riders from the start as far as their ability to repair and handle stressed out situations in races like this.
Day 2 and the longest day of the race rolled out. I have to admit that it was really hot out there that day, and with about 20k to go I was starting to feel the cramps and the pressure of the race. My teammate Marvin and Barry from team Kona went as hard as they could on the biggest climb of the day; all I could do was to keep him in sight and hope that I would make the front group with my teammate who was climbing very well. By the top of the climb, the winners of stage 1 and the race leaders had gotten dropped. With more that 50k to go, that is were I really think the day’s race started. Kona and Trek were at the front of the train pedaling as hard and consistent as possible to put time on the yellow jersey and hope that by the end of the day they would take it away from them. Out of the top teams that made the front after the climb, only 3 made it to the finish line to go for the sprint, with us chasing about 40 seconds back after a really technical section that was added before the finish. Marvin was still getting the roots/trees singletrack skills dialed. He is very fast and a super strong climber, but when you have locals driving the pace on their local trails, you can be sure that the pace will be blazing fast.
Fourth place for the day had us in the top 5 overall with the leaders holding onto the yellow jersey by just 4 seconds. This was after having an 8 minute margin on the closest team after day 1.
Day 3 had started and bad luck was back again. After about 15k out of 65 Marvin got a flat on a really rocky 50+KPH descent. We stopped, fixed it, and chased hard for over 30 minutes to make the front group once again. I was looking at my PowerTap power meter during the chase to make sure that I was holding 250+watts; I knew that the front of the race was riding at about 200-220 watts, so 250+ for 30 minutes was going to bring us back to the front.
Shortly after we got to the front, a tricky river crossing and a really steep climb had the top riders struggling. Team Cannondale came out of the river first with 2 other teams. Luckily we were on that group, and with whatever we had left, we rode a hard tempo to stay away and put time on the rest of the race. At this point we were already thinking about winning a stage, as we knew that the next group was about 3 minutes back, but I learned not to make plans so soon. With 5 k to go, Marvin got another flat. I thought, no big deal, we will fix it and get going, and we still have 3rd place. After installing the new Specialized tube and putting the wheel back on, the Co2 we had left was empty. I wanted to cry knowing that we worked so hard all day to lose it all just like that. Marvin ran with his bike and 4 teams went by with none of them willing to give us any help, I could understand their point as they were probably nervous about us making any time and becoming a threat to the yellow jersey. Team Flight Centre from Australia stopped and gave us a Co2. Shortly after we were on our way to the finish to find out that we lost about 14 minutes after having to run for about 1k. At least the last section of the trail was really fun, and riding it at full speed got me back on the fun train.
Day 4 Four days into the race, and my legs were really starting to hurt. The start was brutal and the first 40k of the race felt like I was on a time trial chasing the whole time. Marvin was riding great and made the front all day long. I was at the front for 1-5 minutes at a time to get dropped and fall back 20-30 seconds each time the new leaders Kris and Berry from team Kona went hard. I was not the only one feeling it. With Trek rider and World Champion Chris Eatough falling back, I guess to give me company. I never gave up and fought till the end knowing that my teammate had great legs. I did not want to waste his good day, so I rode with courage until the end. Once again we made the podium ahead of Trek, Cannondale, Rocky Mountain, and many other top world class teams.
Day 5 had some of the biggest climbs of the race, and most of the field was thinking that we small little Costa Rican climbers were going to put the hammer down. We felt average that day, and our wishes to take a stage win were not too far away. Once again we had to face some of the most technical terrain BC has to offer: very steep medium length climbs, roots everywhere, and really super-fun technical single track. We were almost done with the biggest climb of the day riding on second spot about 1 minute back. I looked at the race profile card and realized that it was almost all downhill to the finish. As I looked up the trail, Marvin was on the side of the trail fixing his chain - this is after he had gotten a flat earlier on the stage. Once again I was determined to finish and make the best of the situation. His derailleur hanger was ripped apart after a branch got in the middle of his derailleur and spokes. A few minutes later, and he was riding single speed style. After you make an adjustment like this, it is never perfect and his chain kept falling off. After two broken chains, 1k of running with the bike, and another flat, we made it to the finish. A bit disappointed at our bad luck, we did not talk very much for the following hour. After cleaning up and getting a good lunch on the BC Ferry, we started to talk about our adventure. We gave encouragement to each other, and soon enough we were looking at the next stage details and making plans about how to attack and hopefully get away to have a shot a winning the stage.
After arriving in the beautiful town of Squamish, we picked up our bags and tent and took a long nap. Dinner time was approaching, and all I could think about was the kind of great food they were going to serve: 3 plates for dinner and 2 pieces of desert later, and I was ready to relax and look at the great scenery we had around us: big mountains, some covered in snow and a crisp breeze had me thinking about how great tomorrow’s stage was going to be. My legs were still hurting, and they felt sore and heavy, so I knew of a trick that is supposed to help out with that. Ten minutes later, we were next to a river with glacier water that felt like it was just about freezing temperature. I have to tell you that I don’t do this very often, and all I could do was to stay in there for 15 seconds at the time. By the end of our efforts to get our legs soaked, I was able to stay in there for about 2 minutes. Immediately after we were done, I could feel the difference, and my legs were feeling better.
Day 6 I can say went as planned; we were at the front, and most of the other top teams were looking strong also. We went up and down some really fun single track, then we started to climb on a wide open fire road. Some of the leaders were asking about the climbs on today’s stage, and a local top rider at the front replied that the steep section of the major climb was coming.
Check out day six elevation profile below:
Marvin was once again feeling great on the climbs; the 2003 La Ruta Champion launched an attack that no one was able to respond to. I decided to stay on the front group of riders with Marvin at about 30 seconds in front and getting away. As the terrain got steeper, the rest of the riders at the front kept looking at me to see what I would do, and all I did was stare at the ground, gather myself, and after about 20 seconds I shifted down 2 gears and went as hard as I could to bridge back to my teammate and show him that I was there to support his efforts. Ten minutes later and we were all alone at the front of the race with about 1 minute in front of the race leaders Kris and Barry from team Kona. The climb kept going and the first long descent was in front of us. Marvin rode extremely well on the steep rocky terrain, and we lost no time at all on the slopes of the Squamish Mountains. A little bit of flats and the first aid station was here; we got our bottles filled and got some Cytomax and a couple of Cytomax gels, and we were at the bottom of the second major climb of the day. As we climbed to the top, I could see team Kona and team Cannondale about 2 minutes back. I knew that they wanted to close the gap and end our chances, but Marvin was not willing to give up. All I could do was to follow his wheel. As the climb continued, the terrain got steeper. With Marvin only weighting 130 lbs and great power on his legs, I knew that we were going to put even more time on the teams behind. Finally the last descent was here. I immediately went to the front of Marvin and drove the pace on the technical areas to make sure we would hold our lead. About half way down the mountain, team Kona was the only team I could hear behind us. Not much long after, they were passing us on what I consider their backyard trails. We tried to follow, but their skills were superb. Despite our effort, we end up about 40 seconds back from them by time we crossed the finish line. Although we did not win, we were very happy about how we did today knowing that we put about 3 minutes on the team behind us, and about 8 minutes on defending champions Jeff Schalk and Chris Eatough from team Trek.
Editor's note: Manuel provided CycleOps with his ride data for Stage 6. As a sub-140-pound rider, his overall average of 184 watts for the entire three-and-a-half our effort puts him at 3.33 kg per hour. He averaged 220 watts for the first 1 hour climb of the day (3.97 watts/kg). Even more impressive, though, was his average power output of 210 watts over 2 hours for the 2nd major climb of the day: a 3.8 watts/kg average. (Click on the graph to enlarge the view).
Day 7 Last day of the race, and we were really feeling our legs - so much that we were considering taking the day off, but with no option to do that, we rolled up from the mountain bikers Mecca town of Whistler. A couple of minutes later, we were at the bottom of a really steep climb that went about half way up Whistler Mountain. The first descent got some riders into trouble as some of them went over the bars, and some others were getting flat tires just like we did days before. Luckily our bad luck was gone, and today all we did was to enjoy the great single track Whistler is known for. After about 2 billion rocks and roots, we were done with stage 7 and done with the 2008 BC Bike race. As we crossed the finish line, I grabbed my teammate’s hand, and we went across. A few cookies and a Cytomax recovery drink later we were stoked to be done. After cleaning our bikes, we got a hotel room in the heart of Whistler, got some rest, and got ready for the final award ceremony. After taking the gondola to the top of the peak of Whistler Mountain, we were grabbing 2 big plates: one for dinner and salad and one for desert. I even made a second trip for a second plate of dinner.
Looking at the podium finishers, I was totally happy that team Kona-USA-Canada, team Trek USA and Flight Centre from Australia were all standing there to claim 1st 2nd and 3rd places. Their efforts and perseverance got them there. I have a lot of respect for them and admire their skills and strength. Soon enough I will be there. In fact I’m already starting to make plans for the 2009 BC Bike race. I know that I will be assured a great time with great competition at next year’s event.
Special thanks to my wife for her patience, support, and most important her love; to Sho-Air for providing me with the opportunity to ride my bike and have the chance to live the dream; to Marvin for teaching me how to race smarter and manage my efforts better, also for his great humor that got us happy after tough times in the saddle; to the new and old friends that showed their support each and everyday of the race, especially the guys from Mexico that work full-time, have families and businesses to run and were able to come out and race the epic 7 days, you guys are the real heroes. Thanks as well to La Ruta de los Conquistadores and Economy Rent-a-Car for providing Marvin with everything needed to make it to the 2008 BC Bike Race, as well as Matt Ford and the rest of the staff from Rock N’ Road Cyclery for helping and supporting us.
To check the final results and pictures please go to: bcbikerace.com