Day 4 Earls Cover to Sechelt: Only 60km!

The single track continued today. 4:01 ride time. Grant is a stud! Sick w/ a cold (yeah, that’s right a summer cold -- first one in two years... can you believe it?), Granted rallied more than one could ask for today. Up all night blowing his horn and coughing, today’s surprise recovery is one to highlight.

Up at 4:25am, today’s beginning was long and tiring. We hit the bus at 4:55 for the local ferry station and proceed to Earls Cover, via another bus and another ferry, making this morning one of the longest and mundane thus far. Despite the tediousness of travel, the views of the Cumberland to Sechelt area were tremendous.
Starting at 0 meters today’s stage climbed and descending over and over for 60k. With two aid stations and lower tempertures than the previous three days, today’s race was another tough one. We followed the suncoast trails and made good time w/ no incidentals.

The single track throughout the race was really good, with classic wood bridge crossings along the way. We also encountered a number of river crossing again, soaking our fit for another day. The descents were challenging but nothing too difficult. Grant once again tempered me to ensure we got no flats and suffered no injury….. he sure is a wise fella!

Unsure of our overall standing we are confident we moved up again in the rankings. After yesterday’s finish we were seated well at 25th place. Considering that more than twelve teams are pro athletes we are really pleased with our performance thus far. If we can make top 20 we will be really happy.

Now resting back at the Bella hotel on the waterway with west and north, it’s time to relax and prepare for another day: Stage 5 tomorrow is said to be even more technical than today. A downhill start w/ a tough single track up 30k! Then lots of single track. We hope our 29ers treat us well again.
See you tomorrow. Scott and Grant

Day 4 Revised.

Grant just reminded me that today, and most of the previous days, were much like this. (not as described in the previous flowery postings—writing by myself.. after all Grant doesn’t even know what a computer is). This is the real BC bike race experience: We feel like laboratory rate, force fed gu’s, electrolyte drinks, bananas and more water than you would think humanly possible to drink. All the while, we endure granny ring climbs, brutal hike-a-bike sections, fast-pro riding starts to enter the single track, gasping for air w/ dust filling our lungs ( see above picture). It’s hard to believe that there nothing in the way, riding by brail as grant describes it. It’s hot, dusty and many times the mud is deep. While the weather is good, the steam crossings are deep, slippery and usually cold. Talk is little and competitors not so friendly at times, barking “let me pass” on the single track even though there are so many riders ahead. We push the bikes up the steep hills like Sherpas carrying their beast of burden. Once we get to the top, it’s an all out race for position on the next road or single track toward the end.
A few falls here and there, mud in the eye , and wet shoes, it’s pretty much a day of all out suffering. So why did we choose to do this 7-day bike race. The end. At the conclusion of each day, our hard work is rewarded when we safely enter the finish area with the announcing congratulation Scott and Grant from Team Bike Rx and we dive into recovery drinks, cookies and more. Unfortunately, the glory is short lived. We then proceed to our daily chores of washing and tuning the bikes, cleaning our cloths by hand and preparing for the next day (oh, and of course we eat and drink until sickness sets in), knowing we burned more than 5000 calories over the course of the race.. 5k calories.. Is that possible Dr. Stagliano? ‘till tomorrow.