CycloCross Season Launches in Whistler

The big names in B.C.’s CycloCross scene were out to race in Whistler this weekend for the opening round of the B.C. Premier Series, with mud, steep grades and a decidedly MTB-style course putting the hurt on for the entire field.

From the elite winners – Vancouver racer Kevin Calhoun, Olympic cross-country mountain bike alternate, Sandra Walter, Kelowna phenom, Conor Martin—to the up and comers, heading up the face of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park presented a unique challenge unmatched on the CycloCross scene.

“It went really well. I got the lead from the start and just continued to race smooth. The Commissaire was just telling me my lap times were really smooth—so that’s good,” said Walter, the only woman to manage the climb on her bike, hitting it on seven of her nine laps.

Walter came to the event straight from her first CycloCross World Cup, CrossVegas, and said the experience was magical. Racing at night, with the lights of the Las Vegas strip glowing in the background, she pulled in a 23rd place.

“It’s a world-class field, obviously, so a lot of the European racers came over and raced it…so it was just such a neat experience,” she said.

Riding in the U15 category, Leif Rodgers also turned in some impressive performances on the vertical and managed to bunny-hop every obstacle—something most of the adults could not achieve.

“It’s a technical course, so I think it suits me a lot,” said the wiry teen.

The entire Rodgers family races and his sister, Geza, took home first place in the women’s U13 category as well.

Equally impressive, Kelowna’s Conor Martin returned for his third year in a row, and dominated, despite mechanical issues. On Saturday, the 15-year-old phenom suffered multiple bike issues, leaving Vancouver’s Kevin Calhoun wide open for the win.

Calhoun did not race Sunday, leaving Martin, who raced as in the Elite Men's division at provincials, placing 10th to Calhoun’s second, to hammer home the win. Martin said the course is among his favourites, so he heads back every year, though he is not targeting the BC Premier Series win.

Craig Richey, who raced to the top of the provincial podium and the CycloCross Whistler podium, was not in attendance as he was racing the UCI World Cup race in Iowa City.

Full race results can be found on the CylcoCross Whistler webpage.

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