Sidney's downtown core was transformed into a high-octane cycling circuit on Sunday, June 1, as the inaugural Bike Fest roared into action.
Cyclists from across Vancouver Island and beyond flocked to participate in nine different race categories, navigating a challenging 500-metre course designed to test speed, skill and endurance.
The event, organized by the Victoria Cycling League (VCL) Racing Society, served as the third installment in the 2025 BC Road Cycling Championships weekend that kicked off with a time trial in North Saanich on May 30, followed by a 10-km road race in Metchosin on May 31.
As early as 8 a.m., the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as cyclists assembled at the starting point on Third Street and Beacon Avenue, warming up for the Criterium Provincial Championship.
Spectators lined the sidelines, eager to cheer on the competitors. Among them was Sidney resident Pearl Lee, holding a sign of encouragement for her daughter's friend, Stephanie, who travelled from Vancouver to participate in the event.
The course, while short, presented significant challenges with its tight corners and unpredictable headwinds.
As one observer noted, "For a 500-metre course, it's really like a NASCAR race."
Unfortunately, the day was not without incident.
Fifteen minutes into the master women's race, two cyclists collided on a turn at the corner of Beacon Avenue and Second Street. One cyclist struck a barrier, hitting her head.
According to a bystander, one of the cyclists mentioned a potential issue with her bike's clip contributing to the accident.
While the other cyclist involved was able to resume the race, the injured cyclist received medical attention and was transported to the hospital.
The race was subsequently reset.
Stephanie Flynn, a cyclist from Vancouver, described criteriums as "definitely the most exciting and the most dynamic race. Everybody's going really fast, lots of cornering and people are moving up and down and changing positions."
Fellow Vancouver cyclist Mark Raine, who was competing in the Master Men's race, echoed the sentiment.
”It's like flying,” he said.
According to Galen Kehler, who was in charge of the race's timing services, the fastest lap times were expected to be around 40 to 45 seconds.
"They will rip around this maybe a little bit longer, maybe closer to a minute, but the action just keeps coming,” he explained.
Each race category was allocated between 20 and 50 minutes to complete the five laps.
The race wrapped up around 4 p.m. with participants and spectators alike buzzing about the success of the inaugural event.
Race results were not yet available at the time of this writing.
