Crofton’s population is going to swell by several hundred people for a few days during the first week of July.
The influx will be created by the arrival of mountain bikers registered for the BC Bike Race and officials for the opening stages of its 2023 event July 3-9.
A sparse crowd turned out last Wednesday at the Crofton Community Centre for a town hall meeting to hear from the management team about the details of the event and to express any concerns. The BC Bike Race has eight full-time employees based in North Vancouver. They wanted to be here for community engagement before the event.
The panel consisted of Dean Payne (founder and president), Lisa Au (business manager and HR director), Kevin Thomson (community relations) and Matt Grossnickle, vice president of the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society (courses).
The seven-day mountain bike stage race features more than 600 racers, riding an average of 50 kilometres per day on routes that are predominantly single track. Riders will face uphill grinds, corresponding later with soaring downhill runs.
Base camp will be at the Crofton Ball Park for three nights. July 3 will be what’s called a prologue or introductory event on Maple Mountain followed by competitions July 4 on Mount Tzouhalem and July 5 on Maple Mountain.
The scene will then shift to base camp in Cumberland for four nights. Competition will be in Nanaimo July 6, Cumberland July 7, Campbell River July 8 and back to Cumberland July 9 for the wind-up.
Related story: BC Bike Race to be held in Crofton in July
Payne said this is the 17th year of the BC Bike Race.
“It’s kind of like the Tour de France on mountain bikes,” he explained. “These are weekend warrior types as well as some of the top mountain bikers in the world. It’s a form of tourism, they’re coming from all over.”
The race is never exactly the same. “Every year we kind of mix it up,” Payne indicated.
That includes the locations, although the BC Bike Race has been through Crofton and the Cowichan Valley before in 2018 and ‘19.
“It was a favourite and well-received so we thought we’d like to come back,” said Payne.
In 2019, there were base camps all over the place on the Island and Lower Mainland. It was decided this year to simplify things with two base camps instead of five or six that had the racers on the move virtually every day.
Payne used the analogy of the BC Bike Race being a camp for adults, with them on their bikes for anywhere from four hours a day to six or seven.
“It’s kind of a big jamboree,” he added. “It’s exciting to meet people from around the world. The commonality is the love of mountain biking. The social part of it is the part we’re most proud of.”
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It’s a destination event, with about 40 per cent of the participants from Canada, another 40 per cent from the United States and 20 per cent from the rest of the world.
“We hope to leave more than we take,” Payne indicated. “We’ve had good relations in our communities. It’s important.
“Each town is different. That’s part of what we’re showcasing, the diversity of the different communities.”
“It’s a very memorable week for everyone who rides,” said Thomson.
Au explained some of the logistics that includes crew travelling here on July 2. July 3 will be registration and when the riders check into their tents for the beginning of the prologue.
About 250 tents will be set up at the Crofton Ball Field. The site will incorporate food, massage areas and games.
“Half the people will be here, half will be in the community as well,” added Au.
It takes a mammoth crew to run the race, including mechanics, medical personnel and more.
“We’re close to 150 people that come with us,” Au indicated. “We supplement that with volunteers as well. We always try to keep the sites cleaner than when we arrive.”
Grossnickle of Cycle Therapy in Duncan has been the stage manager before in 2018-19.
He explained the roads and the routes riders will cover in traversing the mountains during the three days in the Cowichan Valley.
“Everyone’s on vacation,” Grossnickle added. “Some will be exhausted and just want to hang out in their tents.”
Many residents asked about the peak times for congestion around Crofton. The community will have to remain cognizant while there’s increased activity, but there’s also an opportunity to be a spectator.
“We like to have people out on the course,” said Payne. “It’s really exciting to watch riders go by. The hiker and biker interaction, we’ve figured it out. They share the space well.”
On the way out of the hall, several people also signed up to become volunteers.
Payne stressed if anyone encounters something that’s cause for concern to report it to any BC Bike Race official because they will want to deal with it right away.
You can find out a lot more on the BC Bike Race here.
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don.bodger@chemainusvalleycourier.ca
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