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BC Cup brings downhill racing back to Canada in 2021

Provincial race series announces nine-stop gravity racing calendar

Photo by: Forrest Riesco

Update – July 10, 2021: Cycling BC updated the BC Cup downhill series calendar to reflect changes in the province’s Return to Sport. A full list of current race dates and cancellations is included below.


Downhill racing is returning to B.C. in 2021, as Cycling BC announced dates for the provincial gravity racing series this week. The BC Cup is the second series to announce its 2021 dates, joining Dunbar Summer Series, with which it shares several dates, on the calendar.

New venues and old classics meet to make a balanced, nine-stop series. Coast Gravity Park kicks the series off in May with its first-ever public downhill event, originally scheduled for 2020. BC Cup racing traverses across the province through to September, when Sun Peaks will host finals outside Kamloops in early September.

BC Cup
Tegan Cruz racing in Whistler in 2019. Photo: Kevin Gelinas

Another new feature for 2021 will be the mid-week Panorama BC Open race on July 21. Part of the Dunbar Summer Series, the weekday will feature easier difficulty courses and fewer series points.

Adaptive mountain biking will also make its BC Cup debut as part of the Dunbar Summer Series. Three of the four aMTB races are included on the BC Cup calendar.

RELATED: Canada’s first Adaptive MTB race series launches in 2021

Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association aMTB Dunbar Summer Series
Photo: Niall Pinder / Kootenay Adaptive Sport Association

The return to racing is an exciting step for the provincial organizing body, after cancelling the series last year. Safety is still, of course, top of mind.

“After everything we’ve been through in 2020, we’re thrilled to be able to put together a 2021 BC Cup downhill series with a dedicated group of event organizers who are using our Return to Competition guidelines to produce a safe racing environment for the community,” said Cory Ostertag, Operations Manager at Cycling BC. “Safety will always be our number one priority and we will continue to follow the latest public health guidelines to help keep everyone safe. We’re optimistic and excited to see riders contending for the BC Cup title once again.”

2021 BC Cup will follow a best seven-of-nine format to determine overall series rankings. Riders must finish at least three races to be eligible for an overall ranking. For those that compete in all nine races, only their best seven results will count.

RELATED: Coast Gravity Park to host DH racing on Sunshine Coast

Coast Gravity Park Forrest Riesco
Forrest Riesco previews Coast Gravity Park’s new DH trail. Image: Kendra Zegers

2021 BC Cup pb Cobotix Downhill Series Schedule

Panorama BC Cup | Canada Cup
June 20 – Panorama Resort [Cancelled]

Whistler BC Cup | Provincial Championships
June 27 – Whistler Blackcomb [Cancelled]

Silverstar BC Cup | Canada Cap
July 11 – Silverstar Resort [Cancelled]

Fernie BC Cup | Canada Cup
July 18 – Fernie Alpine Resort

Panorama BC Cup | Canada Cup*
July 20 – Panorama Resort

2021 Canadian DH National Championships
July 23-25 – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (No BC Cup series points)

Big White BC Cup
August 8 – Big White Resort (Provincial Championships)

Steve Smith Memorial DH BC Cup
August 29 – Mt. Washington Resort

Sun Peaks BC Cup Final
September 12 – Sun Peaks Resort [Cancelled]

Coast Gravity Park BC Cup
September 26* – Sechelt, BC

*Changes as of July 10, 2021. Coast Gravity Park has a new date. Whistler, Silverstar and now Sun Peaks events remain cancelled.