BC Bike Race plots return to Victoria for 2024 route

Only 17 years after first visiting, BCBR is headed back to Hartland

Photo by: Jens Klett

Terry McKall November 21, 2023

BC Bike Race started, quite literally, in Victoria, B.C. The first edition of what is now a Canadian XC stage race classic set out from the provincial capital way back in 2007. That was also the last time BCBR visited Victoria. With the race’s route constantly changing, stages visited communities all over Vancouver Island, the B.C. coast and even the Okanagan.

Now, 17 years later, BC Bike Race is set to return for two stages of racing in Victoria in 2024. The storied technical XC trails of Hartland and the newly sanctioned singletrack in Partridge Hills will host the first two stages of racing. Victoria will also act as the first of three basecamp locations for racers.

BCBR podium finisher Carter Nieuwesteeg riding in Victoria’s Hartland trail network. Photo: Jens Klett

While Victoria hasn’t hosted BCBR in nearly two decades, the city’s singletrack continues to serve as proving ground for some of Canada’s best cross country racers. From the days of Ryder Hesjedal and Lesley Tomlinson, Seamus McGrath (and even BCBR’s own c0-founder Andreas Hestler), to Max Plaxton and more recent racers like Andrew L’Esperance, Haley Smith, Peter Disera (all BCBR winners) and Carter Nieuwesteeg, the roots and rocks of Hartland have honed the technical skills Canadians are known for on the internatinal stage. While the elites returning to race this year will enjoy a bit of a home-trail advantage, every rider can look forward to testing themselves against such storied singletrack.

BCBR’s Crofton basecamp. Photo: Dave Silver

From Victoria, the 18th edition of BC Bike Race will return to the Cowichan Valley, and the Crofton basecamp from 2023, for the third day of racing. Nanaimo, another community recently returning to the roster after a long hiatus, hosts stage 4.

The final three days of 2024 BC Bike Race return to two communities that helped make the stage race famous. The now-iconic trails of Cumberland, B.C. (also the final bascamp of the week) will sandwich a day trip up to the fast, rolling trails of Snowden Demonstration Forest outside Campbell River.

2024 BC Bike Race runs from July 1-7, 2024. Registration is open now.

The iconic start on Cumberland’s main street. Photo: Dave Silver

2024 BC Bike Race stage locations

July 1: Victoria
July 2: Victoria
July 3: Cowichan Valley
July 4: Nanaimo
July 5: Cumberland
July 6: Campbell River
July 7: Cumberland