Bridge the Gap crosses over to dirt to support Lief Rodgers

After 10 years of supporting road and track athletes, Global Relay Bridge The Gap is adding its first mountain bike athlete. Port Moody, B.C.’s Lief Rodgers is in Tasmania this week for the start of the Enduro World Cup season. For the Giant Canada athlete, BTG support is a big part of helping him get to the races this season.

“I’m super grateful for this opportunity to be the first mountain bike rider supported by BTG,” Rodgers says. “There’s so much young mtb talent in Canada right now and it’ll be great to have this stepping stone to start our careers. Excited for what’s to come!”

Bridge the Gap helps support athletes making the leap from domestic to overseas racing, especially ones that don’t always fit the qualification requirements for national federation funding. With enduro not being an Olympic sport, it gets little support from Cycling Canada. There are also fewer opportunities for riders to get pro team support, especially in Canada. While Rodger’s is supported by Giant Canada, with no North American rounds this year, additional financial support is hugely important for Canadians looking to be competitive on the Enduro World Cup circuit.

Mentorship for making enduro work

BtG isn’t just financial support, though. The group also works to bring young riders together with experienced Canadian racers in a mentorship. For the first mtb rider, BtG had to look outside its organization to fulfill the mentorship side. McKay Vezina, an experienced Giant Factory Off-Road team racer from nearby Vancouver Island will be working with Rodgers in a mentorship role.

“I’ve have had the chance to ride with Lief a few times and I am super excited to see what he can put together this season,” Vezina says. “Right now, we are mainly focusing on race weekends, but I am here to help Lief with whatever he needs. The goal is to help him become a successful racer and that takes more than just race weekends.”

Making the switch from XC to enduro

While Rodgers is already a successful racer in North America, with experience in enduro, cross country and cyclocross, stepping up to international racing is a big move.

“Mckay will be helping me out with the switch over from XC to Enduro. Helping me figure out the mental side of racing as well as training,” Rodgers says. “He’ll also be at all the races and will be able to chat about pre riding and line choices. I’ve known him for a few years now and he’s got lots of experience racing Enduro so I’m super excited to be working with him!”

Rodgers’ first taste of international enduro came closer to home last season. He earned a u21 podium at the Enduro World Series (now Enduro World Cup) stop in Whistler. That success helped cement the decision to narrow his training and racing program.

“I’ve raced almost all cycling disciplines and for the last few years up until this winter, I’ve been focused on XCO. After not qualifying for 2022 XCO worlds I raced the Whistler EWS instead,” Rodgers shares. “I’ve always loved enduro racing and those few EWS races I did last year made me want to commit to enduro.”

Finding speed overseas

While 2022 had three North American stops on the Enduro World Series, the first Enduro World Cup season skips the continent entirely. That means traveling to Europe and Tasmania. And, with that, learning to adapt to different styles of racing.

“The biggest changes are definitely the length of the days and just the overall level of competition,” Vezina says. “A small mistake at a national round can cost you a position or two but a similar mistake at an EDR level can put you back 10-15 spots on a stage.”

Rodgers discovered that last year when his Whistler EWS success helped get propel him overseas for his first taste of European enduro. While it wasn’t Rodger’s first experience racing on the continent, it was eye-opening.

“Traveling over to Europe was a super cool experience. I’d been there before to race XCO Worlds as a Junior but racing enduro in Europe was a whole different beast,” Rodgers recalls. “The trails are always built a bit differently from home and are usually super tight and twisty compared to the high-speed rough trails I usually ride. It was a steep learning curve racing those Euro trails. I learned a lot from those races and I’m stoked to be back there again soon.”

Creating a pathway to the world stage

Vezina’s mentorship with Rodgers will mainly be focused on making the step from racing in Canada to success at the Enduro World Cup. The veteran Canadian racer emphasizes that racing closer to home is an important part of any rider’s development, too.

“Part of mentoring is helping young athletes realize that racing within North America holds value,” Vezina explains. “Not just with the potential to earn much-needed [EDR] qualifying points but it also gives them the chance to race and compete for wins. I believe that builds confidence and readiness for racing at the highest level.”

Lief Rodgers is in Tasmania for the first two rounds of Enduro World Cup racing this year. At the season-opener in Maydena, the Giant Canada rider calmed the first-race nerves over the course of six timed stages to finish 13th in the under-21 men’s race. But that result comes with several promising top-5 times on individual stages. The Port Moody rider will get another chance this weekend in Derby, Tasmania at EDR round two.