Check in: Carter Nieuwesteeg starts pt. 2 of a BCBR and Singletrack 6 double header

Stage racing is hard. Most riders are happy to finish either one of B.C.’s epic XC stage races, BC Bike Race and Singletrack 6, never mind race them. But racing both, back-to-back, with just three days off between? That is a daunting task for even the top pros. It’s also exactly what Carter Nieuwesteeg is attempting.

The Canadian started off Singletrack 6 with a second-place finish to New Zealand’s Cameron Jones.

“Today was a bit of a shock to the system, Cameron put in a really fast start. I’m hoping to keep the pace I had today and just have fun.”

Hometown losses aren’t always easy, but chasing too hard in the start of a race – or the middle of a double-header – isn’t always smart. Nieuwesteeg lost one minute.

“I think the fact that I’m extremely, next-level fatigued is holding me back from making those spur-of-the-moment decisions to chase and I’m really forced to sit in and my Day 8 pace. which is both good and bad.”

This the second time the Fernie, B.C. local’s taken on the challenge, though last year had more favorable conditions. There was more rest between the two and Nieuwesteeg got to start on home turf at ST6 before heading to BCBR. He won ST6, then headed to the Okanagan and finished second at BC Bike Race. This year, BC Bike Race was first and had a stacked pro field.

“I definitely had high hopes after finishing second  last year. I knew it was going to be even harder this year. Just do to competition and organizing Fernie Gravel Grind beforehand. I also had the entire summer to prepare for it. On Stage 5 I struggled with some pretty bad stomach problems that are lingering into this week.”

Nieuwesteeg still finished fifth, after a week-long duel with veteran Canadian racer, Geoff Kabush. With another five days of racing on tap, Nieuwesteeg is staying focused on his own race, not the competition.

“This whole two-week block, I’ve been telling myself to just take it day by day, sometimes hour by hour, or occasionally minute by minute. You need short-term memory and you can’t look too far ahead. You’re always going to have highs and lows in stage racing and you put two of them together and you’re going to have more.”

However the results turn out, Nieuwesteegs still stoked on the opportunity.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to race at home in the best conditions possible.”