Emmy Lan and Jack Pelland lead seading as Dunbar Summer Series rolls into Panorama

After a very quick turnaround following Canadian downhill nationals at Fernie Alpine Resort, racing is already underway in Panorama. Emmy Lan and Jack Pelland set Tuesday’s fastest times in seeding as racers put tires to dirt for a combined Canada Cup / BC Cup downhill event.

RELATED: Gallery: seeding at Panorama Canada Cup

Lan leads women’s seeding

After finishing second at national championships in Fernie, Emmy Lan put down a very strong seeding time on Tuesday at Panorama. The Vancouver Island racer set the fastest women’s time, 7.39 seconds ahead of the two-time elite national champ, Bailey Goldstone. Eva Leikermoser put another Vancouver Islander in the top three, finishing 0.58 seconds behind Goldstone.

Natasha Miler Photo: Sara Kempner

The juniro women's seeding podium. Photo: Andrea Heath

In the junior women’s seeding, it was Natasha Miller putting down the fastest time on Tuesday. Times were tighter, though, with Miller just 1.58 seconds ahead of new junior national champion, Joy Attalla. Kayley Sherlock is a little further back in third going into Wednesday’s finals.

Pelland tops men’s seeding standings

Racing is incredibly tight already on the men’s side. Jack Pelland set the fastest seeding time, but with Forrest Riesco and 2022 national champ Gabe Neron following just 0.19 and 0.31 seconds behind. That’s the difference between a single feather of the brakes somewhere over the three-minute course, so all three will have their eyes on the win on Wednesday.

While Pelland, Riesco and Neron were the only three riders to break three minutes on Tuesday, another trio are close behind. Patrick Laffey, Alex Storr and Anthony Poulson are all well within striking distance of the podium, if not the win, in when racing resumes Wednesday.

In the junior men’s race, Victoria, B.C.’s Henry Sherry earned some separation from Logan Chapman of North Van and new junior national champion Brock Hawes. Ominously, though, Hawes had the fastest split time of those three. In Fernie, Hawes turned around a crash in seeding to take the junior title and set the day’s fastest time in finals. Will he be able to repeat that feat in Panorama?

Two more Vancouver Island racers lead the under-17 men’s seeding. Julian Moutinho of Victoria leads Nanaimo’s Ryder Wilson and Kelowna’s Jaxon Blake.

While seeding gives an early eye on who is looking fast on the Panorama track, Dunbar Summer Series #2 / Canada Cup / BC Cup wins and podiums will be earned on Wednesday. Age groups and amateur categories join in the UCI categories, with a huge start list signed up for the mid-week race in the Purcell Mountains.