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Weekend Preview: Go down or go long

Big White and Crowsnest Pass host different kinds of epic racing from Aug 7-8

BC Championships Downhill Big White Photo by: Jeremy Bateman

It’s a quiet week for Canadian racing. Perhaps while everyone takes a mid-season break. Or while most of us sit at home watching the Olympics.

But if you do want to race, there are options. Two, very different options. One in B.C., the other in Alberta.

BC Championships Downhill Big White
B.C. downhill provincial championships are back at Big White this weekend. Hopefully with less snow than last time. Photo: Jenny Bateman

BC Cup DH heads to Big White

For the gravity crowd, BC Cup downhill racing keeps trucking right along. After one weekend of rest following the Dunbar Summer Series “Superweek of DH” marathon, the circus is headed to the Okanagan. Big White hosts the third round of BC Cup racing (Kicking Horse national championships didn’t count toward BC Cup series points). The event is also B.C. provincial downhill championships.

Crowsnest Pass has hosted events in the past, including TransRockies Classic and the BC Enduro Series. Now the town has its own race. Photo: John Gibson.

Crowsnest Pass 100

At the opposite end of the mountain biking spectrum, if not that geographically distant, is the Crowsnest Pass 100. The marathon cross country race heads into Alberta’s high Rockies for a truly epic day of singletrack and scenery. And, given the race’s demanding elevation profile, probably a little bit of “Type 2 fun” suffering for many riders along the way. With 100 km of riding in the Rocky Mountains, though, it should be a fantastic day on the trails for all.

Crowsnest Pass 100