Upstart Max Plaxton of Tofino brought his "A" game to this year's Cheakamus Challenge and beat out racing icons such as Andreas Hestler.
Plaxton must spend a lot of time on his bike, not in the Tofino surf, because he was the picture of endurance on Saturday. Similar to the Energizer Bunny on steroids, Plaxton had enough kick to beat out second-place Neal Kindree, 18, of Squamish, by a mere two seconds.
Grant Lamont, Cheakamus organizer, predicts that both riders will be lighting up the world mountain bike scene in a few years.
"The race felt really good. This is my fourth time at the Cheakamus Challenge. All of the other times I bonked, but this time I rode pretty conservatively for the first half because the last part is so hard," Plaxton said. "I came second last year and I wanted to win this year."
Kindree led the pack for most of the race, but Plaxton overtook him before the finish. Plaxton finished in 3 hours, 10 minutes and 14 seconds. Kindree decided to bypass a fueling station, bonked, and was forced to slow his pace, finishing in 3:10:16.
Kindree said he was happy with a second place.
"It was an awesome race. I've never ridden the course before and there were lots of winding and flowy trails," Kindree said. "The race was a great incentive to stay fit right to the end of the riding season."
Ricky Federau of Abbotsford finished third in 3:13.57. Although he was close to the top finishers, Federau said he rode his own race. Unable to train for most of July and August, Federau said the Cheakamus course literally kicked his butt.
"Max and Neal were pretty strong in the canyon so I rode my own race. I don't think they gapped me much because I kept the hammer down trying to catch them," Federau said.
The course was not for the weak with more than 2,000 metres of vertical gain. At a whopping 72.5 kilometres, the course is still the longest in the country and world champions flock to the annual event. It started at Squamish Airport and ended in Creekside, allowing for a new section of singletrack.
Trish Sinclair won the women's race in 4:00:29 and Meghan Kindree, Neal's sister, placed second, proving that mountain bike skills are sometimes hereditary. Joanna Harrington of Whistler placed third in 4:08:16.
The Cheakamus Lite course was also unveiled, giving the Average Joe a chance to participate. The "lite" version was 40 kilometres but featured a taste of tough, challenging sections. Thirty racers signed up for the shorter course, which Lamont said was well received.
"We are going to do it again next year. Everyone got a good run and blended with the main race. Next year we want to offer the lite course at a reduced rate since riders only cover half of the course," Lamont said. "We are also wanting to beef up Whistler participation so WORCA members will get a discount rate on both events next year."
Gary Jackson won the short course in 2:18.46. He was flowed by Benoit Reneault in 2:43.07. Robin Pickering of West Vancouver won the women's race and placed third overall in 2:46:33.
A camera crew from RIDE GUYS was covering the event for a special on the Cheakamus Challenge, which will be shown on the Outdoor Life Network and Global three or four times throughout the winter.
The Cheakamus Challenge also gave $2 from every race entry to Cops for Cancer, for a total of $600.
"From a community standpoint the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb were a huge help," Lamont said.
