July 23, 2005 – Last Weekend, (July 16-17) saw the return of our longest running BC Cup event, the ninth annual Bear Mountain Challenge.

As always, this event continued its tradition of being among the largest events in Canada with nearly 500 riders converging on Mill Pond for the two day event.

With sunny skies in the forecast, but clouds in the sky, racers converged on Friday. Thankfully, everyone woke up on Saturday morning to clear skies and sun shine on the way. With the park like setting, sunshine really makes a big difference at bear.

Cross Country

Bear Mountain saw the return of defending SISU BC Cup Champ Matt Martindill. The Cove Factory Team racer would send a clear message that he was back on form by destroying the elite men by nearly four minutes. Welcome back Matt. Matt Savage, (Rocky Mountain) showed similar domination by schooling the Junior men, putting nearly ten minutes between himself and second place Chris Bates, (On the Edge). The only junior even close was U17 winner Jeff Clarkson who after winning his category, went out for an extra lap to catch all but Savage from the junior field. (does that mean he gets the second place prize money?)

In the elite women there would be no run away winner. Meaghan Kindree, Melissa Dekker, and Martina Feldmann looked as though a rope held them together for most of the race. Feldmann would be the first to crack with a late technical forcing her out of the race. Kindree pressed on the final lap to break Melissa and win by less than a minute. Linda Robichaud got the gift bronze metal. Katherine Short (OTE) continued her winning ways in the junior women and managed to keep pace with the pro women for all three laps.

The big story all season has been team Squamish. The sea of red has been dominating the XC scene all season. It is great to see this kind of support coming from the big “S”. Nice work Paul Kindree

Downhill.

There is no denying the downhill is the premier event at Bear. With an organizing team made up of three pro racers, they know exactly what makes a great event. 2005 was no exception; a few new jumps and a buff course would greet 300 gravity crazed lunatics. If you have never seen this course, it is simply amazing four minutes of jumps and berms winding down a single track trail. The most amazing thing about this race course is that everyone from first time racers to world cup pros simply to love it.

The elite field looked more like a National event than anything else with over 50 of the Nations top riders signing up. The pros would start with a seeding run. A gentleman’s, (and ladies) wager was placed and all would race chainless. Cove Factory Team’s Drew Mitchell would take bragging rights and be the final man on the hill. As racing got under way the times just kept dropping. Alex Prochaska, (team BC/Rocky Mountain) would set the bar early with a 4:08 to win the U15 men and leave him in the hot seat for hours. It took Ryan Newman (NSMB) to finally bump the 14 year Whistler native.

Every team in Canada brought an arsenal of rippers to this event, but none like Gabe Fox. When “chinner” arrives he doesn’t want to win, he wants to dominate, Cove Factory Team sent ten pro men to the start all in search of gold. As the field worked there way done the course the times just kept dropping. Luke Kitzanuk (Giant Canada) was the first to break the three year old course record only to be bumped by National Champ Tyler Morland. The last man on the hill, Drew Mitchell, crushed the field by nearly three seconds to become the youngest winner ever at bear and placing Cove first and second overall.

The pro women field was much more balanced, Giant Canada’s Danika Schroeter repeated as the Women’s overall winner edging out Cycling BC’s own Jenelle Cassidy and Brook Baker, (Norco).

In the end it was the rider’s who won at bear. Great courses and weather made for some spectacular racing and as always, a stellar event. Thanks again to Bear Mountain Promotions for their tireless efforts over the past nine years.