The 2023 BC Mountain Bike Cross-country (XCO) Provincial Championships took place at Glenridge Acres in Abbotsford, BC, on Saturday, June 3, 2023, and featured several exciting races across different age categories. Spectators witnessed the talent and skills of many riders who demonstrated their determination and perseverance on the challenging Glenridge Acres course.
In the Elite Men’s division, Cody Scott (Competitive Edge Racing) had a target on his back as the defending provincial champion of the last two years (2022 & 2021). That target, however, would become smaller and smaller to the rest of the competitors during the race as Cody would finish comfortably ahead of the field on his way to winning his third consecutive Elite Men’s BC Provincial XCO Championship title. Canadian mountain bike notable, Ricky Federau, would follow in 2nd, and Shane Paterson (Charge BC XC Racing) in 3rd place. With only three competitors in the Elite Women’s field, Eva Poidevin (Bicycle Cafe), Esta Bovill, and Jodi Peachey (Atomic) would take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.
The 2023 Provincial XCO Championships was billed as a family event and saw some key performances from riders and their kin, including Rhett Bates (Giant Canada Off-Road Team) taking the win among Junior Men, while little sister, Brooke Bates (Okanagan Bike and Ski) was tops in U15 Women. The Jamieson family had a weekend to remember, with Nash Jamieson (Charge BCXC) who won the U15 Men and Jim Jamieson (Norco) who came third in the Masters 55+.
Masters 45-54 Men were well represented, with 19 riders competing for the provincial title. The race winner Cory Forest (TNA Multisport) took the lead in the first lap, and held on to take the provincial title. In the Masters 55+ Men category, Don Larsen (Spoke Bike & Ski) turned back the clock as he set the three fastest lap times for the category and crossed the finish line in convincing style.
In the Masters 45-54 Women category Kelly Welbourn (Steed Cycles) was on top form as she crossed the finish line in fashion, setting the quickest lap amongst all the Masters women categories.
The Junior Women was a close finish with both racers finishing within a minute of each other. Both racers made it an exciting race as Keely Hamilton came in first, with Ruby Serrouya finishing a minute behind her.
Congratulations to all those who came out to race! A special thank you to Mike Rauch, all the race officials, and the volunteers for hosting yet another fantastic provincial championship event. The time and energy put in to ensure the smooth operation of the event and all the hard work behind the scenes is appreciated by all.
2023 BC XCO Provincial Championships Results:
U17 Men
- Ethan Wood
- Maddox Johnson
- Monty Rigby
U17 Women
- Lacey Dennis
- Isla Gibson
- Ayla Rodger
U15 Men
- Nash Jamieson
- James Pinfold
- Matthew Rauch
U15 Women
- Brooke Bates
- Daiya Schlossberg
U13 Men
- Jake Ulansky
- Tide Kruiswyk
- Taio Letailleur
U13 Women
- Grace Szabadi
- Megan Pretorius
Master 35-44 Men
- Dave Vunic
- Adam Greene
- Sean Rodgers
Master 45-54 Men
- Cory Forrest
- Jacob Rodgers
- Bob Welbourn
Masters 55+ Men
- Don Larsen
- Harvey Bergen
- Jim Jamieson
Master 35-44 Women
- Francina Pretorius
Master 45-54 Women
- Kelly Welbourn
- Gemma Hamilton
- Jen Rubuliak
Master 55+ Women
- Carolyn Daubeny
- Yasuko Otsuka
Junior Men
- Rhett Bates
- Carden King
- Ryder Huebert
Junior Women
- Keely Hamilton
- Ruby Serrouya
Elite Women
- Eva Poidevin
- Esta Bovill (Provincial Champion)
- Jodie Peachey
Elite Men
- Cody Scott
- Ricky Federau
- Shane Patterson
Full results are available at: https://zone4.ca/race/2023-06-03/b7e0d0c8/results
View the Photo Gallery by Filip Funk Photography.
Glenridge Acres is offering another opportunity to race the provincial championship course on June 17th at the 12 Hours of Glenridge event. Visit 12hoursofglenridge.com for more details.