Sunday, June 28, 2009

Oregon well represented at Canada's big BC Bike Race

UPDATE, June 29, 11 a.m.: VeloNews.com reports that Sheppard and McGrath won the first stage of the men's competition. Wicks and Sneddon are second. Trebon and Gould lead the mixed competition, with Butler and Alders fourth.

The list of favorites to win the seven-day BC Bike Race June 28-July 4 in Canada is packed full of Oregon riders.

Bend resident Chris Sheppard (Santa Cruz/Shimano/WTB/Fox) will join fellow Canadian and Jamis Factory Team rider Seamus McGrath in the men's event. The pair plans to compete for the overall this year after a catastrophic mechanical five minutes into last year's race ended their overall dreams, although they were allowed to compete for stages and won three of them. Former OBRA standout Barry Wicks will take a break from World Cup competitons to join Kona teammate Kris Sneddon in the men's category.

Bend's Ryan Trebon (Kona) is joining forces with Luna's Georgia Gould to contest the mixed category, and some of the pair's toughest competition will come from Portland's Sue Butler and her MonaVie-Cannondale teammate Bryan Alders. Tim Butler, who rides locally for River City Bicycles, will also join MonaVie-Cannondale team manager Matt Ohran in the men's category.

VeloNews.com has complete coverage.