Check Out Who Was Leading the BC Bike Race Before Tuesday's Stage Started

Nino Schurter, Day 3 of the BC Bike Race. Photo by Deniz Merdano

After three days of racing, this year’s BC Bike race is looking like a major comeback for Nino Schurter, who retired from full-time, cross-country mountain bike competitions near the end of the World Cup season last year. Nino didn’t quit racing completely, though. He’s been competing in some other cycling events this year, and one of them is the BC Bike Race, a multi-day stage race in British Columbia. Nino was leading the BC Bike Race at the end of Sunday’s race.

Here’s how they were standing after the third stage ended on Monday, with the race report and some photos, including some shots of Nino.

Read on to find out how Nino and the other riders were doing coming into the start of Tuesday’s race action.

BCBR 2026 Day 3 – presented by Fox

Location: Cumberland

Distance: 38.3km

Elevation: 1,261m

Photos courtesy of BC Bike Race

Trailforks Link:

There’s a reason why BC Bike Race always come back to Cumberland. If you want a challenge, the Ultimate Singletrack Experience, there’s no better network to test every aspect of your skills than the never-ending trails of Cumberland. With some heavy overnight rain, athletes were tested all day.

In the pro ranks, questions were asked. Some had answers. Others didn’t. Everyone, everywhere in the field, leaves Monday’s racing with a story to tell. Or two. Or more. These are the kind of days that decide races, but also the kind of day where friendships are forged on course that will last long after race day.

Who would thrive in classic west coast conditions and who would struggle? The third day of racing delivered the first major shake-up of the standings for the 2026 BC Bike Race.

Muddy Queen stage causes chaos, but still a sprint finish

After two days of sprint finishes, Nino Schurter looked to be trying to avoid a similar fate on Day 3. The 10-time world champion attacked on the opening climb to the top of Cumberland’s extensive network, bringing young Californian racer Justin Peck along with him.

“I wanted to test them a bit and went first into the climb. I was a bit surprised that I got caught on the downhill,” Nino admitted with a laugh. “But it was a super cool course. Really difficult trails.I was surprised that it’s so technical. Big respect to all the other riders going down there, especially in those conditions.”

As Nino mentioned, Peter Disera continued his strong week. After getting distanced a bit on the first climb, the Canadian was put on the defensive.

“I got out of Blueprint and couldn’t see them. I told Carter [Nieuwesteeg] we just have to keep riding like they’re right around the corner or we’re screwed.

The strategy worked, especially combined with a little local’s knowledge on some of the week’s most technical trails in what could be the most trying conditions. By the time Disera finished the descent down through Thirsty Beaver, he’d passed Justin Peck, dropped Nieuwesteeg and had Schurter in his sights.

“When he caught up, I thought, OK, looks like we have a sprint again,” Schurter said after. “This time I tried from the front. The first time I didn’t know the finish and I was too late sprinting from the back. But he definitely knows the finish. But it was a good race.”

Disera now has a 2:1 record at the BCBR against Schurter. Not a bad stat for any rider. But Day 4 heads into less familiar territory. The past BCBR champ sees it as a bit of a wild card before returning to more familiar trails on the south island.

“I think tomorrow’s going to be interesting. It’s probably the most blind stage for everyone. But after that, I don’t think there’s any stage that gives me an advantage where I can put like a minute into Nino. At some point an elastic will snap either way, I just don’t know.”

After three-straight sprint finishes, Schurter was coy about whether he’d try to avoid that finale for a fourth straight day. But the Swiss rider also says the win isn’t the only objective on his Canadian adventure.

“We’ll see. My main goal is not just to win, but to enjoy and ride. I’ve had this pressure enough so I’m just having fun,” Schurter said, when asked if he’d try another attack at Hammerfest. ”If not, we sprint again!”

Wild weather rewards locals on Queen stage

Not far behind Schurter and Disera, Vancouver Island local Max McCulloch crossed the finish line third to secure his first podium of the 2026 BC Bike Race. While knowing the trail helps, you still have to be in the right position at the top of the mountain to use your advantage.

“The first climb, I was just hanging on. The climb trail spread things out, then going up to Blueprint it spread out more. Tobin [Ortenblad] went past me, I just didn’t have anything else to give. I recovered a bit on the downhill but I was kinda by myself at that point.”

How did the Canadian claw his way back up to the podium?

“It was a bit of luck. I think Tobin and Justin had flats, then I caught Ethan [Paulley] on one of the descents. I could see Carter and pushed to get into the last downhill before him. I know all the lines, and everything just worked out.”

You don’t pull back time on riders like Schurter or Disera without some skills, though. And, after today’s effort, McCulloch is now sitting fourth overall.

“It’s helped, especially just conserving energy on the downhills, where to push, where to hold off,” McCulloch, a former Cumberland resident said of his opening three days. Like Disera, he’s facing a day of unknown before getting closer to his current home in Victoria. “Tomorrow I don’t know the trails super well. I haven’t raced there in four or five years. It’ll be the first day I don’t have the huge advantage from knowing where everything is, it should be fun.”

Another Cumberland local rode the waves of rain into a top-15 overall finish. With the trails starting a block from his back door, Dustin Fraser had his eye on Monday’s stage.

“I knew when it was raining that it was going to be a good day for me. I know where the roots are, where the slippery rocks are, it was fun.”

Fraser also rode into a leader’s jersey Monday, leapfrogging Tom Skinner and former pro, Greg Day to take the lead in the 40+ men’s race, and lead the unofficial race for the Cumberland local’s leader. That category’s been a battleground.

“It’s been back and forth. I give up a bit on the climbs and claw back on the descents. It’s been fun, actually, a little bit yo-yo,” Fraser said. “The climbs get a little punchier on the South Island, so it’ll be fun. The trails are great down there, too”

Holcomb hones in on another win

In the women’s race, Ruth Holcomb led the women’s group up the climb, then opened up a lead on Cumberland’s physical, challenging descents. Behind, what was a cohesive group in Campbell River split apart. A resurgent Maghalie Rochette claimed second place ahead of Katerina Nash.

“I had a good one today! I loved it. I’ve been trying to push myself every day. Today I felt good on the climb and rode with Ruth for a while. She was descending better. Honestly, I was just loving it, it was so pretty out there and I enjoyed the slippery and the mud.”

After stopping to help a rider in Campbell River, the cyclocross World Cup podium finisher was making the most of having clear trail in front of her in Cumberland. Did the wet weather help the ‘cross racer?

“There’s not as many roots in cyclocross, but it’s the same. Staying loose on the bike is the same on a mountain bike or a cyclocross bike, so maybe a little bit. I think it helped.

A bit further back, Sandra Walter used her technical skills and, as a Coquitlam local, familiarity with wet rocks and roots, to claw back time on the downhills.

“It was raining right up until the start, so I didn’t warm up I just sat in the van until 10 minutes to go and crawled out,” Walter admitted. “I think I paid for it though, my legs were just not feeling good at the start and I lost touch with everyone and just rode at my own pace. Eventually, on one of the long fire road climbs, I saw Hannah, so I caught up to her. She was chasing hard behind, I was yelling back, we gotta go faster!”

Walter pulled back quite a bit of time, but just missed catching Nash for the podium. The Canadian admitted it wasn’t a pre-planned approach.

“I didn’t have a strategy. Once my legs were feeling blah, I settled into having fun and just hoping they’d feel better after a bit of racing,” Walter said. “I did enjoy the sketchiness of it. It’s hard if you’re caught behind people, though.”

The gravity crowd revels in Cumberland Queen stage

While everyone was all smiles when the sun came out at the finish line, there were some struggles down the wet roots on Furtherburger and some nervous XC tires (and riders) descending the suddenly slick and very exposed slabs on Race Rocks.

Three riders that were more comfortable than most are Celeste Pomerantz and Swiss enduro twins Anita and Carolin Gehrig. All three were revelling in the more challenging trails and sudden turn in the weather.

“I had so much fun!” a mud-covered Pomerantz said, laughing after the finish line. “I’m from the North Shore, so I’m used to this kind of riding. Compared to yesterday, I had way more fun. It was slippery, though! You definitely don’t want to be touching the brakes out there today!”

As Pomerantz alluded to, Day 3 was a very different experience than Campbell River, testing entirely different skill sets. With 850 riders on course, that requires developing some passing skills. As riders get to know each other, group riding dynamics are getting smoother every day.

“Passing was way less challenging than yesterday. I think those that were more inclined to go downhill were having a better time. Those that weren’t were just getting right out of the way. So it was a bit friendlier in terms of navigating groups.”

While Pomerantz is an accomplished rider in other areas, BC Bike Race is the Rocky Mountain athlete’s first cross country race. Talk about jumping into the deep end. How is the BCBR experience going?

“It’s been really humbling. I don’t know if I’m going to make it. I can’t believe my legs made it up there today.”

That just goes to show that, three big days of racing in, everyone’s hurting a little, even at the front. Pomertantz finished seventh in the pro women’s race on Day 3 and is now sitting eighth overall.

Two more riders thriving in a new discipline are the Gehrig sisters. The former enduro pros are thriving on B.C. single track.

“It’s going really well, the trails are so rewarding.” Carolin Gehrig enthused in the finish area. “The first uphill was so crushing, honestly, but once you get to the downhills you recharge and go for it. It was insane today, the trails were so much fun”

“This morning we looked out the window and thought, ew, rain. But once you’re on the bike it’s so much fun to ride in the rain!” Anita added. “I guess we’re a bit more experienced riding in the wet roots so today definitely played into our strengths. We overtook quite a few people who were struggling up there, and had so much fun doing it!”

While the twins are no stranger to climbing, enduro involves as much elevation gain as descending, being timed on the climbs, too, is a different experience. The Gehrig’s are loving it and even leading the team of two women’s category.

“It’s really cool,” Carolin said of the BCBR experience. “We’re just trying to hold on and make the climbs. Then feel the flow and have fun. Just don’t think too much about the suffering then recharge on the flow trails!”

BC Bike Race makes its Hammerfest debut

After a day that proved why Cumberland keeps returning to the BC Bike Race route, and will continue to in years to come, racers will head to an entirely new venue. Hammerfest trails outside Parksville will be a fresh challenge for BCBR veterans, but these are Vancouver Island Classics. With 30 years of hosting races, this is far from an unknown quantity. It will be an instant classic addition to the roster.

With 31.8km on tap and a very solid 1,107 meters of elevation gain and loss, Hammerfest will hit some tired legs like a Hammer. But singletrack that has been tested by decades of tires will deliver good times for everyone that has the fitness to find the fun amid the suffering.