There is barely enough time to wash the dust off the bikes. Just days after the Dunbar Summer Series opened with a Canada Cup and BC Cup in Fernie, riders were back between the tape Wednesday at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for the second stop of one of the busiest stretches on the Canadian downhill calendar.
After Seth Sherlock and Lauren Rosser claimed the opening elite victories in Fernie, Kicking Horse produced a different script.
Neron breaks through
Gabriel Neron put together the fastest elite men’s run of the day, stopping the clock in 3:49.15. Henry Sherry finished just 0.64 seconds back in second while Jack Menzies completed the podium another 2.93 seconds behind.
Sherlock, who edged Sherry by just three-tenths of a second in Fernie, settled for fourth in Golden, 5.88 seconds off Neron’s winning pace. Kirk McDowall, another podium finisher from the opening round, finished sixth.
The result shakes up the early battle before riders head to Sun Peaks for another pair of races, including the Canadian national championships later this month.
Rosser makes it two in a row
Lauren Rosser continued her impressive start to the series with a second straight elite women’s victory.
Rosser crossed the line in 4:37.98, adding another Canada Cup win after narrowly defeating Megan Bedard in Fernie. This time the margin was larger, with Emmy Lan finishing second, 8.1 seconds back, while Isla O’Connor rounded out the podium in third.
Bedard, runner-up at the opening round, slipped to fifth while Paz Gallo finished fourth.
Rosser now heads to Sun Peaks carrying momentum after winning both opening stops of the compressed summer series.
Rhys Vath turns the tables
The U19 men’s race also saw a change at the top.
After Julian Moutinho won an incredibly close battle in Fernie, Rhys Vath answered with a commanding victory at Kicking Horse in 3:54.60. Austin Makson again finished second, 6.84 seconds behind, while Travis Goller claimed third.
Moutinho, the Fernie winner, finished seventh.
In the U19 women’s race, Jenna Foreman made it two wins from two starts, leading Piper Graaten and Charlotte Gadbois Schuett.
Straight to Sun Peaks
From here the series moves west to Sun Peaks where another Canada Cup and BC Cup are taking place Saturday and Sunday. Many riders will remain at Sun Peaks for the week as the he series now moves immediately to Sun Peaks, where another Canada Cup and BC Cup take place this weekend before riders remain at the resort for the Canadian Downhill National Championships one week later.