Lindsay Corrigan, a physiotherapist at Helios and instructor at Revelution Studio, and Elinor Brown, a stay at home mum and riding coach with Wandering Wheels, nabbed first and second place respectively in the Women’s Expert Division at the Revelstoke stop of the Norco Canadian Endurance Series.
The Revelstoke locals have been active in the biking community for several years, competing and winning in the women’s only Revelstoke Enduro last summer.
The Norco race was well attended with competitors hailing from across North America.
“This was a big race because it was an enduro world series qualifier race,” explains Corrigan. “People from all over are trying to get points to enter the enduro world series.”
There are multiple divisions in the race, including Long Course Open, Expert, Pro and Short courses. Corrigan and Brown entered into the expert division, as the pro division is typically for sponsored riders.
“We don’t get paid to ride our bikes, we have to do regular things and just ride our bikes for fun,” laughed Corrigan.
Corrigan and Brown’s results were so fast, Corrigan would have placed eighth and Brown tenth place in the Pro division.
Even more impressive is that this is Brown’s first race since coming off a biking injury that resulted in her breaking two ribs and her collarbone in three places.
The Norco Enduro is a race of six stages. Only the downhill sections are timed.
“You ride up a stage then clear a timing station that starts your time, you go through the downhill section and then at the bottom they stop your time,” explains Corrigan. “The times from each stage are accumulated at the end of the race.”
The first day, racers did stage one at Revelstoke Mountain Resort on a run called Crowbar. Day two was, as Corrigan says, the full meal deal. Over the course of several hours, competitors rode the final five stages on Frisby downhill and Boulder’s Iron Locus (multiple times). The uphill sections were done on logging roads in full sun and scorching temperatures.
“When we stopped on the uphill sections it was mostly to dunk our heads in the creek,” says Brown.
Both Brown and Corrigan are happy with the growth of the biking community over the past decade. During the race, whenever they spotted competitors they recognized on the uphill sections, they would stop to chat.
“The format is cool because you can ride with friends on the way up. Then say good luck, race down, and gather again at the bottom,” says Corrigan.
“I think one of the best things in my experience about biking is that everyone is really friendly, you see people on the trail and you chat,” says Brown.
There were more Revelstoke riders, both male and female, who raced well. In the men’s Pro division, Sam Poarch, Sheldon Smith, Brodie Evans all finished within seconds of each other and placed tenth, eleventh and twelfth respectively.
“Those guys are fast,” says Brown.
As for Corrigan and Brown, they are gearing up for their next race this weekend, a women’s enduro hosted by Vernon. It’s a likely bet they will, once again, sweep the podium.
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