Whistler greeted racers with a heaping serving of west coast weather for the first day of practice at the iconic mountain town’s first-ever World Cup. Rain overnight. Rain during they day. Some heavy clouds that rolled in all the way to the finish line, lifted, and then rained more.
That made the 1199 course absolutely treacherous for riders trying to figure out what is, for many, a brand new track.
The heavy weather didn’t stop fans from showing up. While the wide-open finish area was sparsely populated, anywhere remotely sheltered in the woods was packed with fans from all over watching as riders tried to figure out different sections of the course.
Weather also made for some interesting technical bits floating around. From huge fenders, extendo-visors, rotor covers and aggressive tires, riders were trying all manner of tricks to deal with the mud.
Mud meant a busy day for anyone trying to keep a bike running smoothly through multiple practice runs. Flats were a common sight. Some riders have the luxury of mechanics to clean mud and change tires.
Others, like 2025 Canadian national champion Jonathan Helly and numerous non-World Series team riders, had to sort themselves out between laps.
After a hectic day of practice, riders and staff will have a busy evening getting bodies and equipment ready for Saturday’s Qualifying rounds. The weather’s looking better but, after today’s mayhem, the course could still be treacherous.
