Belgen Waffle Ride British Columbia
Monuments of Cycling is excited to partner with standout Canadian endurance event producer Platinum Racing to deliver the second Belgian Waffle Ride British Columbia to be held September 21 – 22, 2024 on Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada. The Belgian Waffle Ride (BWR BC) will kick off the fall on the west coast of Canada in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island. Along with the Belgian Waffle, Wafer, and Wanna Rides, the accompanying BWR Unroad Cycling Festival will feature music, a massive beer garden, a variety of food options, and all sorts of family fun that will exemplify the genuine Canadian hospitality in its most apologizing of ways.
Hosting multiple bike racing events and a USD $7,000 prize purse, the BWR BC promises to lure a deep field of Canadian, American, and world-class road, gravel, cyclocross, and mountain bike racers from around the world looking to take on the uniquely beautiful and challenging terrain that only Vancouver Island can offer. The BWR is celebrating 13 years of pedaling perversity in 2024 and this international affair promises to provide professional and amateur cyclists alike the opportunity to ride the most coveted unroads of this spectacular venue, utilizing dozens of gravel and single-track sectors to connect the best roads of the area for a truly dynamic multi-surface race… the unique complexion of road and unroad dynamics that are hallmarks of the BWR offering.
September 21-22, the BWR BC will be the highlight of the Canadian racing season in Cowichan Valley, which is known as Canada’s “Warm Land” and outdoor recreation playground. Specifically, the Unroad Expo and race festivities will take over the Providence Farm in Duncan B.C, returning as Western Canada’s premier bike festival for the annual gathering of riders, racers, enthusiasts, and curious onlookers! The venue was chosen because it is surrounded by the world-class single track of Mt. Tzouhalem (the Zoo), Maple Mountain, and Mt. Prevost. The weekend-long festival will include a refreshing mixture of social rides and an Expo featuring local crafts and global bike brands, a large beer garden, multiple food options, live music, and a venue offering tons of family fun. Accommodation options will include an onsite RV / Van Life parking, Tent Camping / Bike Packing, Airbnb, and excellent hotel selections in Duncan, and nearby Nanaimo and Victoria, including Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, Best Western Cowichan Valley Inn, and the Villa Eyrie Resort.
“To be able to bring the Belgian Waffle Ride to Canada, especially in BC, is the perfect fit for us given the limitless possibilities of trails, gravel roads, and varied terrain that our backyard has to offer,” said Tom Bamford, President of Platinum Racing. “Combined with our excessively polite Canadian hospitality, great food, and incredible brews, we are looking forward to building the BWR empire in Canada and creating experiences that riders celebrate in the years to come.”
A healthy confluence of glorious mountains, dedicated trail stewards and moderate climate has turned Cowichan into an incredible cycling destination. Its extreme variety, from downhill daredevil descending to flowy cross-country trails, the area’s terrain is an incredible mix of roots, rocks, roads and unroads that lie beneath the thick west coast forest and the island’s arbutus charm, the likes of which combine into the perfect cocktail for Belgian Waffle Ride intoxication. The community of Cowichan is overflowing with passionate locals who build and maintain trails, promote the region, and educate riders. These denizens can’t wait for us to see what they’ve curated for us.
The BWR, created as an extremely challenging race in the spirit of the great European one-day Spring Classics, is a truly unique series of races in North America. There will be three distances on offer in BC; the longer Waffle Ride, roughly 130 miles (210km), and the half-as-long Wafer Ride for those looking to get a taste of the glory without the full-time training commitment the full Waffle requires, and the taster, the Wanna Ride (half the Wafer).
This Second Annual BWR BC race, like other BWRs in California, N. Carolina, Utah, Mexico, and Arizona, will have a deep field of professional riders and an expansive list of hungry amateur riders drawn to the unparalleled opportunity to race alongside their heroes. The Waffle will be offering a prize purse to the top three riders, both female and male! Racers and event patrons will be treated to Belgian waffles and ales, frites, and a variety of culinary delights, more waffles, and more beer on race weekend.
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