Hopefully, 2021 will see a return to normal. Or at least some semblance of normal. That seems to be what most race & event organizers are hoping for, based on the slew of announcements that have landed this week.
BCBR Gravel Explorer
The biggest announcement is probably the news of an all new event put on by the team responsible for the BC Bike Race. Yup, the BCBR is headed to the gravel. British Columbia’s Okanagan region, to be exact. Set up as a five day stage race in BCBR fashion, the BCBR Gravel Explorer is sure to test your skills on a gravel bike in a variety of condition from pavement to full on single track.
Scheduled for September 26 – October 1st, BCBR Gravel will include categories for Solo Open Men, Open Women, 30+, 40+, 50+, 60+, as well as teams of 2. Registration opens on February 9th, with registration pricing starting at $1499 CAD for the first 50 spots. Check out the site for more details, including the cancellation policy – which hopefully you won’t have to use. Not into gravel? The legendary BCBR 7 day MTB stage race will be held July 4-10.
BWR Kansas
For a different kind of gravel experience (a very hard one), the Belgian Waffle Ride has added another event for 2021. Finishing out the season on Halloween, the new BWR Kansas will cover 111 miles through the northeast with 8,000 feet of elevation gain.
BWR Kansas joins the existing BWR events including San Diego, CA (7/18), Asheville, NC (8/21), and Cedar City, UT (9/25). Check out all the details at the link below.
Leadville Trail 100 MTB
Hoping to get into Leadville this year? The lottery is open now – and closes 2/15. There are too many details about the selection process and the alternative Qualifiers to list here. Just know that if you are hoping to race 100 miles at elevation this year, the time is now to get into the lottery.
Bentonville Bike Fest
Last up, we have the official announcement for the Bentonville Bike Fest 2021. Scheduled for June 18-20, Bike Fest returns to the trails of North West Arkansas with packed, family friendly schedule including Sprint & Enduro races, a pumptrack demo area, Women Shred programming, Kids Shred activities, Trials shows and competitions including an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the Highest Forward Jump on a Bicycle, a gravel ride, art installations, and more. The festival itself is free to enter, check the site below for more details.
