Riders registered in this year’s Peel Out Downhill Race may flip out and accuse organizer Mark Savard of being unreasonable.
But, at the end of the day, Savard said he’s confident everyone who races the course will have a massive grin on their face once they reach the finish area — located this year at a new spot.
“It’s funny,” Savard said. “A lot of people can’t really deal with change but at the end of the day they’ll be stoked.
“We want the Peel Out to not only be fun for the racers but for spectators, as well.
“The stoke factor for a racer when they come into the finish stadium, hit a big jump and the crowd goes wild will be awesome.”
Justin Calof, executive director of the Cariboo Mountain Bike Consortium who is helping sponsor the event, said the new location should create a lot of excitement.
“In combination with the new timing system, which provides instant results, the new finish line will create a really cool scene for everyone to have fun in,” he said.
“When a rider blows over the last jump and is in first place they will get to sit in the hot seat and watch the competition bite at their heels. It will be awesome.”
Cory Brunelle, who helped with the build and was the 2011 Peel Out Downhill champion, said the new line should be fun for participants.
“Yeah, the new line is fun,” Brunelle said.
“The top jump is super solid and fast. The whole section is about jumps and zesty berms.
“At the end of the day, everyone gets to ride the same course and it’s good to keep people on their toes. You don’t want to be too comfortable out there. After all, this is racing.”
In preparation for the race the design crew will be tweaking and adjusting the line all week. The entrance and finish line near Hamel Road will see more work throughout the week; however, riders are encouraged to check it out.
To register for the Peel Out visit www.ridethecariboo.ca by May 16.
