Canadians should be happy mountain biker Catharine Pendrel’s fall on the last lap at the Olympics was nothing like her yard-sale bail at Sun Peaks Resort on Sept. 18.
“I got caught in a big rut that had formed in the rain and I crashed,” Pendrel said. “I dropped my chain and it got caught, so I had a four-minute mechanical (delay) on that run.”
That unscheduled pit stop on Stage 2 of the Osprey BC Enduro Series Finale cost her a shot at first place in the pro women’s division, eventually won by Leonie Picton, who finished the five-stage downhill event in 38 minutes and
45 seconds.
Riders braved a miserable downpour and cold temperatures during practice runs on Sept. 17, but the sun came out for race day and more than 180 tested their mettle at the event, which doubled as the Canadian National Enduro Championships Finale.
“It’s something I had really wanted to try and it was just perfect to have an event so close to home at the end of the season I could take part in,” said Pendrel, who recovered beautifully from two spills to claim bronze in cross-country mountain biking at the Olympic Summer Games in Rio in August.
“It was neat to see how competitive I could be with women who specialize in that (enduro), just because it is different terrain and a different bike than I’m used to.”
Pendrel finished fifth in the pro women’s division, 5:04 behind Picton, but the day was never about results.
“It’s always fun for me to come and do these more local events, and it was really social in between runs, so it was nice riding up the chairlift with people and up the climbs,”
Pendrel said.
If she was charging for appearing in selfies, Pendrel likely could have pocketed enough cash to bankroll her travel and accommodation on the World Cup circuit next year.
The Kamloops resident, who hails from Fredericton, had not sampled the Sun Peaks’ bike park until this summer, but plans to make a few more appearances up the hill in 2017.
There was a ceremony held in her honour after the enduro and she was given a pass for next season.
This has been a career year for Pendrel, who won her third World Cup title and launched the Olympic-medal monkey off her back, adding to a resume that’s far too long to list here.
And the season isn’t over yet.
The Olympic bronze medalist spoke to SPIN on Sept. 20 — the one-month anniversary of her podium finish in Rio — while seated on an airplane that was minutes away from whisking her away to Las Vegas, where she competed at a World Cup cyclocross event and attended the Interbike International Expo.
“I’m just so happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish,” she said. “The Olympics were everything I wanted, in terms of I gave the best performance I could.
“It’s been a great career to this point, but it still leaves me really motivated for next season.”
Osprey BC Enduro Series Finale division winners:
Pro men — Stu Dickson (31:35)
Pro women — Leonie Picton (38:45)
13- to 15-year-old men — Elliot Jamieson (33:47)
16- to 20-year-old men — Evan Mant (33:22)
21- to 29-year-old men — Harrison Smith (34:05)
30- to 39-year-old men — Cesar Gairin (34:47)
40- to 49-year-old men — Frith Murray (35:33)
50-plus men — Richard Mulligan (39:35)
Open women — Sophie-Anne Blanchette (43:00)
13- to 20-year-old women — Xiola Aldrich (73:41)
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