Team Whistler’s road racing Omnium series kicked off under drizzly skies on June 16, as a handful of hardy souls made it out to the Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park (WOP) to take on the time trial event. The evening’s cool rain coupled with the looming Test of Metal to put a slight damper on the turnout for the 16-kilometre time trial.

The race produced plenty of fun for the hardy souls who did make it out to race on the hilly WOP course. Team Whistler’s Otto Kamstra, a road-racing specialist, said the group’s Omnium events are designed to offer a low-key introduction to road racing.

“This series is really an introduction for people, so they can come out and give it a whirl,” Kamstra said. As Whistler is a hotbed of mountain biking activity, he said he sees a lot of crossover possibilities with the road racing opportunities, as many of the top mountain bikers spend a lot of time doing road rides to hone their fitness.

In the June 16 time trial, Trevor Hopkins led the way in the Open Men’s category, winning with a time of 26 minutes, 18.25 seconds. Vince Marcotte and Mike Charuk followed him in second and third, respectively, with times of 26:49.55 and 27:37.87.

Mike Rogersen and Doug Rogers put in strong races to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Elizabeth Rogersen and Christine Constable sped through the race to finish first and second, respectively, in the Open Women’s category.

More participants, including racers from Greater Vancouver, are expected for the second Team Whistler Omnium event, a criterium set for Saturday (June 27). Racing begins at 10 a.m., on a 1.7-kilometre loop starting at the WOP bus loop and including 15 metres of elevation gain and loss per lap.

Sign-in begins at 9:30 a.m., at the edge of the parking lot immediately above the spectator bus loop. A day full of races for multiple categories will follow. For more information, click the Team Whistler Omnium link on the group’s website at www.teamwhistler.ca.

Get ready, get set, go numb

The Comfortably Numb trail running race is set to run this Saturday (June 27) on the epic singletrack riding trail created by Chris Markle. The 25-kilometre trail running race is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Wedgemont Lake turnoff, after a soft start at 8 a.m. for runners expecting to finish in more than four hours.

The possibly banged-up or worn-out racers will finish at the Spruce Grove Field House, after tackling the trail’s technical challenges and 800 metres of vertical. Registration closes tonight (June 25) at midnight, or earlier if the 200-runner limit is reached. Check online at www.comfortablynumb.ca for more details.

Comfortably Numb is the second race in the Sea to Sky Trail Running Series, which opened with the Whistler Valley Trail Run.

Canada, B.C. Cup racing success

Whistler and Pemberton riders sped to the forefront elsewhere in mountain biking action last weekend.

Riding at the Canmore Nordic Centre on Saturday for the 2009 Cause Canada Cup, the fifth cross-country race in the national series, Joanna Harrington finished sixth in the Elite Women’s category, while Tyler Allison charged to second in the Junior Expert Men’s division.

Riding on Sunday (June 21) in the Arduum Challenge, the third B.C. Cup downhill race of the season, Whistler’s Bethany Parsons finished atop the Elite Women’s category, ahead of Squamish’s Miranda Miller, and Kari Mancer finished third in the Master 30-plus Women category.

Max Horner finished fourth in the U17 Men’s category, right behind Nicholas Geddes, and Harry Armstrong and Reuben Miller finished in the top 15 of the Elite Men’s category.

More action ahead

• For speed lovers, the Pemberton Speedway is hosting its second race of the season on Saturday (June 27), with time-in scheduled for 3 p.m.

The clay oval, located between Whistler and Pemberton near the Green River MX Park, is home to racing for Hobby and Bomber stock cars and Hornet class cars. For more information, visit www.pembertonspeedway.com.

• Steve September, the new technical director for the Whistler Youth Soccer Club, is leading a two-day clinic this weekend for up-and-coming players of the beautiful game. Designed for players ages 10 to 16, the clinic will focus on the transition into 11-a-side play plus relevant strategies and skills.

The event is scheduled to run from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the Myrtle Philip lower fields, with a total cost of $60. Register through www.whistlersoccer.com.

• This year’s Pemberton Spud Run is ready to roll on Canada Day, promising a new course of approximately eight kilometres of non-technical and fun running. Sign-up starts at 8 a.m. on the day of the event, before the race itself begins at 8:30 a.m. at the new community centre.

Tasty treats will follow, including rhubarb crumble made with local organic rhubarb, and every participant will take home a bag of spuds, if weather allows. The cost is $15, with proceeds going to the Pemberton Valley Trails Association.

• The Whistler Slo Pitch League’s first weekend of play for the inaugural Whistler Cup has been postponed until July 4 and 5, instead of going ahead this weekend. All teams must be in good standing, with full payments and rosters, to qualify for the cup games. For details, call (604) 905-8572.