Winning is a simple concept. The person who crosses a line first wins the race. The person who gets their name drawn from a hat wins the prize. The person who conquers wins.
But what if winning meant something else, too?
Every time I've raced the BC Bike Race before, I have tried to win it in the traditional sense of the world: I wanted to be the fastest woman on course, and if I succeeded at that, I would earn a yellow jersey. Racing for the win in a stage race is exhilarating. Every day, you look at the stage you're about to race and try to craft a strategy. Each night, you look at time gaps with your competitors, and as the week goes on, you adapt your racing compared to your opponents to capitalize on your strengths to try to gain a few more seconds where you can. You fight fatigue, try to be stronger mentally, and push on. It's truly a fun game.
However, this year, going into BC Bike Race, I knew I didn't have the fitness required to win. Or perhaps I should choose my words more carefully: I knew I didn't have the fitness required to be the fastest woman. Don't get me wrong, I had decent fitness, but I know how strong I was when I won in the past, and I also knew I was far from that.
Initially, that worried me. Would I still be able to enjoy the week if I wasn't in the fight for the win? I was also afraid I'd be ashamed of my performance. That could ruin the experience. So I talked about it with Sara, my sports psychologist. And as usual, she asked me the right question: What will winning look like for you this year at BCBR?
The way she asked the question made me realize that winning could have a different meaning this year. I started thinking about what would make me feel proud of myself. First and foremost, I decided I'd be proud if I had a good attitude. I'd be proud if I gave a good effort. I'd be proud if I remained present during the race. I'd be proud if I made sure to enjoy the trails, the riding, and the special experience that is the BC Bike race.
Once I figured that out, I realized that perhaps I could still win the week. What if winning meant having the most fun? So I set my sights on that: Make the most of this wonderful experience.
From the time we set foot on the island, the goal was to enjoy it as much as possible. We started hunting for the best swimming holes, we set out on adventure rides to explore the island before the race, we spent quality time with friends, enjoyed the good island seafood. Once the racing started, I kept the same attitude: every day I was trying my best. I pushed to stay with the leaders or settled in my own pace and kept on trucking, always making sure to smile and enjoy the views of the deep forest, gigantic trees, and exhilarating single track.
I surprised myself by being able to hang on to the leaders a few times. It turns out, after 15 years of racing, even if you don't have the same fitness, you never forget how to push your body. I even surprised myself with a couple of podiums during the week.
What surprised me is that I enjoyed the experience as much this year as I did when I won. The experience was significantly different, but honestly just as fun and satisfying. Being less worried about my results made me appreciate the whole experience a lot more. And it wasn't all smooth sailing. On day 2, I lost over 20 minutes on GC because my friends and I helped a rider who had dislocated an elbow on the trail. On day 3, we spent the afternoon in the hospital because David broke his pelvis. On day 4, I spent 15min on the side of a cliff trying to fix a flat tire that wouldn't seal. But even through those challenges, we never stopped laughing, smiling, and appreciating how lucky we were. I even appreciated the single tracks a lot more, because instead of thinking about time gaps, I was actually riding and jumping and looking around. And I still pushed hard enough to get a lung infection on the last day, lol.
There are 875 racers from 35 countries at BC Bike Race. Everybody has a different story, a different background, a different goal, and a different experience at the event. It seems narrow minded to think that only 1 person is winning. The person who wins truly is the person who is having the most fun. Yes, sometimes, or for some people, that means actually being the fastest person on course. Fighting for that is fun as hell. But sometimes, fun and pride are found in other aspects of bike racing, and especially in an event like BC Bike Race. In my mind, everybody who conquered a challenge and made sure to enjoy the experience won BC Bike Race. The last person who crossed the line won as much as the first person who did. David did not finish the race, but in my mind, he won because he had the absolute best attitude about breaking his pelvis. I stand by this: At the BC Bike Race, the person who has the most fun wins. And everybody gets to decide what that means for them.
On day 4, our friend Laurier got a tattoo that read: "Good old days". It came from the popular quote from The Office:Â "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."Â It resonated. So all five of us in our group of friends went to the tattoo shop right after the 5th stage and got the same tattoo.
It's easy to get nostalgic. But all week we knew it. We were right in them. Living them.
Our tattoo will remind us that we are always living in tomorrow's good old days.
Published through Maghalie Rochette's newsletter on May 30th, 2026. Maghalie is a Rex-supported athlete. Subscribe to her newsletter at maghalierochette.com.
