Revelstoke’s John Skrypnyk finished fifth in the B.C. Bike Race in the veteran men’s category last week.
"I didn't have any anticipation of placing that well with the calibre of those types of riders," he told the Times Review.
Skrypnyk completely the seven day, 328 kilometre race in 24:07:38, to finish fifth in the field of 32 racers in his category.
The race took place on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and the Sea-to-Sky Corridor.
"The Coast Mountains are epic compared to the Rockies," Skrypnyk said. "The food was exceptional, the riding, the weather was unbelievable. It was really professional how it was done. It went really well."
He had some challenges in the race, breaking his fork early on day one, which forced him to play lots of catch up. On day three he injured his hand after banging it on a tree. There was also the challenge of staying hydrated
On the final day he went all out, finishing third on the stage and elevating himself to fifth overall.
"I didn't even realize I was third in the race. We were just going to leave and some friend Nadine had met came up and said I got podium, and I just laughed," he said.