Organisers of the annual TransRockies mountain bike stage race are promising a bigger, better and more epic 400km venture through Canada's Rocky Mountains for 2010.
The seven-day challenge, now in its ninth year, will start in Fernie, British Columbia on 8 August and finish in Canmore, Alberta on 14 August. Some 600 riders are expected to take part, from more than 20 countries.
Its route will take riders from Fernie to Elkford, up and over the Continental Divide, and across the border into the Province of Alberta. It will pass the Kananaskis Country trails and move onward along the Rocky Mountain ridgeline and the Trans Canada Trail into the finishing city of Canmore.
Paul Done, TransRockies' director of communications, told BikeRadar that the TransRockies offers an experience like no other, offering the most challenging and epic mountain bike riding and trails in true wilderness.
“It’s an experience, a getaway from the city and it has the most epic scenery," he said. "It has the most beautiful views, the most epic mountain range in the world."
Rider services have been revamped, with shuttles to and from nightly accommodations and a new chip timing system. This year, participants will be racing for a purse of CA$20,000 and prizes, although Done said: “For most of our riders, the primary accomplishment is getting to the finish line."