The Fernie TransRockies Stage 7 created some new Canadiana Héritage with a photo finish in the outdoor skating rink. This was a first time for a non-hockey event to be held in the outdoor facility and Happy Cow was pretty stoked to be the first to cross the finish line!
The next riders to finish were participating in the the Kids’ Bike Rally. Close to a 100 kid’s between the ages of 3 and 9 rolled into the finish line for the Transrockies Classic. Stage 1 started at Gearhub sports where they were outfitted with a rally plate, a safety bell and safety tips on their equipment. The participants bikes were decorated at stage 2 and at stage 3 they met Balloon Tom! Balloon Tom entertained the kids with his magic creations before sending them to the final stage 4 for watermelon and ice cream!
This mini-rally continues to be a great success and adds to the festivities surrounding mountain biking. A big thanks to Gearhub, Teck and Happy Cow for making it happen! Balloon Tom’s headwear became the fun statement of the day!
This year the TranRockies Classic replaced the Singletrack 6, this was a return to the companies roots. Heinrich Albrecht (above),the founder of the TransRockies, traveled from his home in from Munich Germany to observe the event. Known as Heini by his friends, he commented on the small turnout for the Classic, “Today’s riders don’t want to suffer like they used too, they only want to have fun.” In the first years over 600 riders participated–less than 100 riders rode into Fernie on Sunday. Heini also commented that the TransAlps, the TransRockies blueprint, also has less than half of previous years participant levels.
Next year the Singletrack 6 will return with shorter singletrack only stages followed by beers, restaurants and hotel beds—this is what today’s riders want. The 2020 Singletrack 6 will start in Fernie on June 8th for two exciting singletrak stages and then move onto Kimberly and Rossland for four more stages.
This years Fernie Finish had riders leave Crowsnest and enter the Fernie trail system with a 1000 meter descent of Porky Blue, a traverse of Kush, a lap on the new flow trail Contra and onto FloWRKR before rolling the Coal Heritage trail to the Aquatic Centre. The riders were exhausted at the final finish line to end an epic week of torture crossing the Rockies.
The first racer to cross the finish line was Travis Hauck (above), the self proclaimed sole XC rider in Nelson. Travis is a very skilled rider and commented that he loved the Fernie trail section. Nelson riders are known for flying their bikes and Travis is no exception!
Photo Ryan Schultz, Facebook
Local riders Krista Turcasso and Mark Elson finished a very respectable 1st in their category and the arena erupted in applause with their finish. A large group of family and friends brought the event to life. See the full results here.
The TransRockies Classic most likely was held for its last time in its original point-to-point form. The long stages appeal to endurance riders like Travis, Krista and Mark but the participants are in decline. Singletrack 6 however is on the docket and is sure to be an amazing single track experience. Registration is open!
A big thanks to our sponsors who help make this event happen, including: Gearhub Sports, Teck, Park Place Lodge, Red Tree Lodge, The Raging Elk, Fernie RV Resort, Fernie Slopeside Lodge, Lizard Creek Lodge, Fernie Lodging Company, Snow Valley Lodging, Fernie Central Reservations and Happy Cow Ice Cream.
