by admin | Aug 4, 2013 | Fernie TransRockies
The final day of the 2013 TransRockies Challenge opened under cloudy skies after a heavy rain overnight.Stage 7, the 84th overall in the history of the TransRockies Challenge, began in Deadman’s Flats in a time trial format. The route would lead the riders 37km to the finish on Main Street in Canmore. Using the average finishing time for stages 4 and 5 to seed the athletes, the staggered start sent riders off at 20 second intervals with TR7 Men’s Open rider, Calle Friberg, starting things off.
TR7 Solo Recap:
Good luck in the early stages of the TransRockies Challenge enabled Oliver Zurbruegg to build a Men’s Open lead that held to the end. Zurbruegg would win the overall classification in 14:40:48 despite being out-rode by Cory Wallace and Calle Friberg. Friberg capped off his week with a fourth stage win in 1:38:39 and was the top rider by far however unfortunately took a wrong turn on stage 3 that took his lead and converted it to a 17 minute deficit. Despite winning the next 4 stages he was unable to regain the lost time. The improper course marking could have been protested however he chose not to. Wallace suffered from several mechanical issues.
Women’s Open leader Mical Dyck came back from a second place Stage Six placing for the Stage Seven win in 2:05:13. Her overall time of 17:22:20 would best second and third place finishers Jean Ann Berkenpas and Petra Tlamkova.
Leighton Poidevin continued his winning ways in the 40+ Men’s division going a perfect seven for seven and capturing the overall title in 16:11:23 followed by Pat Doyle and Craig Bartlett. Men’s 50+ leader, Beat Zumstein, finished off his TR7 with a fourth stage win and the overall title in a total time of 18:01:01. Pedro Vieira would finish a mere 3 minutes and 38 seconds behind with Grant Miller rounding out the top three. Fernie riders, Jesse Moog and Don Arsenault came 6th and 10th.
Jesse with family following Fernie 3rd place finish
TR7 Team Recap:
Team Louis Garneau – Quebec riders Sebestien Cadieux Duval and Marc-Andre Daigle came back from a rough Stage Six to notch their sixth stage win and secure the overall Men’s Open title in front of second place team, Riding 29, composed of Martin Moeberg Hansen and Morten Abel Jensen. Women’s Open leaders Jodie Willet and Cathryn Zeglinski, of team Northlands, won their seventh consecutive stage, and the overall, ahead of Nicola Mann and Val Thomson of Trailhead Racing.
The domination continued throughout the team competition. Open Mixed duo Daniella Storch and Lutz Baumgaertel, of team Scott – Generation, Men’s 100+ duo Mike Kloser and Michael Tobin of team Sram XX1 and 80+ Men’s team Geoff Clark and Juancito Garcia Casatti , of team JCTr, all swept the table taking seven wins in seven stages.
The last twelve years have been an amazing ride. The team at TransRockies Events is proud to have had the opportunity to bring mountain bike stage racing to North America and share the trails of Western Canada with riders from all over the world. A sincere ‘thank you’ to the thousands who have joined us and we look forward to seeing many old, and new, faces at the Fernie TR3 in 2014.
by admin | Jul 30, 2013 | Fernie TransRockies
One thing you can count on at the TransRockies Challenge is that, at some point, it will rain. The riders woke this morning to ominous skies and, with the 9 AM start looming, a light rain began to fall. After two hot days on the trail the consensus seemed to be that a little rain would help to improve trail conditions and keep the dust clouds down. Rain had not fallen in Fernie since late June so it was well received by everyone.
Ten minutes from start time organizers were informed that a moose and her two calf’s were on the Project 9 trail and had been pepper sprayed in self defense by our photographer. To maintain rider safety, a route change was enacted quickly by the Fernie Trails Alliance course crew. Riders would skip the Project 9 descent and, instead, climb Stove Trail and descend Dem Bones before continuing on the previously planned route.
Fernie’s Jesse Moog had a very strong performance with a 3nd place finish in men’s TR7 40+ solo. Just last week Jesse rode to a 2nd place finish in the 24hr solo category in Canmore—this is some of the best riding we have seen from him!
TR3 Recap:
Today would be the final ride for the TR3 competitors and they set out to enjoy one last day on the trail or, for the elite riders, solidify their place on the podium. Melanie McQuaid, in the Women’s Open, and Tony Routley, in the Men’s 50+, each scored a hat trick with their third straight victories. McQuaid would do so in 2:07:46, wrapping up her Open Women’s crown by a margin of 2 minutes and 17 seconds. Routley dominated his category today with a 6 minute victory in a time of 2:13:47 and claimed the overall title by over 24 minutes.
At the conclusion of stage two, the top two men in the Open division were separated by only 1 minute and 34 seconds. After a third place finish yesterday, Matt Hadley regained the top spot on the stage podium clocking a time of 1:49:41 and capturing the overall title ahead of Michiel Van Aelbroeck and Mike Vine. The 40+ Men saw Cameron York pick up his first stage win. However, Jeff Neilson would retain his overall lead and add the TR3 title to his resume after winning the TR4 in 2012.
TR7 Solo Recap:
Over the first two days, the TR7 Solo category has provided some interesting racing. Today would be no exception. On the second to last climb, Calle Friberg made a move and dropped the field. Unfortunately, a missed turn would send him down the incorrect trail and back to the finish line. In an amazing effort, Friberg retraced his tracks and rejoined the race, going on to finish the stage in an amazing 8th place but dropping back almost 17 minutes in the general classification. Cory Wallace would notch his first stage win, and the fastest time of the day, in 1:44:58 with Oliver Zurbruegg who maintains his overall lead.
Three days of racing have taken place and three separate ladies have stood atop the Women’s Open podium. Jean Ann Berkenpas would take her turn today with a 2 second win over Mical Dyck in a time of 2:08:32. Leighton Poidevin continued his winning ways with a third victory in the 40+ Men’s division while building his overall classification lead to 5 minutes and 49 seconds over Pat Doyle. Beat Zumstein claimed his 2nd victory of the event with a 50+ Men’s leading time of 2:19:03.
TR7 Team Recap:
If anything, the racing across the divisions has been consistent. Over the first two stages the duo of Sebestian Cadieux Duval and Marc-Andre Daigle of team Louis Garneau – Quebec have posted victories and each day they have been followed by the same two teams in the same order. Today would be no different with a win in a time of 1:56:13 over Martin Moeberg Hansen and Morten Abel Jensen of team Racing 29 and Sam Barger and Adam Engell of team Republic Wireless. The story was the same on the Open Mixed side and in the 80+ Men’s division. Lutz Baumgaertel and Daniela Storch (team Scott Generation) took their third win along with Geoff Clark and Juancito Garcia Casatti. Cathryn Zeglinski and Jodie Willet kept the pattern going with their 3rd trip to the top of the podium in the Open Women.
The Sram XX1 team of Michael Tobin and Mike Kloser continue to impress. Never in TransRockies history has there been a team in the Men’s 100+ compete so closely with the Open Men’s leaders. Tobin and Kloser posted their third straight 100+ win in a time of 1:58:23 and are a total of one minute and 43 seconds behind team Louis Garneau-Quebec after three stages. Truly amazing considering the combined 48 year age difference between the two teams.
The TransRockies Challenge said goodbye to Fernie one final time after a very long history, one that has placed Fernie at the top of Western Canadian riding destinations. Fernie was the only community to host all 12 TransRockies Challenges and was saddened to see the international field of riders depart for the final time. A part of the event however will live on with the launch of the Fernie TR3 in 2014. On June 28th, 29th and 30th riders will be welcomed back to ride some of the epic Fernie trails in a premiere all mountain cross country mountain bike event. More information and registration to follow at www.transrockies.com in the coming weeks.
Detailed race results can be found here.
by admin | Jul 28, 2013 | Fernie TransRockies
Day two of the TransRockies Challenge began in similar fashion to the first. Rolling out of bed in the morning riders were once again treated to blue skies and crisp, clean mountain air. A 9AM start was the order of the day and, once again, the TR3 and TR7 contingent along with the one day TransFondo riders were lead down Victoria Ave by the historic Fernie fire engine. A 44.5 km loop with 1700m of elevation gain would see the riders start and finish in Downtown Fernie. The 30 km climb from town to the start of the Porky Blue Trail would throw a mixture of gravel road, doubletrack and singletrack at the riders before descending back into town to the finish.
TR7 Solo Recap:
Judging by the level of competition, the addition of the solo category this year has proven to a be solid, and entertaining. Even with the long climb from town, Oliver Zurburegg, Calle Friberg and Cory Wallace reached the summit in a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes. They would maintain that order at the finish line, and provide some excitement, with a strong push by all three riders for the Open Men’s stage win. Zurburegg would cross the line in 2:15:11 followed by Friberg at 2:15:12 and Wallace at 2:15:15.
At the end of the day the same three ladies stood atop the Women’s Open podium. However, tonight, the order would be different with Czech rider Petra Klamkova improving on a 3rd Place Stage One finish to take top honors, in 2:45:25, over Jean Ann Berkenpas and Mical Dyck. 40+ Men’s Stage One victor, Leighton Poidevin would claim a second win in 2:11:23 with Beat Zumstein taking his first 50+ Men’s TransRockies stage win in a time of 2:47:44.
TR7 Team Recap:
The Sram XX1 team of Michael Tobin and Mike Kloser continued to dominate the Men’s 100+ category with a staggering 35 minute win today. However, team Louis Garneau Quebec riders Sebestian Cadieux Duval and Marc-Andre Daigle posted the best time of the day in 2:24:23, 40 seconds ahead of Tobin and Kloser, for the Men’s Open victory. Geoff Clark and Juancito Garcia Casatti rounded out the men’s side of the TR7 Team with a two and half minute stage win in 2:54:01 in the 80+.
The Open Mixed division has been completely owned by Daniela Storch and Lutz Baumgaertel of Germany. Stage two would see them win by 25 minutes in 2:54:00. Jodie Willet and Cathryn Zeglinksi would also claim a 2nd Open Women stage win in a time of 3:05:09.
TR3 Recap:
With one stage remaining on the TR3 side, the competition is heating up. Melanie McQuaid has ticked off two straight stage wins over Sandra Walter but maintains a slim overall lead of just one minute and 20 seconds after a 2:38:37 effort today. The Men’s Open division is seeing similar competition with Mike Vine of Team Planet Foods/Honey Stinger moving up from a third place victory yesterday and taking the win in 2:20:14. Matt Hadley maintains his overall lead in the General Classification by a slim 1:34 over Michiel Van Aelbroeck.
Multiple flats on Stage One left Ian Auld charging hard in the 40+ Men’s division. Stage two would see him make up seven of the 20 minutes he lost yesterday while clocking a time of 2:31:17. Tony Routley had his hands full in the 50+ Men’s with Tom Ebbern. Only one second separated them today with times of 2:48:56 and 2:48:57, respectively.
Again today Fernie riders held their own with solid finishes. Detailed race results can be found here.
Stage three of the TransRockies Challenge will see the event shift from downtown Fernie for a loop from Fernie Alpine Resort. The route will travel 30.5km with 1600 metres of elevation gain and include such trails as Verboten, Project Nine, Hedonism, Megasaurus and Rumplestumpskin.
by admin | Jul 28, 2013 | Fernie TransRockies
The 12th, and final edition, of the TransRockies Challenge kicked off this morning in fantastic Fernie! 300 mountain bikers lined up for the start of the TR3 and TR7 events on what would be an exceptionally fast stage covering 33km and 1600m of elevation gain.
The format of Stage One has traditionally been a time trial. This year organizers decided to ‘mix things up’ by redesigning this stage and moving to a mass start format. The ride would begin with a road climb before leading the riders onto their first stretch of singletrack, and first of two climbs, up the legendary Hyperventilation trail.
In years past, Stage One often served as an opportunity for the elite in the field to stretch out their legs and size up the competition. The dry and dusty trails set up nicely for a very fast stage and it became apparent early on that there would be no warm-up stage this year. From the starting gun, a strong Euro contingent demonstrated they came to Canada to compete. In the TR7 Solo Men’s category, Oliver Zurbruegg of Switzerland set the pace with a time of 1:52:17 followed by Swede Calle Friberg and Paul Remy of France. 2012 TR3 champion Mical Dyck came through as the ladies TR7 Solo leader with a time of 2:16:03. Leighton Poidevin was first across the line in the 40+ Men with Pedro Vieira of Portugal taking the 50+ Men’s Stage One win.
As the morning wore on the temperature began to rise and the field was sweating hard as they ground their way up Hyperventilation for a second time. This time, however, they would be bound for a rewarding descent down Southern Comfort and a quick spin back to town. In what may be a first in TransRockies history, a 100+ duo posted the fastest time of the day in the TR7 team event. It should come as no surprise that a team composed of a former world Mountain Bike Champion and a former Xterra World Champion would be quick. Mike Kloser and Michael Tobin posted a time of 2:04:24, one minute in front of the TR7 Open Men’s duo of Sebestien Cadieux Duval and Marc-Andre Daigle. The TR7 80+ men were lead by Geoff Clarke and Juancito Garcia Casatti with a dominating 17 minute win in 2:32:11.
The duo of Jodie Willet and Cathryn Zeglinksi, who met at the Cape Epic and reside in Australia and Canada respectively, put in a solid Stage One effort by clocking 2:37:56 for the win in the Open Women’s division of the TR7. Open mixed team of Daniela Storch and Lutz Baumgaertel from Germany recorded a time of 2:21:41 to open up a 9 minute lead over Trish Grajczyk and Steve Walsh of Canmore, Alberta’s Deadgoat Racing.
The TR3 solo side of the event is broken down into 4 categories this year: Open Men, Open Women, 40+ Men and 40+ Women. Matt Hadley of Canmore, Alberta took top spot on the Open Men’s podium in a time of 1:56:28. Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid opened up a one minute and 18 second lead over 2012 TR7 Champion Sandra Walter in the Women’s Open category clocking 2 hours, 13 minutes and 13 seconds. The 50+ Men were lead by Tony Routley of Team Whistler in 2:19:14.
In 2012 Jeff Neilson of Calgary placed 2nd behind Ian Auld in the 40+ Men’s division. Auld had a challenging day on the trail with a whopping 5 flats. Neilson took the stage by 4 minutes and 49 seconds ahead of Dan Peters with a time of 2:11:43. Time will tell if Auld can make up a 20 minute deficit over the final two stages.
Stage Two will again see the riders start and finish on historic Victoria Ave in Fernie. They’ll stick to the east side of Fernie with a 44.5km route featuring 1700m of elevation gain on the Porky Blue Loop.
Detailed race results can be found here.
by admin | Jul 23, 2013 | Fernie TransRockies
Legendary Fernie never ceases to amaze. Incredible natural beauty, unrivaled riding and the support of the community and biusinesses make Fernie the perfect location for TransFondo Fernie, TR3 and the first three stages of the TR7.
This year the TR3 has been completely redesigned to make your riding experience the best yet. Be sure to check out the event details below, and download the technical guide!
Distances are moderate to offset the big climbs and high percentage of singletrack. The epic descents and scenic vistas are still there to keep the ‘wow’ factor high.
1) Stage 1: Fernie Downtown to Fernie Downtown
This year we will kick things off with a mass start in Downtown Fernie and send you off to ride a 33km route with 1600 metres of elevation gain. Some of the trails include Uprooted, Hyperventilation, Hyperextension, Roots Hyper Extention, Eric’s Trail, Splitting Bears, R Trail, Deadfall, Sidewinder, Ecoterrorist, Whats Up Doc, and Southern Comfort.
2) Stage 2: Fernie Downtown to Fernie Downtown
Day two will begin with another downtown start and tackle the Porky Blue Loop. Today you will cover 44.5km and 1700 metres of elevation gain on the Porky Blue and the Coal Discovery Trails.
3) Stage 3: Fernie Alpine Resort to Fernie Alpine Resort
Day three will see us move up to Fernie Alpine Resort for our start and finish. The route will travel 30.5km with 1600 metres of elevation gain. Trails include: Cedar Trail, Verboten, Lizard Lake Trail, Project Nine, Motorhead, Hedonism, Gorby Trail, Megasaurus and Rumplestumpskin.
TR3 Fernie Schedule
Stage 1: Start and Finish – Victoria Avenue
July 27th – 9 AM Start
Stage 2: Start and Finish – Victoria Avenue
July 28th – 9 AM Start
Stage 3: Start and Finish,TR3 Finish Celebration – Fernie Alpine Resort
July 30th – 9 AM Start
Kids Bike Rally – A fun and educational kids’ bike event in downtown Fernie!
Sunday, July 28th – 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Free pre-registration at Straightline Bikes, only 100 spots!
Registration form HERE. Kids_RAlly_Reg_Form
The TransRockies is a fundraiser for the Fernie Trail Alliance. The 2013 events will raise over $12,000 that will be invested in the maintenance of existing trails and the construction of new trails. The Fernie Trails Alliance is a registered charity and relies on fundraising, grants, and donations to help maintain the spectacular trail network in Fernie.
A big thanks to our partners who make these events possible: Parastone, Fernie Real Estate, City of Fernie, Fernie Alpine Resort, Island Lake Lodge, Fernie Getaways, Stanford Resorts, Raging Elk Hostel, Fernie Central Reservations, Fernie Slopeside Hotel, Overwaitea Foods, The Fernie Library and the Fernie Chamber of Commerce.
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