Columbia–Kootenay–Southern Rockies Strategic voting could reshape Representation
April 18, 2025
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.
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.
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.
The Fernie TransRockies Kids’ Bike Rally is returning for its 7th year! When 350 riders from over 20 countries roll up to the start line in Fernie BC, they will be facing the beginning of a long and adventurous seven day mountain bike. At the same time 100 kids’ aged 3 to 9 will be facing a fun and educational bike rally around Fernie’s downtown.
This mini-rally has been a great success for the past six years and will again add to the festivities surrounding the TransRockies. The event is free and is limited to the first 100 kids to register. Registration is at Straightline Bikes and entry forms can downloaded here: Kids_RAlly_Reg_Form
Start times are every half hour beginning at 9:30am and ending at 11:30am. The rally route takes about one hour and kids must be accompanied by a parent.
Straightline Bikes start the kids off on their big adventure spruced up with event plates and accessories. Their mechanics also check their bike and helmets. Next stop is at Fernie Heritage Library where the kids’ decorate their bikes. Then off to the Fire Station where Brendan will challenge the young riders with an obstacle course. From there Overwaitea will hydrate and feed the kids for the last leg to Freshies where PT the Clown will paint faces and the streets came alive with chalk and water sprinklers. The Fernie Chamber girls will also be hosting a scavenger hunt.
The event is free and the highlight of the Fernie TransRockies. If you’re missing it, be sure to bring your kids next year.
The TransRockies is a fundraiser for the Fernie Trail Alliance. The 2013 events raised 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, Straightline Bikes Fernie Slopeside Hotel, Overwaitea Foods, The Fernie Library and the Fernie Chamber of Commerce.
Fernie women athletes dominated the Fernie Ultra and Enduro on July 29th and 30th, and the men didn’t fare that badly!
Saturday kicked off with the Ultra, a 84km trail run, and to say the least, everybody was impressed. The runners pushed through the heat conquering what may quickly become known as one of the most challenging Ultra routes around. Over 3000 metres of climbing led to a long day for many with the final finisher crossing the line just before midnight. Andy Reed of Canmore clocked the fastest time of the day, 9:20:08, overtaking Mike Moore of Fernie in the last km to win by a mere 37 seconds. Bob Maudie of Fernie came third with a time of 9:44:40. The fastest lady of the day was Fernie’s Terry Paterson with a 10 hour and 22 minute effort. Lucy Eykamp of Fernie came in third, 39:23 behind Terry and Heather Mong came 6th with a time of 14:06:17. In the women’s relay category Fernie’s Valley Vixens and Happy Feet came 1st and ins with times of 9:26:54 and 9:28:34. (All results at bottom of post)
On Sunday a field of 170 mountain bikers lined up at FAR for the Fernie Enduro, composed of four timed descents. There’s nothing like cruising to the top of a climb with your buddies, bombing down, and seeing who has earned bragging rights for the riding the fastest line. If the number of grinning riders at the bottom of each descent were any indication, the downhills were thoroughly enjoyed by all. In the Open Men category, David Harder of Calgary had the quickest cumulative time on the descents with a time of 19 minutes and 16 seconds. Lucie Richer of Fernie, 40+ Women, clocked the fastest female time of the day in 24:30.9. Chris George of Fernie came out on top among the 40+ men with a time of 21:39.3. Other Fernie riders included Luke Nelson, Ross Roseingrave and Conrad Spring coming 5th, 6th and 7th in men’s open and Marty Hafke came 3rd in men’s 40+.
Not to be forgotten were the riders red lining it from start to finish. The cross country field flew up the climbs in addition to navigating the descents as quickly and safely as possible. Congrats to Devin Erfle (Open Men), Kate Aardal (Open Women), Geoff Clarke (40+ Men), and Pam Pearson (40+ Women) for reaching the top spot on the podium. Angela Etheridge came 2nd in women’s open, Heidi Berry came 9th and Scott Gerecke came 3rd in mens 40+.
A portion of each entry and a fee for volunteering support went to the Fernie Trail Alliance. The 2013 event raised over $4500 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 possibe: City of Fernie, Fernie Alpine Resort, Island Lake Lodge, Fernie Getaways, Red Tree Lodge, Stanford Resorts, Raging Elk Hostel, Fernie Central Reservations, The Fernie Hotel and Pub, Fernie Slopeside Hotel, and Fernie Brewing.
Detailed results: