The TransRockies is the first North American epic to reach its 10th Anniversary and Fernie is the only town to host all ten events. The riders who turned up in Fernie for Sunday’s start were treated to perfect clear, dry high mountain weather for the 32km Stage 1 Time Trial. Two racers were to be held on the trails at the same time: TR3, a UCI-sanctioned three-day solo event and TR7, the classic 7-day team event.
Run on much the same course as 2010, Stage 1 is the shortest ride of the week and gives the riders and chance to stretch their legs and get used to the endless singletrack before the first mass start on Day 2. Given the vastly different conditions from 2010 to 2011, finish times were faster even though the route contained even more trail and less doubletrack. On the start line, riders were more concerned about sunscreen and hydration than mud and traction.
Defending champion Max Plaxton of Team Specialized honestly assessed that he thought he’d be his own toughest competition before starting Stage 1 and, given his run of results which included his first-ever senior National Championship and his 2011 US Pro XC Series title, the confidence was well earned. In order to give the elite riders the clearest run at the trails, they started in the first wave and Plaxton left the line first at the stroke of 9am.
He shredded the course 6 minutes faster than the year before setting a new course record of 1:48:41 and laying a marker down that would be difficult for the rest of the field to follow. Sure enough, the next closest finisher was American Barry Wicks of Team Kona who was half of last year’s TR7 winning team. He finished in 1:54:32 edging third-placed Neal Kindree (Republic Cycles/SRAM) of Squamish, BC and fourth-placed Matt Hadley of Cycles Xprezo who finished within a minute of Wicks meaning a wide-open race for the podium placings.
In the Open Women’s division, multi-time TR7 winner Mical Dyck followed up on another strong showing at the Canadian National Championships with a first place finish on Stage 1. She was followed across the line by former World Cup mountain bike racer-turned Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid who showed she’s still a force on the bike beating current National Team members Catherin Vipond (3rd) and Jean Ann Berkenpas (4th).
Three riders from Alberta showed early dominance in the Master 40+ Men category led by current Canadian National Champion (40-49) Ian Auld who scorched the course in a time of 2:03:17 which would have placed him well into the Top 10 in Open. Second placed went to former TR7 Champion Jeff Neilson and he was followed closely by former Xterra Masters World Champion Cal Zaryski only a minute behind.
When it began in 2002, the TransRockies was the first marathon stage race in North America and the 10th Edition of the TransRockies (TRX) is not only another chance for riders to test themselves against the epic riding of the Rockies but a moment of celebration. A number of riders from the wild and woolly early days have returned to be part of TRX. During the week, we’ll catch up with some of them to hear about their most memorable TransRockies experience.
The migration of some elite teams to TR3 to grab the important UCI International Ranking Points offered has thrown the competition wide open in the TR7 team event wide open. Stage 1 gave a good indication of who’s going to be fighting for leaders’ jerseys and stage wins during the week.
Fittingly enough given that it’s the only stage host to have been part of all 10 TransRockies, Fernie was given strong representation by their local riders and as their local riders grabbed the leaders jerseys in the Open Men’s and Open Women’s Divisions. The Team Fernie Men’s duo of Martin Vale and Carter Hovey both have long and impressive resumes which include National Championship medals and World Cup appearances. While they’ve switched gears to the recreational side of riding, they powered through Stage 1 in 2:04:46, over three minutes ahead of the Swiss duo of Mat Haussener and Damian Perrin (Zaboo Pro Team) to grab the first leaders’ jerseys of the week.
The Open Women’s team representing local lifestyle magazine the Fernie Fix, Krista Turcasso and Angie Krasnay likewise put in an impressive ride to finish in 2:46:10 and wear the the first leaders’ jerseys as they set off in front of home town fans tomorrow for Day 2.
The Master Men 80+ Years combined ages always offers some close racing and it lived up to expectations with the top two teams coming in on 26 seconds apart. Multi-time TransRockies champions Milan Spolc and Martin Horak were forced into second place by a great ride from the Team Deadgoat pair of Geoff Clark and Devin Erfle while another pair of Deadgoat riders Pat Doyle and Craig Bartlett finished third. Other category winners on the day who’ll claim their leaders jerseys at the nightly awards ceremonies included Ryan Schellenberg/Trish Gracyzk (Open Mixed), Clint Ball and Karen Tremaine (80+ Mixed) and Stan Magee/Jon Gould (100+ Open).
Tomorrow riders will leave in a mass start allowing teams in the same category to race head to head for the stage win and overall leadership.
Mountain biking is a big industry worldwide, and there’s no question that Fernie is on the radar.
Although the TransRockies was not the first multi-stage team endurance mountain bike event, its sister European event, the TransAlps, was. And all these new events like the BC Bike Race or the Furious 3, they have been copied from the TransRockies.
And this is good! Because more events means more riders participating in racing, these riders will eventually return to the TransRockies. The TransAlps and then the TraansRockies set out to create a whole new category for Mountain Bike racing, and they did.
Judging by the TransRockies 10th Anniversary event, they succeeded, and so did Fernie. Yes indeed. Fernie is the only community to have hosted all ten TransRockies events. And this year Fernie hosts three stages, keeping the riders in town for at least five days.
The TransRockies is good for business. It fills hotel rooms, restaurants and stores, and draws media attention from around the globe. In fact, TransRockies has taken been Fernie’s biggest summer event for some time.
As industries go, cycling is a growth industry around the world. The particulars change from year to year, but these days road riding is leading the popularity contest – just look at events like the RBC GranFondo, which will bring 6,500 riders from Vancouver to Whistler on Sept. 10.
BMX is also making a huge resurgence in popularity, boosted by the sport’s inclusion in the Olympic schedule since 2008, and its prominence at events like the Summer X Games.
Commuter bikes of all descriptions are selling quite well as the price of gas reaches new heights and city planners are starting to overlay bicycle networks onto urban roadways.
But while mountain bike sales are down slightly – a result of people buying fewer bikes and spending less per bicycle – it’s still a healthy industry. At one point in the 1980s, mountain bikes represented roughly 60 per cent of all sales in the U.S., although that number declined to around 22 per cent in 2010. Before the economic crisis of 2008, mountain bikes represented 25 to 30 per cent of the entire market. Given the number of things people use bikes for, that’s a huge market share.
Exact bicycle sales numbers are hard to nail down, but a search on global sales turns up statistics like Shimano increasing sales of components by 46 per cent in the first half of 2010.
Over $6 billion in bikes have been sold in the U.S. each year over the last decade, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association of America, representing close to 20 million bikes.
The exception to growth was in 2009, a particularly bad year for the U.S. economy, with less than 15 million bikes sold – the fewest since the association started recording total bike sales in 1992. The rebound was significant – 19.8 million bikes in 2010 is the second-highest tally since just over 20 million bikes sold in 2000, and represents almost a 25 per cent increase over the previous year.
Further north, the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada said in February that bike sales by independent dealers – not chains like Sears or Canadian Tire – surpassed $250 million for the first time ever in 2010. Bikes in the 26-inch wheel category, which includes mountain bikes, were down 15.58 per cent in total dollar sales, but still rank second to road bikes and commuters. Comparatively, road bike sales were up 21.13 per cent, and youth and hybrid bikes also increased slightly.
But while sales of actual bikes may be down, that decline comes after years of sustained growth.
And in our part of the province, where every town has its own network of trails and the Fernie trails being in our back yard, the popularity of mountain bikes has never really declined at all. There are four bike shops in Fernie, all doing well.
Mountain bike events are extremely popular, with the Furious 3 selling out 300 spots in its first year. The seven-day B.C. Bike Race also reliably sells out 450 spots.
Both events generate revenue for hosts.
Mountain biking may have lost a little popularity overall, but that’s certainly not the case in this part of the world. Take the economy out of the picture and it’s as successful as ever.
While TransRockies may represent the best of mountain biking, it’s always been an inclusive event. Every component is open to the general public. That’s because in the end TransRockies isn’t about showing the evolution of biking, it’s about sharing it.
For more information on events and registration, visit www.transrockies.com.
With less than two months until the start of the 10th TransRockies and with the above average snowpack finally retreating to the alpine, we finally had an opportunity to ride Stage 3.
Stage 3 begins in Downtown Fernie with a mass start and quickly proceeds to North Fernie for perhaps the most grueling Fernie day in the history of the TR. Seven climbs starting on Mt Proctor, on to Mt Fernie, to the Lizard Range and back to Mt Fernie with a spectacular finish at Island Lake Lodge is the route in short. Short the stage is not and the cold beer and great food at ILL will be tasting really good after many hours of sustained single track! I should also mention the seven sweet downhills and endless single-track that will make this day extremely enjoyable!
Here is some footage taken last Saturday by Aaron McConnell:
Each year the TransRockies improves rider experience and major changes to the 2011 route offer more spectacular riding. However, one big route announcement has been saved until the end. We’re excited to announce that we’re spending three days on Fernie’s world-class singletrack!
Fernie is the only community to have hosted all ten TransRockies events. Each year Fernie has either been a Start or Finish stage and for the first time Fernie will host three stages. No other community has hosted more than one stage. Our hosting record clearly communicates our hospitality, community support, and great mountain biking.
Stage 1 will be the same as last year: start and finish on Victoria Avenue, with the route on Castle Mountain and Ridgemont. Stage 2 starts and finishes on Victoria Avenue, with the route on Porky Blue and the Coal Discovery trail. The brand new Stage 3 will start on Victoria Avenue and finish at Island Lake Lodge. This stage will be the longest stage as riders cross Mt. Proctor and Mt. Fernie, finishing with a ride around Island Lake with the finish line at the lodge.
The TR3, a three day solo event, will be exclusive to Fernie. UCI Olympic points are being offered again so expect a solid showing of professional riders. And the TR7, a seven day team event, will enjoy Fernie’s warmer weather before heading to the colder Alberta route finishing in Canmore.
One of the bonuses of hosting three stages is that the TransRockies will be in Fernie for at least five nights. This could be Fernie’s busiest week of the summer and local businesses will enjoy the increased traffic. Last year a Chamber of Commerce survey showed overwhelming support and increases in business.
The annual Kids’ Bike Rally will be returning for the fifth year. Kids’ aged 3 – 8 will be facing a fun and educational bike rally around Fernie’s downtown. It has been a great success in past years and will add to the festivities surrounding the TransRockies. The event is FREE and is limited to the first 100 kids to register at Straightline. Other festivities include food and beverage tents in the Downtown for Stages 1 & 2. The public is welcome to attend the Stage 3 finish at Island Lake Lodge by taking a free shuttle from the lower parking lot.
Without our sponsors and Partners this event would not be possible, we offer them a huge thanks for their ongoing support.
Blackstone is an environmentally sensitive master plan mountain community that is currently completing its planning and approvals stage. It will feature an 18-hole championship golf course designed by David McLay Kidd.
Other official sponsors of the Blackstone Fernie TransRockies include Fernie Real Estate, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, 901 Fernie, Straightline Skis & Bikes, Fernie Brewing Co., Overwaitea Foods, Fernie Fix, Fernie Getaways, Lizard Creek Lodge, Stanford Hotels & Resorts, Best Western Fernie Mountain Lodge, Red Tree Lodge, The Fernie Lodging Company, and The Raging Elk.
Our official partners are The City of Fernie, Island Lake Lodge and TransRockies Inc.
For more information contact Dan Savage at 250-531-0230 or transrockies@fernie.com
On behalf of the whole TransRockies team, we’d like to wish you and your families a safe and Merry Christmas and a very happy 2011. Along with a great excuse to eat a little too much and enjoy a glass or two of eggnog, the holiday season offers a chance to reflect on the past year and make some resolutions for the next year.
Fernie powder has covered all our wonderful trails
2010 was a year of consistency and momentous changes for the TransRockies. For the 9th consecutive year Fernie was the anchor of the event. Along a return to our Alberta beginnings and a finish in Canmore, the TransRockies received UCI sanctioning for the first time making the 2010 edition much different than ever before. The solo event TR3 was a sellout and the additional world-class riders like the Giant International Team and TR3 winner Max Plaxton raised the bar for the racing in the open categories. Like every year, we learned from 2010 and we’re putting those lessons into action for 2011 which brings us to . . .
Our resolutions for 2011 are to enjoy our 10th Anniversary and make it the best edition ever. We’re proud to be the first and only North American mountain bike stage race so far to mark a 10th Anniversary and we’re providing all kinds of incentives to have our past competitors come and join us for this reunion. Like you we’re making resolutions for our 2011 and first of all, we’ve resolved to have the best route ever and we’ve done so with brand new stages 4 and 5 moved higher into K-Country and away from the pasture and ranchlands at lower elevations. We’ve also responded to rider requests with a new 4-day solo event which will allow solo riders to register and ride the full 7-day TransRockies for the first time.
Among all these changes and resolutions, at heart, our primary goal is to remember the things that make the TransRockies unique– endless singletrack, incredible scenery and camaraderie unlike any other race, and match them with the best rider support and services in the World. It’s a challenge and it’s a resolution that we make every year.
If you’re interested in participating in TransRockies in 2011 but still haven’t signed up, we’ll send you a free DVD to help you make your decision. The pictures on the DVD are the best way we can think of to show you the huge scenery and adventure which riders see each year when they sign up for the original wilderness epic.
Getting your DVD is as simple as calling our office on our toll-free number 1-866-373-3376 (Outside North America call +1-403-668-7537) to talk to one of our event team and we’ll get a free DVD coming your way. This offer is available only to first time participants. We’re generally in the office 9AM – 5PM, mountain standard time.
Best wishes to you and yours from everyone at the TransRockies.
