TransRockies celebrating 10th anniversary in style

The 2011 TransRockies being on August 7-13 will celebrate 10 years of with what is destined to be a classic edition of North America’s first mountain bike stage race. The race will be debuting a new format which will allow more singletrack, includes less camping and opens up the first-ever opportunity for participants to ride the full seven days solo.

The race is all about the chance to take on some of the best singletrack in the world and the 2011 route includes more and better singletrack on a course catering to all levels of participants. The stages were mapped and scouted before snowfall and they have all been ridden since the snow melted. The 2011 route has seen more miles and laps covered by the TransRockies trail crew than any before.

After a lot of rider feedback, organisers have reduced the number of moving days to three and the number of nights spent camping. For the first time, some nights with indoor accommodations are and beds included as part of the standard accommodations package. Riders will spend the first three nights in the comfy, clean dorms of the Raging Elk Hostel in Fernie and will spend only three nights camping.

Riders are supported throughout by dozens of staff and volunteers who do everything from cooking, to setting up tents when needed, to fixing bikes. The colourful travelling TransRockies road show not only makes the daily efforts of the participants possible, it creates an environment that builds unmatched camaraderie and lasting friendships among riders of different abilities and nationalities.

Along with the hundreds of recreational riders motivated by the challenge and spirit of adventure, the TransRockies also draws top international competitors each year. The TR3 solo event will once again be sanctioned by the UCI and will offer some of the best mountain bikers in North America like newly-crowned Canadian Champion and US Pro Cross country series winner Max Plaxton and others a deep prize purse and valuable international ranking points.

The week-long celebration of 10 epic years of mountain biking and, once again, riders from around the world will experience some of the best that the Rocky Mountains have to offer. From the raw beauty of Alberta wilderness campgrounds, to traditional Western ranch hospitality from the folks at Rafter Six Ranch to the open arms of mountain towns like Fernie and Canmore. After seven days of epic riding, mountain bikers from 20 countries will be greeted the population of Canmore, who’ll be out in force to host the great finish line celebration and the closing banquet later that evening.