| October 29, 2001 |
For More Information contact: |
| by Ward Cameron |
Ward Cameron - (403) 678-8112 |
TransRockies
Challenge gets green light
Canadian Rockies Set To Test Mountain Bike Enthusiasts From Around The World
Calgary – The wheels are set to roll for the toughest mountain bike race in the world. Three hundred and fifty two-man teams will grind their way over the Continental Divide three times while bouncing, grunting, and pedaling through almost 600 kilometres of wilderness trails, all as part of the 2002 TransRockies Challenge.
From August 11 to 17, 2002, the toughest mountain bike race in the world will test the physical endurance of mountain biking enthusiasts from all over the planet. For 7 gruelling days the teams will test the limits of human endurance.
Starting in Fernie, B.C. amateur and pro mountain bikers will take to gravel paths, steep climbs and mountain passes along the Continental Divide, as they traverse the Canadian Rockies to arrive in Canmore, Alberta, one of the most beautiful mountain communities in the world.
Recent Press Coverage
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Listen to an Interview on CBC Calgary from Nov. 29, 2001 |
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Watch an Interview on Canada Now from Nov. 28, 2001 |
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Read an article in the Canmore Leader from Nov. 6, 2001 |
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Read an article in the Canmore Leader from Oct. 30, 2001 |
The TransRockies Challenge will include four different categories: women’s open class, men’s open class, mixed class and masters class (combined age of both riders exceeds 80). The minimum age for participation is 18. The riders of each team must remain together at all times during the race. If at any point, riders separate by more than two minutes, the team will receive a penalty.
Stages will start at 8:00 a.m. each day and riders are expected to reach the daily stage finish line by 6:00 p.m. Each day includes an evening meal and awards ceremony where the winners of the day receive prizes and the Leader Jerseys will be distributed to the leader in each race category. In Canmore, after the final stage, individual team times will be added to determing the overall winners of each category, including a total of Can $ 20,000.00 in prize money.
The TransRockies Challenge is organized as a wilderness mountain bike race, where participants will sleep in temporary tent villages that will be erected prior to their arrival and broken down immediately after their departure each morning.
The TransRockies Challenge is based on the hugely successful TransAlp Challenge, which annually attracts more than 4,000 enquiries for the 250 available starting spots. The TransAlp Challenge starts in Mittenwald, Germany and finishes in Riva del Garda, Italy. For more information on the TransAlp challenge visit www.upsolutmv.com
The TransRockies Challenge is designed to promote responsible practices with no net impact on the environment. Event organizers and TransRockies Route Designer, Ward Cameron, worked closely with the provincial departments of Community Development, Sustainable Resource Developments, and Transportation to protect the ecological integrity of the region while designing a challenging route and determining appropriate campsite selection. Ward Cameron, a naturalist, photographer and all-around mountain guru has been sharing the tales and trails of the Canadian Rockies since 1983. As Ward states: “This race showcases the very best of the Canadian Rockies as the riders crest steep vertical passes, traverse rugged hike-a-bike sections and pedal extreme distances. We have the opportunity to introduce hundreds of visitors to the Canadian Rockies, and to the pristine nature of the land they will be traversing.”
The TransRockies Challenge is organized by TransRockies Inc., a partnership of upsolutMV of Munich, Germany, upsolutMV Marketing USA LLC. and Read & Co. Event Management of Calgary and is sanctioned by the Alberta Bicycling Association.
FACT SHEET
Dates: August 11-17, 2002
Staging
locations: Fernie, British Columbia,
Canada
Crowsnest Pass
Black Diamond/Turner
Valley
Bragg Creek
Kananaskis Village
Canmore, Alberta, Canada
Distance covered: 600 km.
Vertical: 9,000 altitude meters (29,500 feet)
Number of participants: 350 two-person teams
Participant categories: Open women, Open men, Mixed and Masters
Prizes: Can $ 20,000.00
Organizers: TransRockies Inc. a partnership between upsolutMV Gmbh, Munich, Germany, upsolutMV Marketing USA LLC. and Read & Co Event Management and sanctioned by the Alberta Bicycle Association
Route Selection: Ward Cameron, naturalist, historian, author, photographer and storyteller and resident of the Canmore community.
Contact Information:
Read & Co.
Event Management Group
1842 – 14th Street S.W.
Calgary, AB - Canada
Tel: (403) 299-0355
Fax: (403) 299-0351
Email: office@readcoevents.com
or
upsolutMV.
GMBH
Birkenleiten 33 . 81543 Műnchen,
Germany
Tel. +49-89/65129930
Fax.+49-89/65129944
Email:
info@upsolutmv.de
Web:
www.upsolutmv.de
or
upsolutMV
Marketing USA LLC.
9699 N. Hayden Rd. Suite 108 – 207,
Scottsdale, AZ 85258 - USA
Tel (480) 922-4732
Fax (480) 922-4732
Email:
fabricius@upsolutmv.com
Web:
www.transrockies.com