The epic TransRockies Challenge stage race begins on Sunday 7 August. For the first time, the race is a sell-out, with nearly 350 riders lining up in Fernie, British Columbia for seven days of mountain biking. The finish is in Canmore, Alberta, nearly 600km of riding away.

It’s not an easy 600km, either. Glacial river crossings, enormous climbs and loads of technical singletrack lie on the route. For a lot of the field, just finishing will be achievement enough, but there’re plenty of people out for a share of the $20,000 prize fund. Andreas Hestler (Rocky Mountain/Business Objects) was half of last year’s winning team, and this year will be racing with Canadian Espoir XC Champion Marty Lazarski. They’re likely to have a fight on their hands, though, particularly with Team ScotiaBank/La Ruta – 2004 Ruta de los Conquistadores winner Pablo Cesar Montoya and Marco Pohlond.

In the women’s category, the favourites include Hillary Harrison and Nikki Kassel (Team Momentum Training) and Trish Stevenson/Karen Masson (Cane Creek).

We’ve got the full stage information below – for more information, visit www.transrockies.com. And keep checking back here for reports from British Army duo Mark Banham and Pete Sutton…

2005 TransRockies Stage Information:

Sunday, August 7 (Day 1), Fernie to Sparwood

Everyone will be a rookie on Stage 1 this year as the TransRockies mixes it up with a brand new stage layout. Starting in Fernie, the riders will tackle a stage which, while only 50km long, contains 46km of singletrack and over 1,300 metres of climbing.

After a loop around Fernie, the riders enter the Coal Discovery Trail, a newly finished piece of singletrack which connects Fernie to Sparwood. There will be some battles going on in the first couple of km as passing opportunities will be scarce and first day adrenaline will be high. As the trail is multi-use it is not super technical, but it is never flat and the endless small climbs swing the advantage to the best technical riders.

Monday, August 8 (Day 2), Sparwood to Elkford

This is first of two stages which are very similar to the 2003 route. In order to avoid the heinous mud and seismic line madness of 2004, Stage 2 also serves as a transfer stage. It runs primarily Northwards through the Hull River Valley and over Hartley Pass which sits near the Continental Divide and runs on the North side of the Three Sisters which dominate Fernie’s skyline. And yes, it’s a big climb.

What does that mean in riding terms? A long relatively untechnical day in the saddle with over 1,600 metres of climbing mostly on gravel roads. Hopefully all the riders will have put in some long miles and big rides getting ready for the TR and this is the first day they will be able to find out if their legs are up to the test. With winning times expected to be in the 4.5 hour range, most riders had better fuel up with carbs and fluid for six hours in whatever weather the Rockies feel like creating that day.

Tuesday, August 9 (Day 3), Elkford to Etherington Creek Campground

Stage 3 is the longest and least technical Stage of the TransRockies. For many teams, this will be eight plus hours of pedalling starting in the Elk Valley, then riding North deep into the heart of the remote Southern Rockies before turning East to ride up and over Highwood Pass, at over 2,200 metres, the highest road pass in Canada and one which has previously been ridden by Lance Armstrong during his Tour of Hope charity ride in 2004. For the top teams, it will be a day of tactical decisions with teams having to make the call whether to go solo and try to establish time gaps, or work with other teams saving energy for the stages to come.

Advice for Stage 3? Load up with the chamois cream and sunscreen, find a couple of other teams to work with on the long transfer sections and try to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the Rockies.

Wednesday, August 10 (Day 4), Etherington Creek – Sandy McNabb Campground

After the long-distance pedalfest of Stage 3, the vertical and technical singletrack of Stage 4 might come as a bit of a shock to the system. Stage 4 has become a staple in the TransRockies with the sheer climb of Sullivan and Grass Passes which both have false summits which add to the pain of the 1,600+ metres of climbing in the stage. This stage runs through the foothills of the Rockies front range, and the views from the top are amazing, if you can clear the pain haze from in front of your eyes.

The reward for the climbing is an endless variety of technical descending: from the first, lightning-fast boulder-strewn descent of Grass Pass, to the alder-choked rip down Sullivan Pass and the final mud and rootfest downhill to the Sheep River. The TransRockies is known for the creek and river crossings of which the crossing of the Sheep is by far the deepest and sketchiest. With finish line just 100 metres away, riders cross the fast-flowing waist deep water, while rescue personnel wait on hand to help anyone who gets in serious trouble… and a camera crew for anyone who gets dunked.

Thursday, August 11 (Day 5), Sandy McNabb to Bragg Creek

The ride from Sandy McNabb campground to Bragg Creek has rightly come to be regarded as the Queen stage of the TransRockies Challenge. At over 105km with roughly 2,100 metres of climbing including the legendary 17km climb of Powderface Ridge. The reward for that ascent is not only an epic vista, but also one of the best descents in the Rockies – nearly 2,000 vertical feet of screaming fast singletrack switchbacks which test your ability to stay off the brakes and let ‘er rip.

That’s only one, though, of the six separate climbs which make up this epic stage along with a crossing of the deep and glacial cold Elbow River in one of the most spectacular mountain valley settings imaginable. With mud sections, 80km/h fireroad descents, nearly 50km of singletrack, rides through mountain meadows and enough climbing to kill the legs of the hardiest mountain bikers, Stage 5 of the TransRockies is a lifetime of riding in one day.

Friday, August 12 (Day 6), Bragg Creek to Rafter Six Resort

This stage is highlighted by the climb and traverse of Jumping Pound Ridge, another of the classic Kananaskis country singletrack rides. The first 45km of the stage gradually climb roughly 500 metres from Bragg Creek before a quick blast down a fireroad brings the riders to the bottom of the heinously steep singletrack climb to the top of the ridge. Only the strongest and most skilled climbers ride most of this switchback ascent.

At the top of the climb, the trail opens out into a ride across the top of an open ridgeline at nearly 2,200 metres, with epic views on all sides… but it is probably best to stop if you’re planning to take it all in. The descent off the ridge is SUPER steep and hardpacked with loose sections, exposed roots and tight switchbacks to keep riders honest.

After the 500 vertical metre descent, there’s a short grunt of a climb before a long, sandy, fast downhill which ends in a doubletrack ride around a green glacial lake. The finish seems to come out of nowhere, as Rafter Six Resort is buried behind a small ridge. Rafter Six is a dude ranch which rolls out the welcome mat with lots of grilled meat and well-organized facilities for the riders’ last racing night.

Saturday, August 13 (Day 7), Rafter Six Resort to Canmore

After three days of over 100km and another over 80, the 50 km into Canmore on the last day can seem like an afterthought, but there’s still some of the tightest, slowest singletrack of the race and a loop of the old World Cup course left to get through. This is a real stage alright, and very few teams finish in less than three hours.

After a high-speed loop around Rafter Six, most of the race is spent on the TransCanada trail, which is narrow enough to jam up as there are few passing lines. A short gravel road transfer takes the riders into the suburbs before they climb up to the Nordic centre for a lap of the Canmore World Cup XC course. It is rough and steep enough to suck the last energy out of legs and the climb of the Oven climb means that most teams will have one more uphill push before they get to drop into town for the three block ride down Main Street.

After all that hard work, it’s time to wipe the nose, zip up the jersey and smile for the finish line pictures.