Seven major Canadian events to look forward to in 2023

2023 is gearing up to be a massive year for mountain biking in Canada, with major events taking place from coast to coast from spring to late fall. This year’s calendar also looks a little different than years past, with several major events moving to new dates.

Here’s where and when to catch the most exciting mountain bike events in Canada in 2023.

Mont-Sainte-Anne hosts World Cup finals

World Cup mountain bike racing has a new organizer, new rules, new venues and a completely re-organized schedule for 2023. In all that excitement, Canada’s venerable Mont-Sainte-Anne venue takes a prime position as the final spot for XC and Downhill World Cup racing. The racing will be hot, but the temperatures could be cool. With series finals honours comes a new date in early October.

Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup lands in Quebec on Oct. 6-8.

Crankworx is back and has a new date

Canada’s biggest mountain bike festival is celebrating two decades of hosting gravity-fed racing and riding in Whistler, B.C. this year. The original Crankworx festival is now part of a four-stop World Tour, but Whistler remains its home base and, this year, the series’ grand finale.

For 2023, Crankworx moves into a late July spot on the calendar for the first time ever. The new date is, in part, a way to avoid the first combined UCI cycling world championships. That event, which brings road, mountain and other race formats together, conflicted with Crankworx usual time.

Crankworx Whistler runs from July 21-30

Canadian XC national championships land in Nova Scotia

Canadian cross country mountain bike national championships are headed all the way east for 2023. Maple leaf jerseys for XCO and XCC will be handed out after racing in Kentville, Nova Scotia. The venue’s hosted a few Canada Cup events to prepare for the big show, so racing should be exciting!

Canadian XC national championships run from July 22-23 in Kentville Nova Scotia

TransRockies turns 20

Way back in the early aughts, TransRockies Challenge brought mountain bikers to the high Rockies for a thrilling mix of racing and adventure. That was a full two decades ago now and, while that race no longer runs, TransRockies has expanded to organize a wide range of running and cycling events across western Canada and into the U.S.

The spirit of the original mountain bike stage race lives on in two new events. Singletrack 6 is a trail-heavy mountain bike stage race, moving to new locations every year. The newer TransRockies Gravel Royale returns to the remote adventures of the original mountain bike race, but on gravel bikes in the Kootenay Rockies.

TransRockies events span from March through September across western Canada and the United States. Singletrack 6 runs from July 13-18 in B.C. and Alberta.

BCBR is back on the coast

Another classic Canadian mountain bike stage race is returning to its roots, literally, in 2023. BC Bike Race returns to the roots and loam of B.C.’s coast after two years in the Okanagan region. BCBR is also back in its July time slot. This year also brings the return of camping to BCBR for the first time in a few years.

What’s new? The stage race will be based entirely on Vancouver Island this year. That means new courses, the return of some classic stages and maybe even a few new towns to explore.

BC Bike Race runs from July 3-9 on Vancouver Island

Sea Otter Canada is back at Blue

Canada’s version of the Sea Otter Classic festival is landing at Blue Mountain Resort outside Collingwood, Ont. this year. Like the original, Sea Otter Canada brings together racing, community events and opportunities to demo new bikes and gear. This year’s festival includes gravel racing along with a range of mountain bike events.

Sea Otter Canada takes place June 16-18

Dunbar Summer Series expands

Canada’s premier downhill race series, and Canadian downhill national championships, returns for 2023 with more events and new venues. Dunbar Summer Series expands to four events for this year, bringing downhill racing back to Sun Peaks outside Kamloops, B.C. The series is split into two blocks of racing this season, bringing to big weeks of downhill racing to B.C.

Dunbar Summer Series hosts four events over July and August across the B.C. interior.