TransRockies Classic climbs back onto race calendar: Alpine ascents at Panorama
Stage 1 of rebooted stage race starts with grueling 2,200 m of elevation gain
Five years after last traversing the Canadian Rocky Mountains, the TransRockies Classic is back.
There was no easing out of retirement for the storied mountain bike stage race, either. Racers set off from the base of Panorama Mountain Resort and started climbing. They continued the grueling ascent until they topped out way in the alpine, far above the resorts lifts.
Once there, many took the time to catch their breath in the thinner oxygen, snack and try recover from the intense effort, which was only the start of a 76.9 km opening stage.
Oh, and maybe a couple moments to take in the views. Blue skies and stunning 360-degree views were the reward for TranksRockies Classic racers’ early efforts. Views stretched across the valleys, taking in ranges and ridge lines of the Kootenay Rockies.
Once satisfied, riders began the second reward for scaling to Panorama Mountain Resort’s peaks. A thrilling descent all the way back down to, and through the town of Invermere was next on the menu.
More rolling singletrack and connectors followed before the first stage of 2019 TransRockies Classic concluded at K2 Ranch. Along the way, racers gained a cumulative 2,200 m of elevation. While the number is substantial, it was slightly outweighed by 2,400 m of descending.
Megan Molnar led the Solo Women’s field, finishing in 3 hours 23 minutes.
On the Solo Men’s side, Mathieu Bélanger-Barrette (Pivot Cycles-OTE) must have taken inspiration from his teammates’ podium performances at Canadian XCO national championships in Ontario over the weekend. Bélanger-Barrette flew through the course in just 2 hours 32 minutes.
Hot on the Pivot Cycles-OTE rider’s heels were there leading Open Men’s team. B.C. locals Travis Hauck, who is riding as part of his training for Mont-Sainte-Anne Masters world championships this August, and teammate Nick Gould finished together with Bélanger-Barrette.
The 2019 TransRockies Classic continues for another six days of racing. From Invermere, the race heads south and east towards Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, before returning west to finish in Fernie, B.C.
Stage 2 of the 2019 TransRockies Classic carries racers another 74.5 km from K2 Ranch to Nipika Mountain Resort. Along the way, another 1,750 m of cumulative ascent.