What you missed at Crossroads Tremblant

While the Crossroads Tremblant festival in Mont-Tremblant, Que. is done and dusted for 2018, the inaugural edition proved to be a great success. The event coincided with the Canada Cup and Quebec Cup mountain bike series as well as the Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant. Thousands of cyclists travelled to the colourful ski village at the base of Mont-Tremblant to experience the weekend’s racing, take part in one of Canada’s most renowned gran fondos and enjoy the atmosphere with friends and family. Here is what you missed at the 2018 Crossroads Tremblant festival:

1) Watching the Canada Cup come through the Tremblant village

Maghalie Rochette from nearby Saint-Jérôme and local Mont-Tremblant native Felix Burke won the elite XC races at Tremblant. During Crossroads, hundreds of racers of all ages and categories took on the course that tackled the lower slopes of the ski hill and featured a section in the village. This spot is where most of the spectators, friends and family positioned themselves to enjoy the races. Everyone in the village experienced the excitement of the Canada Cup racing, from tourists taking an afternoon stroll to diners sitting out on terraces having a bite to eat. The colourful buildings of Tremblant were a beautiful backdrop to some great XC and downhill races.

RELATED: Rochette and Burke take wins at home town Tremblant Canada Cup

2) The rad dirt jump park

Matt Macduff and The Rise put on quite the spectacle during their performance in the dirt jump park. Watching some of the world’s best get big air in person is always a real treat. Their performances got the festival vibe jamming. Throughout Crossroads, many young riders could be seen practising their skills in the park getting air and showing off their swagger on the pump track. The big dirt feature was reserved for the pros.

3) Tremblant’s roads and trails

The Laurentians are a picturesque setting for a bike festival. While you may come to race or take part in the fondo, don’t miss out on what the surrounding area has to offer. Minutes from the village, there’s a network of trails for riders of all levels that are worth setting aside some time to explore during your visit. Likewise, the roads are quiet and the scenery around Tremblant is beautiful when taken in by road bike. If you are visiting with family or friends who aren’t avid cyclists, the P’tit train du Nord is the perfect trail for a two-wheeled outing. Crossroads is also the only time of the year you can hire a guide and ride down the ski hill, so don’t miss the chance to tackle these wicked trails.

4) The vendor and demo area

Ever wanted to take a spin on a bamboo bike, a top-end dual-suspension rig or try on a pair of the newest Oakleys? Crossroads was the perfect chance to take a peek at all sorts of new and exciting tech in cycling. Cyclists could demo products or purchase new goodies before their rides.

5) Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant

Thousands of cyclists take part in the Gran Fondo Mont-Tremblant every year. With rides ranging in pace and distance, there is an option for everyone. The ride is more a personal challenge than a competitive event with ride leaders keeping the groups together throughout the course. For competitive riders, timed KOM segments give everyone the opportunity to drill it on a few ascents to see how they rank against one another at the end of the day. The Nordet section of the route is especially scenic.