TransRockies Bike Race
Alberta Alpine
Cory Wallace / 12.08.2010
Climbing up through the alders was like going through an automatic car wash for 1hour straight. Only this car wash was a little different as it whipped riders as they went by and willow branches were reaching out to latch onto unsuspecting derailleur’s and wheels. Once through the alders we were treated to some open rock avalanche sections, dried creek beds and once in a while a nice view back down to the Elk Valley. As we neared the top of the 2400 m pass the grade steepened into another short hike-a-bike before the riders topped out on top to be welcomed to Alberta by a Provincial Ranger standing on the summit.
Up on top the riders were greeted by rolling alpine meadows and steep mountain cliffs above them. Max Plaxton (Sho-Air, Specialized) and myself were fighting for the stage win, but even we had to stop for a moment to take in the surroundings. Once we got our fill of Alberta alpine we began the steep rocky descent down to the finish line in Etherington Creek.
As soon as we began the descent I knew I was doomed as I had ultra light weight sidewall tires on, which are great for climbing and smooth descents but on this type of sharp rocky terrain they are pretty much suicidal. Psssssss, there we go I thought, the inevitable has occurred as I flipped over the bike and put in a tube at high pressure to hopefully avoid any other flats. Apparently not flatting was a bit of a rarity on this descent as some riders claimed they passed over 15 people stopped on the side of the trail fixing their tires.
Once off the rocky descent we were able to enjoy a high speed roll through the Alberta Foothills to the finish line where we watched thunder clouds roll in over the pass we just went over. Around camp there was quite a contrast from the beer drinking TR3 riders who had just finished their race and the TR7 riders who were still on this side of hump day in their 7 day journey to Canmore.
After the award ceremonies the TR3 riders bid farewell to their fellow counterparts and took off on race shuttles back to civilization to continue their regular “Joe� lives back home. Meanwhile the 125 teams still left in the race were busy downing protein shakes and getting massages so they would be ready to tackle the day that lied ahead.
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