Transrockies Challenge
The 10th TransRockies Starts Under Clear High Rocky Mountain Skies
Paul Done / 08.08.2011
32km/1400m climbing/1400m descending</b>
The TransRockies is the first North American epic to reach its 10th Anniversary and the riders who turned up in Fernie for Sunday’s start were treated to perfect clear, dry high mountain weather for the 32km Stage 1 Time Trial. Two racers were to be held on the trails at the same time: TR3, a UCI-sanctioned three-day solo event and TR7, the classic 7-day team event.
Run on much the same course as 2010, Stage 1 is the shortest ride of the week and gives the riders and chance to stretch their legs and get used to the endless singletrack before the first mass start on Day 2. Given the vastly different conditions from 2010 to 2011, finish times were faster even though the route contained even more trail and less doubletrack. On the start line, riders were more concerned about sunscreen and hydration than mud and traction.
<B>TR3</B>
Defending champion Max Plaxton of Team Specialized honestly assessed that he thought he’d be his own toughest competition before starting Stage 1 and, given his run of results which included his first-ever senior National Championship and his 2011 US Pro XC Series title, the confidence was well earned. In order to give the elite riders the clearest run at the trails, they started in the first wave and Plaxton left the line first at the stroke of 9am.
He shredded the course 6 minutes faster than the year before setting a new course record of 1:48:41 and laying a marker down that would be difficult for the rest of the field to follow. Sure enough, the next closest finisher was American Barry Wicks of Team Kona who was half of last year’s TR7 winning team. He finished in 1:54:32 edging third-placed Neal Kindree (Republic Cycles/SRAM) of Squamish, BC and fourth-placed Matt Hadley of Cycles Xprezo who finished within a minute of Wicks meaning a wide-open race for the podium placings.
In the Open Women’s division, multi-time TR7 winner Mical Dyck followed up on another strong showing at the Canadian National Championships with a first place finish on Stage 1. She was followed across the line by former World Cup mountain bike racer-turned Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid who showed she’s still a force on the bike beating current National Team members Catherin Vipond (3rd) and Jean Ann Berkenpas (4th).
Three riders from Alberta showed early dominance in the Master 40+ Men category led by current Canadian National Champion (40-49) Ian Auld who scorched the course in a time of 2:03:17 which would have placed him well into the Top 10 in Open. Second placed went to former TR7 Champion Jeff Neilson and he was followed closely by former Xterra Masters World Champion Cal Zaryski only a minute behind.
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