Stage Report, Final Stage 7 Results & Final Overall Results now online
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-reports/2010-stage-reports
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
Stage 6 Photo Gallery, Results and Report Now Online
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/photo-galleries/2010-gallery
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
Stage 5 Official Results now online
Official results and photos now online
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/photo-galleries/2010-gallery
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
Stage 5 Report now Posted: Kona surge back into the lead on a stormy day in the Rockies
To read the full report, visit the race reports page:
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-reports/2010-stage-reports
Widmer and Lazarski Grab Lead as Kona Suffers Mechanical Disaster
A Little Duct Tape Gets Sneddon to the Finish Line
Stage 4 Report
Etherington Camp—Anchor D Ranch
60km, 1800m climbing/2050m descending
A little duct tape gets the job done
Mechanical issues are a daily occurrence in the TransRockies and riders must be prepared to make a number of basic repairs to things like fix flat tires and broken chains which are a consequence of lightweight machinery, hundreds of kilometres of challenging trails and occasional fatigue-induced rider errors. Already in the first three stages of 2010, TransRockies riders have fixed numerous flat tires and broken chains and a motorcycle tire iron from a TransRockies course moto was even pressed into duty to reinforce a broken frame tube allowing the bike rider to make it to the finish on his bike rather than pushing it.
After three straight stage wins, Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks of Kona had established a 34-minute lead over 2009 Champions Marty Lazarski and Stefan Widmer (Rocky Mountain Factory Team) in the overall standings. Much of that time was going during Monday’s stage 3 when Marty had to fix a major mechanical a few km before the major climb of the day started. It was perhaps destined then that Kona would suffer its own mechanical challenge on Day 4 when Kris Sneddon snapped his rear derailleur 25km into a 60km ride. He was forced to turn his bike into a single speed for the rest of the day.
The problem with trying to turn most full-suspension bikes into single speeds is that the compression of the rear shock shortens the chain length. When this happens, the chain jumps to a bigger rear cog and then snaps when the shock returns to its normal position. Sneddon snapped his chain twice more before realizing that more extensive surgery was needed. His teammate Barry Wicks remembered locking gears out with duct tape to meet junior racing rules and they tried the same trick again . . . and it worked. They limped to the finish line in 6th place, 43 minutes behind Widmer and Lazarski who will don the Overall Leaders jerseys at tonight’s awards. With less than a 9-minute deficit and more than 170km to be raced over the next three stages, Sneddon and Wicks will feel that the 2010 Championship is still within reach.
While their ride went smoothly for the first 59.9km of the 60km day, Marty Lazarski and Stefan Widmer were nearly undone when Marty crashed just metres before the finish line turning on the transition between asphalt and gravel, and if that weren’t enough, his surprised teammate Stef Widmer also crashed when he rode into him. They were both stunned when they crossed the finish line—Marty on foot, Stef riding—but were up and moving quick and will be ready to race again tomorrow.
Behind all this action, the Timex/Sugoi duo of Will Kelsay and Matt Boobar rode to their second consecutive second-place finish of 2010 and jumped up into 3rd place in the overall standings. With just 5 minutes separating 3rd to 5th in the overall standings, they’ll need a few more good rides to hold their spot until the final podium.
The racing wasn’t quite so dramatic in the other categories though the ride of the day must certainly be credited to the Open Mixed leaders Mical Dyck and Jeff Neilson (Team Terrascape/Trek Canada). After leading the field through the first section of singletrack, they stormed through the race to be the 4th team across the finish line overall and first in their division. Mical Dyck is obviously storming at the moment after medalling at the Canadian National Championships in Calgary. Now that they are wearing the leaders jerseys, they don’t look like they have any plans of giving them up.
With everything to race for, the expectation is for Team Kona to come out firing on the 54km Stage 5 ride from Anchor D Ranch to Little Elbow Camp to try and overturn their 9-minute deficit.
Stage 4 Official Results and Photo Gallery Now Online
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/photo-galleries/2010-gallery
Photo Gallery now online
Stage 3 images now online: http://transrockies.com/trc/media/photo-galleries/2010-gallery
Stage 3 Final Results now posted
Final results and overall for TR3 along with Official Stage 3 results for TR.
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
Plaxton and Emmett Confirm overall TR3 victories on Stage 3
Elkford, BC – Etherington Camp, AB
65km, 1950m climbing/1550m descending
The final stage of the 2010 TR3 took riders from the civilized surroundings of Elkford, BC deep into the wilds of the Canadian Rockies and represented the last chance for the closely bunched top riders in the Open Men’s Division to move up in their divisions and grab more of the UCI points and Cash on offer.
Having split the first two stages, Max Plaxton (Shoair/Specialized) and Cory Wallace (KONA) were battling with Adam Craig for the overall title with everything to ride for on Stage 3. The race had three distinct stages, a long rolling approach climb followed by a sheer 1000-plus metre grind up to the day’s high point at the crossing of the Great Divide and finally a raw, steep and technical 15km descent to the finish line.
Off the start, pace groups quickly formed to better check of the 40+ km until the steepest sections began. Plaxton, Craig and Wallace rode together until the 35km mark when Wallace and Plaxton upped the tempo dropping Craig just a couple of km before the second feed station. They rode and pushed together up the climb but disaster struck Wallace on the roughest early part of the technical descent when he cut the sidewall on his lightweight tubeless tire and had to stop for an emergency trailside repair. “I was worried the whole time on the descent and thought about stopping to put tubes in my tires,” said Wallace.
Wallace was able to hold off a rapidly closing Matt Hadley (Canadian National Team) to grab second place in a time of 3:35:10. He also moved up to second place in the overall standings when Adam Craig also struggled and ended up finishing 4th, 12 minutes behind Wallace but grabbed third in the overall standings. The top five was filled out by Matt Hadley in 4th and Carl Decker (Team Giant) in 5th.
Free to descend more conservatively, Plaxton got to the bottom unscathed and rode across the finish line solo in 3:30:04 to confirm his second stage win and the overall title. “I felt great through the whole race and am looking forward to getting home for a quick break and another training block before the World Cup Finals and World Championships,” said Plaxton. “I really want to thank the organizers of the TransRockies for sanctioning the event with the UCI. It’s really important for guys who race world cups like me and Adam (Craig) to be able to get some UCI points and get better start line positions at those races.
After two dominant performances in stages 1 and 2, it was no surprise that Kelli Emmett again tore through Stage 3 to a clear 20-minute win and a clear victory in the overall standings. Rosemarie Gerspacher had held down 2nd place since stage 1 and she finished 2nd again on Stage 3 to confirm her overall placing. Carrie Edwards grabbed 4th on Stage 3 to confirm 3rd place in the overall standings holding off a hard-charging Heidi Volpe who managed to move up from 8th on Stage 1 to finish in 4th overall just 2 minute ahead of local hero Christine Misseghers of Crowsnest Pass, AB who grabbed 5th place overall.
In the Master Men (40+) Division, Alec Petro from Massachusetts held onto the lead he had grabbed on Stage 2 with another stage victory and strong performance to hold off endurance sport legend Calvin Zaryski of Calgary who was able to grab second place overall from fellow Calgarian and first-stage winner Geoff Clark who held onto third place overall despite a tough ride which saw him finish a half hour behind the winners.
For some TR3 riders, three days in the Rockies was more than enough but many more will board the shuttles after the awards ceremony wishing that they could stick around for another day or two of epic scenery, great trails and unbeatable camaraderie. After a sellout in year 2, the TR3 is bound to be even more in demand in 2011 when the TransRockies will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Stay tuned to www.transrockies.com for results and photos.
Photos and Official Results now Online
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/photo-galleries/2010-gallery
Photo Gallery
Official Results (as for 4:07 PM MST) Full Results and GC now posted.
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
Sunny Skies Smile on TransRockies 2010 Stage 2
Stage 2 Report
Fernie-Sparwood
71km, 1900 m climbing
The top teams get their race faces on for Stage 2
The morning after they’d stretched their legs with a 31km prologue around Fernie’s singletrack, the 450 riders of the 2010 TransRockies and TR3 lined up on the historic main drag for Stage 2. Led by the vintage fire engine for the traditional lap around downtown, the riders were heartened by scattered summer clouds the forecast of a perfect midsummer day for their 71km ride up the Elk Valley to Sparwood. Less technical than the day before, the course would test riders with 1900 metres of climbing and some relentless fire road riding along with the precipitous 1000 vertical metre singletrack Porky Blue descent off Fernie Ridge testing nerves and brakes.
Stage 2 was the first mass start or 2010 and the adrenaline was flowing freely with the pre-race jitters finally running free. With one minute until start, the announcer turned up the traditional start song “Highway to Hell” up to 11 and the riders streamed out of town and up the first major climb of the day. With a very different course than the day before, there was a strong chance that different riders would show their faces at the front of the race and that the race would be more tactical than the previous day’s all out effort.
2009 TR3 winner Cory Wallace started Stage 2 determined to be in the mix for the stage win and he made the break which formed early in the ride Max Plaxton and Adam Craig, the two fastest finishers on Day 1 and regulars on the World Cup race circuit. Perhaps because they hadn’t raced against him in the past, Adam and Max didn’t respond when Cory upped the pace on the last climb of the day, opening a small gap in the process. He kept the needle at redline on the short road drag into Sparwood and grabbed the stage with a scorching 3:07:32, 23 seconds ahead of his former breakway partners. Plaxton retains the jersey with a 1-minute lead over Craig with Wallace holding third over 5 minutes behind.
The Open Women’s TR3 race has quickly become a one-woman show as Kelli Emmett of Team Giant has showed her World Cup speed and skill on both stages 1 and 2, finishing among the top men both days. With nearly an hour’s lead in the overall she’s a safe bet for the win tomorrow.
After the muddy ride the day before, all the riders commented on how fast the course was on day 2. The picked up a strong tailwind along the valley for the last half of the day helping to push them to the finish in faster than expected times.
Cory Wallace’s Kona Teammates Barry Wicks and Kris Sneddon took their second straight stage win on stage 2 coming in roughly 7 minutes behind the solo category winners, a small gap considering that they’re pacing themselves for 7 days of racing not 3. 2009 Champions Marty Lazarski and Stefan Widmer (Rocky Mountain Factory) finished second and held their second place standing overall. Jumping into the top three were the Belgian duo of Wouter DeClercq and Wesley Luca (Granville-Trustteam) who jumped into third overall as well.
The 80+ Men’s Division saw a change of leaders’ jerseys on stage 2 as last year’s champions the Czechmasters (Milan Spolc/ Martin Horak) turned around a 4-minute deficit to Stage 1 winners Team Mule Bar (Pete Turnbull/George Rose) of the UK with an 8-minute gap on stage 2. The Open Women’s Category looks as though it will be a two-team race with the Calgary Duo of Trish Graczyk and Alana Heise (Deadgoat Racing) holding the upper hand over 2009 Champions Magi and Kate Scallion of Canmore.
Stage 1 Complete Results now posted
http://transrockies.com/trc/media/race-results/2010-transrockies-results
