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Why are these people smiling? Because it's prior to the start of day one at the TransRockies Challenge. Jason Tuffs, Heather Fuhr, Mike Dannelley, & Roch Frey looking very clean and rested in their nifty American Interbanc uniforms, which are still clean...not for long.


Jason Tuffs with his bike, which arrived with his bags exactly 1-hour and ten minutes before the start!


Oh Geeze! It's the Canadians, eh! Stefan Jacobsen & Norm Thibault looking very perky before the start on Day 1. We heard they were on the front line of the start but Stefan hasn't been training and, while they were in 5th place early on, Stefan blew up at 1:45 and they ended up in 20th at the end of the first stage. We're betting he's in shape by day 7.


What's Mike doing on the front of the starting line? Well, Roch and Mike said they held 45kph for the first 8km...but then they had some issues. Let's just say that they made it back alive.


Day one at the start looking back at the 250 teams behind us and the mountains around Fernie BC.


Camper city! This is home every night. We show up after the race and the hot water is on and garbage taken out. Parked the first night at the local Curling Ring in Sparwood. Summer time so no ice on the lanes and the hacks are not in place.


Never imagined we would have hot showers every night!


Jason at one of two aid stations on day two.


Day two in Sparwood, B.C., just before the start. Worlds Largest Truck!


Heather - Day two at the 40km mark on the EASY section of road.

   

“Oh My God” – Heather Fuhr – Day 1 & 2 of the Trans Rockies Challenge

E-mail from Heather Fuhr August 7th at 5:12am
Subject: Oh My God

We found a wireless connection – so thought I would send you a very quick update. What a day – supposed to be the short day of the week!!

Jason and I were 5:26 and Roch and Mike 4:59 (after about a ˝ hour detour and then trying to make their way up on the very technical single track). The terrain was pretty knarly – lot of roots – something we aren’t used to. Jason and I did good together. He had to wait a bit for me on the single track – whenever I fell over – I would have to wait and let about 20 people past before I could get back in line. After about 3 hours we found our groove and found a good place in the pack. I hated having all the testosterone behind me on the technical single track downhill.

Mike and Roch said they went way too hard trying to make up for lost time – we will see if they tone it down a little today.

Anyway, we survived day 1!!!

August 7 – 4:18pm

We survived Day 2!!! – Sparwood to Blairemore
It was another tough day – 7 hours worth for Jason and me and 5:45 for Roch and Mike. Jason and I are getting our money’s worth.

The day started by putting all the athletes in their appropriate starting coral according to their results from the first day. Jason and I were in starting block #3 – just so you know there are only 3 starting blocks. So we got to start with mom and pop. It really is an amazing sight to have 700 cyclists starting together every day.

Because we are in the slowest group, by the time we get to the first single track of the day, there is such a back log of people that we end up walking a lot of what is ridable. Jason and I made it a whole 8km in the first hour today. The great thing is that we don’t even care. We plug along and make our way slowly but surely and by the end of the day – we are in a good group of people.

We had a lot more fire road today and even a couple of segments on the pavement. We were sure that the day was going to be much faster. But to make up for all the good stuff, we had lots and lots of gnarly single track downhills – this time in deep powdery dirt with scattered rocks. Just to add insult to injury, they gave us about 6 km at the end in the forest on a single track with roots – lots of roots.

Jason and I would pass lots of people on the uphills, but any time we gained there was lost very quickly on the single track downhills. My arms are just as tired as my legs from the death grip on the bars and brakes. When we arrived at the last checkpoint – 51km into the race (so another 26km to the finish), they told us that the first team had just finished. We were 4 hours into it and still had 3 hours to go.

Roch and Mike did better today. They stayed on course (for the most part), didn’t cramp and seemed to be much happier. Now it is time to refuel and get ready for day 3 – only 109km tomorrow. Based upon previous stages, Jason and I could be looking at a 10hr day.

We will talk to you guys tomorrow.