Wikipedia
The TransRockies is an annual 7-day, 400 km mountain bicycle race from Fernie, British Columbia to Canmore, Alberta. Described in its early days as the "toughest mountain bike race on earth", the TransRockies had a reputation for tough climbs, long days, relentless mud and highly changeable weather. Since 2010 the organizers have reorganized the route to increase the portion of singletrack and decrease the potentially boggy and muddy sections, while maintaining the spectacular scenery and wilderness riding that the race is known for.
Attracting riders from all over the world, the race has grown from 67 two-person teams in 2002 to a sold-out fields of 225 two-person teams in 2006, 290 teams in 2007, 240 teams in 2008 and 118 teams in 2009. The decline in teams in 2009 was attributed to the challenging worldwide economic conditions and the strong appreciation of the Canadian dollar against the US dollar.
For 2009 the organizers added the solo TR3 category allowing riders to compete without a partner. The TR3 riders only completed the first three stages of the race, finishing at the Nipika Mountain Resort. Starting in 2011 the three stages of the TR3 utilized the single track trails around Fernie.
In 2010 the race received UCI sanctioning with both the 7-day TransRockies and the 3-day TR3 granted S2 status. This change increased both the total number of riders and the level of competition in all categories. 2010 also saw the introduction of the TR4. This solo option allowed riders to complete the last four days of the race to finish in Canmore.