Hundreds of mountain bike riders from all over the World will converge on Fernie, BC for the start the 2006 TransRockies Challenge, a seven-day mountain bike race to be held from August 6-12, 2006.

Though exact course details are kept secret until immediately before the event, riders who have participated in the TransRockies Challenge before should be ready for a very different route this year. The new course will head North and West to a finish line in Panorama Mountain Village, located near Invermere, British Columbia, three hours west of Calgary. Along the way, it will take in some of the stunning scenery along the Central and Western Canadian Rockies where the peaks of British Columbia's Purcell and Kootenay ranges soar to heights of over 3000 metres.

"The TransRockies Challenge has always been about offering the riders the best and most memorable experience," said Event Director Aaron McConnell. "We've set the bar very high over the last four years, but having scouted and explored this new course, we're really excited about the race that we're going to be able to put on in 2006."

While the new route will pass through traditional host communities Sparwood and Elkford, it will also include new communities who have not previously been able to be part of the event. The experience of hosting hundreds of exhausted, hungry mountain bikers along with dozens of RVs, scores of tents, and an army of volunteers and support staff is something these towns will not soon forget.

"Participants come to the TransRockies to test themselves against the toughest, most challenging mountain bike event in the World, and we're excited to show them more of what the Rockies have to offer in 2006."