TransScotland Challenge - NE

Great Britain, May 27-June 2, 2007

Schedule Preview

Schedule

Race 1 - May 27: (Day 1) Selkirk to Moffat, 70km
Race 2 - May 28: (Day 2) Moffat to Drumlanrig Castle & Team time trial at Drumlanrig Wood, 55km/10km
Race 3 - May 29: (Day 3) Drumlanrig to Dalbeatte, 85km
Race 4 - May 30: (Day 4) Team Time Trial at Dalbeattie & Dalbeatte Forest to New Abbey, 15km/46km
Race 5 - May 31: (Day 5) New Abbey to Moffat, containing special climbing stage, 65km/10km
Race 6 - June 1: (Day 6) Moffat to Peebles & Glentress, 62km/10km
Race 7 - June 2: (Day 7) Peebles to Selkirk, 70km

Preview

Following on the success of the first ever Trans-UK format event, the TransWales last year, comes the TransScotland.

Taking its cues from the epic Trans-Alps and Trans-Rockies point-to-point races that cross the Alps and the Canadian Rockies, the TransScotland mixes seven (daily) non-competitive marathon linking stages - varying from 55km to 85km in distance - together with a selection of special stages on the cream of Scotland's purpose built trail centres for singletrack speed shakes: Glentress, Dalbeattie, Mabie and Drumlanrig will all see riders tackling rally style time trials in pairs and in relay, both during the day and at night. All in all this uniquely epic challenge demands that the riders - split amongst five categories (solo, mixed, vetarans, women's, or men's categories) - complete a total of 498km (309miles) of riding with 14,100m (46,260ft) of climbing off-road in just seven days. According to organizers, last year's inaugural Trans-UK event, the TransScotland, was - on paper- tougher than the famous TransRockies.

Around 250 riders arrived en-masse on Selkirk's rugby club just a stone's throw from Ettrick Valley. Coming from as far afield as Hong Kong, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain and the United States, the event has seen a blend of both new-to-the-cause recruits and repeat offenders back for seconds after the Merida TransWales, with many more of the riders opting to compete solo as opposed to the traditional pair teams.

Chief of the newbies is TransAlps and TransRockies veteran Keith Bontrager, who is riding the event solo. Rabid UK singlespeeders and 24hr soloists Matt Carr and Shaggy, organiser of the UK Singlespeed Champs on June 10th at Ashton Court, Bristol, are facing the 498km (310 miles) and 14,100m (46,300ft) challenge aboard 69er singlespeed rigs.