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Fernie is one of the first stops for many riders undertaking the Tour Divide, a 4345km/2,700mi ultra-cycling challenge to pedal solo and self-supported the length of Great Divide Mountain Bike Route...as fast as possible(!)
The 2025 grand depart will take place in Banff at 8am on June 13, 2025. Give them a cheer as they come through!
Participants will ride through the Kananaskis, over the mountains to Elkford and then south to Fernie via Hartley Lake Road. The first riders begin to arrive in Fernie around 12-16 hours after departing Banff, 161.5km into the ride. Some riders choose to ride from south to north, arriving in Fernie later in the summer.
It's easy to spot the riders with their bikepacking set up and signs of initial wear and tear. Many do short stops in town to grab food and supplies, some even stay a quick night. A popular spot to catch the riders in Fernie is at the groceries stores or 7-11 before they depart the paved road to join the TransCanada Trail towards the US Border.
Snow Valley Lodging, located on Hwy #3 at 1041 7th Ave, is offering a complimentary soup kitchen for riders. The Soup Kitchen will be open 8:30am - 10pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and free to all riders. The Lodge will also be open late if they still have rooms available past their regular opening hours.
Tour Divide requires no entry fee or formal registration. There is no prizing for finishing. A toll-free phone number with voice mail is provided to all riders for field reporting and live tracking is posted online.
Time-trial season begins annually with Grand Départs, occurring approximately 2nd weekend in June from both termini of the Route. The goal of these Solstice common starts is for athletes to challenge the Route in situ, under similar weather conditions and maximum daylight.
READ MORE on bikepacking.com...
The current male record for the Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile mountain bike race, is 13 days, 2 hours, and 16 minutes, set by Justinas Leveika in 2024. The female record is 15 days, 10 hours, 59 minutes, held by Lael Wilcox since 2015.<
