It ended on August 15 in Fernie, British Columbia Canada's eighth edition of the mountain bike race in stages, considered the most important and challenging event of its kind in North America and one of the toughest races of the international MTB calendar.
This edition made more extreme by adverse weather conditions with 4 stages and a half with the rain and cold and muddy ground conditions and undergrowth very slippery. Bikers participants came from 20 countries while the organization, excellent in all respects, there were about 100 volunteers each day spostavono the race village to the next stage and did care about the road ahead, crossing the rocky mountains, endless forests cut conifers in areas so remote that it appeared easier to spot a bear or a moose that a resident or a passerby.

A different, more extreme, to interpret this sport than in Europe perhaps because of the enormous spaces untouched: sometimes the paths and roads do not exist and then you cross the mountains alpine style, with bikes on their shoulders! They took part in this undertaking sporting pair Salerno-Gisueppe Bettocchi Milena (Tandem square wheels) that compete with the colors of the DGM1 Settimo, and concluded the evidence in the cat. Open-mixed on a tandem MDE, unique in the race with this kind of medium. The tandem certainly requires more physical effort, concentration and coordination of course.


Partners in life and sport were at their first stage race together but voted to athletes in endurance races for many years by the great fund marathons to triathlons to cycling. The preparation was not left to chance and have participated in and played great skiing workouts that simulate the stages of the TransRockies (70/100km with 2000MT rise). Firm according to many crazy but after 7 stages, 532km and 14.300mt Giuseppe and Milena have the title of "finisher" and already thinking about the next company. Transrockies is one of the few stage races in the world with the Transalp Challenge, the Cape Epic South Africa, Australia Outback, the La Ruta de los Conquistadores, Costa Rica, in addition to our Ironbike which takes place on the Piedmont Alps. Endurance sports are events that really put to the test, physical, mind, means and equipment. For the record the winners of the eighth edition of the Transrockies was the Rocky Mountain Factory Team with Stefan Widmer and Marty Lazarska, who last year were due to surrender Italians Marzio Deho paired with Johnny Cattaneo.

Here are comments from Milena to the return of their wonderful adventure: "I went straight from the airport in Cuneo and after a week of work and two night shifts now I can barely recall the rhythms of sleep wakefulness food. But I'm still an exile and asking how we survived one of the toughest weeks of my life! Not only the location was far beyond what we in Italy call mtb: slope from hiking to us with unique tandem but also for others. But then he started also the time to say little is inclement, the streets were on a slope where streams and ponds when flat. I have seen more mud and all kinds in a week that in 36 years in life! Not to mention the cold, saving you a few episodes of abbruttimento due to survival, you just know that at the end of stage 4 the speaker came to bring a warming pack to take your hands off the handlebars while Beppe me rub.
I managed to leave the shoes soups and blocked by mud and I sat down with the warming pack between his hands and feet, unable to walk .... but you still ride and that was only the second in 5 days of persistent rain and cold .
Last stage someone has seen snow, but now I had to laugh hysterically against adversity.

It 'was tough tough tough!
Despite everything we did! and with the tandem! And had it not been for two breaks that have affected the standings since the third stage, we would also battle! The culmination of unconsciousness or dell'avventatezza was the triumphant single
where the final track, galvanized by the finish line approaching, we have overcome and stunned, even for the mud that Hannibal rising, a couple very strong then came to congratulate us! Now I understand why Henry has given the criminal to Beppe, when told of inclusion!"

We are waiting for photos and film that proudly show you at the earliest opportunity!

These additional comments by Beppe, "the tandem was fine and I swear that they drive with difficulty even in those with normal bike single track. We had broken: change (all'8km we did the 3 stage singlespeed), chopped a tire, broken chain, bent a crown of timing chain. 3 pads and two behind the front. We had, after seeing the technological ground and slimy, suspensions and roofing deflated compared to what we had experienced in training. But we needed a lot traction especially in the narrow front to turn at low speed. Then in quick satisfaction that shot off ... no one was holding the wheel. At night they put the pictures of our stage and everyone cheered when they left. Three stages were not entirely suitable a tandem. else could we do the mud tutto.Andiamo also has complicated the Roc d'Azur in October. "


What we can tell you guys ...... you were great. You have all our compliments.

Thanks