Jasper needs a bike race.

Maybe even a couple. A road race up Marmot Basin and a trail race on one of the numerous trails around town.

With all our neighbours hosting major biking events this year, it seems a shame and even a lack of opportunity that we don’t have our own.

Valemount held the British Columbia High School Provincial Mountain Biking Championships earlier this year and Hinton has the Provincial XC race at the end of this month. Even our National Park neighbours (or should I say competitors?) Banff/Lake Louise held their second annual Bike Fest and has their 2010 dates lined up already.

If for no other reason than to highlight the variety of terrain and trails that Jasper has to offer, we should have a race.

We have the Spring Run Off, the Jasper to Banff Relay, the Terry Fox Run, so why can’t we hold a cycling race?

Consider the tourism attractions. Last time I checked, biking was a pretty popular sport – Canmore has 1700 racers and Banff had over 400 racers. I’m sure local businesses, hoteliers and attractions wouldn’t complain if another weekend became a sell out. Furthermore, it’s a pretty popular sport in our regional market. Which, in case you’ve missed the little recession we’re in, is where all the money lies according to those in-the-know.

We’re catering towards the regional motorcycling industry by having our inaugural motorcycle Run this September so I think it’s high time we have a bike race!

It’s such a shame when we send a bunch of teams down to Canmore and four soloist competitors (which going by the rumours I’ve been hearing has possibly doubled already for 2010) that we can’t show these people off in their own backyard?

I’m sure all those professional Aussie riders would enjoy spending a week or weekend in Jasper and enjoying what the landscape has to offer.

Given that Jasper’s Freewheel and Cory Wallace are organizing the XC Provincials in Hinton you’d be safe to assume they might be willing to help out in putting something on in Jasper.

In fact, when I asked Wallace what he thought about having an event here in Jasper his words were “it’d be awesome.”

How great would it be to see a local-grown professional rider win on home ground?

In a town where the mayor enjoys running until the point of exhaustion and local business owners race for 24 hours non-stop just for fun, I think it’s absolutely crazy that there isn’t something already in place.

It wouldn’t need to be high tech and competitive. Maybe it could be something catered towards anyone who can ride for a couple hours on a trail. Maybe we could even have a kids event? Canmore does!

Jasper needs a bike race.

Maybe even a couple. A road race up Marmot Basin and a trail race on one of the numerous trails around town.

With all our neighbours hosting major biking events this year, it seems a shame and even a lack of opportunity that we don’t have our own.

Valemount held the British Columbia High School Provincial Mountain Biking Championships earlier this year and Hinton has the Provincial XC race at the end of this month. Even our National Park neighbours (or should I say competitors?) Banff/Lake Louise held their second annual Bike Fest and has their 2010 dates lined up already.

If for no other reason than to highlight the variety of terrain and trails that Jasper has to offer, we should have a race.

We have the Spring Run Off, the Jasper to Banff Relay, the Terry Fox Run, so why can’t we hold a cycling race?

Consider the tourism attractions. Last time I checked, biking was a pretty popular sport – Canmore has 1700 racers and Banff had over 400 racers. I’m sure local businesses, hoteliers and attractions wouldn’t complain if another weekend became a sell out. Furthermore, it’s a pretty popular sport in our regional market. Which, in case you’ve missed the little recession we’re in, is where all the money lies according to those in-the-know.

We’re catering towards the regional motorcycling industry by having our inaugural motorcycle Run this September so I think it’s high time we have a bike race!

It’s such a shame when we send a bunch of teams down to Canmore and four soloist competitors (which going by the rumours I’ve been hearing has possibly doubled already for 2010) that we can’t show these people off in their own backyard?

I’m sure all those professional Aussie riders would enjoy spending a week or weekend in Jasper and enjoying what the landscape has to offer.

Given that Jasper’s Freewheel and Cory Wallace are organizing the XC Provincials in Hinton you’d be safe to assume they might be willing to help out in putting something on in Jasper.

In fact, when I asked Wallace what he thought about having an event here in Jasper his words were “it’d be awesome.”

How great would it be to see a local-grown professional rider win on home ground?

In a town where the mayor enjoys running until the point of exhaustion and local business owners race for 24 hours non-stop just for fun, I think it’s absolutely crazy that there isn’t something already in place.

It wouldn’t need to be high tech and competitive. Maybe it could be something catered towards anyone who can ride for a couple hours on a trail. Maybe we could even have a kids event? Canmore does!