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The Adventure Zone

Past stories The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

At 11 a.m., on Saturday, September 25, more than 500 cyclists — some arriving from as far off as Japan and New Zealand — will rip out of the gate in the 21st edition of the Cheakamus Challenge. The granddaddy of mountain-bike races, the race places weekend warriors (who've been training furiously to beat last year's times) wheel to wheel with globe-cycling world champions and Olympians, all eager to put down new records.

The well-worn 72.5-kilometre route is a wild ride from the Squamish Airport to its finish in Whistler Village, but returning competitors should be prepared to face a few innovations in a course that's renowned for its eye-popping scenery and heart-thumping climbs. New for 2004 is the stress-inducing technical descent called Tunnelvision, which greets competitors after they've conquered the brutal 4-kilometre Microwave Climb at the 60-k mark. Exiting Tunnelvision, bikes hit a switchback paved 800-foot climb up Kadenwood. By the time racers head down the Ho Chi Minh Trail and into Whistler's Town Plaza Square, they'll be ready for the after-race bash hosted by the Brewhouse, rumoured to sell "some of the best fresh beer on the planet."

The Cheakamus is regarded as the Canadian mountain-biking classic, and rightly so. Roland Green, Alison Sydor, Andreas Hestler and Leslie Tomlinson, among a cast of other champions, have all taken a spin here. And whether you're first in at three hours or a straggler at seven, it's an experience you won't soon forget. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, log on at www.cheakamuschallenge.ca